Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

No sun here, just dull, damp & mild after overnight rain

Finally caught up with GW and remained awake long enough to see Rosemoor, medlars and Siberian sage, which triggered a memory about buying some last year after seeing them at Wisley

They promptly booked a one-way trip to see the Northern Lights once I had them home 

Plus GW had the statutory person telling me how Egor whats names grow like weeds and need constant pulling up 

I should have stayed snoozing

Dustyevsky said:

It's not too late to take seeds from dahlias, Farway. I've restricted myself to the tall red one. Hope the beetroot are tasty. They're so full of good things, I'm planning a short row of the golden, non-staining variety next year in the hope of convincing Mrs D to use them. 

I just call it “The Japanese aster.” 

More sunshine promised today, but not being delivered yet. I may be going somewhere pleasant later...

I had no luck with dahlia seed saving from last year, but the Dalek Yellow is nothing special, so I won't Germinate, Germinate [Groan]
If I spot some dwarf on offer seeds i may try them next year, failed this year with slugs scoffing them all

Beetroot were tasty, had better, but being home grown they were lovely of course

I grew the yellow back in the days when I could grow beetroot, radishes, grapes & LIAM, from memory I think the yellow are more for eyes than taste buds

May be a false memory but I think I even grew mixed colours at some time

GW had asters as well, I am tempted, if I spot some they may come home with me, now there's plenty of space in the Scandi Departure lounge

Beetroot time!

LessImpecunious

Dustyevsky said

I keep telling Mrs Dusty, life's about travelling contentedly, not arriving at some place where the sun always shines and there's a surplus of plumbers. 

That's a very useful philosophy to have

Lovely "Asters" and beetroot too Farway, never had much success with the yellow ones but the alternating white and red rings and the white ones do well, and (the latter particularly) are tasty - like sugar beet, which my dad used to grow for home consumption before that was scuppered, one of my fav childhood food memories (I was probably a strange child - loved school cabbage as well...)

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Finally caught up with GW and remained awake long enough to see Rosemoor, medlars and Siberian sage, which triggered a memory about buying some last year after seeing them at Wisley

They promptly booked a one-way trip to see the Northern Lights once I had them home 

Plus GW had the statutory person telling me how Egor whats names grow like weeds and need constant pulling up 

I should have stayed snoozing

I grew the yellow back in the days when I could grow beetroot, radishes, grapes & LIAM, from memory I think the yellow are more for eyes than taste buds

May be a false memory but I think I even grew mixed colours at some time

Whoops! I forgot the statutory warning about Erigeron. Sorry!  At least it was a different species. 

Warning about beetroot noted. I'll need to look at recipes first. Mrs Dusty doesn't like having the reds grated into her salads.

LessImpecunious said:

Dustyevsky said

I keep telling Mrs Dusty, life's about travelling contentedly, not arriving at some place where the sun always shines and there's a surplus of plumbers. 

That's a very useful philosophy to have

(I was probably a strange child - loved school cabbage as well...)

 I agree with much of what Alan Watts says about life. The problem is convincing others to do the same!   

Yes, school cabbage and many other canteen 'delicacies' were enjoyed here too, but I drew the line at those so cold they were beginning to congeal. I recall being smacked very hard for 'accidentally' dropping a stew that had lost its appeal, sitting for ages in the school porch. 

twopenny

Don't know where the time has gone but still no gardening. It's constant showers keeping everything wet.
But thankfully not cold.

I've been deseeding garlic chives. Not easy, getting them dry is taking forever.
Making slow gin. Didn't think when the gin bottles were around the kitchen when a couple of workmen came. I guess they thought I was permanently on the booze 😆
And stripping lavender heads.

I've turned out some gardening books to go. Mrs Beacons Shilling gardening...... Pruning and such like. I used to love them for information but haven't looked at them for years.

Love the dahlia s, what a lovely sunshiny yellow Farway.
And the asters? Michaelmas daisies? What are they called now Dusty?
Both I've grown in the past but they won't grow for me now 🥲

Busy tomorrow and it's onwards and upwards to finishing jobs, clearing out so I'm ready to sell in Spring or when something comes on the market. Won't move until I find something worth moving to though. We'll see.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

I've turned out some gardening books to go. Mrs Beacons Shilling gardening...... Pruning and such like. I used to love them for information but haven't looked at them for years.
And the asters? Michaelmas daisies? What are they called now Dusty?
Busy tomorrow and it's onwards and upwards to finishing jobs, clearing out so I'm ready to sell in Spring or when something comes on the market. Won't move until I find something worth moving to though. We'll see.

