Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Supposed to rain here as well, but so far only a few spots, blighters only have to look out the window to see it's not raining. Grr.

Oh Bluey, an actual rat sighting. 

I did read that seeing them in daylight means they are starving or desperate, because they avoid humans at all costs, unless you are chained up in a dungeon obvs, when they will come out & nibble your bits.

I like the idea of all our applets watching the clock until Sunday before dropping off the trees

My solitary Sunset fruit jumped the gun, it's gone, but not forgiven.

And what a tom forest, fingers crossed they provide something

The toms I planted out last week have turned green from the sickly pale green they were when I planted them out. A good sign.

Went into Dead plant Gulch at Morries this morning, the undertaker has been & cleared most of the corpses. The Dead plant Society lady was wheeling out fresh offerings to the Sun God, mainly pelargoniums it seems.

There were Osteothings, looked nice, £3 a pot or 3 for £6, but tempted as I was DP border is not right spot for them.

No JapAnns around, another day, perhaps.

Better news, some of the seeds I sowed, as plan B, are now showing . Californian poppy & Pot marigolds.

Promised rain would be ideal for them, right now.

Just refreshed, seems Lunatic has my rain, and lurgy as well. But impressive scenery once the clouds & rain lift.

twopenny

Grrr to the lurgy Luna. But at least you squeezed a change of scenery into the mix. Lovely photo.
Have the same weather as you as I'm just down the road as the crow flies. I don't mind as it keeps the grockles and ankle biters at bay and makes me get house jobs underway. 
Plus it's doing the watering for me 🙂

So you're not risking the osteowhatsits then Fairway? Yes, stopped looking in Morrisons now, prices up and varieties yeah. Tesco's too.

Bluey at least the critters are general. I guess they are feeding babies same as the birds.
Mines getting more frequent but not further in so I'll let it be. Haven't sprayed yet but guess it will just take another route. So much else to do.

Not to worry about the lost words Dusty. Always another chance.

Raining quite a bit here this morning. Showers and brightness this afternoon but winds throughout. House jobs a priority, garden can wait for now but seedlings to go in as soon as. 
I don't have the lovely forest of toms some of you do and despite careful arrangement of pots I've lost the plot of which is which 😵‍💫
But fresh toms whatever is the aim. I have some cheap supermarket ones in the fridge that have lasted a couple of months which makes you wonder what the heck they do to them 🧐 

 I took this photo yesterday but can't remember why. Picking goosegogs but slow to all gain the same size with the mixed weather.
They are right at the back, small because they were really badly treated before I planted but they've come on well.
Growing them up the back fence.

pink_poppy

Oh no to the rat, YBE 😳 Tomato forest looks good though.

Nice to see you and your lovely photos back, lunatic. Sorry to hear you’ve all been ill.

Glad to hear new baby isn’t in a demolition site, Dusty and good thinking on the soundproofing. Nice aquilegia too - I’m sure I recognise the name.

twopenny, that’s a very healthy looking Basil plant on your window sill.

taff, you’re good at finding freebies - the bench looks good.

DH has very kindly shared his cold with me, so I’m feeling a bit under the weather today 🤧 We were forecast rain pretty much all day, but it’s been nice this afternoon and it’s sunny at the moment. I was out for a walk earlier and saw these very cute baby conkers… 😊


Edit… I’m sure I’ve just lost some text ☹️

YoungBlueEyes

There’s gremlins in the machine I reckon, just pressed saved draft and the whole thing got sucked into the ether   

I can’t remember what I said, naturally. Nice to see you again Luna was the main thing really.  

Not seen that Dirty Rat again, but they’s prolly behind the shed reproducing itself a dozen times over or waiting for darkness. Himself has strict orders to come home via his BiL’s with something to put an end to the situation - he’s a farmer with access to the good stuff. I’m not having it all that close to the house when I’m a one who likes my windows open, so needs must. 

Tom forest was reduced by a good half before I bagged them up and I’ve still got squillions! Given the weather some of them will drown to death hopefully and that’ll solve that problem. 

Yes I know I’ve got 13 bags, but that’s to invoke Judas and ensure I loose a few  

Here’s my Swish Rose wot has got beyond itself. All the wind and rain means it’s not looking it’s best, but it’s still more bedraggled than a self-respecting person should let themself get imo - 

For comparison here’s the other Swish Rose, which has suffered the same weather but held it together regardless - 

The blue trug are my post office toms. I would’ve moved it but it shows what my forest ones could look like if it wasn’t for a rare showing of my cba gene

OT it’s alright out there, cool at 10’c with a high of 17 to come. No rain today, they say. 

Dustyevsky

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Far more picturesque than brilliant blue skies but would have enjoyed lazing the sun. 
Heartfelt congratulations Dusty, such a amazing time, I hope everyone is in good health  

Your brilliant skies Cader Idris photo was stunning, though!

Thanks for the congrats, and sorry you and family haven't been well when you most needed to be. Everyone here is OK, especially the older grandchildren. The littlest one is over mild jaundice and already looking stronger/more aware. Parents are shattered, but hiding it well.

twopenny said:

Not to worry about the lost words Dusty. Always another chance.

