Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Had a splash of Dusty's left over rain overnight here, sun's out but clouding over. May get some showers later, but who knows?

Sowed my very old tom seeds yesterday, to make up for the no shows. I'm not expecting them to do much TBH, way out of date seeds.

My no show was Koralik, which I really wanted, but just noticed while searching for link to post, it does say “slow to germinate”. No doubt once a million old seeds germinate they will pop up

https://tamarorganics.co.uk/product/tomato-koralik

Plicked out my peppers, need to do same with some chillies soon.

Also found a packet of free sunflower seeds, so poked a few of those around, and the rain may have been just enough to get them under way

The council planted tree on the verge is definitely an apple, it has blossom opening up. May not be good in this dry weather, newly planted etc. I don't know if pot or bare rooted.

If I were fitter I'd lug some water to it, but it will have to take its chances I'm afraid

Out for lunch later with DD, a recently opened place but sounds OK. DD could not contact where we thought of going, so it's second choice. Not looking for posh, but not burger & chips either.

Trip Ad reads OK, so hoping it's a Dusty like result.

No gardening today with going out, maybe a spot of You Tube Gardening later.

-taff

Went to a growing thing yesterday, listened to some interesting talks, one about fingi and bacteria and soil health which was very interesting along with another by a local farmer, also very interesting and one I'd like to hear the full version of. I'm wearing my no dig hat with pride....even if autocorrect wanted it to be my no dog hat.

weather dull today so far, but last couple of days were glorious. Car said it was 29 degrees when I was at the allotment on Friday and I did have to stop a few times to sit under my umberella ella ella..I folded up all the black plastic and weed supressant so there is nothing hanging around now, made another structure for cabbages but I think it's a bit ambitiously tall, need to make it smaller  

Bought a purple lysimachia yesterday, apparently it's a few years perennial so I'm hoping I can do cutitngs or seeds or something to justify the silly price.  And I'm picking up, literally, we have to take it apart, a new to me greenhouse which is a bit bigger at eight by eight not eight by six [ I'm hoping anyway, otherwise it'll be too big for the space, but the panes shouldn't be larger than 2ft which means it's a definite 8 one way...

Fingers crossed for the eaterie today Farway..your garden and mine are reversed. LIAM grows non stop but nasturtiums never come back.

Dusty, well done on not being a firestarter, nto so well done for having to angle grind a lock off looking like a ne'er do well Did I read that right, 9 foot electric fences? politely !!!!!! though....

ybe, I still have ten digits on my hands I do like your stories, how entitled are some people? and stupid...say hello to cissie if she comes and yes, get a greenhouse..don't worry about your toms, mine are only just getting their first leaves..love your primroses.. I saw a decidely skunky pink one yesterday and thought of you all when I saw it.

pp, love the sculpture photo, I wonder who actually sees the back of it though..

See? Mine are not that big either.

twopenny

Been following everyones adventures and wish I still had the energy to follow. Mostly I've been heavilly watering and clearing up.

Haven't posted any photos for a couple of weeks so here's a bunch

Funny couple of days with the tales of rain yesterday I scuttled around clearing up the garden tools and such and went and did other things.

A barely there shower turned up as soon as I'd got out.........but it was chilly, greyish and not inviting.

Today started sunny, went cloudy, went sunny etc. But it's not the warmth we've got used to.

Rather than do more - though I must hop to it - I've been enjoying the garden, watching the birds dashing in and out, the Dunocks are back nibbling bugs, the Blackbird looking for worms and they are all enjoying drinking from the 'pot pond' now the fountains not working.

Think I may put more rocks in so they can bathe.

I do have a bird bath but it gets dirty or dry quickly.

And the bright yellow of the brassica flowers I've left are alive with insects  

Although the garden would win no prizes it's looking lush and full of life - still amazes me when there were no birds, no insects, no plants to start with.

Amazing what you can do while just doing a bit of this and that

So while we still can here's more primroses. Thriving where other stuff is looking drought exhausted.

.

Never grow one plant when you can grow 2

As in my Agapanthus - decided to leave the Violets as the Agas are old and not flowering that bountifully anyway.

And seems I have another Prunus Nigra. I bought a shrub when I couldn't find a tree and it didn't thrive until I planted it somewhere sunnier this year!

Now where should it's permenant home be!!!!!!!

LessImpecunious

Just reminded by reading other posts - meant to say that I found that "Still" sculpture totally creepy - reminded me of cybermen (strangely though, the original ones made of silver-painted bandagy-looking material, which were totally scary, not the shiny metal ones of recent incarnations).

Surprised by some good sunny spells this morning, followed by a brief shower (after some light rain in the night), just cloudy now; hoping I might emulate Dusty with catching up on some mowing, before the real rain arrives and all the grass gets out of hand... . 

Other surprise was hearing first Cuckoo of the season - not at home, but about 20 miles into the nearby lowlands/river valley - don't expect ours to turn up for at least another week...

wort

We’ve still not had the rain, possibility waiting till I’m off🙄 
just heard seagulls flying overhead so they are flying inland early doors this morning. 

Dusty shame about the padlock, but 👏🏻 well done getting the fires going.

