Awful weather - typical Brits talk

pink_poppy

What a beautiful view, twopenny   It sounds like your fitness is coming on in leaps and bounds too. I think mine is going the other way. I've got it into my head that I want to start running *snorts* so I might look into the C25K after my October holiday.

Funny rude veg, Dusty. It's good to have a bit of humour and the 'well endowed' carrot quip was funny    

Looking forward to your sunny photo, wort. Our forecast was for mist/fog first thing this morning, but I think I mist missed it.

Did anyone take pics of the moon last night?? I tried, but it just came out as a big white blurry thing. It looked impressive in real life though. As twopenny said, no chance of seeing the aurora (if it was about) because the moon was so bright. I'm kicking myself this morning, because yesterday I was playing with some huge binoculars I got for Christmas years ago and never used because I thought they needed to be calibrated. It only occurred to me this morning that I could have looked at the moon with them last night. Doh. I did get them in the first place for stargazing, so I can't believe I didn't think of it last night. Double doh.

It's a beautiful morning here - lovely and sunny  

YoungBlueEyes

That's me jalopy in for it's annual fettling, hopefully the bill is only little pleasepleaseplease. 

Yep my snapdragons came up fine 2p, possibly a bit better than last year. I've a couple on the shady side of the garden and they did great, I've a couple on the sunny side but planted against the fence behind the swish roses and they did a bit less great. Good enough though Isn't it nice when little things work out? Jeez that's some view you got with your tea + shortbread Maybe if you can just get a bit more sun on your toms they'll get far enough along that you can bring them in to ripen..? That's what I'm hoping for mine. 

Cracking heron pics pp. I like the reflection in the second pic, the first one looks like he/she/they's been decapitated  

Ooh a lovely long walk for no reason other than the weather's good and you've time for it wort, lovely  

Looking at your misshapen fruit Dusty, now I'm singing Jake The Peg ha haa! I spose I should look it up really about crops + yields + exports etc, I don't know how much of it crosses the water or stays in NI. It perhaps won't make much of a difference to our markets and prices. They've been doing ok round here, I've seen the balers a few times when I've been out (best smell in the world) so hopefully it'll be ok :fingerscrossed: Never hurts to be prepared though. 

No aurora here last night but I did get a (not great) pic of the moon. There was a star next to it too which is nice - 



We've had a few starry evenings/nights here recently Nothing that comes out on a picture though. 

No gardening yesterday so I need to get on with it today. The Oracle came over after lunch and said "I can see you're not doing anything so come over for coffee in about 15 minutes." So that was the afternoon gone. I'll ring the council today because I see on their website their pest control people do wasps. Actuay I need to work out if they are wasps. Can anyone recommend a good id thing? I couldn't tell you a hornet from a wasp from a yellowjacket. There's absodeffolutely a nest under my grass - what started as a few buzzing round became a few dozen became ooh ship that's a lot and is now about 300/400. You can feel the heat of them under the grass when you stand on it in your bare feet and the noise is unsettling too So that's today's jobs.

OT weather's alright, was nice and sunny yesterday sitting out for a coffee. Cloudy this morning but mild enough at 14'c

pink_poppy

Eek to your lawn, YBE. Hope you can get whatever it is sorted - I've never heard of a wasp/hornet/yellow jacket nest being built under grass, it's bad enough with ants  

My fuzzy moon pic...



And I'm glad this was on the outside of the window, otherwise I'd have been freaking out...


Nice coloured clouds/sunset last night - looked like a painting...

Farway

Back from the Wisley day orf.

Great moon last night, but wrong place for me to get a photo, anyone see the eclipse bit? I didn't, still in bed.

@ing car wouldn't start. It turns over but doesn't fire up, no idea why, being diesel it's not ignition is all I can say

I may have a look later but think it will need RAC Home start 'cos Frankly my Dear, I've not got a clue with modern cars, just looks like a big black box under the bonnet. I may give it a Hard Stare first.

Anyway, the companion used her car, went via Morries on the way for a Meal Deal. Amazing value £3.50 compared to the Wisley cafe.

Then no electric wheelchair , should have booked, but there is a few weeks waiting list, so we decide to wing it on the off chance of a cancellation. There was not a cancellation, so I used a bog-standard push along chair, like a walker.

This meant level paved ground only, which was a pity because I had wanted to see a new layout border up a hill to a Lavender Mound at the top

But the day was sunny  & mild, not much in the way of fruitfulness to stick to clothes though, I have my eye on a white hibiscus next time

Leaves were mainly still green, so no Autumn colours either, but hoping to pre-book an electric chariot say mid-October and get-up the hill & maybe more colours

The greenhouse has been rejigged, separate orchid area now, but IMO not as impressive as it was. It used to be like being in a jungle, now more like show benches.

