Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

I've also resisted the T&M temptation, Farway, mainly because my seed-raising results of late haven't amounted to much. If the same is repeated in 2025, I may have to find another interest. Hopefully, re-formulated compost will help.

I'm unclear what maintenance or attention birches require. We stuck ours in 11 or 12 years ago, and now they're huge, having outgrown most of their neighbours. These aren't fancy sorts though, just odd bods, at least two of which fitted in my rucksack.

Arb, I think lovage stands in for celery in some circumstances, and without any growing hassle either. Quite majestic in growth too, though where ours went is a mystery.

I've received err...advice about 'fake news' when I've recommended a cheaper alternative to Auntie's services, Bluey, so I'm saying nowt. It certainly isn't MSE, paying for services one doesn't use. I've paid extra for information I trust for about 5 years now, considering it VFM, but, of course, YMMV. 

I spread disinformation yesterday, describing our day as 'grey,' when it cheered-up somewhat from time to time. Today that looks less likely to happen, and with a max of 6c, it's still woolly hat and gloves R us. Bit the bullet and bought a new bar for my chainsaw last night. 7 years work from the original isn't bad at all.  

I had hoped for a complete new saw this winter, but someone decided otherwise.  

In the mizzle typical of mid-January, some evergreen plants stand out. 2p's spider web with raindrops reminded me of this Euphorbia at Rosemoor. It's a picture in the rain and it will be fast out of the blocks in a couple of months when those flower buds burst forth.

ArbitraryRandom

Warmer here today as well. Weather has actually been quite nice all this week really, just shame I've had to work indoors fro most of it. Today is catching up on domestic nonsense, but hopefully get out for a nice walk tomorrow. 

Dusty, I'm struggling a bit with an area of the bed closest to the house (the herb/salad bar) given it's fairly shady. Things that survived/did okay last year were sage, seabeet, sorrel, salad burnet, chives, lemon balm, thyme and marjoram. My winter savoury is sulking a bit, but hanging on... This year I'm trying lovage and french tarragon, and I'm also keeping my eyes open for Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) and Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely). Any other suggestions for shade tolerant/preferring (ideally perennial) herbs or salady things appreciated  

Farway

ArbitraryRandom said:

Warmer here today as well. Weather has actually been quite nice all this week really, just shame I've had to work indoors fro most of it. Today is catching up on domestic nonsense, but hopefully get out for a nice walk tomorrow. 

Dusty, I'm struggling a bit with an area of the bed closest to the house (the herb/salad bar) given it's fairly shady. Things that survived/did okay last year were sage, seabeet, sorrel, salad burnet, chives, lemon balm, thyme and marjoram. My winter savoury is sulking a bit, but hanging on... This year I'm trying lovage and french tarragon, and I'm also keeping my eyes open for Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) and Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely). Any other suggestions for shade tolerant/preferring (ideally perennial) herbs or salady things appreciated  

Dare I say Mint?

 Usual warnings about thuggish but it does come in lots of varieties apart from Bog Standard

ArbitraryRandom

Farway said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

Warmer here today as well. Weather has actually been quite nice all this week really, just shame I've had to work indoors fro most of it. Today is catching up on domestic nonsense, but hopefully get out for a nice walk tomorrow. 

Dusty, I'm struggling a bit with an area of the bed closest to the house (the herb/salad bar) given it's fairly shady. Things that survived/did okay last year were sage, seabeet, sorrel, salad burnet, chives, lemon balm, thyme and marjoram. My winter savoury is sulking a bit, but hanging on... This year I'm trying lovage and french tarragon, and I'm also keeping my eyes open for Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) and Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely). Any other suggestions for shade tolerant/preferring (ideally perennial) herbs or salady things appreciated  

Dare I say Mint?

 Usual warnings about thuggish but it does come in lots of varieties apart from Bog Standard

I've got mint planted in a little bed off to one side (at the base of my roses)  

Dustyevsky

ArbitraryRandom said:
Dusty, I'm struggling a bit with an area of the bed closest to the house (the herb/salad bar) given it's fairly shady. Things that survived/did okay last year were sage, seabeet, sorrel, salad burnet, chives, lemon balm, thyme and marjoram. My winter savoury is sulking a bit, but hanging on... This year I'm trying lovage and french tarragon, and I'm also keeping my eyes open for Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) and Myrrhis odorata (Sweet Cicely). Any other suggestions for shade tolerant/preferring (ideally perennial) herbs or salady things appreciated  

Err, well, garlic chives are as unfussy as the normal kind and there are several parsleys you could try, I've noticed a new one called 'Menuette' which I'm thinking about. You could also try plants that bolt easily, like coriander, or even give some basils a go, though both are very annual. There are edible flowers, too, like calendula. You seem to have found most of the long-lived options, but what about Good King Henry? Just one of many weird and wonderful perennials available from one of taff's favourite sources:

https://incrediblevegetables.co.uk/shop/good-king-henry-blitum-bonus-henricus-pack-of-100-seeds/

The same warning as Farway gave if you plant wild garlic, which will surely flourish anywhere!

YoungBlueEyes

Cold damp and grey here, I was gonna rig up my here-today-gone-tomorrow bird feeder yoke but cba cos it's that miserable out there *shrug*

The price of the wee man on his tractor would need to come down considerably for me to buy one too Farway. Everything in there is 'how muckin fuch?!' territory. I don't know why cos it ain't an actual Posh Town like Harrogate or somewhere.  I reckon I'd give maybe £30 for it's only a hollow plaster thing If I see them for that kinda price I'll lift 2  

That Euphorbia's beautiful Dusty, it looks like it got caught in a diamond shower As for news I've all but given up on it now. I find that if something major happens it trickles it's way into my brain from places like this, or himself will show me something he's seen, or Beloved Cousin will text me. I'm only glad mum can't hear me say that, she was raised to grab everything there is to know about the world - granda was hedge schooled and valued information and education as an unbending priority. How times change  

I don't know a thing about what you should plant Arb.... are you thinking something pretty or something you'll get a lot of use out of? Or both? Or something queer because why not?  

