Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Woken at 6.45 this morning by Wos,  so tired, cold and grumpy because that's not what I planned and heating has to go on for an extra hour. It's one thing getting up because you have something exciting to do and it's quite another when it's daily not your choice.

That reminds me, there's been a wonderful development next door, in Horsey's field. For years, she's arrived to do her horse chores at pre-dawn o'clock with 3 dogs in tow. Fine, but said dogs first proceed to bark at the sheep in the adjoining pasture, and then, as soon as anyone dares use the lane, they bark and snarl intimidatingly at them over a distance of 100m. 

Well, this routine is no more.  I can't give much detail, but I believe a new tenant decided running this gauntlet of harassment daily with his own well-behaved dog was too much, so he threatened Horsey with Plod. It worked.  

The dogs have always gone out for a long walk in the woods every day, so they are still getting exercise, just not at others' expense. 

I was wrong about the sunshine. We have it now, so here is an interesting cloud spotted on the last day we had blue skies: 

twopenny

 Saw one of those and looked it up.
Now I've forgotten 😵‍💫
Hopefully Less will be along with the answer.

Been in the garden all afternoon and done loads. Potted up the ferns that I nearly killed with neglect pruned and cleared.
Birds hopped along the fence to see what I was up to and if anything was in it for them 🙂

Wish I could do something about Wos next door. If there was any sort of routine I could adjust but he has a say in his times, his manager does and his girlfriend does. So it's all randomly any 6 days including weekends.

Hoover, I've got ferns, my black hellebore, primroses and cyclamen, herbs and seeds in pots sunk in the soil if I have to move. Lemon Verbena cuttings and pinks to root and rooted jasmine and a lovely cream/green prostrate shrub I can get a rooted branch from.

I've taken some photos of flowers too. Surprising what's there when you clear away the debris 😄

LessImpecunious

It's a lenticular cloud  - or Altocumulus lenticularis if you want to impress 

Farway

Hard frost with blue sky & sunshine, no clouds, fancy or otherwise

Impressed with the flowers in your garden 2P, I did spot a winter aconite while mooching about yesterday, but it was not much of a photo specimen, tatty sums it up, at least they are on the way, well maybe not with this frost

I was checking on tip rooting my Helen blackberry, but after looking, it does not have suitable tip rooting canes, maybe next year?

However, big surprise is I found two more rooted tips from my Boysenberry, it's galloping about. One had gone backwards behind the pear, so was hidden until the pear leaves fell off

The other was off shoot from a branch I trained along a dividing wall. This shoot has gone over the wall and is rooted into the neighbour's flower bed. Oops!

They won't mind, may even use it once I explain what it is. If not I'll ask for it back and I may stick it down garden somewhere

From my limited experience with Boysenberry, not tasted yet, this berry would be an ideal fruiting filler, like a bramble, but more civilised. One plant would soon trail it's way around to fill a space, be good on a "useless" bank I think

No gardening today, too cold for old bones

The Merton Thornless blackberry I ordered for DD arrived at her house yesterday. Very impressed with the speed & service, ordered, on line, Sat AM, arrived Tues AM, during the holiday season as well. 

Although the label gives grower's name I bought from GC in Wales, which, surprisingly, was cheaper retail @ £7.49 than the grower's retail price, £11.80. But P & P is less at grower, swings & roundabouts no doubt.

The plant looks very healthy from the photo, and I think I can spot possible fruiting cane buds on the stems. Hope so, be nice for her to get at least a Merton taster 

Merton Thornless, to be planted as dividing "hedge" on DD front boundary, once supports are in place

Dustyevsky

Get you, with your hellebores and roses out, 2p!  That maritime climate is so benign, it makes me want to relocate, but t'was always thus. Even as a spotty yoof, I noticed the difference, as my school bus made its way from Barney Rubble to my home in the hills. 

I did wonder if that was a lenticular cloud, Less, so thanks for the ID.  It took a long time to move anywhere, so I guessed it was very high up.

Well, here we are, at the end of another year. Despite all the doomsters, with their nonsense designed to keep us in order, plus some trying hot weather, it was an OK one for us, here in Ruralshire. We had a reduced hay crop, and it was a pain keeping our newly-planted hedges growing well, but I can't remember any substantial difficulties.

Six properties went on the market within 100m of our land, and one sold. That must mean something, but I'll leave you to imagine what it might be! 

We gardeners are always looking forwards, rather than dwelling in the past, so this frosty morning I bring you the wallflowers I always seem to sow at the 'wrong' time. These are just lurking in the nursery, ready to plant out in March or April. I'm not sure when they'll flower. 

Yesterday, it took a long time for our visitors to depart, but once they did, I reconditioned soil in one of our cold frames, found a new secondary glazing panel for it, (the last one fell down in the wind ) and put in 15 cuttings of Cotoneaster franchetii.  These could be a hedge, but probably not until 2027, which is jumping ahead too far!  

OT:Today, we woke to about 3 degrees of frost, but that's burning-off in glorious sunshine. There are maybe 3-4 hours of passable weather ahead so I'd better get out there. Then it's rinse & repeat, but with cloud and some warmth arriving on New Year's Day. That's about the most excitement we shall have! 

wort

Oh 2 p what a shame they got rid of your lovely garden. I often think what will happen to mine when I go. When my friend and I go walking we despair over the amount of people flagging over their front gardens to make parking space.

Dusty I would cut the pear up have a taste, if not up to good eating standard it would get poached in a bit of mulled wine.

It’s grey frosty and still out there today. Very cold 🥶 I don’t want to venture out. Luckily I’m off now till weekend,the heating at work still not fixed and doing nine hour shifts in the freezing cold is not nice. As this is a regular winter occurrence in our store I expect it to be a few weeks before they get the part needed. It’s been two weeks already.😢

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year, filled with garden delights. 💐🎉

twopenny

Yes I was impressed too Farway 😉 
It certainly cheered me up after all the maintenance. Fleeces covered in boiler suit with gloves kept me warm.
Nice looking plant that. It looks happy to grow. I have a feeling that Wales is where the plants for our DIY shop come from and they are lovely and healthy.

Well done Less. I remember now 😉

Sunny with frost today so I'll let it all recover. Me too.
Late sleep to also recover from the weeks of interrupted sleep and no idea if small shops in village close early today for new years eve so may as well enjoy a lazy day or two before everything starts again.

LessImpecunious

Happy New Year all!

twopenny

Beautiful! Happy New Year to everyone 🙂🍾🎇🎉

Dustyevsky

Wow, you were up late last night this morning, 2p! A Happy New Year to you, and to everyone, including absent friends. 

I've a few chores to do, so I'll pop a photo of this morning's dawn down below and return later. I know it looks like a sunset, but I assure you, the camera was pointing east!