Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Dusty, also read about Carol Kliens nursery closing because of a new neighbour. That wasn't you was it

No, she's not in my parish, but I sometimes pass through hers. Carol's neighbour didn't like the sight of her compost heap, so when her lease on that piece of land was up, it wasn't renewed. 

Neighbours who think the products of growing out of place in a very rural environment are surprisingly common. A number of ours have tried to prevent those farming nearby from using the lane, despite legal agreements, enabling access. It's the same nonsense they aimed at us, until we decided to ignore them.

What's interesting about our area, at present, is a sudden conversion from arable to grazing by the major landowner. He rents out hundreds of acres to a consortium. The fields have been sown with new grass leys, fencing's been installed and now, sheep are happily grazing. My guess is that intensive arable over the past 20 years has degraded the good soil to such an extent, there was no other option. Serves him right!

There's a warmer southerly wind this morning, and the overnight drizzle is due to give way to sunshine. We'll see. This was last night's quiet and murky sunset.

However, this morning, the birds were in full voice, as if acknowledging a change on the way.

Dustyevsky

wort said:

Today is looking grey and windy minus 2 at the moment with rain possibly on the way. I’m going to GC the mega kind with butchers and clothes and Uncle Tom Cobbley. So possibly more of a coffee and chat than actual plants.

I forgot to mention, Morries had a few plants other than polyanthus in at their seaside site. Lidl too had well-grown camellias @ £12. You never know, even the GCs might have something interesting! Thanks to Farway for the heads-up on BFB.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Dustyevsky said:

Ceredigion then featured for it's physical similarity to Devon, but our focus gradually switched to selected parts of South Pembs. There, we thought our plant business might just about survive. However, events conspired to thwart that plan. We ended up here in Devon, where we have previous connections. 

Sorry to hear, hopefully everything worked out for the best  

Dustyevsky said:

It's a high-risk strategy, leaving town and heading-off to a new life in the sticks. We saw a lot of failed projects....and marriages! Without the help of a skilled family friend, and a few helpful locals, I doubt we'd have finished our renovation.

We're at the point where the house is comfortable so there isn't as much of a push to finish off the last bits and pieces, getting there slowly, no divorce yet! 

Weather has been miserable really, you should be able to see for miles from this point (taken on Sunday)



Rain this morning and heat pump says 2.6 outside. BBC says around 10 by this evening but I'm not sure it's going to happen.... 

On the plus side there are more birds in the garden, 2 robins, 3 blue tits, a sparrow, a chaffinch and a blackbird.
 

pink_poppy

Love the photos, Dusty and Lunatic   I noticed that my suet block holder is empty this morning, so have asked DH to pick some blocks up after work. In the meantime I've thrown out some seeded breadcrumbs and some out of date raisins - I'm sure the birds won't mind.

My (poor by comparison) contribution to the pics is a couple of veiny leaves stuck together on my (filthy) window this morning. I'm obviously not very good at taking close-ups    


Dusty, my first thought (because I'm a suspicious so and so) was the landowner is hoping to build on the newly designated grazing land. Does it make it easier to get planning permission??

OT - grey and cold, with rain forecast every day for the next couple of weeks    

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:
Dusty, my first thought (because I'm a suspicious so and so) was the landowner is hoping to build on the newly designated grazing land. Does it make it easier to get planning permission??

No, PP won't be possible in those places. The land is simply degraded, so it's lost the advantages over nearby areas without the layer of productive soil, where grazing's been the pattern for centuries. It was getting to the stage where soil, washed downhill in winter, was being dug up and returned to the upper parts of the fields with big machinery. That's obviously not sustainable. The degradation issue is a national one, however.

Our fields are more suitable for building than those, as it could be seen as an extension to an existing settlement, but there would be no advantage in building here, when there are better-served places within a mile or so. Even there, the problems of poor infrastructure remain, with little investment in sewerage and other services.

I think the issues are probably too complex for certain people, who pretend to form policy on future development in the UK. Decisions are taken politically, so we can't talk about that.

twopenny

Love the look of the  walk there Less, hopefully before too soon it will be more pleasant to do so.

And the birds, mine are about but in and out swiftly, still not hanging about yet.

Clever photo Dusty, we had that same sun but my photograph didn't show it as it was.

Enjoy the coffee and cake Wort. It's the weather for it!

Poppy, you seem to be getting more gardening done than us soft sutherners.

Well a surprise this morning, the sun was shining and warm, temps rising to 8c though it had rained overnight.

It was right for gardening if my leg improves.

Now the grey has crept in, sun has gone and it's chilly again, a southerly wind is freezing. No idea why. But yet again, defo not gardening weather.

Farway

Frosty & clear start, now clouding over, ready for High Pollen and up to 16C on Friday. I'll believe it when or if it happens.

PP, It was too cold to check Snake's head yesterday, postponed until Friday heat wave

Love that play area Dusty, my GC are older now, but they would've loved that.

Time to reminisce about falling off witches hats, jumping from American Swings, backwards down the slides, accessed by climbing up the outside framework & not the steps.

twopenny said:

Farway, back on the GW and there was Monty sowing salad crops for winter.

Have you got a tamping tool for your compost of exactly the right size? Seems a bit twee to me.

For Tamping I just use the same size seed tray, gently pressed down, or just pat down and hope.

wort said:

Farwsy I do have blood,fish,bone the very one you mentioned from the same place.😉 if I’m putting it on now though when the shoots are already up would I mix with some compost and sprinkle on top? I tend to use it when I’m planting so it’s mixed in the hole before I plant in.it. Laughed at the Snow White comment, I remember my aunt taking me to see it when I was a young one.

BFB, I just scratch / rake lightly into top of soil, but mixing as suggested would do fine, watering will sort it out

Dusty, love that sky, sign of things to come this weekend?

Your grass neighbour, I wonder if some green subsidy is involved?

I'll try & look in Morries after collecting my fruit trees, but as it's Saturday morning I may avoid once I see the car park.

Mixed feelings about birds, I saw a bullfinch yesterday, lovely looking fella, BUT he was tucking into my plum buds

Tried for a photo, but he scarpered PDQ once I was spotted

pink_poppy

Glad there's not an ulterior motive with the landowner, Dusty.

I'm thinking my veiny leaves are actually dead hydrangea petals now??

I'm sat upstairs (in a mood because pussycat just bit me on my face - he's now in solitary confinement) and I kept seeing things flying about outside. On closer inspection it's actually moss, so I'm guessing there are birds up on the roof pecking away at it. I bet if I open the front door it'll be all over the path again    

twopenny, what was the stuff you use for mossy paths again, is it Wet & Forget?? (Dare I say I forgot what it was   )

Just refreshed and saw your post - no gardening here...

pink_poppy

Darn it, Farway posted after I'd already refreshed    

Glad you're getting the tree you wanted. I'd avoid any supermarket on a Saturday - only early morning midweek shopping for me.

I love bullfinches - I usually see a couple every year munching on the crab apple buds.

twopenny

Oddly I thought those were hydranga petals.

I have a couple of flower heads that are just skeletons because I think they are beautiful. Other people just look bemused when they notice them

Yes, Wet & Forget. I'm going to need to get some because it's been a while and this summer/winter has turned things green or mossy.

Bonus that the birds are clearing the moss off the roof. Meah to cleaning it up but they are more gentle than a guy with a machine and free

Farway, you have plum buds big enought to interest a Bullfinch? Wow! Everything here is like me and still hunkering down. When they start to get going so will I!