Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Dusty, Malmsmead? Is the cafe open? 
Can't believe that house. I'd have that like a shot. That price would only get you a 2 bed 1 bath and barely a garden here.

Yes, well spotted.  The café was open, though walking friend and I are tight Devonians, so happy enough to slurp fruit juice and eat chocolate biscuits after a walk.  I couldn't believe the gift shop; a pottery vase with fluted top, all of 25 cm tall, was £3000 ! I'd guess their main market is the folks across the pond. We noticed all the US and Canadian addresses in Oare Church visitors' book. Like a certain Prime Minister, who kept referring to a recent fictional film as a 'documentary,' perhaps some of them think the Lorna Doone story is 'history!' 

The café, shop, and church were all quiet. In fact, we didn't see anyone on the walk itself.

Will have to catch up with other posts tomorrow. Busy day! 

YoungBlueEyes

I didn't consider my figs could be ripening Farway (I've 2 holey ones now) cos they're majoratively green with only a bit of brown round their fat erse ends. Slightly squishy but not much really. I'll not ask if they'll keep ripening if I pick them, I'll go back and re-read. Are you no nearer working out what's going with yours? I did have a trawl through my old gardening books (Dave the gardener and the other one... Hessiod or Hessian or something) but there's no mention of figs ) Mind you have peas! That's a good swop imo.

I think I've had the raspberry luck this year gb, you'll get it next year  

Your apricots 2p, is it a breed thing? Yours look ripe to me with the red on them so I'd try one and see what it eats like. Maybe yours are firmer eaters?

My fig was only from Lidl/Aldi Less so it won't have been dear. I'd say give it a go. I had no room for it to be planted outside so it's lived in my conservatory since I bought it and it seems happy enough.

Ooh I've not watched Lorna Doone for years Dusty, I'll see if I can find it this aft £3k for a diddy wee vase?! Was it a designer one or something? Or was it "ooh yanqui season's coming, put more noughts on them price tags!"  

Bearable here atm at 17'c, fairly cloudy and a slight breeze. Christ I suffered with that heat yesterday though, and I'd forgotten you can burn in the shade. Genuinely thinking of ringing in sick Monday so I can stop in my cool dark house... the woman I work with on Mondays is an 'open the windows to let the breeze through' type, and she will not be told   Might start looking for houses in Scotland...  

Farway

Up at daft o clock again, couldn't settle back into snooze mode.

Time was not wasted though. I've watered the newish plants in DP border, including Rozanne who went in yesterday. At least none have been disturbed so far. 

My Bishop dahlia needs potting on, assembled compost, pot etc ready to do it later

greenbee said:

Gooseberries are small here too Farway. I'm freezing all the odds and ends of berries as I pick them and once the season is over I'll cook them all together for a mixed-fruit compote to eat with yogurt. 

Good idea, duly stolen   

2P, apricots, some fruits, like pineapples, smell of fruit when ripe, have a sniff? 

Another clue is wasps hanging around, and rats putting their bibs on. 

My peas were great, the young ones direct from pod to gob, the rest cooked with a spot of fresh mint. Very pleased with the results of what started life as pea shoot growing.

I still have some purple Manky Toots

I may repeat next year, just for the taste really, not enough space to form mountains & fill a freezer

My figs are mystery, looks like nil edible crop this year  , but I did have cherries, and some plums are still alive & green.

Today is my Dog Poo border, very "still work in progress" but once the plants get going it should be fine

In the tubs, high on the left, are courgette & dangling tomatoes. The green troughs nearby have the mixed annuals sown in them, germinated but not big enough to realy see what there is.

Bottom centre is a self-sown trailing nasturtium.

The green shrub, top & right, covers a manhole

Public path is just visible, bottom right. As you can see, not a wide border, just enough room for a dog to carp. 

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Don't know where the ford is Dusty, but it does look an idyllic spot to start seeking magic apricots

This is one of the dwarf Buzz buddleias. I used to have a white & deep purple, but the vine weevils had those.

I expected 2p to know the location, and she did. Though 'touristy,' it's not busy outside weekends.   It's in a deep valley running parallel with the shore, a few miles distant, so most Atlantic type weather goes over the top and it remains sheltered.   

Those 'Buzz' buddleias are good, and the red seems to be a survivor if DD's potted one is anything to go by. I've just planted the one grown from it.

YoungBlueEyes said:

Any chance there’s a house the other side of that wee bridge Dusty? 😍  Y

None in that hamlet but a few down-river. This is about the cheapest. 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/162278711#/?channel=RES_BUY

Bit of work needed, and you didn't ask to see the sun in the darker months of the year!  

greenbee said:

Gooseberries are small here too Farway. I'm freezing all the odds and ends of berries as I pick them and once the season is over I'll cook them all together for a mixed-fruit compote to eat with yogurt

The same here with strawberries. We're strawberried-out now.   

No strawberries or goosegogs at DD2's new gaff. She and her husband picked-up the keys on Friday. We left the happy couple to explore alone, only going there yesterday to begin reclaiming the garden. There were no horror stories (Bluey, your story is surely why solicitors like to complete on Fridays - it gives only a few hours for melt-downs, and two whole cooling-off days!  ) but heavy duty help was requested for the 'lawn.' The house has been vacant for about a year! Here you go:

I hope the neighbours didn't mind a few hours of my brushcutter; the silencer fell off about 10 years ago, but it's not usually used in confined spaces! This was the result:

We'll go back today with the mower and tidy up.  Pity I can't get the ride on over there! 

