Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

I'm worrying about the probate house DD is buying, wort. I've passed on all the advice from YBE, I just hope she's taken it on board. I hope your DD's house is sorted soon

The house DD2 and husband have just bought, while not probate, was owned by an investor who'd never seen it. The original owners' huge debts were cleared with the equity in the house, while they continued to live there, paying rent until they left, 'suddenly.' I'd guess the property was just one in a portfolio of many, managed with little oversight from the legal owner, hence the slow pace of negotiations, wrong info etc. 

I won't go into the weird circumstances of my first house purchase, or why we had to move very fast on this one, with a 'highly motivated' vendor.    I'll merely observe that the bargains rarely arise from 'straightforward' deals done at a steady pace.    

YoungBlueEyes said:

Did you get Armageddon yesterday then Dusty? Awww lookit yer hedgehog Why do they look so glossy and silky...? 

We had as much Armageddon as you had a pay rise!   It rained enough to make outdoor work miserable, without filling the poorly river or giving the apples and plums a real boost. 

I'm afraid hedgehogs aren't very silky either.  They're usually covered in fleas, and they may have one or two ticks attached, too. Despite that, we love 'em, and there's certainly many more about than there were 10 years ago. In the intervening period, under gov'ment approval, the badger population between two major roads here was severely culled. Make of that what you will! 

I also hope Farway's cues see the light and romp away, bountifully.  It can happen. Ours almost died, and then something cheered them up. Now we can't eat them fast enough. Same with the courgettes.  Meanwhile, I'm having similar thoughts to taff about our veg area. It needs organising better.  

Here's a piccie of the neighbour's 'throne,' cunningly placed at the point where he can view us best, though we can see him too, of course.  Maybe he's realised that, because he's not been observed using it. It actually looks damned uncomfortable.  Tractor for scale. (I'll remove the picture later, so please don't quote.  )

And 'as that's boring, here's a much nicer photo of my favourite crocosmia, 'Paul's Best Yellow,' doing its thing. 

Farway

Dull, dry but OK, actually a good day for working in gardens, not too hot / cold / sunny /damp etc

pink_poppy said:

Ooh, I'm envious of your blackberry and apple crumble, Farway. Did you store your apples somewhere from last year or did you stew and freeze them??

I stewed & froze last year's surplus as they arrived.

My unknown tree is a prolific & tasty early but does not store well “as is”

I do the same with any surplus blackberries.

Some years I make B & A jam, but I've plenty to get on with, hence freezing.

That Throne looks uncomfortable and incongruous, Dusty. 

I sometimes wonder why some folk bother. I saw a YT vid where [US] neighbour had rigged cameras to look directly into neighbour's back garden. 

Being US, there were miles of room, so not just overlooking error like it could be here with a say a doorbell.

I like Paul's Best Yellow crocosmia, I may be tempted if my JapAnem never show up properly after the rain. They are sulking and may have heads buried in Norwegian Cruise brochures.

OT, on council and food waste collection, just had e-mail, my council is going for it.

Have to question the sense sometimes, I know it's going to be UK law etc, but they need to buy seven new bin lorries and employ seven extra bin crews to meet the requirements. All the time crying short of [my] money.

And, to rub salt in, the blurb already excludes me putting garden waste in. 

Only gardening likely is dead head daises & lug garden bin around the back.

Dustyevsky

It's still drizzle here for much of the time, but an 'improving picture' lies ahead....maybe. I had to put a vest on yesterday, and briefly return to long trousers, it was so chilly. 
I've a feeling the Throne may have been a gift. He's not a DIY type, and it's not necessary. In the distant past, when we fell out, he'd simply stand and stare for 10 mins at a stretch. So, I planted laurel! 
I've a horrible feeling I accidentally sprayed the last vestige of our Jap A a few weeks ago. It didn't even get to see the travel ads! 
I must buy some more 110mm drain pipe, but that will mean visiting the nearby dump recycling centre with a half-full van.  Maybe I need to fill the van up some more....decisions! 
If it's any help, I usually put any weeds I pull on returning to the house into the food waste bin. They don't get noticed if part of a food waste 'sandwich.'   

twopenny

Now that is an overview Dusty.
You could use that for target practice 😈

Perhaps that's what would put fltbynight off performing his life outside my bedroom. Be up at 4.45am and sitting out front to wave him off.

Went to a talk on the wild ponies in a village I hadn't been to and they were serving wine and nibbles in church.
Now that's an eye opener when people don't think much happens in villages 

Had a good downpour overnight but it's not really long enough for the conditions.
Unpredicted of course.
Sun coming out now.

Mostly domestic stuff today as it's wet, if not wet enough, to do the pruning needed.
I'm busy seed collecting as I'm being invaded. See if I can beat them before spreading and plant where I want them.


And I've found out where my raspberries are going.


Don't mind because there's only this one youngster. Usually dozens. The adults don't seem bothered but I've noticed the teenagers are mad for fruit.