I must admit, many of our gardening books never get a second look now. The Internet's far too easy!  Of course, there might not always be a free-access Internet, where certain matters are concerned. There are already pieces of information that are hard to locate. Also, unlike Wikedpedia, books are less easy to alter overnight, so it's probably wise to keep some around the place, just in case. 

Asters might be Symphotrichum these days. No easier to spell than Michaelmas Daisies, so I guess most people will vote with their mouths and still call them Asters. 

The property market doesn't appeal to us currently. We may have some bonkers neighbours, and we are out in the sticks, but we have privacy, control our sunshine and rear view, and this area's much as it's always been. Some would probably call it dull. Let them. 

As hinted, I escaped to Rosemoor yesterday for a few hours. Although it wasn't windy, and it stayed dry, the promised sunshine was limited and the light fell-away fast after 14.00. The best of the autumn display has passed, but the Cool Garden still looked pretty good in its setting:

Today, we're told to expect rain soon, so I'm off to do my local shop before it starts.....

Farway

Dull & Damp as usual, and like Dusty, rain likely later on

twopenny said:

I've turned out some gardening books to go. Mrs Beacons Shilling gardening...... Pruning and such like. I used to love them for information but haven't looked at them for years.

Love the dahlia s, what a lovely sunshiny yellow Farway. sometime today

Likewise with the books, some things remain standard, but new ideas & methods do come along, some better, some flash in the pan

Dusty's right, of course, at least it's harder to get older books to "reflect the times we live in" Which is why the discerning hold onto DVD films

Glad you liked the Dahlia, if it were not being large & straggly and my lack of real room, I'd keep it back of border

Another no gardening day, too soggy, I would like to grab a pic of some nasturtiums, they're still going strong & in flower

Plus, as advised by Monty on GW this week, I must remove the never going to ripen figs, just needs to be a bit drier & I'll get it done

Today's pic below is my self-rooted tip of Boysenberry

Now allowed two pics upload 

And this one was deliberate by me, surrounded by Toad flax

YoungBlueEyes

Afternoon all, on Marie Curie's birthday

No gardening has occurred here and my weather is the same as it has been for days, mild and humid and boring. Sun sometimes, mostly not, and cloud galore even when they say it's sunny. I tried taking a pic of the moon last night cos it was another Supermoon but it wasn't worth the bother. It was going to bed as I was getting up this morning so I tried another pic but that was useless also. I tell ya, the next phone I buy will be based on camera capabilities above all else!

No hope of properly catching up so I'll just tell another made-up story instead. I might have another complaint coming down the line, once the woman puts one in (if she does). She rang looking for a quote for an auction property and wanted me to guarantee it would be done in the 56 days the auction sets. "Let me put you through to someone so you can get a quote over the phone". Fine but tell them I want it done in 40 days, I know you solicitors just play for time so you can pad the bill!" I rang BBM, and when he'd finished laughing and using bad language, I said we were full and couldn't provide a quote today, but gave her another firm to try. That didn't please her one bit. She said "you're only fobbing me off because I'm black". I know technology moves at a frightening pace but I can't actually see you down this phone line... "I'm sick of always being treated like this" etc and "who do I put in a complaint to"? So I gave her BBM's email... TBC.

That shipbag cat has worked out our routine here, and comes sniffing round for his dinner when I take PF home. Disingenuous little swine. He always claims he's on the brink of starvation, but that wee mouse that's out there is still running round happily and eating the fallen Cat Wee Tree berries. *Sigh* 

According to the scrolly news thing it'll turn freezing Arctic cold with ice and snow and everything everywhere at the end of next week, but mostly in the south and mostly just cooler than it is now and perhaps a cm or 2 of snow on the high ground, perhaps. Thanks WX Weather Charts, we'd be lost without you   

Dustyevsky

Wow! The modern Boysenberry has a complex history, Farway!  It's parentage seems so convoluted, the RHS list the name status as 'Unresolved.'  However, it seems the current varieties have had the drawbacks bred out. Propagating itself is definitely a bonus. 

Not much propagating went on here yesterday in the drizzle and gloom, but I repotted the two Solidago (Golden Rod) we purchased at Rosemoor. One was a good size for £6, but the other, 'Golden Rockets' was even better, being reduced from £13 to £1 and easily divisible. You don't often see reductions like that at the RHS!  

