Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Bit cooler this morning, but still sunny.

And up early again, just too much light coming through my threadbare curtains 

Gardening today could be the grape and overgrowing brambles at rear of my house, it is a job that if left will be a real devil in a few months. I have to wheel the garden waste bin around the back anyway, so hopefully I can snip bits off at the same time.

The bit of rain may even have bigged up  the goosegogs, or popped them more likely

Apart from wheelie bin & pruning, nothing else requites attention today

I may try some flower photography, having watched this [near the end, about 2 minutes in], a bit more practice may help

OT, also has hydrangeas 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNaJlBu1Cbc

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

The exemptions granted to commercial growers to carry on using peat, tells you all you need to know when big money is involved.

One group of folk without money and influence are the hill farmers. For years, they fought to keep Asulox, the only effective chemical control against the spread of bracken. It was banned and then unbanned a number of times. Some of us 'conspiracy theorist loonies' read the tea leaves and quietly made provision for the future. Others may have imagined they had government sympathy, but in the end it didn't matter. A fall in the profitability of the product, due to eco legislation, led to the manufacturer discontinuing production.

Here, bracken gradually creeps into the fields from our hedges. When Asulox was allowed, I'd make up a small amount and treat the fronds along field edges about once every 3 years. There was no immediate reaction, but the plants didn't pop up in the grass the following year. It was a control that worked without visible injury to other plants, and there were not even any tell-tales signs it had been used.

Luckily, a standard pack Asulox goes a very long way, probably for a very long time!  

twopenny

Well we could do with some of that rain here. Just looked at the sweet peas and they never came to much and are dying back.
Not a rose to be plucked.

Interesting farway. Don't these Americans talk a lot before they get around to the subject ?
Not a patch on your photos. I think you should start a website, YouTube thing. 

Well today it's back to the bank that made a mistake as nothing has happened. And some chockie biscuits for the good bank who have just heard their jobs are on the line.
Hair cut and dancing so we'll see if I have any energy left for some more deadheading after that.
Got 2 bucket loads down to the tip yesterday. Everything is just frazzled.

no raspberries ripening, no strawberries, one potato perked up with washing up water thrown over it but leaves vivid yellow 

Dustyevsky

Just spotted your latest photography  post, Farway.   Inspired, here is my unadulterated contribution, straight off the card:Hopefully, the above will cheer 2p up, as she was having bank and dirty spoon café problems yesterday.  I spent much of it up this blimmin' ladder, cleaning out the gutters with Henry.  He's very good at that, and my S hook means he can hang loose there, huffing and puffing, while I have both hands free.  

OT: Fatsia in the process of changing leaves and tree fern unwell and needing a re-pot. Both kept in shady area.

It was sunny yesterday, but much fresher.18c was a good temperature for the above job.

Back later, maybe, but currently admiring WM's latest wind turbine calendar shot and pp's yummy bird food, which looks healthier than the meals we have here!

OT again: Still sunny and Cher quite fresh outdoors. More windows n'gutters to do. The fun never ends! 

-taff

2p I know it's quite early but I could still go for a honeycomb ice cream whilst admiring your beautiful frog I've been going through water like no ones business too just for the pots, so I'm really desperate to get things in the ground. I will say though, the stuff in hay at the allotment [mostly potatoes, beans, courgettes, pumpkins], I haven't watered at all since it went in and it is all doing well. Maybe thicker mulch wil help next year. Hoe your bank troubles are sorted. I have copper in my waterbutts and it does seem to help, just old bits of pipe. And I expect you knew but 2ps used ot be a lot more copper than they are now...old ones are better  

Dusty someone's got to embrace the siesta...won't be long before we're doing as the mediterraneans do and have the afternoon off and it can't come soon enough Love the sheep..There was a shepherd that used to do that in my mothers town, I would stand against the gates with my face pressed up agsint it sniffing the smell. I still love the smell of cows and cow dung too, because there was a farm next door to my aunties house. Very subtle sunset too..I also did not know that about the hundreds, how weird is that...isn't that anice pairing too! lovely colours together. 

hy wm, why don't you do an exhibit of the field and turbines through the year? Library perhaps?

