Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

We have great banks of Erigeron around here, usually on walls. So pretty and doesn't need watering or pruning. Gertrude Jekyll used in in the lovely walls and paving in the gardens. This is Hestercombe near here. We used to go walking dogs there, courses etc but now it's been mown to death and costs a bomb to see,

Farway you must be so proud and pleased to have your gardening talent passed on so I think you should get some mention  

Bluey I love that mouse! I like mice with their little bright eyes - as long as they're outside. I'm too old to catch them inside like I used to.

Poppy, 2 sunny days! Wow you need to enjoy that. And the lights at night maybe.

Dusty, what's going in the containers?

Wort yes, cheese for me too. The smellier the better. But I'd need chocolate as well........in fact if it begins with c - add cake.

None of the predicted thunderstorms and couldn't see where they got that from looking at the thunder and lightning map but 5mins of really heavy rain at 6am and the occasional spots thereafter. Very humid and muggy, lots of grey and mist so lights on.

Did all the front garden pots (there's a lot) and soaked in a bucket of water to get rid of the air bubbles and soaked through. Hose in the garden and another spray.

If anyone wants some Erigeron seed let me know.

YoungBlueEyes

How's your ear bite/infection/lurgy this morning 2p? Hopefully it's shifted, earache is properly dispiriting. Only one more day to go 'til sanity returns, then you'll get lovely empty beaches  

I missed your Uriah Heep heron pp gawd he doesn't look very happy does he Beautiful picture, I love all the textures and colours. I could just jump right in that water it looks so silky. Glad you finally got some decent weather up there. You a little brown berry now? 

Those grapes look nice and crisp Dusty  How did the container filling/desperately important gardening go?

Hurray for lots of great looking nasturtiums Farway. I wonder why they have been chomped...? Ours is not reason why, like Lord wosisface said.  Congrats to superstarGD :clapping: Nice she got to meet Bill Bryson too  

That looks like a beautiful spot 2p. I think it was a pic of those steps coming down from the house that splay out at the bottom are what gave me the idea for mine. Taken from a different angle though. Could I have some seeds please if you have plenty? Do you think they'll do ok at the bottom of my wall?

No thunderstorms here yesterday, the most we got was about a dozen fat raindrops mid morning. Himself took all the waste mortar/concrete/whatever to the tip yesterday and the heavens opened while he was queueing to get in but it was all over in a few minutes. Desperate muggy here today, 17' and not a breath out there, just cloud and thick stillness. My washer will be earning it's keep tomorrow.

Farway

Humid, damp, dreary and dull. Ideal day for those going back to school.

Nice steps 2P, and may I take you up on your Erigeron seed offer? I'll PM you.

I watched Beechgrove last night, loved the tall green house made from old windows, my style of gardening there. She's the second person I've seen growing sweetcorn under glass, maybe it's a modern thing? 

I thought SC was wind pollinated, which was one reason to plant it outside? Hers looked excellent under glass.

My sweetcorn has some cobs forming, they do look a bit puny so far, but that may be the variety, and as I only bought them on impulse any cobs will be a plus.

My runners keep on giving, picked more yesterday & now I see one has made an escape and is flowering among my fruit free potted plum tree. That will be the only edible thing the tree will have provided this year.

Tasted one of my Veranda Red toms, now ripe and much improved taste, still a blight magnet for me though

Pics today, my canna flower spike, still waiting for the Grand Opening

And Rubylicous toms + nasturtiums [there are also some Ruby toms peeking out bottom left of canna]

Ruby toms + nasturtiums

Dustyevsky

Congrats to Farway's DGD for roughing it in Aberdeen. I'm sure the cert was worth it. Now, it's onwards and upwards towards President of the RHS....only if she's not another of their wokies, mind!

I missed pp's hunched-up heron too, but my fisherman's eye detects what might be quite a string current in that glassy water, so I'd not fancy a swim there! Lovely photo nonetheless, as is Bluey's 'timorous beastie,' hiding in a brick.