Plenty of colour around the borders, chrysanths, cyclamen, all sizes of sedums. Never saw any herons for photo op, ducks of course.

Photos have yet to be sorted, some nice ones IMO, here's one to be getting on with. The prairie planting is really something spectacular at the moment., ideal for Rottery Acres.

Dustyevsky

Some great photos this morning , but I'm tight for time. The neighbours have been up to their nonsense again, so I've wasted valuable potential posting here by writing a grumpy email to them.   

As I recall, hornets don't usually nest underground, but some species of wasps do, particularly those we have here. These underground ones don't seem very aggressive, so if I strim their nest opening, or run over it with the mower accidentally, they don't come after me. They just buzz about close to their nest. This year, we seem almost wasp free.

I believe the swallows and house martins have left us now. There were one or two around at the weekend, but they might have been just passing through. I'm always sad when they go. To me, it's the definitive sign summer's over.

Still no firm news on the van. It's had some work, but “there's more to do” pre MoT, and no indication of when, exactly. The garage is running on Devon time, but that's usually cheaper! Best of fortune with your MoT, Bluey.

Still loads of photos to go through. As we're enjoying another lovely, bright, morning, how about a contrastingly dark dahlia? I had to use flash! It's almost as scary as the critter on your window, pp!

twopenny

I've got into black plants Dusty though probably nicer in the garden. My favourite Helebore is that colour. This is how it looked in my last garden and now it's being outcompeted by a newbie and reduced to 2 leaves. Not sure whether to move it or move the flourishing one.

I'm giving up on trying to keep up and respond to all the news but I've read every bit.

Fingers crossed for the car Bluey, not quite as bad as the dentist but nearly as expensive.

Darn Farway, but a good excuse for another day out. Love the prarie planting. Is it as easy to maintain as it looks?

I love that moth on your window Poppy. It's on the tip of my tounge to remember what sort it is.

Sitting here trying to recover from  all this unaccoustomed walking. Woke up fine but I need to pace myself as per told I guess. It's still a case of fingers crossed as I'm without pain even if it's all a bit iffy and will it last? Still at least I've had a bit of my old self back so it's good to know it can happen

Now to try and work out what that thing is under Blueys lawn. Wasps usually disperse around this time of year and if not a frost will soon sort them out.

Ooooh digger wasps? Aparantly use this at night when they are all in and not flying about. There should be hole or entrance.

"Mix one part dish soap with four parts water and pour it into the nest. This will suffocate the wasps and cause them to abandon the nest. You can also use a natural insecticide to kill the wasps. Natural insecticides such as neem oil or pyrethrin can be sprayed directly onto the nest to kill the wasps." - https://www.eliminatesolutions.co.uk/how-to-get-rid-of-a-wasp-nest-in-the-ground/

YoungBlueEyes

Jalopy is still at the garage. Hopefully they've not found something major and are arguing about who has to call me to get permission to fix it. Or looking for another pen to put more 000's on the bill. 

Ooh pp what a sunset that was Good thing that beastie was outside your window  

Imagine them not keeping you a chariot that they didn't know they had to because you didn't book one Farway. Swines! Prairie planting looks very appealing, we'll have to make room for that at Rottery Acres. (By the way are any of us actually looking for a RA...? I've not looked for a bit tbh, the foreign sites are clunky to use ) That’s a bu99er about your car, but the garage should be good about sorting it seeing as they only just had it in, won’t they? I’m presuming you tried all the usual side eyes + mumbling it’d better pull its socks up + possibly a bit of bad language? Violence tends not to work on cars, in my experience, even the good natured variety. 

That dahlia looks all thick and velvety and lovely Dusty. I daren't ask what your neighbours have done this time. Fingers crossed your pre + MOT will at least extend it's life expectancy to a few more years 🤞🏻

I got in touch with the local beekeepers association this morning, so I'm waiting on an email back. I managed to get a couple of decent pics (really not easy)  to see if they can id them and give me advice. Their website does suggest bees so hopefully they'll come get them out. Here's the pics I sent them - 

- if anyone has a bit of knowledge…? I haven't tried any pish-off powder or chemical anything, mostly because I can't find any with the shops being full of Xmas tat

Which plant will you move 2p? I’d move the less-than-happy one and let the flourishing one have all the room. The unhappy one can then get itself back to it’s former glory 😃 It's good you've still got your old self in you, even if it doesn't appear as often as you'd like. 

twopenny

Looks like they're in striped pyjamas Bluey

It could be Euccera Longicornis. A ground dwelling Cuckoo Bee. It's closest in appearance. Says it nests in the ground between May and July. Leave a calendar next to the nest    But it google says it's a solitary bee but Bug Life says they will live in aggregations. I like that word.

