Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

That geranium puts mine to shame Dusty, nice variegated leaves and lovely happy flowers. The Datura looks a bit g-g-g-ghostly How did you get on with the planning woman? (Your new sig made me giggle!)

We have a Frank Headley, and so does MiL, but hers looks like the prime example in the photo, while ours would get us prosecuted by the RSPCP if there was one!   Yes, the Datura/Brugmansia has a dark side, as Farway was saying.

We are done with the planning woman, for now at least. She only wanted to charge us for an hour, but she must've spent at least 4 hours, with a visit thrown in. It's great when you pick a business which knows its stuff and doesn't rip you off. They do say,”as much or as little as you need” on their website.

The sig is over 50 years old now, and as true as ever.

That's an interesting Aurora photo, pp. I'd say it is, if there's no town over that way. We've had so many sharp showers, the wood's saturated now , but I got an hour's worth in last night before the heavy rain. We chop ours up some more, so it takes time. Spruce? No way! ....Well maybe, if it was free. I've been out this morning to chop down two Leylandii for an old couple (younger than me ) who are leaving their rental. Some tree person wanted £80 to do that! There's a little potential for a few logs, but I expect I'll bonfire it all.

Farway

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

Datura [Devil's Trumpet]. After seeing their cousin, Brugmansia, [Angel's Trumpet] at Wisely I thought I'd try them, they grew but never managed to get any flowers.

I think it's down to heat & sunshine, maybe in a courtyard area or similar?

Nicely poisonous and hallucinogenic as well, so ideal solution for neighbour problems jokette before anyone reports me]

Ah, now, you've made me think!   According to a website selling them, it was a Brugmansia. I just remembered the name Datura and used it...randomly.

"Angel's trumpet: Brugmansia or Datura?Brugmansia and Datura are both part of the nightshade family (solanaceae). The difference between them is that Brugmansia is a perennial shrub that overwinters indoors and Datura is an annual. Grown from seed. Both Brugmansia and Datura are very poisonous flowering plants that need to be handled with care. Brugmansia can easily be propagated from cuttings. With a little care, lots of water and regular feeding, you will be amazed at its growth!"

Lots going on this morning , so while the sun is with us, I'm off into the great outdoors. Back later. To keep my contributions going, here's a plant also shot in the walled garden that Farway will definitely recognise!

Yep, mine is going all Triffid now, I nearly took another photo of it yesterday, so now I just have to, if it ever stops raining, it tipped down again.

I think it has done for my carrots, they are very straggly underneath it

If I had space & the right area I think a cracking jungly [death] bed could be made with Angel & Devils trumpets, Shoo Flies & castor Oil plants

twopenny

Well I've eaten my tomato.

And used my apple for pie.

Really! It's been a darn awful year for anything in my plot.

I've managed my veg intake, like Farway, with the occasional bean, bit's of purple sprouting and Kale.

Went looking for Walnuts yesterday but the trees either can't stand the summer droughts, don't produce or the constant wet and the few rot. I'll go searching further afield maybe at the weekend.

Farway those Anteater photos look wrong. There's white lines here and there showing 'cut outs'. However they got through in the first place is a mystery. Liked the bit about the floresing beatles though. I didn't know that.

Poppy - you can use what you like in the mincemeat. That's the nice thing about making your own. Add whatever is to hand that you enjoy. I like cinnamon and not nutmeg. I have a Mixed Spice which is actually a thing and I luuuuuurv that but you have to be careful picking the bottle. Some they chuck weird things in.

Dusty, you have a home for those logs you don't want if you think about it. I must say no more but at the end of your garden I believe

While on the talk about animals (as it's way to wet to garden) I heard a crow the other day making the sound of a tropical bird.  I was sheltering from the torrents under a lych gate and it was facinating. I'm thinking as it was near a place that keeps tropical birds in enclosures nearby it must have learned to communicate with them.

Very autumnal here 6 weeks early, the trees are turning colour rapidly, constant cloud and mist with occasional bucket loads of rain.  I have 2 more tomatoes turning colour though goodness knows where they find the sunlight to ripen.

As I haven't downloaded my thousands of new photos yet here's one that I saw today again, every year. I love it.

Still cold with a strong northerly wind and repeatedly chucks a deluge over you.

Did have a nice walk today though, the weather got it wrong enough that it was lovely warm sunshine for an hour or so and we hit it just right. Makes a change

Sorry it's so long. I'm still unable to get MSE forums on my tablet so it has to be all at once when I'm logged on my 'puter.

