Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

WM, you do so much, I feel tired just reading about it!

Working_Mum said:

I love your big container Dusty - I must have missed what your plans are for it (and the sleepers afterwards).

The container's only for a few months. We're applying to the council's planning department for permission to make our barn site residential. It's a tedious process, involving surveys of various kinds, and there's also been a long battle (now won) with a few NIMBY neighbours who all live in barn conversions nearby! . We need to empty it of domestic stuff before the structural survey and a potential visit from the council bod. 

It's also a useful exercise for our DD and husband, as they've 10 years worth of surplus 'things' which don't fit in our house and the intention to buy their own soon, so some tough choices need making. They won't have the luxury of our barn as free storage for much longer!

The sleepers will eventually go in the walkway between our bungalow and a hedge bank. The bank's more or less vertical, and it requires a small retaining bed of tough plants formed at the base. I was going to build a rough stone wall there to replace the one someone nicked, (just a few base stones remaining) but it'll be easier to plonk down some mortar and pop the sleepers on top. I do have sleepers there at present, but bargain-basement ones (£5 each!) so these will be nicer. 

Thanks for your nice comment about my grey photo, wort. Getting good pictures is easy here. I could have had some in the mist, early this morning, but I was too dopey to remember the camera! It was definitely autumnal out there, and I saw the first garden spider's web, festooned with dew. I expect Bluey will remind us, it's the patron saint of gardening  day, today.

Embarrassingly, I've still no new photos to show, so I'll upload one of my walking friend's garden, which is developing slowly. She has had drainage trouble with the area in the bottom left, where many plants were lost, including 3 or4 Astilbes. It's been dug-over and is ready to receive new planting, as & when. The rest is coming along fine, but it's very orange just now! Farway will notice the Canna in the centre, I expect. The others are Heleniums and Cosmos. I'll swear the Cosmos were supposed to include some reds.  In the background is the Malus ' Scarlett' we planted in spring. She hasn't grown much, but I'm pleased her dark foliage has been retained. You'll notice, no Verbena bonariensis in sight. They did grow well....actually too well. Say no more! 

I'm carrying on with the strong tea and skimmed milk, wort. Might lay in extra supplies too, in case it's next to get banned. Thank goodness, I'm too old to worry about being targeted by the weight police! 

Just imagine: “Would this be your salami sandwich in this lunch box, son?”

"Never seen it before, officer. Wouldn't touch it, anyway, I'm strictly vegan."

twopenny

Not going to be beach weather I think Bluey, Was so cold last night and only 13c this morning It's brightening up a bit but no blazing sun like the forcasts promised. I think they'd had it for the end on the week for so long and kept moving it they thought they'd better make it one day, any day.

Sorry, not sorry about your tomatoes. Mine are sitting there smallish and green with suspicious dark green tops and no amount of feeding and watering can make up for cold nights and no sun.

Dusty, my favourite phrase from Waiting for God is 'To heck with that, I have a liver to destroy'

Everything has been kept fit and healthy and there comes a point where you need to say I've got to enjoy what's left   

Sounds like everyone except WM is just biding time till the autumn garden tidy. Sheesh what happened to summer?!

Wort that's the best sort of day, the pleasantly unexpected

Greenbee that made me chuckle My neighbours cats do the same. Sit at the front door waiting when they know there is a cat flap. 

 I know they say about dogs that a 'door is what the dog is always on the wrong side of' because they always want to be on the other!

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Not going to be beach weather I think Bluey, Was so cold last night and only 13c this morning It's brightening up a bit but no blazing sun like the forcasts promised.

Without making any Devon v Somerset jokes, as I've inhabited both, I think you might be OK for your beach trip. It's that blooming north wind that we on the Bristol Channel side can't hide from, like those softies on the southern side!

Being in the middle, reading the wind's the first thing our grown up children do before heading for the sea.

Farway

A bit of catch up reading, you've all been so busy, I'm trailling behind but nearly caught up.

Sun's out & warm day expected

I have already fed & watered the pot plants at the front, it's weekly feed day as well as bin day.

Working_Mum said:

I am loving your fruit nets Farway - I got my sewing machine out at the weekend (made a windbreak for my nephew as an engagement gift and covered the cushions on some Freecycl3ed chairs I picked up) so am in the mood for making.....and I hope to have container apple trees next years.....so a perfect solution is to make my own fruit nets and use up all my bits and bobs of ribbon etc!!

Fruit nets are, IMO, one of those “I wish I had thought of it before” things, it was having grapes for the first time in ages that triggered me. Mine have draw strings at the top, which I find ideal as it tightens around the stalk.

Hope you WFH works out OK, DD does that and suits her, she does evening shift for an online bank, but not on phone.