Farway I wish I’d sown a pepper and chili they are something I’ve had success with before.
2p thanks for the ID I didn’t realize that was a prunus nigra, I have one and love the blossom with the dark.

Wow Taff 29 degrees, well done working in that heat. Hope the greenhouse is big enough.

YBE your stories are funny, I could tell a few from work but not got the way with words you have.

wort

early morning photo while calling the cat in 

wort

evergreen clematis finally back after having to chop back when the previous structure supporting vital needed to come out 

YoungBlueEyes

Did you get your bonfire lit Dusty? I love the smell of a bonfire, second only to a peat fire Having to grind off the padlock made me chortle #Sod’sLaw I like my saxifrage too, that ones really happy but it's mate on the other side of the garden is being eaten to bu99ery by the birds - I think there's ants under it or summat

The same Law that will take care of your toms Farway 🙄 Was lunch acceptable? You’ve reminded me I need to get some sunflowers going. I bought a few tom plants (moneymaker x2 + tumbling tom x2) but I’m not buying sunflowers when I’ve seeds sat here looking at me. 

Jeez 29' taff! I'm surprised you got any work done at all :phew: Woohoo for 10 digits   Nah Cissie didn't come in the end - Beloved Cousin's Adored Son sort out his campervan thing and took her down the shore road so she could sleep in the cool-ish breeze. Your seedlings all look healthy enough to me, and them toms are hooj compared to mine. I'll get a pic when I've done this.

Ooh I like your 2fer plant 2p, a primrose (that's the colour on the label of my one that came up burgundy :rolleyes: ) and a forget-me-not? Very pretty and soothing Prunus Nigra, is that a plum? I like that the stems are that colour deep red colour. Have you got a sunny spot for it?

I'm glad you said that about Still Less, I didn't wanna say I wasn't sure about it when everyone else loved it At first glance it's like those Antony Gormley folk stood on that beach, but I think it's the little metal pieces it's made of that I don't like. Like some breed of man-fish hybrid nightmare *shudder*

Ooh your flowers are lovely wort  Is the white one a Montana? It looks like it smells creamy and soapy and gentle What's the pink jobber? Is it a camelia/some sort of rose..? Go on share your stories... gwan gwan gwan gwan gwan gwaaaaan. It'll be sort of 2D visual version of people-watching

OT Cool out there but the sun came up lovely and it's burned the bit of mist off already. Wind this aft, possibly, but it'll still reach about 15'. They say. 

YoungBlueEyes

Here’s me toms. Forgive the angle (and the muck, and himself's shoes!) but I couldn’t take the pic straight on cos peoples’ bins are out and a couple have addresses on. My sweetpeas are coming on goodly though, despite having to battle through chopped up bits of fence posts :rolleyes: 



I asked Cissie what I should call my car, she suggested "Keeva" which means gentle and beautiful and precious. (I got a right telling off for buying a diesel - "what'd'ye buy a diesel for, did ye think you looking at tractors?! And what did you do with the brains God gave ye?!" etc. Her Plan B suggestion is "Thon Yoke"   But I think I'll call it Liam, cos I love those flowers and it's a kinda misty blue. I'll just have to remember never to say that to Cissie ha haa!

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

Bought a purple lysimachia yesterday, apparently it's a few years perennial so I'm hoping I can do cutitngs or seeds or something to justify the silly price. .....Did I read that right, 9 foot electric fences? politely !!!!!! though....

Is that the Lysimachia in the photo? It looks like 'Firecracker.' If so, it's perennial, all right! You'll have loads of it.

Yes, the fences were the standard 9 foot tall jobbies, and electrified at fox height to boot. I wish I'd taken a photo, but I was so peed-off crestfallen at messing-up, yet again!  I'd gone up the wrong valley, attempting to avoid returning by the steep, signposted NT route. Luckily, my friend treats being lost as an adventure, though I can't write here what she said when we reached the car.....and a water supply!

wort said:

We’ve still not had the rain, possibility waiting till I’m off🙄  Dusty shame about the padlock, but 👏🏻 well done getting the fires going.

We're forecast cloud and light rain starting now, but out of the window, I can see nothing but blue sky.   The padlock finally yielded to some WD40 and twiddling, thankfully, so I got the neighbour's acre cut yesterday morning. I resurrected the fire in the afternoon to get rid of more stuff. Mrs Dusty, is giving all the shrubs a serious haircut, and I'm not keeping up with her! She's right to get more light into the borders, especially now our shelter belt is well-established.

That's a stunning azalea you have there....and it sounds like an obedient cat, too! 

YoungBlueEyes said:

OT Cool out there but the sun came up lovely and it's burned the bit of mist off already. Wind this aft, possibly, but it'll still reach about 15'. They say. 

Ah, since I started typing, the cloud has begun rolling in. It looks as if we'll have your wind too, if you'll pardon the expression.

Indoors today, then.

Nearly forgot the photo. Against our better judgement we've planted this Vinca. She does look good, but I worry she'll be invasive. The smaller Vinca 'Gertrude Jekyll' is less showy, but well-behaved. (see below)

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/94534/vinca-minor-f-alba-gertrude-jekyll/details