LessImpecunious

Toms don't need sunlight, or even light, to ripen, apparently, just a reasonable amount of warmth - have seen lots of recommendations to place final pick of green toms inside a cardboard box, or drawer, to ripen... Not tried myself!  - but mine are still ripening on the vine in a very shady (at this time of year - need to trim nearby hedges/trees) greenhouse...

Like the idea of your crow communicating with other species...

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Went looking for Walnuts yesterday but the trees either can't stand the summer droughts, don't produce or the constant wet and the few rot. I'll go searching further afield maybe at the weekend.

Dusty, you have a home for those logs youdon't want if you think about it. I must say no more but at the end of your garden I believe

While on the talk about animals (as it's way to wet to garden) I heard a crow the other day making the sound of a tropical bird.  I was sheltering from the torrents under a lych gate and it was facinating. I'm thinking as it was near a place that keeps tropical birds in enclosures nearby it must have learned to communicate with them.

There were lots of walnuts on our large tree a month ago. They're gone! We've blamed squirrels, without evidence, though.   Not sure what you mean about 'at the end of our garden,' because that's roughly where the branches are, with the manure heaps and the bonfire. If you mean down at the stream, that's not in our garden, and as you know, there's already a dam there of sorts, now with added bridge!

I know exactly what you mean about the crow's call. We've heard it here, and it was also heard near Torrington on a walk last spring. There's been reports of the same in the Mid-Devon area from others...and now it's reached you, up on the coast. It's a great theory about communicating with the exotics, but we've nothing exotic near here, except for a few peacocks!

Those must be starlings in your picture. We've seen some swallows still around this week, but suspect they're from 'Oop norf' and passing through.

LessImpecunious said:

Toms don't need sunlight, or even light, to ripen, apparently, just a reasonable amount of warmth - have seen lots of recommendations to place final pick of green toms inside a cardboard box, or drawer, to ripen... Not tried myself!  - but mine are still ripening on the vine in a very shady (at this time of year - need to trim nearby hedges/trees) greenhouse...

Ours are in the conservatory:

It's the big Lulus that are slow. The others are ripening at a steady pace. I'd not grow the Gardeners' Ecstasy again. Apart from the wee point on the bottom, they have nothing special about them.

Hissed down here all night, and there's a chill north wind this morning. Drunks say 'feels like' 6c and I can confirm it. We're supposed to be on a walk today....but I may cry-off!

pink_poppy

Shoo-fly is such a weird name for a plant (although I'm sure there are plenty of other weird plant names too). It's a pretty looking plant, but s it poisonous?? I'm guessing it is with Farway including it in a (death) bed    

I love that photo of the 'birds on a wire', twopenny. So clever.
I'm a big fan of mixed spice too - no idea what's in the one I've got (probably from Aldi) - the smell and taste is gorgeous - I have it on my porridge. I think the freebie apples I was going to use for the mincemeat are too far gone to use, so I'll buy some Bramleys.
Strange about the crow sounding tropical. I wonder if it's like people migrating around and unconsciously adopting the local accents.
I'm glad you got out for a walk in the sunshine yesterday.

It was definitely the aurora that I caught two nights ago as I've seen other pics and it looks the same. I got a bit of pinkness last night, but I was actually more interested in capturing the Milky Way, which was directly above us. I've got a couple of rubbish pics that I might download later (my phone is charging at the moment). It was a beautiful evening though, lots of stars and I saw a satellite going over. We had a lovely sunset - the sun was setting behind a mountain and it was projecting rays into the clouds above (that's the best way I can describe it haha), but it made for a stripey orange pattern in the clouds...



It's looking lovely out there at the moment and I have washing to hang outside (bedding) so I'd best shake a tail feather. It was so nice getting into bed last night with the brushed cotton bedding on

wort

2p I had to look close up at the apple presser I thought he was stood in a pond 😂
Ybe ouch to the teeth, hope they are ok now.

Im hoping I don’t need a raincoat, but I usually push one in the front pocket of my old suitcase. We are off to Andalusia Spain. I’ve just stripped the bedding off and it’s in the washer, hoping the forecast is correct saying dry. Not sure if I should change out my summer duvet, in readiness for returning from hols. I’ve had summer duvet with my dressing gown thrown on top at the moment.

