Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

The sun shone most of the day so I wizzed out for the day before the crowds to investigate what's going on in some of my favourite places. Very disappointing. So I think it's learn another way of life - again this year.

I met a stranger passing by who told me about Marwood Gardens and it's at it's best in June to I checked the routes she mentioned when I passed. Something to look forward to and away from the maddening crowds.

Yes Dave, someone mentioned that about GDelight. I don't give a fig, they produce en mass, early and long season and the right size for one person. I have seed. I guess it will all catch up in the end. The rouge ones growing in the compost I spread were way behind last year but grew and fruited at just the same time as those I cossetted.

I have some San Mazano for cooking and a something Banana just for fun. I can get lots of odd sorts.

Love reading and seeing all the different gardens and things people are growing. Perhaps gardens are the new individual part of people now everyone seems to buy the same colours, standard furniture etc and books and music are only on little personal machines.

Set for rain again for the forseeable future. Perhaps I should be building an ark rather than a garden

goldfinches

Got drenched this afternoon while out for my daily exercise, am convinced that I resembled the the alpacas in Daves last photo but with muddy trouser legs.
I saw a small flock of swifts over the Old English Cattle in the Meadow a week ago, haven't seen them since and am wondering if they're freezing and starving or have moved to another location. Our first goslings and ducklings have been seen but the river has risen drastically in the last few days and like last year may have swamped other nests. On the other hand the lilacs are loving this weather and so are the tulips.

Apodemus

Sorry to hear of everyone getting drenched over the last couple of days.  My walk yesterday took me 5 miles outward leg on a sandy beach, then 5 miles back on forest tracks.  While the forecast had been for hail showers, none appeared and I had bright, clear conditions, alternating between full sun and thin cloud.  Didn't see anyone else out walking, the whole time, so i can only assume that the forecast had put people off.

On the gardening front, I've put up new wires for my apples.  This should, of course, have been done in winter when the branches were not covered with blossom and I did damage a few spurs in the process, but better that than losing them at the fruiting stage.  

Apodemus

Not sure what to do about this rhododendron.  Flowering nicely at the moment, but is in the wrong place.  I've already moved it once, perhaps 15 years ago, and I'm not sure if it would survive moving again.  It's about eight feet tall and it is shading out the hedge behind it.  We also want to create a sheltered patio just behind where it is growing.  I had reckoned I would postpone any decisions until it had finished flowering, but that time is now fast approaching!    And, yes, despite my acid soil, it's needing a dose of sulphate of iron!

Davesnave

Phoebe, your healthy crop of Persicaria  reminds me, we have a new one, 'Golden Arrow' which urgently needs planting out:

I still haven't sourced a Persicaria alpina (polymorpha) which can grow to 6' or more!

Yesterday morning was dry, so I planted out around 30 Moon Daisies in the field hedges. If they survive the slugs, we might even get a display this year, but on the whole that location's so tough it takes a year or more for plants to establish properly.

Greenfinches' mention of swifts reminds me we've seen a continuation in the decline of swallows and house martins here. I believe they're becoming casualties elsewhere, possibly the Middle East. There's nothing we can do. If they go, we shall have even more flies!

Farway

Yesterday I did manage to squish down the garden between downpours, the rhubarb is loving this weather, a crumble has grown overnight it seems, relocating it last year was a "good move", and now I've added muck layer this year I'm expecting even better in 2022

Downside of the rain, slugs have scoffed two sunflowers and nibbled the tips of some runners despite my best efforts, the runners will break from lower down, not sure if the sunflowers will

One plus of rain, the gooseberries are swelling daily it seems, I have it trained vertically in a long column but it's got the droop at the top so I secured it in a loop, [must be joke there somewhere but don't get banned Dave] however thinking about it later I think I may train it horizontally along the new espalier pear support, rain permitting this afternoon

I have my doubts about the very OOD courgette seeds I sowed, still no show, I may have a rummage later but not expecting much

Nipped the tips out of the cosmos, they are getting along very well and can be planted out whenever the opportunity arises, I'm not growing them for me, sod's law, my stuff is eaten, the giveaways thrive

lastly, here's some of my Sunburst cherries, loving the rain

Apodemus

Wow!  These cherries are coming on!  My cherries blackbird food is just coming into flower!

greenbee

@Farway - current forecast is for hail this afternoon here... you have been warned! I'm hoping it goes round me, as I won't be able to get out to mow until 7ish, although I did strim this morning.

I have lots of the same persicaria as @phoebe1989seb - I relocated it from a flowerbed to the edge of the stream a few years ago and it's very happy. 

I spent a LOT of time yesterday weeding in the stream, and removing masses of blanket weed. A neighbour happened to stop, and he thinks it may be due to a faulty digester upstream, so was going to call the EA to get them to test. Apparently it's been problematic for over a year, which ties in with when the algae issues started, but last year we just assumed it was due to the heat and lack of rain. This year that's definitely not the problem! Watermint, water forget-me-not and marsh marigold all seem to be going strong. Water parsnip is just about under control. Crowfoot is growing well but covered in algae. Flags are starting to root, but will take time. Geum rivale is thrlving and attracting the bees, ragged robin is spreading happily. And TWO water voles have been spotted swimming frantically from one bank to another. 

Apodemus

Greenbee, it will be interesting to hear the EA view on your stream.  The upstream digester could be functioning as designed, but still causing an increase in phosphate levels in the run-off to the stream.  It really doesn't take much additional phosphate to cause an overgrowth of weed.

phoebe1989seb

You've got me reminiscing about the stream we had at our Wiltshire house, greenbee, with views to the watercress beds beyond 🙁 I do miss that garden.....but not necessarily the weeding of the stream part! Or when one of our dogs used to go walkabout in the water, often ending up in someone else's garden in the village, as it was usually me who had to wade in after him, lol!

On the subject of furry beasties, I wondered why the flow from my watering can seemed slower than normal (I've lost the rose) when giving the primula in the planter by the front door a drink last night. As it was getting dark I didn't bother investigating. Imagine my surprise when DH pointed out there was a small (and very dead) mouse staring out from inside the spout 😮😂😎

Sunny here, so getting more planting done, plus removing some ivy that's gone thuggish in two massive urns.