Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

That's the thing about grass (that kind anyhow...) - it grows when your back's turned... Lovely moss though!

Edited (after refreshing and seeing Dusty's post) (re. grass) Well, something that looks like a grass might be a sedge or a rush, but that won't stop certain gardening progs calling them all grass... Plus - lovely moss and fungi and trees and views, etc!

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

I checked yesterday, the bean canes are at the stage where OK until a full crop and then will collapse , so I'll need to sort them by April.

Our tomato canes are well into yellow sticker territory, but it occurred to me, we might use trimmed-up hazel rods this year. I've not measured, but the useful length must be round 8-9 feet. Bamboo's not been cheap since the folk who used to produce it, got into technology instead.

My T&M 89p seeds arrived yesterday. All were bargains, except the nasturtiums, which I found on Lidl's rack yesterday at 29p!

Yes, folks, the Lidl seeds are in stock ! Seems to be earlier every year. 

It's a sunny morning here, after an impressive-looking frost. The chicken water didn't freeze inside their shed, though, so it looked worse than it was.

LessImpecunious

Popping back again to share this link to the "Wild Isles" photo comp 

 https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/wild-isles-competition-photos

Think some photos we've had on here could compete with the landscape shots at least!

twopenny

Hmm Less, I think the price of the camera to get those clear shots are important. Mine are seldom like that.

Thanks for posting though, always interesting to see what others are doing but I agree, they lack imagination and placing the subject in it's real surroundings.

Yesterday the back garden was 14c! Sunshine. But the ground was soo cold and with thermals on I got out there and definitely hacked, not pruned, back what I could. Got out the front and dug out the old Hidcote and put in the new plugs I've had since last year.

Really needed some grit and sand which I did when I first dug the bed but  - expensive now.

Even took to the GC because there was a pot sale on back along. Not so much now but if I have room for any more pots it's not eyewatering.

Same as Otter Nursery, the place was full of plants but dull. Totally uninspiring and full of tat. Its a case of import it, put it out and wait for customers. And yes, prices have gone up again.

Today - 2c and not rising. No wind or rain, just, as someone said, another shade of grey. So far I've decided that I've done enough bracing for the weather and even though dry I'm going to just laze around in the warm unless the mood takes me for a walk and cake. Found a new tea shop with some lovely home made cakes

Love the sheep Bluey

Beautiful where you live Less

Dusty I was having a go at guessing the beach but the last photo had me puzzled. Trentishoe?

Farway, think of the deadish leaves as winter protection for the roots

Farway

Dull & grey with hint of drizzle in the air, frost was expected but never arrived here. 

Unless big weather changes, it's zero gardening again, but I did find Monty's British gardens 2025 on YT, so I may be daydreaming in Scotland later today.

The grass looks like grass YBE, but also has a look of onions, can you sniff it next time please ? And still employed as well.

The small car shortage referred to by Dusty, probably watching same shows, but it's compulsory EVs looming, plus April changes in road tax, at least you have time to look now and not forced into choosing because you need one.

Nice pics Dusty, that last one looks like it could be a watercolour, I can just image bloke, knotted hanky on head, sitting on a folding canvas chair, with an easel & a flask of tea, dabbing away.

Less, nice to see Spring, even if a bit fuzzy. Must be something about spring flowers makes them fuzzy, my Aconite was the same.

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

I checked yesterday, the bean canes are at the stage where OK until a full crop and then will collapse , so I'll need to sort them by April.

Our tomato canes are well into yellow sticker territory, but it occurred to me, we might use trimmed-up hazel rods this year. I've not measured, but the useful length must be round 8-9 feet. Bamboo's not been cheap since the folk who used to produce it, got into technology instead.

My T&M 89p seeds arrived yesterday. All were bargains, except the nasturtiums, which I found on Lidl's rack yesterday at 29p!

Yes, folks, the Lidl seeds are in stock ! Seems to be earlier every year. 

I'd like to use hazel rods, but not being countrified here they are more expensive than bamboo, and I've no space to grow my own, which would be the best solution.

I have used Buddleia prunings for pea / nasturtium sticks, but they're not ideal

Not been in Lidl for ages, my local one moved to larger premises in a shopping area, flanked by drive in MacD, etc so traffic is just horrendous & I CBA and no longer use them. 

There was wild talk about the other German chain opening up locally, but who knows?