Saw a really unusual fern at our DIY store. £3 and I didn't buy it. Gone when I changed my mind. Really I don't need any more but now I want one 😉

greenbee

I'm getting a second crop of strawberries, but I think the wasps have first dibs on them. I'm not hugely bothered as I've got a freezer full, and I'm hoping the wasps will deal with some of the pests as well. 

twopenny

Jealous Green bee. Though with some rain I might get mine fruiting in desperation.

I thought more seagull poop had stuck to the wall this morning but it was nicer than that.


The stripes are actually cream with yellow bits in.
My Oxford book of insects has failed to name it.

Got a bit of rain on occasions this morning but not for long.
Amazing to see the grass start to green up so quickly with just a little wet. Amazing plant.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

I thought more seagull poop had stuck to the wall this morning but it was nicer than that.


My Oxford book of insects has failed to name it.

It's a Jersey Tiger, often found in seaside locations, though we had one a year or two ago.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/moths/jersey-tiger

twopenny said:

Saw a really unusual fern at our DIY store. £3 and I didn't buy it. Gone when I changed my mind. Really I don't need any more but now I want one 😉

 I saw a mis-labelled Salvia at the farmers' store....pink & yellow  ....but I was in 'economy' mode at the time, having just spent £50 on unproductive chicken food / bedding. I'm also trialling a couple of new ones, anyway. If they survive until this time next year, they pass. 

It remained dull and occasionally drizzly yesterday, so I continued filling dumpy bags with detritus from the great laurel reduction done last autumn in the junk area behind the old sheds. We're hoping the eyesore sheds can go one day, but that depends on our garden being legally recognised as garden land, not field. It's the next legal process we must address with the council planners.    It ought to be straightforward, as it's been garden since long before our time, but 'straightforward' and 'council' doesn't always compute! 

Yesterday, the Great Tit hung around long enough for me to grab a few snaps. Light levels weren't good, but here's  the best of the pictures I took.

YoungBlueEyes

Hell of a lean on that throne Dusty, you'd have to be leaning forward just to see straight in front of you. Doesn't look comfy at all either   I love your crocosmia, such a cheerful colour Looks well among all the plants round it too. That's a better place for a sitooterie imo. That's a very fluffity Great Tit, looks very happy We've some here and it's a wonder to me that the wee things can produce such a piercing sound. Good luck with your council + planning carryon, at least you've realistic expectations going in. I wish that as a more common trait...

You can't put garden waste in the garden waste bin any more Farway? I'll have to scrutinise my email when it comes. They best not try that nonsense here or what will I do with my hedge clippings and manky tree detritus   Mmmm homemade jam  

What I wouldn't give for your 'invasion' 2p Was the talk on wild ponies good, or were you too pished squiffy to concentrate That's a beggar about the fern, it'd make me want it too. Aww you've a rasp filled blackie Wasps took all my rasps, blackie nor nobody got a look in   That's a striking Jersey Tiger, I've never seen one of those before

Will wasps go to the bother of pests if they've their little bellies full of strawberries gb? Does Anonymous Dog help with strawbs?

OT same old same old here. Cool with a bit of a breeze and white clouds, 14'c now with a high if 21' to come. It'll lift later and be sunny for a bit before the rain comes at 1500 ish. They say. I think they only keep saying "afternoon rain" so it'll be right eventually, Stopped Clock Theory and all that :rolleyes: I'll take it over all that filthy humid misty nonsense though  

greenbee

Stinky LOVES strawberries YBE. He sits outside the veg plot fence waiting for me to chuck the squishy ones over for him. At one point I realised when picking up after him that it was about 90% strawberry pip 🤣 The vet says as they're low sugar and high fibre that's fine. Mind you, he's now on kiwi fruit as the petrol station reduced packs of 6 to 16p - they're great frozen into lick mats. 

Raining again here. It'll probably stop at the weekend once my new water butts are connected. 

Farway

Up and about early, not stopping, because I have a half-term invite over to DS, where we may finish up in the furniture, clothes & Tat shop that also sells some plants, but more importantly has a café. 

Very unlikely to spot any plant bargains there.

I've completed gardening so far today, watered the courgette pots, despite all the rain they are drying out already

YoungBlueEyes said:

You can't put garden waste in the garden waste bin any more Farway? I'll have to scrutinise my email when it comes. They best not try that nonsense here or what will I do with my hedge clippings and manky tree detritus   Mmmm homemade jam  

Sorry if I confused you, what I meant was no garden waste in the new, to be issued, food waste bins. 

The paid for, arm & leg, garden waste bins are fine to continue using.

But as Dusty implied, the odd dandelion etc among the cabbage leaves should not be noticed. 

It would take a desperate job's worth to rummage among the congealed stew, chicken bones, bacon fat etc to seek out a garden weed

Good photos again Dusty, my birds just flit about so not a lot of chance of a photo

Never seen a Jersey Tiger, a first.

Made some in roads into the apple pruning yesterday, but had to stop when my back started twinging. Not a lot more to do, a few more easy days should see it completed.

Loads of apples once the foliage is trimmed back, go well with the bumper blackberry crop this year

Shuffles feet furtively when grapes, plums, or figs are mentioned