Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Right the self-seeded Chickwell/Speedwell thing can stop then. Thanks 2p + Less If the seeds I slung in don't do anything, and my Heavenly Blues die on me they'll be the only thing living! Quite an attractive wee thing, in it's way.

I'll take your share of the Hooped daffs then Dusty, and the lovely thick healthy grass they're growing in if poss Have your guests had a nice time?

I'd love a job in the library 2p. The one we have only opens about ooh 20 minutes a day and they still get a lunch hour! Your tax dollars at work folks How's your injuries and bruises today? Healing nicely I hope? I agree about paying more for stuff sometimes - my Swish Roses (which I though were into 'ow muckin fuch?! territory when I bought them) have been absolutely worth it. But then I'd also risk the yellow stickered abused + neglected twigs from morries, some of them come good but not reliably.

You're cracking along with your allotment there taff Hope your ankle isn't properly damaged...? Diatribe - there's one you don't hear enough  

Fingers crossed you find a James Grieve pp, seems like that would do you rightly. Hosta survived another night has it...? I love your puffy bluetit  

Slugs with blinkers on wort, gawd that made me laugh! :lol Be good if that was a thing though eh.

Aww little bluetit collecting fluff wm When Handsome next door gets a trim Lovely Neighbour brings me the tufts and I scatter them round the soil. Doesn't take long before they're all gone Does goosegog want shifting? Different soil? A hearty kick in the shins..? Good luck with your pond - get yours sorted and we'll call that practise then you can come round and do me one  

Right I need to shift me erse and hang the washing out, and go to work. Again.

pink_poppy

Beautiful blossoms, Less. I don't have anything like that in my garden (yet), but can see the two nearby crab apples blossoming away at least.

I like your trip down memory lane, Dusty. Good idea to try Street View, even if you were foiled by the barrier.
I'm not a fan of Canada Geese - they used to frequent a local park where we lived in England and they were too aggressive for me. Good pics though.

pink_poppy

Oops, I didn't mean to post then.

My Hosta is still intact, YBE. I've popped it into a temporary pot that has a rough surface, plus it's on top of a garden chair, so I think both things are helping to keep it safe.

It's a beautiful morning here - blue skies and wispy white clouds. I'm trying to motivate myself to get out into the garden, but have been lacking in energy for the last few days...

Farway

Not so beautiful morning here, rained overnight, which we needed TBH

I can see from the upstairs window the now upright bird bath has started filling up with the rain, still no idea what toppled it, but it's only plastic fake ironwork, not some wrought iron treasure

Nice neighbour is going to mow my “lawn” when he does his, so BB will have to be moved by him then.

Dusty, your conker tree, have you tried Google in Satellite view?

Or, not tried, hot of press last week, map of all UK trees. Here's link, it's large ZIP file download, so have a cup of tea handy.

Search term is "Trees outside woodland"

https://data-forestry.opendata.arcgis.com/documents/01667a77c65f4fd9aaf6a45279373a25/explore?path=

I can't find one you can just look at, like a map

I'm wanting to look now to see if they caught the Volunteer place oaks that we felled the other month

Next door has a dead hanging basket that is providing thatch for nests, it's near my window so often see birds helping themselves. Most recent were the magpies.

Brent geese overwinter near here.

There was a Not a London Eye wheel that was going to go up down Southsea. 

It failed to get planning because it would be on the goose flight path and would have to be removed in winter, so not commercially viable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37627853

And recently, with sea defence works, the council tried to entice them away to an alternative safe area, using decoy geese.

The geese gave a two winged salute and decided the golf course suited them better. Hole in one.

Less, moribund plums are a feature of this board, mine is very weary, and until yesterday I thought I was fruit less again, but think I have spotted some. If so, they will be the first for two years.

WM, don't give up on goosegog, mine was a dead and just brown twigs last year. This year it is back to life, with a crumble in the making.

pink_poppy said:

I didn’t know James Grieve was a Scottish variety, Farway, I planted one in an old garden years ago and sometimes wonder if it’s still there. I’ll look out for it in Lidl, thanks.

I've always had a soft spot for JG, it was the first apple tree I ever planted and was amazed at how tasty & juicy it was, my first own grown apple as opposed to shop one

By coincidence, I planted one, council subsidised, in DD's house this spring

No gardening today, too wet plus over did my back yesterday, lugging compost.

I did mange to get my lavender and two pots ready for tomatoes

pink_poppy

JG was my first and only apple tree ever planted by me, Farway. I think if Lidl don’t have any this week I’ll look out for one at a garden centre.

Considering I said our garden isn’t very big, it takes a lot of hard work 😓 I’m trying to get it to the low’ish maintenance level, but the weeds have started popping up and I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle, especially when my energy levels are low, as they are at the moment.