YoungBlueEyes said:

Good to hear the lurgy has s0dded off Farway. Have you tried your unknown apples? I pulled mine before the storm hit and tried one but it wasn't quite ripe. Or it was ripe and it's a bit of a sharp one I've got them sat on my front windowsill, see if that ripens them up a bit :fingerscrossed:

Yes, I've had the tree about twenty years, sold as Golden Delicious, my bottom

Nice early eating apple though,,which usually ripens around the same time as the blackberries, which is handy

Some apple takes months to ripen, which is why best to know the variety.

One tip on checking, tap the apple, sounds hollow if ripe, a bit like fresh baked bread

Pears are even worse, never ripe until midnight and then manky by breakfast.

Dustyevsky said:

Farway will notice the Canna in the centre, I expect. The others are Heleniums and Cosmos. I'll swear the Cosmos were supposed to include some reds.  In the background is the Malus ' Scarlett' we planted in spring. She hasn't grown much, but I'm pleased her dark foliage has been retained. You'll notice, no Verbena bonariensis in sight. They did grow well....actually too well. Say no more! 

Ha, I have Canna news, it has a flower spike!! Birth expected over the weekend if weather keeps warm.

Nice to see Scarlett is still Scarlet, once I get over DD I'll get pic & update on similar red leaved malus "Purple Haze"

Later today is picking more beans, not enough to supply anyone else, but I was just thinking how growing years change. Last year was carp for beans & toms, this year, despite the Global Boiling rain both crops are doing well.

I'll also try & get loping the buddleia.

Forget cats, after checking the moon & stars last night, having inspected nighttime plumbing, along with Dusty,  

I was listening to Beeb World service trying to get back to sleep, and discovered dogs align themselves with the Earths magnetic field before they poo

I thought it was April but checked this morning, and lo, it’s true. Amazing useless fact to astound companions when out & seeing a dog up to no good.

They prefer N- S axis, so could be handy if you are lost, check alignment of dog poo

https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animals/why-do-dogs-poop-facing-north.html

Working_Mum

I love the idea today is the Patron Saint of gardening Day - should google to get the name I 'spose.

Dusty, your friends garden looks lovely. So much colour.. You always sound so industrious and now I know why - I love the idea of converting a barn but the reality is that it would be beyond me and my capabilities. Knocking about my trad 3 bed semi in 2020/21 took me 4 years to recover from. I quiver at the thought of moving again. That's why i focus on my garden.....never gonna get me out of here 

You are totally right about dogs being on the wrong side of the door 2P - R0meo is always wanting to be out when he is in especially if he is on border patrol at night and the foxes and hedgehogs are in the garden. Daytime regularly sees him bouncing down the garden barking his head off at grey squirrels who sit on the top of the fence laughing at him. He is an absolute idiot but I love him.

I found some very old net curtains in the bottom of my sewing box Farway so will definitely be making small drawstring nets for next year - I'll make extras for friends too as I love the idea of them!

I had a little mooch  in my garden whilst watering this morning and to my horror a self seeded hazel tree has been stripped bare of its leaves - I think it was by caterpillars as I seem to have seen a few. I googled it earlier in the year and it was some kind of moth. This damage has been done in two days! Greedy s0d5 - am seeing a few little green shoots growing back so hopefully it'll survive.





I've also noticed a couple of others I've lost this year in my shaded border - a flamingo willow bush and another one I can't remember the name on. I think they dried out in the few days we had sunshine. I will probably replace them next year - they're in the shade of next door's cherry tree and have been doing well for the last 2 years. I always feel sad whenever I lose a plant.

I recently treated myself to a Toffee Apple Tree (Cercidiphllum Japonicum Katursa Tree) and that seems to be doing ok.

My understanding is that skimmed milk has more calcium than semi or full fat - water contains calcium appaz and less fat means more calcium in the milk.  I've always drank fizzy water for it's high calcium content but ordinary water has solid levels of calcium too (no advice meant obvs ....simply sharing thoughts).

It's almost the weekend and tomorrow sees me attending a speed awareness course  which I am definitely not looking forward to.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone

greenbee

Broccoli has lots of calcium in it. So does milk chocolate (along with iron and magnesium), but not so good on carbs.

YBE - if I show the cats the cat flap and open it for them (it works on their microchips) they look at me as if I'm an idiot. They know about the catflap, but would prefer the door. Interestingly if they're in a hurry due to a fight with another cat that has invaded the garden for example, they tend to head for the catflap, so I think they know that no one can follow them through. Although obviously with all the doors and windows open in summer, that doesn't really help!

Dustyevsky

Working_Mum said:

It's almost the weekend and tomorrow sees me attending a speed awareness course  which I am definitely not looking forward to.

Could be worse!