Farway, try a bit of Hugh Richards if you haven't already seen him. He is also very enthusiastic and while I do know a lot fo the stuff he talks about, I am also learning some bits too, which is always nice. 

PP, again with the tomatoes? Same response....grrrr....but well done hope the headache is gone..

wort, how blousy are they! good idea re drying them bt only if you like them. 

ybe, bindweed and mares tails, cover them with cardboard, put stuff on top [ you can just dig out and clean some dirt [remove all pernicious roots that is ] and put it back in again, it will make them less, then keep pulling what you see and it will get less and less, honest guv...To pull the roots, get a long thin impement of whatever kind [ I have a hori hori knife], push it in as deep as you can alongside the root, flick the end to break the root and then pull. the longer it is coming out, the longer it'll take to regrow. And green rolls is what it sounds like, rolls that hve gone green because I have a bad memory. 

wm, I was subject to a campaign of emails from a disgruntled ersehole before which would now be classed cyber bullying. It got to the stage where I was afraid to read my emails for fear of what was going to be there. So I will say what you're doing is great but also remember, you don't have to respond to all of the emails, you don't have to respond immediately just because someone emails you, nor answer all individually and you are allowed ot point out to them they are being excessive and that it could be considered bullying and/or harassment and while they may be entitled to information , may!, then a considered and coherent request is more likely to be acted on sooner rather than later. Or something. Some people are just entitled erseholes. 

Tip run of old fence panels chopped up yesterday and various other bits today. I've finished putting the guttering on the shed after I found the bits [ carefully place on the greenouse guttering but invisible to me for two days!] and I temporarily Heath robinsoned a holder for the downpipe which means it will never be changed unless it breaks. I planted out the fig tree in the ground, woop woop and have now moved all the waterbutts from by the original greenhouse, that space is so much bigger now. Once I stick all the tomatoes left over and the tomatilloes down the allotment there'll be even more room. Cut what grass is left because it was cooler. No rain still though. Sorry for long post. Seems if I leave it for a few pages it just gets quite unwieldy...

-taff

And what's with the missing/appearing post thing? I too have an adventurous Henry, they're very good aren't they?

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

And what's with the missing/appearing post thing? I too have an adventurous Henry, they're very good aren't they?

Missing posts?    
I've a feeling someone will be missing in post soon, but can't talk about that! 

The old Henrys with big motors are good, but the newer, EU-emasculated ones, are said to have less grunt. You used to be able to can get around that by buying a wet & dry one with the original 1200watt motor.    

twopenny said:

Interesting farway. Don't these Americans talk a lot before they get around to the subject ?
Not a patch on your photos. I think you should start a website, YouTube thing. 

You ought to watch some US unboxing videos. That's all they do; take a product out of a box and admire it!  I've learned to start many YouTube vids in the middle, and then work forward until the 'meat' is found. Most All of the photos on this thread are more interesting/better than that guy's, but he's hurting no one and enjoying himself, even if his thumbnail doesn't make it look like that! 

pink_poppy

I missed the meteor last night - lots of social media posts about people seeing it where I live, but unfortunately I was in the Land of Nod…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0mygn38r4o

I didn’t know that about the 2p coins, taff, that’s what I’ve put in the birdbath. Oh well, I usually have to clean it out anyway because there’s sometimes worms in there and occasionally bird poop… 🙄

We’ve got a yellow weather warning for rain over the next couple of days and it’s a bit grey today. Talking of which, I have to make an appointment to get my hair done, I wasn’t actually going to the hairdresser’s the other day. I’ve been putting it off for months because I was worried that it would trigger Bertigo symptoms, but I’m starting to look like Hagrid…

Pic today is for W_M - my wee silver birch that is thriving since I repotted it from one of my MiL’s pots. I’ll be needing a dustbin for it soon 😂

Edit… pic taken yesterday when it was sunny 😎 

Working_Mum

I am loving the self seeded silver birch pic PP - it's great seeing thing take hold isn't it!

I've had a little wander around my garden this afternoon as I spotted this purple blow in and thought it was cute



The eagle eye will notice it is a concrete pot - I have brought this from each my homes since 1993! It was left in the garden of the first house I bought in Wisley Bumfleet. 

