Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Davesnave

twopenny said:

I doubt they will open private gardens again though this year. Who'd want a bunch of strangers in your garden in the middle of a pandemic. It's something I miss greatly.

But we aren't in the middle of a pandemic now. In most places, the stats are very low and transmission outdoors is minimal, especially if people behave appropriately. Of course, perceptions may differ from the reality, but I don't think anyone would be risking much opening some time between May to September. Owners don't have to interact with anyone/everyone who visits, though the guy at Greencombe seemed pretty relaxed, didn't he?

They're opening NGS gardens, but making booking essential to control numbers, which is fair. I think we should grab every chance to restore normality. For those who've just spent months preparing their plots for people to see, that will surely mean taking whatever precautionary steps they feel appropriate, but getting the gate open at least some of the time. Most are keen to support charities, many of which have fared badly in the past year or so.

The village here is hoping to do a produce show. Haven't heard yet about the gardens, but people were sad to miss them in 2020.

Davesnave

We have chicks hatching today so there will be photos later.

Meanwhile, another Greencombe photo... and a weather report: raining here!

Paspatur

Davesnave thank you for the info re sowing date
Twopenny I didn't cause the change in the Berberis Darwinii I was merely showing the difference the weather has made to plants with last April being glorious and this April being frosty. In fact it is not even mine it pops over the fence from next door and is very welcome

twopenny

Paspatur not sure how I worded it but I didn't think you did cause the change :-)

But I did think the pictures were both from this year.  I've had some disappointing effects from the crazy weather this spring.

Lovely to get a 'free' plant in your garden if it's one you like.

Exhausted, I've been  to plant 2 blue grasses at the bottom of the new steps but there's a whole rock I think attached to the earths crust right there so I've pulled the roots apart and hoping the one over the rock can find enough soil each side to thrive.

The shadows from the grasses and box on the clean slabs looks great. It's something to consider with items that go near hard landscaping that I'd not thought of before.

DD265

Thanks for the NGS advice. I will see if we can get out to a couple, though OH seemed less thrilled at the prospect.

Jade definitely a gonner. I started chopping it down looking for any healthy growth and whilst the bottom was still holding water, it was also mouldy. I guess root rot - maybe somebody in the office had been overwatering it - as when I dug it out of the pot, the roots were also brown. I won't be replacing it as a houseplant which is toxic to our cats, but it's a pity.

The nectarine is also 100% dead. When I took that out of the pot, the roots are all crumbly. I ended up snapping the main branch and it was brown all the way through. I wonder if it felt over-watered over winter? But I still think it's odd that the peach survived fine and the nectarine didn't. I haven't been able to find a replacement - plenty of apples, plums, cherries and an apricot but neither peaches nor nectarines at either garden centre we visited today. I'll keep an eye out. I specifically opted for those two as they self pollinate; we don't have any fruit trees nearby and we don't have the garden size to really put multiples in. There's a chance I won't replace it in the end, but we'll see. I do like a nice tree!

The front isn't 100% finished but it's now a case of topping up the slate as we go - we still have 3/4 of a bulk bag left. We need to tackle the weeds somehow (we do have a burner, not yet tried it, won't use pesticides) and then will drop a bulk bag of limestone chippings on the driveway. We bought an acer today, and found a pot which looks lovely - it's on pot feet on a slab hidden in the slate! I shall need to tackle the bamboo and thingy next to it at some point as they're a bit overwhelming, despite the 'thingy' having been chopped back substantially last year. Obviously the acer will grow as well; I've read some tips already on how to encourage bushy growth so I'll do some research nearer the time.

I'm going to make myself a map of both gardens with all our plants so I can remember what's what. I'm also going to set myself up a gardening calendar so I know what to do when, as I'm constantly questioning myself and having to check.

Davesnave

DD265 said:

Thanks for the NGS advice. I will see if we can get out to a couple, though OH seemed less thrilled at the prospect.

It's for individual to decide what they're comfortable with in the light of local conditions. I'm suggesting that relevant owners, especially those with large gardens, will want to get them open for charity and the pleasure they bring now the powers that be have freed things up somewhat. There's plenty of evidence to show that communing with nature, in the wild or in garden settings, is restorative of mental health. I'd be the first to admit I need some of that! It could be another long, lonely winter ahead.

Your slate bed will be very effective as low maintenance, especially when the plants fill out. It should reflect plenty of heat for the lavenders. Well done for getting it done so early in the year. A weed burner won't bump off the dandelions, unfortunately, so you will have 2 choices with those!

The eggs all hatched, but 2 chicks didn't make it, which is to be expected. We have 6 chicks under the electric hen this morning which I'll photograph later. They will be nice and fluffy, but when they emerge they look rather unattractive!

Farway

Nice nature pic Dave, are chicks like ducklings / goslings and lock onto first moving thing as their parent? Just curious & picturing you with a flock of chickens following you around

I managed to get some weeding completed & fertiliser applied to some the pots yesterday before the rain arrived and my back started giving out, which means I have more to do today, but at least for the moment it's pleasantly warm in the sun so I'll crack on later

I've left the runner canes for the moment, won't take long with my half dozen

This cold weather is really impinging on my plans now, not just the runners but some giant sunflowers are still in pots & should be out growing, I'll have to chance them out soon or they'll be stunted and useless if left much longer

Davesnave

Hen chicks don't imprint like ducklings, but it would be on DB if they did, not me. I keep out of it most of the time as it's enough to have just one of us climbing the walls over decision-making! In an ideal world you just let them get on with it, so we don't 'help' them out of the shell, but in our world it makes sense to remove broken shells and those  that are expiring, or chicks that have started to fluff-up and move purposefully.

phoebe1989seb

It's sunny here after yesterday's much needed rain, so we're cracking on with the last stretch of the white bed.

Yesterday we eventually managed to find the elusive third bay tree - having ruled out some rather weedy-looking specimens that they were asking £90 for, we drove a little further afield and found far healthier plants for £60 😎

It meant I had to arrange for the Claire Austin plant delivery to be left in our porch (what a faff for you up in Perth, Apodemus) but they photographed it in situ and it was awaiting us on our return!

I can report that the plants were extremely well-packaged and healthy, so all good on that front 😃

The last of the day lilies have come out, ready to be transferred elsewhere where there's already an existing clump and we've temporarily planted up the Solomon's Seal into a large (freebie) shallow salt-glazed sink. A standard rose (Canary Bird?) has also been liberated from the pot where it's sat for the past eight years and will be going into the ground.

As we have gales and heavy rain forecast tomorrow I'm hoping DH can get the oak sleeper retaining wall finished today, so we'll be ready to plant up if/when better weather comes!

twopenny

A long day in the garden! More sunshine.

Cleared the stone, concrete debris from the back lawn, strimmed and mowed.

Found the sage I moved has recovered almost overnight so trimmed back in places and the wallflower I moved looked dead but on pruning found the stems all green so there's hope but it looks a mess.

Cleared old pots and troughs to go to the charity stall and planted the box along the front steps. Looking good.

Decided the Bramley that doesn't seem happy in the back corner will come forward and a path (maybe round a pond)  will lead to the dark corner and I'm going to paint a garden gate on the fence there. Should be a bit of fun and should give the garden some flow, I noticed visitors were walking around to the patio and just looking from a centre point so the idea is to make them wander away from the house.

If it doesn;t work I;ll just plant a tree in front of it and think again