Today’s task was to clear a bed that was full of wiry grass (so impossible to just pull out), moss and Welsh Poppies (they have such a long root 😳). It’s pretty much done, but it took me far too long for such a small area ☹️ I’ve also gone round with the Fiskars dandelion remover that I bought years ago and have just had returned to me.

pink_poppy

Watched over by a wee robin… ❤️

wort

Pp the verbena was 2 for 5 pounds at SAINSBURY,not sure if you have one close up there.
Suns been out but cloudy and a bit chilly ,definitely cold at night in the house  Brrr 

pink_poppy

Darn it, we were in a Sainsbury's at the weekend (just nipping in for crisps and chocolate) and I didn't notice any plants, just hunners of Easter Eggs  

Was it your (and Dusty's DD) organisation that had the cyber attack the other day?? I had an email from the CEO. Seems to be happening a lot lately   

It's a beautiful start to the day here and we are forecast the mythical 17 degrees. It's been chilly here too on a night though and we had to have the fire on last night. More digging today...

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Dusty, your conker tree, have you tried Google in Satellite view?

Or, not tried, hot of press last week, map of all UK trees. Here's link, it's large ZIP file download, so have a cup of tea handy.

Search term is "Trees outside woodland"

https://data-forestry.opendata.arcgis.com/documents/01667a77c65f4fd9aaf6a45279373a25/explore?path=

I can't find one you can just look at, like a map

I'm wanting to look now to see if they caught the Volunteer place oaks that we felled the other month.

Umm, I had a go at that, but when I saw how large the download was.....went back to Google and finally answered my question. Research showed I got the house number wrong. So, returning to the lane, and looking over the garage roof, there is no majestic conker tree. :'( There wouldn't have been room for it, either, since the immediate neighbour now has a mature oak at the end of their plot. Obviously, I knew nothing about trees in the '70s!

I'm not going into detail, but another mystery was solved today, when items dumped in our yard were confirmed to have originated from a nearby rental property. The landlord will not have these gems of evidence returned, but she'll get advice that fly-tipping is a criminal offence. Top tip: If you're going to dump stuff, don't choose items that are easily IDed! 

Considering I said our garden isn’t very big, it takes a lot of hard work 😓 I’m trying to get it to the low’ish maintenance level, but the weeds have started popping up and I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle, especially when my energy levels are low, as they are at the moment.

Hang in there!  After Easter visitors and a week's neglect, I feel similarly. Just keep plugging away. It always feels like 3 steps forward and 2 back, and often it is, but as the catchphrase goes, "Every little (bit of weeding) helps!"

pink_poppy said:

Was it your (and Dusty's DD) organisation that had the cyber attack the other day?? I had an email from the CEO. Seems to be happening a lot lately   

Yes, and the staff were shouted at, a lot! :'(  It'll be great when digital IDs and currency arrive to make things 'easier.'

A very misty start here, and the cloudless sky looks good, but the Exeter dipsomaniacs say we shall soon have thick cloud to go with our 15c today. Suits us workers, I guess.

After your cute wee robin helper, pp, I'd better post mine. This cheeky cheepy chappie hangs out in Rosemoor's Stone Garden. Another top tip: Take a few mealworms!

Farway

A dull & cool start here, no sun due until tomorrow.

If it does warm up a bit, I hope to get a clematis planted, it's in bud & gasping to be let loose from its small pot.

I spotted flower buds on my overwintered outside pelargoniums . Not plastic Dusty variety.

Amazing, only a couple survived out of a dozen or so, must be comparatively very sheltered where these are, in South facing angle of a corner with protecting wall from North & East

They cousins only a few feet ways, in open tubs, perished

My 2019 tomato seeds are germinating, looks like all of them  a forest of Minibel

Actually it won't be too bad, only small plants, so I expect I can squeeze them in somehow

Mine were 50P clearance end of season from Wilko in 2019,

https://www.homebase.co.uk/en-uk/johnsons-minibel-tomato-seeds/p/8257613

Now, if only the fresh Koralik would germinate for me , typical, old seed sprouts, fresh goes to Norway

PP, fingers crossed on finding JG apple, it seems quite a common one, probably because it is a good "doer" for most gardens.

I've weeds popping up as well PP, but there are mystery seedlings at the front I'm waiting to identify once they are larger.

Good sleuthing on the tree Dusty, even if blank result.

Fly tipping, we get some in the country lanes around here, but some leave old envelopes or bills etc in the rubbish, I think I'd check first but as is often the case, not always the brightest minds are involved.

Plum time, maybe?

After all my slagging off, I think my plum may just have earned a stay of execution, spotted these little fellas

Next hurdle is Plum Moth, hopefully my birdy friends will give me hand