Awful weather - typical Brits talk

-taff

It took me so long to write that I missed your reply lunatic but good to know I can still spot shale and slate a mile away...

Farway

Anyone seen Dusty? Has he been naughty & in Sin Bin?

ArbitraryRandom

Lunatic, beautifully atmospheric - you can just imagine dragons soaring over it all  

-taff, Yes, I think good king henry is definitely one for me to try. My only issue is that I would prefer getting something in a pot, but even I should be able to germinate something from a pack of 100 seeds Will just have to wait until next month as I'm still staggering on with this no spend Jan as best I can. 

Wort, I think that's my plan for next weekend. The forecast is half decent, so if I can open all the windows and give things a good air while giving the sheets/duvet a blow on the line. It's not been a bad start to the year, but I need to clean out the cobwebs and throw out the junk that's been dumped in the out of the way places (metaphorical and otherwise)  

Not much done today around work, but I did notice what I think is the start of at least one of my hostas waking up... Last year I was super lucky the slugs didn't find them at all, but this year has been so mild over winter I might proactively give them some blue sweeties, just to be safe. 

On a related note, where are people planning on buying compost/grow bags this year? I want to top up the hosta tub with something fortified, but last year the bags weren't the best so I'm wondering if I'm better off (MSE) just buying another ton of mushroom manure in early March and using it for the potato tubs, with any excess going around the fruit trees?  

twopenny

Been awol with an sudden onset of something and ended up in casualty, felt too poorly to post but did start reading to catch up. Really cheering to see what everyone has been up to.

Fabulous photo Lunatic, what a view to have on your doorstep - so to speak.

And more gorgeous ones from Poppy, glad you're back.

Farway good luck with finding said gardener. I think it will take some time. Everyone in demand and picky. Maybe your small garden will be one they can fit in as and when which may prove cheaper.

If Dusty is reading have a look at GW Special 3 about 35mins in.

I'll be posting some but they sadly won't be beautiful. Went to a beauty spot for a cheer up walk before I took to my bed crook. Obvs it didn't work.

The storm damage from back along was horrendous and the houses there must have been a scarey place to be.  So many river valleys closed off because of the devastation and hte time it takes to clear it safely.

Hope to get around to posting the pics soon.

Mostly still grey, sometimes light grey, sometimes dark. But the evenings are drawing out fast now.

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Anyone seen Dusty? Has he been naughty & in Sin Bin?

Sorry for my unexplained absence. I've been using the dry weather in an attempt to get on top of the winter jobs, in case we have a nasty, cold, wet February.  I'll keep up with posts here and thank them to prove I'm still around, but I may not say much for a few days.

Meanwhile, I hope those who've been quiet, because they're under the weather or sad, feel better. Good to see pp's back.

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

 I can still spot shale and slate a mile away...

 No schist, Sherlock? Or could it be gneiss?"

"Hmm, certainly metamorphic, my dear Watson!"

twopenny

Hope those of you up north survive the promised storms - again!

We have no warning down here yet which is as well because this is still being cleared and access to a lot of walking land is forbidden for safety reasons.

Here's the rather scarey photos of what happened in the Watersmeet valley where we could walk on one side only and some paths closed - take note Dusty.

The fallen trees are on a steep slope and sliding down onto the road. The photo doesn't really tell the tale.

Onto more cheerful things it's not too grey today, there's a glimmer of sunlight and no wind.

4-5c which is stable but cold for us down here.

I've some left over shooting small pots I'm going to plonk in the garden and hope for some reward. That may happen today :-)

The direly desecated onion sets that I shoved into the ground are showing lovely green sprouts so you never know.

And of course the days are drawing out fast - did I say that before - probably will again :-) as I leave one set of fairy lights on the pre Christmas setting and measure the updated settings against' that. It's amazing the difference so fast.

Farway

Dull, damp, grey & colder than it looks, found this out when I went to Morries first thing, bread & milk but did mooch in the grim garden part

Garden part is very bare, some Leftover reindeers with near dead ivy on their backs, a few Norwegian breed polyanthus halfway to Valhalla and that was about it

Seems everyone is busy, that valley looks like it took a real battering 2P. 

Started weather scares already for the coming weekend, seems Ireland may even get blown into Wales.

I hope you're feeling better 2P, and your green topped dedicated onions do the “right thing”, or at least you get some onion leaves for the pot

If they bolt to seed, the heads are quite pleasant looking, you could always say they're White Alliums, and the dried heads could be part of a slightly whiffy Christmas pomander, to go with your posh timed lights.

ArbitraryRandom said:

On a related note, where are people planning on buying compost/grow bags this year? I want to top up the hosta tub with something fortified, but last year the bags weren't the best so I'm wondering if I'm better off (MSE) just buying another ton of mushroom manure in early March and using it for the potato tubs, with any excess going around the fruit trees?  

Last year I found Levington, from Home Bargains was good, not cheap mind, but good. 

Being HB it was on some sort of offer but can't remember what, and no doubt it will be different this year.

I have 40L bags of Durston's Universal, the one with peat, which seems Ok so far, I got it from Milk & More £5.49 delivered with my Jersey gold top, cunningly bought when I was on 20% discount, so £4.40ish
But the mushroom compost sounds a better idea if price is right, and you may even get some mushrooms out of it

Noticed a black bird and a Goldcrest in my garden earlier, and a couple of buds in the newly exposed daffs.

Could spring be knocking?

twopenny

Fancy lights be darned Local cheapie diy, 50 lights last longer on Poundland batteries.

Don't think we have any plants at Morries. Outside closed, inside pricey or dead. The cut flowers don't last a week so I've stopped looking. Another place that's got carried away by 'we have a sucess, lets put all the prices up and have poorer plants for greater profit'

It happens so often over the years. People get a good thing and want more.

I've got one last bag of proper John Innes 3 and mixed some with the cheap growbag stuff. It felt ok when I was potting but it was damp. Not sure when it dries out. But that maybe one answer - depending on what you can find.

Haven't been back to the GC since having a panic attack due to the overwhealming amount of Christmas tat last September. Another case of they got popular so want an easier way to make a profit than the plants people go for.

I'll have a journey out when we eventually get some pleasant weather and do the 3 GC for a recky. I know one that's gone more clothing and gardening accessories but still has some plants that take second place. The other is an old fashioned GC come nursery family run. Cafe with chickens but the plants may or may not be worth going for.

As they are many miles from me I guess I could link - you'll notice by what they promote how good they are for plants

https://www.bluediamond.gg/garden-centre/blackdown-garden-centre

And

https://www.willowbrooknurseryandgardencentre.co.uk/plants/c148

I know which Farway would choose

Can't find a photo of the cafe chickens. Looks like I'll have to go and photograph them myself !

Farway

twopenny said:

As they are many miles from me I guess I could link - you'll notice by what they promote how good they are for plants

https://www.bluediamond.gg/garden-centre/blackdown-garden-centre

And

https://www.willowbrooknurseryandgardencentre.co.uk/plants/c148

I know which Farway would choose

Can't find a photo of the cafe chickens. Looks like I'll have to go and photograph them myself !

I'd go for the plant one, Willowbrook, but no doubt I'd be dragged along to the café & furniture one instead

BTW, Morries had Easter eggs for sale