Yesterday turned-out 'heavy, man,' but not much rain and no thunder, despite looking like it would. The youngsters removed about 25% of their stuff from the barn into the container, while Mrs D and I got on with gardening. I put the last of the hedges in at the new entrance, cleared a slope created below that and sowed grass seed on it. The big mower won't go up it, but the push one might...at a push!

A quick read through the nonsense on MSM taught me I should never have the following plant in my garden, as well as 3 more ways to spot if I have dementia...if only I could remember what they were! Anyway, apparently the fearsome Buddleia is almost bound to end up in your gutter, or even sprout from your chimney, but in the meantime it seems quite popular with the bees. I spotted 6 on this flower spike, though I could only get 5 into the picture at once:

Apologies for the plastic table, due to be replaced soon with a wood and metal jobbie from the 1960s I've been renovating. If only I could afford the boiled linseed oil! However, I also read those nice, young Oasis boys might soon plug the big hole in the economy with their ticket sales, so who knows, maybe the fuel allowance will be reinstated after all.

2p if you manage to lay your hands on a Gardeners' World 2 for 1 ticket, it's only about £7.50 for Hestercombe, and you do get 50 acres of it to frolic in. From your side, it's a doddle to reach. From mine, the intricacies of Taunton's new 'system' means it's hit & miss via the M5. Like buddleia, best avoided.

greenbee

The canna is looking impressive Farway!

I’ve had lots of laurel and some leylandii removed from the hedge at the front, and I’m planning on replacing them with mixed native/edible hedging. However, we can’t grind the stumps out or use a mini-digger as they’re on the edge of a drainage ditch and we can’t risk the bank collapsing. So I’m trying to work out whether we can kill them with chemicals, dig them out by hand as we dig a trench for the new hedging, or just keep cutting back the suckers as we spot them.

Other than that, the garden is looking pretty good considering the state earlier this year, lots of cosmos and nicotiana mean it looks and smells like a garden not a council car park!

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Humid, damp, dreary and dull. Ideal day for those going back to school.

I watched Beechgrove last night, loved the tall green house made from old windows, my style of gardening there. She's the second person I've seen growing sweetcorn under glass, maybe it's a modern thing? 

I thought SC was wind pollinated, which was one reason to plant it outside? Hers looked excellent under glass.

Tasted one of my Veranda Red toms, now ripe and much improved taste, still a blight magnet for me thou

Raining here too.

Kids don't go back to school on a Monday, these days, Farway! Their parents get another 2 or 3 days to have a panic meltdown in M&S before that happens, while the teachers stay in bed and pretend to have INSECT days.

The sort of winds we've had this summer, pollination would be no problem for sweetcorn in my polytunnel! That's an idea for '25.

Are you sure about the Verandas and blight? I've noticed they're so dense, some inner leaves go manky, but it's more like botrytis from bad air flow. Agree about the taste being better if properly ripe. Our Datlo toms are a winner for cooking. Little seed and lots of meat on them. Flavour average, but we'll have 'em again.

twopenny

Yes thanks everyone. Ear seems to be sorting itself out  but I'm still tired and wobbly but I guess infection will do that to you.

I love Buddleia Dusty, I know about the seeding and have suffered from it so now grow in a pot and snip off as soon as blooms over. Bit of a pain but the smell reminds me of my Grandfather and being in the garden with him - even after all this time..

We have had rain at last here and it's grey hot and stuffy so there's lots of seed, I'll have to wait for it to dry before I can sweep it up and then I'll pass on. I've tried moving plants and it's not very sucessful but fingers crossed, a lump of seed should start the plants off and then they spread themselves. I have some to pull up already so I guess they like about August so they may wait to germinate.

There's some tips here

https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-erigeron/

Just got back from domestic nonsense and should be doing food and preserving but really not in the mood so may go out with the camera. Housework waits.

Here's another of that garden, I thought of Bluey and she could build another wall with windows   

You could frame the multiple telegraph poles...........

Dustyevsky

greenbee said:

The canna is looking impressive Farway!