The bird pics were lovely, apart from the two sad ones, shows how a pic can affect your mood though.

Need to sort my hair out, due the hairdresser today. 

Farway

Lucky you PP, soggy, very windy & grey here, following on from the same the lot as Dusty's. 

Doubtful on any gardening today, not even picking the last, last of, the beans.

Did pick the last of the outside ripe toms yesterday before it hissed down again, now just a few left to ripen but probably won't make it now colder weather has arrived

LessImpecunious said:

Toms don't need sunlight, or even light, to ripen, apparently, just a reasonable amount of warmth - have seen lots of recommendations to place final pick of green toms inside a cardboard box, or drawer, to ripen... Not tried myself!  - but mine are still ripening on the vine in a very shady (at this time of year - need to trim nearby hedges/trees) greenhouse...

My grandad used to ripen the last wrapped in newspaper in a drawer, one of the many wonders of childhood

pink_poppy said:

Shoo-fly is such a weird name for a plant (although I'm sure there are plenty of other weird plant names too). It's a pretty looking plant, but s it poisonous?? I'm guessing it is with Farway including it in a (death) bed    

The shoo fly & poisonous, or not. It all depends.

If you look it up  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicandra_physalodes it's mixed, & pot luck on the results for you, herbal medicine, deadly poison, toothache remedy, who knows?

Used to make Chinese pudding and also a US fly killer

I'll just look & admire it.

2P, love the bird pic, reminds me of the photos of junior sailors manning the mast.

Only garden related for me will probably be to look through a fruit catalogue that has arrived, I've no room for more, but can dream

Just refreshed, have a nice holiday Wort

wort

Thanks Farway.

Dusty if that’s the Best Lulu can do maybe she needs someone to “SHOUT” at her. Sorry I’ll get my coat.

Sun and wind here now the sheets are blowing like the clappers.
must remember to water the houseplants today. Also take the orchid out of the conservatory. It’s getting chilly in there.

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks for the apple tip Farway, I'll plant some pips and leave them outside to overwinter. I'll do another few and leave them in the conservatory too. 
A Death Bed garden sounds good, are we having one at Rottery Acres? Lady wosname at Alnwick Castle has a poisonous plants garden, very popular with the visitors apparently. If it's all as pretty as shoo-fly it'll look lovely. Parp prp prp prp parp parp parp paarrpp for ripe grapes! They best be tasty after all the time you've waited for them! 

Ooh aurora again pp. Deffo a green tinge to that one. It's amazing how every picture is different colours/shapes I was never a lover of hot chocolate, but I tell you what is nice. Make a black coffee and add a heaped soon of cocoa/choc - yummy yum yum   Those sunset colours are just right for Halloween  

Imo Rottery Acres needs a walled garden exactly like Dusty's pic, tiny wee skinny old bricks, tall and strong, with a colony (?) of moss all over the top  
Good news you got a decent sort at the planning office, hopefully it'll be smooth sailing now :fringerscrossed: "A nice little bridge"  Your toms in the conservatory - is it warm in there? I was thinking of harvesting mine and bringing them in but my connie is NW facing and cold... 

A crow mimicking a tropical bird, I love that I wonder what the Merlin bird id app thing would make of it...Your bird pic made me smile, you'd wonder how the ones on the slope stay on! I like your long posts 2p, means mine don't stand out quite so much ha haa :embarrassed: 

Now you've said that I'll get my toms snipped today when the sun comes out Less. I might wrap some with a banana too, give them an extra help.

Have a lovely holiday wort, looking forward to your pics already I'd deffo change my bedding from summer duvet ready for when I got back. Are you going to a warm bit or up in the cold mountains.... ?

I'm late today, I was up and out for my Friday doings and back by 1030. The Oracle is off on hols today and asked me to wait in for a delivery for her. She's bought her grandson a bike for xmas (£8.5k!) so I'm sat here now for the day. 

I rang a fellah about the boiler. I can wait for an appointment and get it serviced (£85), or I can have someone come to assess it within 24hrs and that's £389+vat Assess it mind, not fix! I actually did say "how muckin' fuch!" Thank god for Lovely Neighbour. So anyone looking for something to do, put yourself through boiler school, you'll be a squillionairre by Christmas. 

OT cold here and getting colder. That northerly wind's in a big hurry to get down south, and we've had rain on and off. Very Autumnal. If it keeps getting colder I might have to put a duvet in the duvet cover at this rate