As you can see, it was dull, but very warm. Today, much the same so far, with some overnight drizzle, but allegedly we'll have sunshine and 25c. I'm so glad the worst of the grass is past, bu look at that blimmin' laurel hedge! 

YoungBlueEyes

I've just had a thought Farway. Could you not sharpen some twigs/ice lolly sicks and stab then into the ground in DP border to stop dogs wandering for a comfort break? Or are they jut hanging their erses over like it's a toilet? Jeez the things we talk about on here!

I was wondering how your yoofs were getting on with their move Dusty. Good to hear they're in, but I'd not like to be moving in all this heat The house in your link seems alright, bit of work but if you loved it it'd be worth it. Tbh it looks like that forest is swallowing it up, one more gulp and it'll be gone  

How's Anonymous Dog coping with the heat and his cone gb? 

Been reading about fruits and ripening. They can't decide whether figs are climacteric or not. And for some reason D'Duck is giving me websites from across the pond, even though I've the UK tab on. Hmmm.  Right, houses in Scotland next then.  

wort

Yesterday was hot but windy, got lots of washing dry. A good day for drinking a Spritz or 2 in the garden, though might have made them a bit strong 😂
Today is dull no wind yet feel’s definitely cooler. Was supposed to be hotter🙄

lots of lovely looking cherries on here, I’ve only eaten those in the supermarket,which were v tasty.
WM hope you are ok, some people are erseholes as YBE says. 

That’s a cute chubby bird ,I love to watch the birds so peaceful sitting listening to them .
Farway good luck with the DPoo border, you could have had my very prickly rose if you lived near me. The buzz buddleia is a pretty colour.

greenbee

YBE - Stinky is mostly lying on the kitchen floor. Or trying to sit on my lap while I'm gardening 🙄. He's wearing PJs, but I'm leaving the doughnut and cone off as he's not trying to lick at all (any time he even looks in that direction I tell him to leave it, so he's got the message). I am putting the cone on if I go out and at night, and he doesn't seem bothered. I suspect it would be more of an issue if he was running about. The only issue is that he does occasionally get the zoomies/play with the cat, and I'm not sure he should be rushing about like that as 'short walks on a lead' suggests gentle exercise. He also keeps bringing me his ball as a big hint that he wants to play. But he's coping well with the disappointment. I'm feeing him a lot of frozen carrots/kongs/lick mats and ice cubes.

Up early for dog walking, irrigation, watering, planting. It's overcast here so much cooler than it would be otherwise (and will be Mon/Tues so I'm trying to get everything I can into the ground, watered in, and it can then take it's chances. I'm also filling up water butts from the hose so I have water in the right places for using watering cans.

I have an irrigatia solar pump system for the greenhouse, which is great (although it's 5 years old, and the new ones look much better, but it works fine), and am trying to work out whether one of their tank systems would work with my IBCs (roughly 3000 litres) and a network of 13mm hose with soaker hose running off it. The reduced water pressure recently means that tap water isn't making it to the end of the (complicated) network of hosepipe, plus I'm pretty sure we'll have a hosepipe ban soon - but it's not clear whether that would work so I need to call them I think. The soaker hose is buried below the surface of the beds, and while probably not quite as efficient as using drippers, it does mean I don't have to take it out and rearrange it every time I replant.

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

I was wondering how your yoofs were getting on with their move Dusty. Good to hear they're in, but I'd not like to be moving in all this heat The house in your link seems alright, bit of work but if you loved it it'd be worth it. Tbh it looks like that forest is swallowing it up, one more gulp and it'll be gone  

The yoofs are owners now but not in until boiler man a person identifying as a heating engineer has been. Also, I've a feeling the kitchen's being removed....  Life here is altogether more comfy right now.

The house I linked to is at the base of a north-facing steep slope, covered in mature trees. Enough said. Further along, the valley widens, and that's where ye sensible folks of old built the village.

I've been around the garden of this one, which is in a lovely situation....if one has the £££. 

 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/158118263#/?channel=RES_BUY

Some Geranium magnificum seeds stuck to my trouser pocket while there, so there's one or two in our garden now.   

twopenny

Wort, the cherries are £5 a box here 😲 but I do love the dark red ones a lot. Just don't think I can get through a whole box.

Farway that's a good tip. Perhaps rely on instincts. I tried to delete the photo as it's much like the other to anyone but the anxious grower 🫤

Dusty I'm not opening that link. You find stuff I wish I could have and can't.

Greenbee you sound very organised there both plant and dog. Good sign he wants to play.

Having worked late last night watering it's cool with a dash of mizzle and cloudy. No sign of a heatwave 😬

Today's surprise was a pink poppy beside the purple in the veg bed. Be careful what you wish for 

Farway

Busy weekend Dusty, but at least it's reasonable weather. 

Once upon a time, hard work outside in Devon used to require flagons of cider to refresh the workers. Maybe not these days with machinery, or everyone would be like Long John Silver. 

Looks a long term challenge with plenty of scope there. Ideal for a few sticky geraniums.

Talking of which, I've just cut mine back & hoping for a second flush 

Bishop dahlia moved into a larger pot, I've popped a couple of orphan mini tomatoes in as well, only supposed to grow about a foot high so should not be a problem in there.

wort said:

Farway good luck with the DPoo border, you could have had my very prickly rose if you lived near me. The buzz buddleia is a pretty colour.

I briefly considered that, and the sharp sticks as mentioned, but being so close to the path & public I'd prefer any child who fell into the border got dog pooed & not stabbed

Well actually I'd rather they were vapourised but I don't have the equipment. 

I have GW & BG to catch up on, that's all the gardening left for today