Hoping the quiet people are all ok, and all's well with legs/bums/tums/cars/heating/allotments/kittens/puppies and life in general

Oh and anyone that's feeling cold, spare a thought for the poor souls in International Falls MN - the icebox of America - where it's currently -27' and feels like -31'  The sobers have given that an "Extreme Cold Warning" which seems about right to me but what do I know.  It's going to be -6' ish tomorrow in Washington DC but wosname is moving his do inside because he's declared that "dangerously cold". I just hope they all fit inside...

Anyway off to learn about budgets and bank accounts now that I should probably start adulting properly with the few miserable pennies they give me to be a worker bee

Farway

Very dull & very grey morning, with added damp mist, a day for looking out not being out

In case anyone missed or has second thoughts, the T & M 89p seed offer extended,

offer ends midnight, 20th January 2025 or while stocks last. Normal delivery charges apply. Use order code TM_TN5614W.

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/newsletter-special-offers-sunday3?source=newsletter-seed-190125&acq_source=

Arbs, in your herby bed, do you have space to trial watercress?

Or perhaps Land Cress?

I've grown water cress, in water, but apparently it will grow in damp soil, just a thought, you could start with some organic stuff from somewhere like Waitrose

Dustyevsky said:

Err, well, garlic chives are as unfussy as the normal kind and there are several parsleys you could try, I've noticed a new one called 'Menuette' which I'm thinking about. You could also try plants that bolt easily, like coriander, or even give some basils a go, though both are very annual. There are edible flowers, too, like calendula. You seem to have found most of the long-lived options, but what about Good King Henry? Just one of many weird and wonderful perennials available from one of taff's favourite sources:

https://incrediblevegetables.co.uk/shop/good-king-henry-blitum-bonus-henricus-pack-of-100-seeds/

The same warning as Farway gave if you plant wild garlic, which will surely flourish anywhere!

What luck , T & M offer 89p, lots of calendulas was £2.89, Parsley, and watercress seeds, were £3.49 and garlic chives, were £3.49

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/microgreens-chives-garlic-seeds/WKB5029TM

YoungBlueEyes said:

The price of the wee man on his tractor would need to come down considerably for me to buy one too Farway. Everything in there is 'how muckin fuch?!' territory. I don't know why cos it ain't an actual Posh Town like Harrogate or somewhere.  I reckon I'd give maybe £30 for it's only a hollow plaster thing If I see them for that kinda price I'll lift 2  

 I'm only glad mum can't hear me say that, she was raised to grab everything there is to know about the world - granda was hedge schooled and valued information and education as an unbending priority. How times change  

Anyway off to learn about budgets and bank accounts now that I should probably start adulting properly with the few miserable pennies they give me to be a worker bee

OK, I'll have a tractor once the price drops

My grandad was a news hawk, always turned the wireless on for BBC Home Service news, but in those far off days it was real news that did literally mean life or death for some poor souls

I think we can safely skip the next few days' news reports

If you are serous about budgets etc, may I recommend MS Money for PC? 

No longer supported but still works, adds up, does reports etc PM me for link to free one

All for now, no gardening but may sort out wheelie bin

YoungBlueEyes

Yep I'm serious about banking. I've always just spent less than I earned - result happiness a la Micawber - but I think I ought to move to an interest paying account at least. I've always just stuck with my bank cos it's easy, which is pure stupidity really.  So I need to do that as a bare minimum. Reading about people and their 'pots' is eye-opening tbh, I knew that people have a dud account for constant stoozing etc but I didn't realise how much better I could be doing, now that I have a regular wage coming in before I blow it all on a Morgan  Loyalty sure doesn't pay... 

OT still cold out there. Probably.

Edit - is wheelie bin misbehaving? Does wheelie bin need a stern look or a dem gud threshing?  

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Yep I'm serious about banking. I've always just spent less than I earned - result happiness a la Micawber - but I think I ought to move to an interest paying account at least. I've always just stuck with my bank cos it's easy, which is pure stupidity really.  So I need to do that as a bare minimum. Reading about people and their 'pots' is eye-opening tbh, I knew that people have a dud account for constant stoozing etc but I didn't realise how much better I could be doing, now that I have a regular wage coming in before I blow it all on a Morgan  Loyalty sure doesn't pay... 

OT still cold out there. Probably.

Edit - is wheelie bin misbehaving? Does wheelie bin need a stern look or a dem gud threshing?  

Wheelie bin, only need feeding with household waste,, which means I have to go into the cold & chuck a bag in

I've linked the MS Money, have fun, can be frightening results though

I have spent a total of £3,666 on gardening over the last twenty years [since 2004]

£1400 on seeds / plants

£470 on fertiliser / chemicals / sprays

£374 on composts

£571 on waste disposal, over last four years with my scallywag council & my health. It was zero for previous 16 years.

But it's still less than many spend on one annual holiday, and I get / got food and pleasure from it, so good value IMO

For comparison my current car, since Aug 2021, has cost me £2994

ArbitraryRandom

Ooof... 

I've spent more than that in the last year, but hopefully that was just setting up and things will settle now. My view is that it's still cheaper than therapy and better for me than alcohol  

Gardener man was due an hour ago but is apparently stuck in traffic. Cool and grey but dry (apparently a balmy 7 degrees). 

Hope monday treats everyone kindly