Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

One experimental plant a year Less, that sounds good fun. Any outstanding winners/losers? I always thought loofahs were like sponges in that they grew in warm water oceans Well at least I don't look ignorant

I'm sure my Mum told me loofahs were a type of sea creature too!   Maybe, without the huge benefits of the interweb and AI, our parents confused loofahs and natural sponges? They'd never have lied to us deliberately, would they?    It's also possible Mum found me, Moses like, under a gooseberry bush, or thought she did! 

LessImpecunious

YoungBlueEyes said:

One experimental plant a year Less, that sounds good fun. Any outstanding winners/losers? 

I've tried Cucamelons (in greenhouse), good, but not liked much by anyone but me ; Tromboncino squash (outside) - great crop one year, very poor the next (though that was last year which was rubbish for all squash); Tomatillo outside, similar, great if you like salsa, and am growing them again this year, but was a bit late planting them out so no salsa yet; Gigantes beans (a runner but you eat the beans like butter beans) - crops earlier than any other runners I've grown, so you can get a few early green beans, then leave the rest to fatten up - but only produced the equivalent of 3 or 4 cans of butter beans (from c. 4-6 plants), so probably need a whole row of them to be at all worthwhile...; aubergines, GH again - hmm, was late sowing these too, which I know is not good, but I do have two small - medium fruits on one of 4 plants which might make it to a reasonable size before it gets too cold...; field beans - (like baby broad beans) - well, these do crop well (too well, so we may be eating some of theses as dried beans too!) and they overwintered from autumn sowing too, which I can never get broad beans to do successfully, but they are darn fiddly to shell...; Okra (GH) - hmm, similar fail to loofah, but might have had a better chance this year...

As there's often more seed in a packet than one year's worth it tends to be one experimental plant over two or three years (which is a better experiment at least), with a new experimental plant each year...

Farway

Wet & dull, it's gone from summer to autumn in a week, the garden is looking very bedraggled, one spot of colour are the sedums just colouring up.

twopenny said:

Hope you get out for your apples Farway. Are these eaters ie squirrel fodder or cookers that will stay safe from wildlife.

I did get them picked yesterday, good job I did with this rain. They are eaters, but I cook with them anyway. Unknown early non keepers.

I've never had room, or inclination, for a cooking apple tree.

This year the rats etc seem to have left them alone, possibly because of all the windfalls I CBA to pick up I've left for them.

I also picked some Santana apples, they are small with the drought  , but it’s the first year I will have tasted them. 

Bought 2021, first fruit last year, which the rats / squirrels ate 

Hope they taste good, I'll let you know

https://www.orangepippin.com/varieties/apples/santana

In all, I collected a bulging carrier bag full of apples yesterday, so the next few days will be busy freezing them down because they do not store well.

Am I the only one who has grown a loofah? 

Years ago, in my try anything days, along with spaghetti squashes.

Grew OK, but 

 I never went to the rot flesh etc stage, just the curiosity of growing one.

I may try one of them there trombone squash things next year if I spot cheap seeds.

Just refreshed, and I see Less has grown them.

https://hub.suttons.co.uk/gardening-advice/how-to-grow-tromboncino-squash

YoungBlueEyes said:

I used to like R4 during the night too Farway, so much so I had World Service as my all day main station on the kitchen radio. I can't remember now why I changed it back, not jolly enough I think. 

 Everything else is dull or dying. Well except my apple tree but I'm waiting on good light to get a pic of that. They're big and red and lovely looking but they want to stay on so.... good job I've patience galore... 

I find World Service too much pushing The Message for continuous listening, but a few nuggets appear

Those apples sound lovely, ideal for Snow White. Hope all the toothy creatures keep away this year.

Great hydrangea pics Dusty, if only I had room

With the rain, only gardening is freezing some apples, plus horizontal GW & Emma's allotment

twopenny

Beauties of hydrangea Dusty 🙂 mine went brown from rain last year and brown from heat this.
In fact since I bought a wreath base to make my own wreath they've rebelled 😟

Farway that's a lot of apples 😲 but of course an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
The allotment prog, I'd forgotten about that. I'll have to look it up.
Spaghetti squash I tried to replace pasta but it's no match. Tried to grow some from the seed but they weren't cooperating.

Less your garden sounds exciting.
Photos please 🙂

Bluey, yes. The forums for the UK are very good. And quick response. I've used them for lots and they've helped find the good stuff and avoid the bad. Hoping I can use them again when I get walking. My plans were pre covid and hotels closed, bus stops changed, even one place burning down so I need to start again.

I must have loved plants from the start judging by this photo....... don't think there's any chance of recognising me now 😁