The other option is Anthidium Manicatum known as the hoop shaver or wool carder because of it's habit of stripping the woolly coating off stems and leaves, rolls in a ball and uses it to line the nest. Check your Lambs ears for nibbles.

What about getting the Google Lens app because that's a pretty good photo. I've used GL on my old computer once. It was easy. Now I can't do it for some reason.

My body bits have gone to pot again today so not moving much anywhere thanks for asking. The big thug one is crowding a winter flowering shrub too so when fit I think the answer is to dig out that bed and see what goes back in. It's all winter spring flowering in that corner because it's what I see from the sofa.

YoungBlueEyes

My philosopher's axe jalopy failed Seizing back brakes and something to do with a cylinder (itms to anyone). Medium amounts of filthy luchre will resolve it though, hopefully it'll be done today. 

I've had an email back from the Beekeepers Association, and he's said what he thinks they are. They don't come and get them apparently - the BKA is a bunch of hobbyists trying to get others to keep bees, so why that woman from the council told me to ring them I don't know. But the council don't do bees no matter what or where they are so I'll have to live with them. I won't say what the fellah thinks they are in case anyone wants to have a guess...It's none of your suggestions 2p, unless you've used the latin term for the name the fellah used. Aggregations - that's lovely That's my new word for today. 

Mild and cloudy here, no sunrises or sunsets or aurora or moons to report. Still and humid and nothingy all day, possibly.

Perambulation of the Handsome Beast today and then I really have to get some weeding done. And plant the bulbs I found when I was rootling about in the conservatory looking for photos. I've got 2 apples ripen (finally!) and I can't say I recommend them. They're like biting into 2 different apples, at first the juice is sweet but then it's tart and not in a nice cleans your mouth out way. The flesh is a bit woolly too. However the yellow rasps are much nicer - like a fragrant raspberry. If you'd put one in your mouth without looking at it you'd think it was like a rasp with a bit of something else. Very pleasant  

Dustyevsky

As there's over 60 types of ground-nesting bees, and not a lot of info, I'll pass on trying an ID this morning, Bluey! The take-away from what little research I've done, suggests they're not a threat to the lawn, or people. Even the wasps which nest in old rodent tunnels seem not very aggressive. I've seen few wasps so far this year, and barely any hornets. It seems the local version of global boiling isn't suiting them much.

Commiserations on the MoT verdict. Master and slave cylinders are to do with the operation of brakes, so fairly important. 

YoungBlueEyes said:

 I daren't ask what your neighbours have done this time.

We discovered it's just the two men with heads resembling drawer handles; one of them being Mr Canute. They've planted 3 trees to 'prevent' the development of the barn site. They're still mad we (lawfully) dug up the grass to make the new entrance, so their logic goes “ Ah, that was just grass, let's see them dig up a tree! ”  The trees are tiny, but blocking the path of the tractor which cuts our hedge, meaning we'll just let that section grow wild this year. Planning will decide the rest. So, no grumpy email sent, and no more time wasted.  

Do RHS Wisley not read this thread, then? They should have known they had a VIP visiting and been better prepared!  Still, that prairie planting is mighty impressive and very thought-provoking. One thought I've had is, no way would weeding it in shorts be pleasant with all those spiky things!

We've a similar problem to yours, 2p; a black hellebore not doing well in a very shady place. They're tough old things and survive in quite hostile environments, but this one has been going downhill for years. Trouble is, the one thing they often can't survive, is being moved. It must be done in optimal conditions, and that may include removing flowers for a season.   I'm glad to hear you have your old self back. As a believer in exercise, I'm sure that enviable walk was beneficial.  

Mrs Dusty and I took everything out of the hen house and disinfected it from top to toe in the glorious weather yesterday. It was so spick & span, the hens seemed suspicious and reluctant to enter afterwards! We have dodged red spider mites for years, following this regime and keeping food & water away from wild birds.

Here's a snippet from setting-up the show, featuring a well known plant which, according to MSM, one should 'never' grow in the garden! It's been paired with a much more refined cousin, but you'd never guess they're related.

Dull, humid and windy start here, but we're promised another fine day.....'soon.'