I also noticed that my hydrangeas are quite different so thought I'd share. Neither as spectacular as worts mophead but each are lovely in their own way.



Yonks ago I worked in a bank and you would have been very welcome with choccie biccies 2P! We were always grateful for edible thank yous! I hope you had a good boogie - you seem to pack so much into your days.

Ooooh -taff I am coveting your hori hori knife - had to google it (obvs) but now I can see so many uses for one. It''s going on my "List" (the one I have which I revisit after 48 hours and check whether the need is still there!).

Loving the Henry pic Dusty -  no longer have space for mine and I miss the versatility.  I wouldn't be going up ladders with him though! My neighbour has a tree fern in a pot on his patio and it bakes on there most of the day but seems to thrive. Another thing on my "List" but it does the okey kokey because I can't quite justify spending over a £100 on a single specimen! Maybe I should wish for a self seeder

OT lovely and warm here today at about 21' but getting slightly warmer tomorrow.

((WM))

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all   Missing yesterday cos the shower man came Strip washes are alright but probably best left to nostalgia.

Sorry to hear of your bank troubles 2p. Himself is suffering the same with the same people so I hear ya. I told him to vote with his feet... Imagine that woman sitting on an empty beach but looking at her phone! I bet the urge was strong to kick it out of her hand and tell her to wise up   For your toms, would taking off the extra leaves help? Give them less to think about so they can concentrate on just the toms..? 

Good to see Henry isn't resting on his laurels Dusty ha haa! I've heard that before about the Wet'n'Dry one having a proper amount of poke about it. When my emasculated one dies on me I'm getting one of them next.  Principles deffo bend and shake according to how much moolah is involved. That couple that were too early (they still aren't in btw) thought money would get them what they wanted. I thought they were a few hours ahead, turned up at lunchtime and wanted in instantly cos they were ready and entitled and demanding, but no. They were weeks early   Apparently they stated their preferred completion date right at the beginning cos they want to take up their rose bushes when it's the right time of year - they've pet ashes scattered under them, and this ain't the right time. Which is understandable, but for that many noughts I'd have let them in #MoreMoneyThanSense. Apparently AirB+B's are "for the undignified"  

Thanks for the weed help Less and taff. I can't really do the cardboard thing cos it's all individual strands coming up in my grass and borders I'm out there every morning digging/pulling up the bits that have grown overnight in the hope it will eventually work. My thinking is that green things need light, so remove the thing from the light. It's not working yet but fingers crossed it will, eventually. I'll also keep my eye out for any loose pygmy goats  

Good to see you're keeping your chin up wm "The lord never gives us a cross we cannot bear" as the Oracle says. Be excessively nice to the prique, keep your karma straight. Respond to his emails but only once a day, maximum of a coupla dozen words ish. Then imagine that wheatfield being rippled by the breeze, or R0meo running through it to bring your heart rate back down again Your blow-in looks very silky and delicate, and I'm getting proper hydrangea envy! 

Did you get to your grapes and goosegogs then Farway? Sod's law the gogs will be full after the rain to the point of splitting, and the grapes will just be hanging there watching them I hardly think you need photography help, yours are consistantly belters  

Gawd you don't stop taff Did that heat not even slow you up a bit? I was nodding in sympathy at you finding the guttering bits exactly whre you left them, in a safe and wise place, and them being invisible for two days. Love your use of ersehole too, multiple times  

Oooh a meteor pp? Thank god for non-sleeping people that go out and get pics of this stuff eh. How's the headache moving along? Have you pulled the neck of that wee bird yet? I've a wren here that starts V early and if I could reach him he'd be a goner. How do tiny wee things make So Much Noise? Is the job-hunt throwing up anything appealing?

Work today, again *sigh* Office micro manageress is getting a bit used to me saying yes so I might have to cut her off. Himself is on a half day and said he'd do DomNon today. God love him he tries, but he really just creates more work

OT it's a near perfect morning out there. 13'c, sun breaking through the clouds, lovely breeze. The sunrise wasn't up to much but you can't have it all. High of 23' to come, they say, and a properly gusterly westerly this aft.