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks for ..errr.. reminding me it was St Fiacre's Day yesterday Dusty Did we all do lots of gardening or appreciating our garden to celebrate? No I didn't either I like your friend's garden, looks very Country Cottage-y. I like the walkway on the left too Will that be covered in grapes wisteria or summat? Imagine some beggar stealing your wall?! You should be allowed to shoot those people imo. Just through the elbow, say, nothing fatal 

I hadn't heard that dog saying before 2p, but it's true - dogs always want to be on the other side of a door. That's because they're diligent and have a lot of necessary work to do, cats do it because they're erseholes they can Hopefully you get some better weather this weekend so you can get to the beach and come back to happier toms  

That's a good apple tip Farway, tapping to see if they're ripe. By that measure they've got a way to go yet... That's a brilliant dog fact - I'll be checking N-S alignment when I'm out later. We could do with some cloudless evenings/nights here, I've yet to see any stars Must try harder.

Oh noo, poor hazel tree wm I hope it survives :fingerscrossed: Toffee Apple Tree sounds interesting - will the apples look or taste like toffee? Or both That's a bu99er about the speeding, you must have been in Lincs were ya? I was out yesterday and 'til I got to morries roundabout my top speed was 11mph. Even just ticking over in 2nd I had to brake a bit. And there was still a dique behind me trying to overtake! Good luck on your course  

I'll have to check out which other veg has calcium in it, I didn't know about broccoli gb. Jeez I love this place, I really do

OT It was a lovely dawn out there, all soft and smudgy peachy colours Very damp though and cool with it at 7'c. Sunny and cloudy with a high of 19' coming. They say. Gardening to be done today, I want the 2 patches in front of the wall dug over at least, and I think I might move a cherry tree. It's only wee but it's not thriving like the one it's next to so maybe it's too close. I'll check out what RHS says about pruning my trees too. Oh and Beechgrove last night was alright, more entertaining that informative tbh. That awful Lizzie was on with Calum, and she's back next week with the nearly-as-awful Ruth  

Farway

Cooler this morning, a bit of a chill in the air, that plus having to put the lights on first thing is a big clue that winter draws on despite not much summer.

Went up to the volunteer spot to carry on the watering, despite it being cooler it's still dry.

We have gained a rose. “Happy Retirement”, as gift to our manger who retired last week, planted in its own spot, visible from the road but out of reach. It came pruned but is shooting already, time will tell.

Unfortunately, our soil is rank everywhere, but it should be OK, if not up to Chelsea standard

Never went out lopping yesterday, stuck into my chair. I may try later today, but drizzle may be arriving.

Slightly OT, read my gas meter this morning, it's in a box outside, I even have snails inside the gas meter box [it's open at the base where gas pipe enters]

WM, I have heard the Sped Awareness courses can be interesting, be even better if it was going on a skid pan and a circuit of Brands Hatch

If lopping completed, only other gardening is YT & Beechgrove

Dustyevsky

Working_Mum said:

I love the idea today is the Patron Saint of gardening Day - should google to get the name I 'spose.

Dusty, your friends garden looks lovely. So much colour.. You always sound so industrious and now I know why - I love the idea of converting a barn but the reality is that it would be beyond me and my capabilities. Knocking about my trad 3 bed semi in 2020/21 took me 4 years to recover from. I quiver at the thought of moving again. That's why i focus on my garden.....never gonna get me out of here 


I had a little mooch  in my garden whilst watering this morning and to my horror a self seeded hazel tree has been stripped bare of its leaves - I think it was by caterpillars as I seem to have seen a few. I googled it earlier in the year and it was some kind of moth. This damage has been done in two days! Greedy s0d5 - am seeing a few little green shoots growing back so hopefully it'll survive.

As expected, Bluey has named the Saint. This is him.

He looks as if he's just spotted something munching his prize hazel tree, his groats, or whatever people grew in the 7th century!

Don't worry, your hazel will be fine. Almost nothing, short of a direct hit from an F16, bothers them.

My friend's garden is still very much a work in progress. On the one hand balmy sea air, on the other, clay soil and winter waterlogging. Then there's her propensity to move stuff around! To answer Bluey, choice things, supposed to climb along the pergola thing, upped and died. But there's a grape, and I inserted a Clematis montana a few months ago (Morries best!) and after having its head blown off by the wind it's started to go for it. More needed. though, especially at the winter 'deep end.' Suggestions?

Finally, WM, I should explain we won't be doing the barn converting ourselves. Back in 2014 we 'redesigned' the bungalow; took the roof off and many inside walls down (not at the same time!)  in a process that took 3 years. Mrs Dusty has never really recovered, and I'm too ancient for heavy manual stuff now, so we aim to get planning permission and sell. It's not something we particularly want to do, but on an income just above that where they've stopped the fuel allowance , we have to generate cash to keep the place up-together. Just re-fencing the fields costs £thousands!

Good to hear about your Canna's potential bloom, Farway. Similarly, I have found a few Lakemont grapes, though your comment about the Golden Delicious may apply.

Wonder if 2p got to the beach? One thing Devon's better at than Somerset!