Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Dusty a separate fridge is a great idea, saves MrsD a lot of cleanups I’m sure. I love the colour of your wosname on the wee leaf, beautiful iridescence on it  

2p I’d pick a bit of work over yappy dogs all day long. Shonky/poor construction is a definite no for me, no matter the views. Headknob made me laugh too! I’d laugh even harder if mum leaves all her worldly goods to the dogs home  

Pp if I ever get a camera rigged up and some video captured, I’m putting Benny Hill music to those slugs 😁

I didn’t see the Buck Moon but even if I had I wouldn’t have a pic as good as that Farway, that is calendar worthy imo. I’ve just watched last night’s BG and the fellah was potting up something (forgotten it already 🙄) but he added cinnamon to the compost mix to deter bugs. Maybe that’s worth a try? 

Jeez I thought we had unbearable temps gb but yours take the biscuit 🥵 Brutal! Your garden will thank you for leaving the tap on. Or are you in a hosepipe ban area? 🫢

While I was seeing if I can rescue any fruits from my wasp-ravaged collapsed rasp farm I was joined by this - poor pic cos it was a v quick point+shoot - but I’m not sure seen one before… 

Oh and it’s only taken me a few days but I’m managing to kill my hydrangea 😲 The white one’s alright but the blue is simultaneously turning pink and dying on me. The droopy bit looks snapped but it’s alright.  I’ve done literally nothing to them, they haven’t even needed a drink fgs 🥺 

greenbee

No idea on your hydrangea YBE - I have a magnolia that is turning up it's toes for some reason too. No hosepipe ban here ... yet... so am keeping water butts topped up in preparation. I'm currently working through the veg plot changing the way all the soaker hoses are linked together to try to make it more efficient - but doing it in bits and coming in to cool down. I won't be going out any time soon!

I've also treated the second chamber of the septic system with oxygenator and bacteria (it's the one that smells) in the hope that it works. I need to get the lid on the first chamber replaced as it doesn't fit well, but they no longer make the diamond-shaped Klargester covers, so I'm trying to get hold of someone to replace it with a modern cover which is rather more work. I also suspect that part of the problem is with the drainage field - my vendors extended it, but they also extended the drive over it. As far as I can tell there are no circumstances in which this is a good idea... and I'm not sure what the solution is as there's a cart shed garage that is only accessible from the new bit of the drive. I suspect fixing the problem will be an expensive exercise!

YoungBlueEyes

Sounds like you’ll have to get proper workmen in to sort your drainage gb, and yeah that sounds expensive  

Found you a house 2p  Not perfect but you could move right in - 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163197710#/?channel=RES_BUY

twopenny

Wow! That's almost perfect 😀
The green hall would have to go though 😵‍💫

Wort that's a horrible problem to have to deal with. Why are people so selfish? Hope it comes ok in the end.
Have you asked about the lid on the DIY forum? They are darn good at finding things or solutions.

Bluey you've caught another Ringlet.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringlet

Wonderful photo Farway! Clever or what 🙂

End of tether here with this heat. 34c outside, 28c inside and stuffy.
Just looked at the nearest beach and it's near empty. Seems people have some sense but it will be busy in a couple of hours when it's cooler and the tide is in.
The football finished very quickly and the local tennis took.

YoungBlueEyes

Hang in there 2p, the cool is coming Aye that house is a belter eh. Agree about the green hall but the rest looks good to go. If you fancy a go yourself the filters are £150k-£250k, 2-3 beds, detached, no to new builds/co-ownership/auction. I've been working round the countries by area and that one was Highland, Scotland area. I'm currently doing Aberdeen +30 miles and there's some possibles there too. Thanks for ID'ing my flutterby Looking back at Dusty's one it's similar enough I should have recognised it tbh :rolleyes: 

Gb if you haven't already I would try asking on the diy board and possibly the housing board too. There's a fellah over there having issues with neighbours and access and stuff to his cesspit/treatment plant but it shows the depth of knowledge there is over there so they'd almost certainly be able to help with your one. Might even stave off it being disruptive and expensive... 

I was wondering last night as I was trying to fall asleep where I'd got 'pigdogs' from. My brain decided it was Knights Who Say Ni. You used it when you were a yoof Farway? I wonder who started it then....

You managing to keep cool up there pp? It was Scotland's hottest day this year or for a few years or something. Desperate temps! Same as taff got apparently

For anyone looking for something to stop in and watch in this heat - there was a programme on the other night called something like "The World's Greatest Rivers" on BBC2 and it was about the Danube. Really good it was, about the people and animals that live along it, and all the countries it flows through as it winds it's way down to it's delta. (19 countries, and that's the most any river passes through. Good quiz fact) Worth a watch, and probably a rewatch   Also I think I want to change my answer re that Kiwi piece on BG. She was on with George this week and was more than tolerable. I'm sticking to my answer on the other 2 though (Brian and Ruth)  

OT 18'c now, high of 25'c to come. It was alright yesterday, compared to what it has been. Cloudy and with a bit of a breeze, it was almost pleasant after that brutal heat the other day. Oh and I've abandoned the drunkards, it's the sobers and Tusky all the way now. It's alright being comically wrong but the novelty has worn off.

Dustyevsky

Bluey's butterfly may also be a Speckled Wood? I'm undecided.

I suspect her ailing hydrangea needs some shade rather than standing on a hot patio. If it's not needed a drink, maybe it was overwatered prior to her purchase?. Before that, it would most likely have been in a highly-controlled shade tunnel, so the harshness of the real world may be taxing it. Unfortunately, we can't pin that one on the weepy woman! 