YoungBlueEyes said:

According to the scrolly news thing it'll turn freezing Arctic cold with ice and snow and everything everywhere at the end of next week, but mostly in the south and mostly just cooler than it is now and perhaps a cm or 2 of snow on the high ground, perhaps. Thanks WX Weather Charts, we'd be lost without you   

The drunkards spokesperson on the local news advised everyone to mow their lawns today; it being the only one in the foreseeable future without some rain.   OK, but the sward is now long and dripping wet as I type, so we'll see how that goes. His mates back at Beer HQ won't commit themselves intelligibly beyond next Friday, when they think it might be 12c with a 40% change of some drizzle, and no sign of snowy Armageddon round these parts.

So, while life in the Westcountry remains semi-tropical, today I'll give you Hesperantha coccinea 'Major' above the Hot Garden, twinned with a big Banana.

Hesperantha are almost unique, in that their new name is easier than the old one. They used to be called  Schizostylis coccinea 'Gigantea'. The common name people used when that gobfull was current, is so un-PC, the RHS don't list it!! 

Oooh....two pics allowed? Here's a closer view. 

Farway

I was up at a silly time this morning, they'd started the Shipping Forecast, and I beat Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth 

It's bright, still & mild so far, even promised sun this PM, muck tomorrow

Wasn't aware it was going to turn cold, but I'm ready for it, most things are going over now

Sounds like a spot of luck with the Golden rods there Dusty, no room here, but I'm not too keen on them, based solely on the ones I remember as a nipper, maybe modern ones are a joy?

YoungBlueEyes said:

Afternoon all, on Marie Curie's birthday

No gardening has occurred here and my weather is the same as it has been for days, mild and humid and boring. Sun sometimes, mostly not, and cloud galore even when they say it's sunny. I tried taking a pic of the moon last night cos it was another Supermoon but it wasn't worth the bother. It was going to bed as I was getting up this morning so I tried another pic but that was useless also. I tell ya, the next phone I buy will be based on camera capabilities above all else!

No hope of properly catching up so I'll just tell another made-up story instead. I might have another complaint coming down the line, once the woman puts one in (if she does). She rang looking for a quote for an auction property and wanted me to guarantee it would be done in the 56 days the auction sets. "Let me put you through to someone so you can get a quote over the phone". Fine but tell them I want it done in 40 days, I know you solicitors just play for time so you can pad the bill!" I rang BBM, and when he'd finished laughing and using bad language, I said we were full and couldn't provide a quote today, but gave her another firm to try. That didn't please her one bit. She said "you're only fobbing me off because I'm black". I know technology moves at a frightening pace but I can't actually see you down this phone line... "I'm sick of always being treated like this" etc and "who do I put in a complaint to"? So I gave her BBM's email... TBC.

Big coincidence, today is discovery of X rays. I know it's not the same stuff as MC's rays, but neither are good for you

My phone is losing battery power, and fitting a replacement is not a DIY job for arthritic sausage fingers, so I'm slowly looking to replace it as possibly only slightly more costly than coughing up for a repair shop to do it

And thought I'd get a decent camera one, until I saw the prices 

I could get a proper, real, good camera for the money, and I already have proper cameras; I just need to use them as intended. 

I've never worked in anywhere Customer facing, except volunteering roles, where telling a rude client to do one is allowed, but it must be frustrating at times. 

I suppose you could play some protected card back over the phone, sort of Top Trumps, would a gay, blind, Gaza refugee trump her? 

If the sun does come out I hope to get the never ripen figs off the tree. 

If no sun, maybe watch last night's GW.

twopenny

Morning all.
It's cold and wet here.
The garden is looking dire but the winter Jasmine is blooming which I was worried about because the leaves are still red from the drought.

Jingle bells has come good and flourishing all over the rose and dripping bow as I'd hoped. It's a good doer and fast growing. Just as well with the amount I accidentally chop off when pruning the rose 😉
I already have some cuttings as it seems to root well.



Had to take photo through the window as the low sun blocked it out. I say sun but it's just bright clouds.

Bluey could you have said 'but I'm a person of colour '? Not worth the ensuing argument.
Do these people ever listen to themselves? 

Dusty, that's good buying but you need to be close to these places. All our nurseries have closed with big garden centres opening.

Well, too wet and weekend so not inclined to go out photographing. I also have been looking at phones. Mine is going wrong all over but it is very old. They are all so big and all catering for the spend a lot people. I agree Farway, when I found something promising it was £500-£1000 😵‍💫
I was tempted to go to town but the leg decided today it was returning to useless. More work to do on the house but I'm not in the mood so today is a mystery.