Less, just looked at the photos, they missed the pterodactyls flying south and crocodiles which help liven ours up

2P, teas & cake in new café, but you’re welcome to join me daydreaming in the warm this afternoon, I may have a mug of posh hot choc at the same time

twopenny

forgot to say that my solar fountain has been doing it's thing.

Yesterday when the sun was out it was a lovely backdrop sound to 'getting on with it'

Yes it's annoying in the summer when it doesn't work in the evenings but that's because I have trees behind, where the sun sets.

But then it was a cheap one   

pink_poppy

I'm back drinking the mouldy hot chocolate (new stock) as I ran out of the posh stuff.

Pterodactyls and crocodiles... we have sharks in the lochs here




Grey and murky today, but yesterday and the day before were beautiful and sunny.

twopenny

How long did it have you fooled Poppy

Question for Bluey please - someone I know has adopted an Australian sheep dog. I know, I did tell her it would be work!! but she knew better.

So it's about 6mts in and she has a problem. Friendly enough but when visitors come it sits and stares and if they try to move or go it tries to nip their ankles or legs. Behaving like a sheep dog  

Any ideas please?

Friend is going over who's used to dogs to see and what happens.

Well it wasn't only Farway and me that decided to hunker down. I had to go out to a nearby town. Almost no traffic, almost no one out walking not even dogs. I could park and shop where I liked in either of the towns I went to. People just fed up of the gloom and cold I guess.

So no gardening done other than to look, and think and sigh at the state of it.

Staggered from 2c to 7c but still felt like 2.

Watched the last British Gardens. Enjoyed but I keep seeing all those ideas and wonder how I could do something more special.

Loved the path edged with lots of Foxgloves. I have seeds by the thousand but perhaps not the energy to dig another border!

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

Pterodactyls and crocodiles... we have sharks in the lochs here

The others may think you're joking, but you do. I recall dogfish in numbers herding shoals of mackerel into shallow water and picking them off for lunch!

Farway said:

The small car shortage referred to by Dusty, probably watching same shows, but it's compulsory EVs looming, plus April changes in road tax, at least you have time to look now and not forced into choosing because you need one.

Less, just looked at the photos, they missed the pterodactyls flying south and crocodiles which help liven ours up

Yes, you know something's not what it's cracked-up to be when the government has to create false demand.

I also enjoyed looking through the wildlife photos linked to by Less. They're technically excellent, but sometimes lacking the soul of our less perfect efforts. I admire the hours of dedication the experts put in to get their shots, but for me, taking pictures is chronicling what I see, day-to-day, so only a small amount of time is given to the finer considerations. Take this photo of the moon and a planet, shot on Friday; it's technically inept, but it was a 'grab it or miss it' situation, with the camera wedged against the door jamb for stability :

twopenny said:

Dusty I was having a go at guessing the beach but the last photo had me puzzled. Trentishoe?

We're not quite ready for the sort of descent we'd find there, from the upper roads to the beach.... or the return!   Although we can swing both ways regarding the Taw/Torridge estuary, walking friend's home is on the south side, so we veer towards Hartland at this time of shorter days. Here's a clue: that beach is roughly equidistant from Westward Ho and Clovelly.

We'll get around to some of your local walking in the summer, when the day length allows for a longer drive and my legs are up to 5 or 6 miles again. Yesterday, I had a few aches, so as it was mostly dull, gardening was limited to tidying and planting by the stream. I'd also neglected 3 Cotoneaster lacteus in pots, and they'd sprawled, which is normal. They were repotted, pruned and the leader tied to a straight stick, because I want them to be trees, whether they like it or not! 

twopenny

Dusty have you seen all 5 planets in alignment. Think that's what I read last.

Clever photo though. That moon was pretty being so sharp and standing up straight.

I don't know that area you mentioned. I walked the SWW to Appledore before bad weather/move/pandemic/duff leg came about so didn't get further.

Any idea what makes this strange estuary?

So the sun must be shining around the country as no one is around. Out there gardening or going for a lovely walk.

I woke up to no heating, it had cut out at some point and digging out the instructions and reset, dealing with cancelling the plumber etc has thrown me off kilter this morning.

Hope to get out and clear up the pots full of rainwater and leaves (again) on the beds. It's more a case of tidying garage and garden so I'm ready to start when the weather is.

Looking back at my 'heating ' posts I see the boiler cut out last Feb too but I said it was lovely mild weather in double figures.......lets hope that's repeated