Kudos to Farway's DGD for the very excellent Buck Moon photo. We saw it here, without knowing it had a name.  Having failed to get a good picture the night before, I said something else beginning with B when Mrs Dusty suggested I have another try!  Here's the 'best' picture achieved...

Well, our Family Day went well enough. About 35 people turned-up, but less than half had a good look around. To be fair, it was around 25-27c, and even the children sought shade sometimes, when they weren't having water fights! The barbie proved more popular than beer, though all the Pimms went quickly. That was good, because I thought it tasted weird, despite being 100% true to the recipe. 

With that event behind us, and the hay done, we can now focus on the garden and garden visiting for a few months. 

greenbee said:

 I also suspect that part of the problem is with the drainage field - my vendors extended it, but they also extended the drive over it. As far as I can tell there are no circumstances in which this is a good idea... . I suspect fixing the problem will be an expensive exercise!

Hmmm, I forgot the drain field here. Something's clogged it again, so the work we did last year hasn't worked for long.    Fortunately, we have a different digger guy who says he'll have a go using soak away crates. I know the final soak away lines are fine, having tested them last summer. Like you say, it won't be cheap. 

I'm not convinced Bluey's affordable wee house is as 'cosy' as the agent says....The EPC says something different! Plenty of blank canvas in the garden, however. I'd say start with a shelter belt! 

YoungBlueEyes said:

2p I’d pick a bit of work over yappy dogs all day long. Shonky/poor construction is a definite no for me, no matter the views. 

 We picked this place for the garden and land, thinking the construction was probably dodgy. It turned-out to have good 'bones.'.The previous owners' many alterations, though bonkers, were done solidly, so it was upsetting, and expensive, removing perfectly sound walls and ceilings to achieve a more conventional layout. It went from 5 bedrooms to 3! Ironically, although we could now 'swing' them with room to spare, the cats aren't allowed in those!

Mrs Dusty doesn't do many flower arrangements, but she made the loo very colourful for our visitors yesterday:

The ubiquitous 'Lucifer,' joined by 'Paul's Best Yellow,' + unnamed hydrangea & agapanthus. 

twopenny

Morning Bluey. 
Finally got some sleep last night but tomorrow is a 4.45am wake up by the bullet head next door.
Yesterday was terrible with 34c and no breeze just still and blistering.
This morning an easterly so all windows and doors open but it will probably drop later. It's still 24c in the house 
We're predicted this for the foreseeable if a bit less intense.

Great Rivers I loved the one on Victoria Falls and the Zambezi. Been there 🙂

Wonder if Poppy has the fire lit or for once is glad of a cool house 😉

Now there's a wind that will dry out the plants along with the heat so more watering.
Same as me, get under the shower and stand around wet.

YoungBlueEyes

I only moved the hydrangeas into the light for a wee minute to take the pic Dusty, the squiffy bit didn't come out right when they were sat in the shade. I didn't consider over-watering, which I'm sorry about tbh cos I gave them a drink last night   That's a fab photo, looks well over your arch Good to hear your family do went well and folks got a wander round your garden. And :clapping: for Mrs D's flower arrangement, I'd pay good money for that   

2p yay to getting some sleep last night but booo to your upcoming early start. You'd think mum would be as sick of it as you are and kick the ignorant sod out pull him into line. I'll go back through the Rivers progs then and watch some more. Only this morning mind, it's tennis this aft  

twopenny

Sounds like a perfect day 🙂

Meant to say, dunk your blue hydrangea pot in a bucket of water, right down, and see if any bubbles come out. Could be air pockets in the compost. If they do wait till it stops.
Apologies if I've said this before. Breeze dropped, heat started I have no idea what I'm doing 😵‍💫

Bullet head is ruling the roost now. Mum does nothing herself and 'relies' on family to do it for her. Even air in her tyres. She did put her foot down to bringing his girlfriend he left, home for some Whoopi.
I'm having words about slamming car doors. Neighbour was having chemo while he played at that.

Off for supplies and see what the rest of the world is doing.
I returned the seeds I borrowed from public gardens, with interest. I'm hoping they haven't all been eaten by birds as there's nothing to water them in.

Farway

Baking already, and sleepless night again, probably get some kip watching summat this afternoon, curtains drawn in the coolest room

Nice display by Mrs D, and pleased to hear the “do” went well. 

I've always thought Pimms was overrated. Never had one, but I think I'd like mint Julip this weather, but being pleb Rum & coke will do.

Blue, what a shame about the hydrangea, like Dusty says, too molly coddled for their own good

The way one shoot is wilting could well be overwatering, as suggested. Can you knock it out of the pot to check?

Your new Skye house 2P, looks very bleak, but neighbour free. Not for me in the location, too remote and hilly for my legs.

Actually, it would be frustrating IMO, trying to get stuff to grow before it got blown away. 

I've spent winters at nearby Kyle of Lochalsh nearby & it's bitter, bitter, bitter, even if sun does not really set in summer

YoungBlueEyes said:

I didn’t see the Buck Moon but even if I had I wouldn’t have a pic as good as that Farway, that is calendar worthy imo. I’ve just watched last night’s BG and the fellah was potting up something (forgotten it already 🙄) but he added cinnamon to the compost mix to deter bugs. Maybe that’s worth a try? 

Never heard of that, but I've just asked my mate Chat & he reckons, yep, good idea

I'll give that ago, maybe washed in with some Jeyes Fluid. 

Benefits of Adding Cinnamon to Compost

 

• Natural antifungal: Helps prevent mould growth in your compost pile, especially when it's too damp.

• Repels insects: Can help keep away ants, gnats, and other small insects that might become a nuisance.

• Non-toxic: Safe for most compost systems and won't harm worms or microbes in small amounts

No gardening today, too hot, but may try for photos later

watering already completed first thing, hose at the back & just the courgettes at the front