Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

"Our" Xmas tree-to-be is a Noble Fir - some of them, despite being only a little bigger than ours had cones, enormous ones, which were sadly disintegrating (the Xmas tree farm chap had hoped to harvest them for decorations, as they will apparently remain intact if picked before they start to turn brown, but he'd left it too late - about August would be ideal, he reckoned). Some cone scales with attached seeds somehow fell into my pocket but think it may be a few years before we have a decent grow-your-own, so will have to continue supporting local business for a while yet...

Even "dreicher" today, but now combined with significant drop in temperature, and a chill wind, so confined myself indoors with some pre-Xmas decluttering, etc...

LessImpecunious

PS think you may be right about the willow id Dusty, 2P will perhaps confirm!

Dustyevsky

LessImpecunious said:

"Our" Xmas tree-to-be is a Noble Fir - some of them, despite being only a little bigger than ours had cones, enormous ones, which were sadly disintegrating (the Xmas tree farm chap had hoped to harvest them for decorations, as they will apparently remain intact if picked before they start to turn brown, but he'd left it too late - about August would be ideal, he reckoned). Some cone scales with attached seeds somehow fell into my pocket but think it may be a few years before we have a decent grow-your-own, so will have to continue supporting local business for a while yet...

Even "dreicher" today, but now combined with significant drop in temperature, and a chill wind, so confined myself indoors with some pre-Xmas decluttering, etc...

Synchronicity strikes! It was only yesterday Mrs Dusty was suggesting a Noble Fir for our garden, as she likes the huge cones. I looked at the seed option, but decided at my time of life it would have to be a ready-made tree!

This evening, I also went in search of my Mona Lisa socks, as mentioned by pp. No success as yet.   'Famous painting' socks were sold cheaply as a pack a few years ago, and I was a lucky recipient at Christmas. The quality was poor, and they were too small, even for me.

wort

YBE that’s a poor attempt at a Xmas tree in your posh town 😳 looks like they threw those decorations at it.
Farway hope your anemones aren’t all one type.🤞🏻

Weather on Sunday was sunny and mild, so after a walk to see my dd2, I went in the garden to tidy up and cut back started with the Lucifer’s, moved on to the green and gold euonymus, thinned out the hardy geraniums, and cut back the stems of the tree peony. Had to stop when the green bin was full, they’re due for emptying on Weds. 
Yesterday was rainy but I was at work, and today need to walk into town, but it looks dry and up to 40 F if they are to be believed.

Farway

Dry & sunny, nice view of the Cypress with the morning sun “just right” making it lovely again

wort said:

Farway hope your anemones aren’t all one type.🤞🏻

From experience with T & M it would not surprise me to find, come summer, they are all bog-standard muddy pink shade. At least it's only a six month & not six year wait to find out.

There's a fir tree at the back of me, not in my garden, it has huge cones, and every year I think of making Christmas decs. with them, but I never do.

I did start growing some from the seeds, but, like Dusty, decided time was not on my side, so I gave that up

Nice pics of the squirrels over water 2P, reminds me of a programme I saw with monkeys doing the same, but the crocodiles below knew that it only took one slip & dinner was served

Isn't there some fish that spits out & knocks insects out of overhanging trees?

Answering my own question, yes, Archerfish, related to gardening because the spitting cuts back the over hanging growth, sort of pruning

That would be something, a new pruning technique, best not tried walking round Rosemoor or Wisley

https://aquaworldhub.com/fish-spit/

No gardening today, sunny enough but still damp & soggy vegetation

Here's an older photo of the large cones

pink_poppy

Dusty, those 'neeps' are huge (hope that doesn't sound rude - neeps are turnips here   ) And fancy you having Mona Lisa socks (if you can find them) - cue the twilight zone music...

Those squirrel photos are gorgeous, twopenny - I never knew that they ate sycamore seeds.

I love fir cones, Less. When I was out walking a couple of weeks ago I picked half a dozen up - one a lot bigger than the rest. They were closed when I collected them, but I put them in front of the fire and they've opened up nicely now. I just like them dotted around the house, same as conkers. Funny you should say about growing your own Christmas tree - I said the same to my DH   

wort, I used to use a heavy brush to squish things into our green bin when we had one, it's surprising how much more you can fit in. I'm envious of you getting out into the garden - I really miss pottering around outside.

OT - a bit frosty first thing this morning, but it's pretty much disappeared now. We're forecast heavy rain this afternoon. 

Dustyevsky

As we're on fir/pine type trees, I'll give you the Montezuma Pine in a local garden....and hope I didn't give it to you before! Probably did. If you're familiar with Montezuma, you'll get the name. Anyway, no large cones like Farway's example or Less's Noble Fir, but differently impressive.

I forgot or missed 2p's squirrel, which was probably proving something evolutionary. Here, only a pike would be a possible route to sudden demise. They take ducklings, but it would need a dam big one to take on a squirrel!

Sunny after a slightly freezing start here. It looks set fair for a day or two, but chilly. Yesterday wasn't as warm as my early evaluation, done from indoors. Car said 4c and I didn't disagree, when I was washing the worst of the landscape from it! No 'proper'  gardening done, but I popped into the polytunnel, removed the last of the tomato stems and roots to the next bonfire and closed off the last two side vents with polythene.

Back to the Show and the answer to the "What's In The Bag?" teaser from yesterday. It's silage! Two sorts: hay silage and maize silage. All 'au naturelle' with not a fart-reducing additive in sight!

Another tease: Coming soon, emotional support chickens! We 'farmers' blimmin well need them. too!

Refresh & Edit: pp, your pole looks like it could be a cherry picker, possibly being used by an arborist with a chainsaw. Or it could be someone clearing the gutters on the big house. I can think of a few more things, but none I could write here!

pink_poppy

That Montezuma pine really is impressive, Dusty - I love it.

The silage looks like my hair    

Aw, emotional support chickens, that sounds lovely, but sad at the same time (if you're being serious - I'm never sure with you   )

Hmm, a cherry picker, it could be, but it was way above the height of the building and trees. Urgh, it doesn't bear thinking about being that high up...

Farway, I love the photo of the cones, do they open up or stay that shape??

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

The silage looks like my hair    

Aw, emotional support chickens, that sounds lovely, but sad at the same time (if you're being serious - I'm never sure with you   )

Hmm, a cherry picker, it could be, but it was way above the height of the building and trees. Urgh, it doesn't bear thinking about being that high up...

I'm sure your hair smells better, though! As for the person on the crane/ cherry picker, it's the same for those who maintain steeples and things like that. I saw a video involving steeple maintenance recently, but I had to stop watching, and the chap hadn't even left the ground! 

I don't want you to worry about the emotion-calming chickens today, so I'll explain they're knitted, not real. They're on my other 'puter ATM. There's also an idea for your hydrangea, another year.......

wort

Dusty that pine reminded me of a hula skirt 😂 definitely an unusual specimen.
I thought cherry picker too, maybe telegraph poles that are too thin to see by eye ! 

I loved the squirrels, I thought he looked like he was trying to get a drink of the water. 

I have seen the archer fish on tv Farway amazing aren’t they.

Well I’m glad I wrapped up as it was mighty chilly, my fingers and toes are tingling now, I’m back home.
Going to wrap some presents for the homeless charity and might do a couple of mine too.