I’ve had lots of laurel and some leylandii removed from the hedge at the front, and I’m planning on replacing them with mixed native/edible hedging. However, we can’t grind the stumps out or use a mini-digger as they’re on the edge of a drainage ditch and we can’t risk the bank collapsing. So I’m trying to work out whether we can kill them with chemicals, dig them out by hand as we dig a trench for the new hedging, or just keep cutting back the suckers as we spot them.

Leyland cypress = no problem. They won't re-grow.

Laurel, different kettle of fish. I'd cut deep into the stump with a chainsaw or drill + large bit, and drop in a very strong mix of glyphosate. Cover with plastic and leave till spring. I've killed cherry trees (cheapo bird ones! ) like that, and they're a nightmare.

Still pouring with rain.....

More MSM nonsense, just spotted: "Unbelievable calculator shows the value of your house!"

I didn't look. Even it's originators say you can't believe it.

pink_poppy

Funny little comment at the end there, twopenny  
Unfortunately our lovely weather was short-lived and zero chance of seeing any colourful auroras.

Those are weird looking tomatoes, Dusty.
The heron was next to a sea loch, well spotted.

Farway, your Canna looks very healthy - hopefully a beautiful flower on the way.
I'm envious of your lovely red tomatoes too - mine are all green still, although I did have some red ones last month.
Congratulations to your DGD - what a lovely pic.

YBE, our weather was such a disappointment yesterday after the gorgeous day on Saturday. I was more tomato red than berry brown, and that was only because I was doing some heavy man weeding Cute wee mouse pic - I had to go back as I missed the wee beastie first time.

Back to rain today, as predicted. Waterproof coats, shoes and wellies have been ordered. I ended up buying fashion wellies - I did look at the recommendations you all gave me a few months back, but I probably don't wear them that often to justify getting more expensive ones at the moment. I did lust after some though...

Farway

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

Humid, damp, dreary and dull. Ideal day for those going back to school.

I watched Beechgrove last night, loved the tall green house made from old windows, my style of gardening there. She's the second person I've seen growing sweetcorn under glass, maybe it's a modern thing? 

I thought SC was wind pollinated, which was one reason to plant it outside? Hers looked excellent under glass.

Tasted one of my Veranda Red toms, now ripe and much improved taste, still a blight magnet for me thou

Raining here too.

Kids don't go back to school on a Monday, these days, Farway! Their parents get another 2 or 3 days to have a panic meltdown in M&S before that happens, while the teachers stay in bed and pretend to have INSECT days.

The sort of winds we've had this summer, pollination would be no problem for sweetcorn in my polytunnel! That's an idea for '25.

Are you sure about the Verandas and blight? I've noticed they're so dense, some inner leaves go manky, but it's more like botrytis from bad air flow. Agree about the taste being better if properly ripe. Our Datlo toms are a winner for cooking. Little seed and lots of meat on them. Flavour average, but we'll have 'em again.

Showing my age Dusty, but as I have two teachers in the family I should really know that, but I think DS teacher is at school now, on his Insect day. 

At least OFSTED inspections will be a doddle from now on, 4 stars all round I believe, with appendices on P349, para vii about playground riots etc.

Got me wondering now about Veranda Blight, looked like it but not on stems. I noticed the toms fell off with just a slight knock as well, which I've found happens with blighty toms.

You must be reading same MSM rag as me, I saw that and thought, well best not say on here . I like buddleia, one of my seedlings has come up white, and had grown rooted through the bottom of the pot.

Job for winter & a good pair of strong DS arms to oik it up before being rehomed "somewhere"

Those Datlo look good, they'd sell on looks alone

twopenny said:

Just got back from domestic nonsense and should be doing food and preserving but really not in the mood so may go out with the camera. Housework waits.

The results of the World photo project are in, if you want to see how it could be done, have a look here, in the Galleries. Some real crackers and ideas to work on.

https://globalphotoproject.org/

Having said that, a photo I submitted has had over 100,000 views since 2021. Of all things, it's a chippie supper on Google maps!