Indeed, and here it is! Does your duck help with the washing-up, or are you a seasoned duck racer? I believe there are annual charity races in the stream near you. Like pp says, you have enviable basil. I can't grow the stuff, but I've just planted some seed of one T&M say is OK outdoors. Why do we believe their nonsense?

pink_poppy said:

Edit… I’m sure I’ve just lost some text ☹️

YoungBlueEyes said:

There’s gremlins in the machine I reckon, just pressed saved draft and the whole thing got sucked into the ether   

It's not just me, then! I can't recall what I wrote yesterday, but I like your lusty roses and pp's baby conkers. I'll swear it was only last week I was looking at a conker flower close up, so they're well-advanced.

We had a baby naming ceremony here yesterday, following advice from the priest by phone about the most auspicious letters to use. In English, these turned out to be Z, K and a few others, but no vowels, so the parents went for what they'd already decided.   There is still some debate over how the name will be spelled. I can't tell you what it is, but Dinosaurboy, suggested by 4 year-old GS, came a close second!:D

OT: Wind and rain yesterday has given way to wind and cloud, but we're forecast 17c and some sunshine later. If I can sneak away from guests etc I might have a bonfire, now there's no chance of burning the hay crop.

Yesterday's pictures: Geranium nodosum: good ground cover in shade..

Close up.

wort

Just seen Dustys post of aquilegia and had to run to show a better representation of the flowers from the seed he sent. They are stunning, I will try to gather seed to add to other spots in the garden. Thank you again 

wort

I’ve just caught up, and seem to only recall the rats 😳 hope they are seen off quickly. My friend said she had one run across her garden in the daytime too, hubby managed to watch where it went and blocked some holes up in the fence.
I noticed the compost in one of my pots must have been made from mushrooms as it’s the second time I’ve had to pull some out of there! 

OT rain yesterday a lot of it the wet drizzle stuff. Looking cool and showing similar today .

pink_poppy

I seem to remember I was trying to add something yesterday and a whole chunk of text disappeared - it's my laptop rather than the site though - it's just too sensitive and extremely annoying.

I'm in awe of your tomato forest, YBE, but even more in awe of the number of Bags for Life that W_M had    

Lovely Geranium pic, Dusty. That's interesting that it does well in shade - I have just the spot for one (once the landscaping is finished...). Nice that you had a baby naming ceremony yesterday

Very pretty Aquilegia, wort.

I'm still full of cold, so will be doing precisely nothing today.

OT - rain is forecast, but it's dry and sunny'ish at the moment.

Farway

Not long after I posted about lack of rain, it poured & gales blew in for the rest of yesterday PM, the garden did really need it though, and washed off the dripping sap from a goat willow nearby.

Also rain just in time to get the blackberries swelling & juicy

A few minor casualties found this morning, lily & a lilac pots blown over, also apple in a pot I can see down at bottom of the garden. But that'll have to wait a wee while for me to get wet grass clogs on.

I'll check the ripening cherries while I'm there. With the rain, I'm expecting split skins.

With the [poor] compost chat on here.

I have just watched an American site on YT where he has same problems.

Of course US standards may be more, or less, regulated than ours so not a direct read across, but the amount of, what he called Filler was surprising.

Filler being lumps of wood, and the like, which we've all found. 

The issue may well be that this unrotted material is continuing to rot & delete the nutrients in the compost as it does so. Which could explain why the seedlings / plants just sit & do nothing, due to lack of nutrients.

Like the aquilegia photo by Wort, nice angle

And Dusty geranium, cracking colour, and GS name will of course be spelled the opposite to what was intended

No gardening to speak of today, too soggy & a cold wind blowing into every orifice. I may “tidy up” the now flowered & going over amaryllis, move them into the conservatory to settle & dry for the summer.

twopenny

Hot and sunny here. Been a lovely day weatherwise.
Sprayed jeyes because the ants were having another go at eating into my mortar 😬
Sprayed around where the rat comes in but there's so many options among stored wood and pots.
Read the back of the bottle it's an old one, and it talks about spraying plants against blackspot and aphids. Must look that up.
Had to fix the fountain again. Guess it's getting worn. But it was cheap.
Made some blackberry and apple jam with stuff from the freezer I'd forgotten.

Had to water pots because one day of rain wasn't enough.

Dusty the duck is a nail scrubber, not enough float for the competitions 🙂 gee we know how to enjoy ourselves in the country!

Spent the afternoon around the ponds photographing. Nothing special. The goslings have doubled in size and dad is very aggressive. But it's a lovely way to chill for a couple of hours.

How you feeling Poppy and Luna? Annoying to get poorly on sunny days 🤕 

Bluey, my big rose out front got battered to the ground but seems to be recovering.

Fairway, how's your cherries. Reminds me to unwrap mine and check for those black bugs.
The apricot needs watering again 😵‍💫 maybe doing well but it sulks for a pastime.

Strawberries picked and a few more goosegogs.
In case you're wondering I found one on my old Cambridge plants and it was much better flavour than the fancy new ones. But it's all an adventure 😉