Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Davesnave

Yesterday we moved the 5 chicks to their new home in my den/boiler room where they have a good, big space to explore and perches to reach when they're able. I'll do some photos soon. Already there are noticeable character traits among them, but I'm keeping at an emotional distance until we determine how many are boys!

The strong wind and some rain yesterday didn't breach the temporary repair we had to do on one part of the polytunnel. We'll fix that on a nice, calm sunny day, but as the cover is over 10 years old, it's only a matter of time..... Plans change, so the tunnel is in the 'wrong' place now and I can't see us needing a 13m x 6m covered growing space in future, so I'll be looking to sell it on soon. Most bits are almost as new, and spares are still available, so I'll probably not be digging up the ground anchors or the 3 tonnes of concrete attached to them!

twopenny

That sounds like another big job Dave. You must enjoy them.
Replacement fence gone up so moved pots and put them back. Seems to be constant circles at the moment.
Went on a group walk and found 2more roadside plant stalls. Came back with a lovely dark purple iris ablout to bloom for 2 pounds.
Going to need a whole day planting soon and no time to work on the shape of the garden.
Lawns coming on a treat and no one any the wiser about the method

Davesnave

twopenny said:

That sounds like another big job Dave. You must enjoy them.

Not really, but we will sell the polytunnel erected and with all the benching, so it will be someone else doing the dismantling and carting away. Years ago, we placed it carefully to take advantage of the sun's trajectory and avoid spoiling people's views. The idea that we might need to drive a track through there never occurred to us,  but it may become necessary, thanks to new possibilities we're exploring for our site.

Anyway, I think a greenhouse nearer the house would be enough for me now. I've missed my old cedar one.

Horribly cool with blustery, sharp showers here today. Luckily, we had several visitors who delayed activity outdoors, but it looks like I've run out of excuses now!

in_my_wellies

I've been reading but not posting as life has been chaotic, my mum is struggling a bit. The garden is on hold this year. I'm just trying to keep on top but this weeks rain may mean it gets out of control, we'll see.

Dave, if I was back in Devon I would happily swap your large polytunnel for my large cedar greenhouse. I know what you mean about missing it.  I bought my first 40 years ago and it's still almost perfect.  When we moved to Devon it was a step too far to take it so I bought another (bigger one!) and then moved back here. The people renting my house don't use it. 

I have a question about a Stella cherry tree planted around 5 years ago. After a year it lost it's lead and two branches failed to thrive. So I am left with a tree with just one, one meter branch coming off the trunk at about one meter high at 45 degree angle. If I somehow stake/tie this branch upright and cut the top off will it become the lead and send out new branches?  There is a Morello nearby planted at the same time and the difference is unbelievable 

I do have another excuse for lack of gardening - I'm watching a big bird fishing  hoping the twitchers don't find it

quirkydeptless

in_my_wellies said:
I do have another excuse for lack of gardening - I'm watching a big bird fishing  hoping the twitchers don't find it

.........

Farway

Sunny enough here & no rain to speak of

Fingers crossed but I think I may have "got away with" having my runners inside due to cold & delaying planting out until they were tying themselves into knots

They are now climbing up their allotted poles with snail's corpses strewn among the slug pellets, mustn't gloat too soon because I have had night squadrons of snails fly in at head height and devour the bean tops before now

All is not well with my tomatoes, more have succumbed over the past few days. 

I've even checked for bugs or something using my mobile which has magnifying app on it, I can see the hairs and cells but nothing that is not plant. Looking like a tom less summer unless the self sown seedlings get romping & are invincible to whatever it is, I do wonder if it's the compost, knowing how susceptible toms are to weedkiller traces, and this is new stuff? Just a thought

No other plants using the same compost are affected though, a mystery

The new pear has now been tied into it's espalier training frame, no sign yet of bud burst but I'm not worried on that score

I found an opened packet of Black Beauty courgette seed, so I've sown some of those on the assumption the really old seeds I sowed last week will not germinate, not expecting the new to either but worth a shot, I can see me having tons of courgettes & zero toms

Apodemus

Farway said:

no rain to speak of

That's probably because we've got it all!

Garden has turned into a slugfest here, so I will need to get on top of that before planting my lettuce seed.

I took the plastic hoop cloches off my veg beds this morning, to let the rain soak in. Potatoes and rocket are coming on nicely and the garlic is big and fat. Having not had the garlic planted out over winter, it looks like I will have big single bulbs, rather than each bulb divided into cloves, but it still works that way and it is sometimes easier to add a couple of slices of garlic to the pan instead of crushing it.

The unidentified almond/melon/pumpkin seedling from my old compost is now looking exactly like Mr Google tells me an almond should, so I guess I will need to take it out of the veg bed and pot it up.  I know it will never come to anything and will sit on a window ledge until it dies for some reason, but you just can't help anthropomorphising with these things!

twopenny

Sunshine and showers here. Luls you into a false sense of security and you don't know what to do for the best.
Sheeps wool I gathered from fences and field and wrapped around the pinks has worked well as a slug and woodlouse deterrent. Depends how many beans you've got but it's free.

Davesnave

Farway, I've often had unexplained tomato deaths affecting one or two varieties, while the rest would be OK. This year it's not happened so far, but I've only raised about 20, not 200.

Had a mission visiting  the big city to choose tiles for the conservatory floor today. Picked the right day, as the showery morning turned into a steady downpour by mid-afternoon, which is set to continue. The land's getting a really good soaking and the field is perking-up.

Davesnave

Wow! Rainfall has continued all night and looks set to go through much of today as well, if not all of it! Normally, I'd be rather miffed, but this gives me a chance to get planting done into the dry hedges over the weekend....and maybe a bit of fishing too!

I'm supposed to be walking through woods tomorrow, looking for bluebells, but as wellies are out, we may have to look for a different route. Unfortunately, the bluebell woods here that are fairly dry and used to open for charity no longer do so, but here's a photo from when they did: