Awful weather - typical Brits talk

wort

We actually had snow , plus sleet, hail wind and sun . This morning is still but cold and fairly bright but it’s early and I’m working shortly.

Farway the cheese counter was definitely preferable than outside yesterday.

2p I love a wildlife programme, but usually prefer the bigger animals. I will give it a go. I Rosalie’s I’ll need to cut the jasmine and it’s very vigorous so I’m sure will grow back.

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all :) On this day in history F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote his first book

Right, clarification needed. The CatWee tree - is it a hawthorn, or is it something else because hawthorn comes out in May? I've read back twice but I still don't get it 🤔It smelled like a CatWee but then my snotter plays tricks on me (thank you covid)

Nice to see you back gb 😊 Was it you that was having a lot of building work done? Is it all finished now? It's nice to hear about heat pumps working for someone, imagine saying I'm running the heating on electric cos it's so cheap ha haa!

Less your temp makes perfect sense to me - if you keep getting it wrong you just invent a new temp to see if that improves your accuracy 😆

Only having a quick go this morning cos I've gotta go into work early. Yesterday was fubar and I worked 'til 6 but still didn't get done so I'll go in early to catch up. I've gotta tell you this story though. A fellah rang complaining there was a sold sign outside his house. Right, and are you selling your house Mr Thing? Well yes but no-one told me there'd be a sign! It's fine, your estate agent will have put it up when you accepted an offer. But it'll stop everyone else offering! You can only accept one offer Mr Thing, that's how it works. Anyway my wife doesn't like the colour, you have to come and take it down. No can do Mr Thing, it's down to your estate agent. Right well I want to sue them then. Umm sue them for what sorry? Distress caused to me and my wife, it's not right you know and shouldn't be allowed!! That was condensed from a 20 minute call. I don't know how I kept a straight face, I nearly wee'd from laughing 😂

OT cold, but at least the wind's dropped. It's to be sunny all day, they say, and it's as cold out there now as it'll be all day. It'll be a balmy 6' by bedtime, that's a 10' increase. I'll take it.

greenbee

Building work hasn't even started YBE :) I need to nag the builders… but also need to get the garage cleared, so might try to get that done this weekend and nag them next week.

Oil tank has around 200l in it, so will keep going at the moment, supplementing with solar/cheap electricity and the log burner until I know what the plan is for taking the boiler out/getting the plant room built/installing the new water tank/installing the heat pump. The fact that I already have UFH and am putting more in helps as heat pumps work really well with UFH (low temperature heating needs a big surface area).

Septic tank pump is still an issue, and I've now done some investigating and don't actually think this pump is designed for what the engineer has used it for - it's good for one-off jobs, but not a permanent installation. So I think we need to write this off and just get something suitable installed. I had to turn the pump off at the breaker this morning as it has been running continuously. Engineer has gone quiet, so I think he might have realised he's made a mistake picking this model - and it's cost me quite a lot in his time (although I notice he hasn't billed me for the last visit) and electrician time.

Hail last night, and it's only just melting. Gardener is here putting wires on the pergola and digging holes for roses which hopefully we'll get planted before he goes. Once they are in, I have to decide where the new magnolia (genie, which is a lovely deep purple colour) needs to go. I'm not good at designing everything on paper and then doing it all at once. I plant stuff and see what it looks like, then do the next bit.

Farway

Sunny but a bit of a chill. Good enough for me to get those broad beans back out acclimatising

GB said I'm not good at designing everything on paper and then doing it all at once. I plant stuff and see what it looks like, then do the next bit. AI, like Gemini, is great for that. Take a pic, upload it and then tell it to plant whatever and where you fancy, and see how you like it, easy to shuffle bits about.

Not tried, but I bet if you took a pic and asked it to design using XYZ plants i would do a fair job for you to improve or use. Probably provide you with a printable planting plan as well, and if you asked, a shopping list of suppliers. You'd have to dig your own holes though 😁

YBE asked, The CatWee tree - is it a hawthorn, or is it something else because hawthorn comes out in May? I've read back twice but I still don't get it 🤔It smelled like a CatWee but then my snotter plays tricks on me (thank you covid).

Mine, and sounds like Dusty's is a Hawthorn, but I asked ChatGPT and it found a few more, yours is probably

(Ornamental pear) Flowers: March–April

• Smell: Famously unpleasant—often compared to fish, bleach, or cat urine
• Common in streets, new builds, retail parks

Once we get Rottery Acres up running we could have an copse of Cat Wee trees upwind from any nasty neighbours.

Certainly see the other side of life in your job YBE, and the things that upset folks.

Can't find who mentioned them, but talking about sunflowers has reminded me of my lack of success and the packets I have around, so I'll collect them & give them sprinkle about. Whenever I've tried in pots and transplant they just keel over, or the slugs have them, so may as well take pot luck

The purple Mange Toots peas are swelling on the kitchen paper, could be shoots by the weekend. My own saved Castor Oil seeds have headed North & gone mouldy, no Castor Oil plants this year 😠

I have found my missing Limelight Hydrangea, still alive. Trouble is I got it for the Volunteer border last year and Things Changed so it's homeless for the moment. It would be too large for my dog poo border and encroach on the footpath. Thinking cap on, I may be able to eventually pop it next to my Dalek and it can fight it out with the Buddleia

I've also got to plant the Japonica, Quince, again it was for Volunteer Border, but should fit in my front stony bit if I can plant it without me toppling into the neighbours garden. I may wait until more balanced bodies are around, like DS or DGS

Farway

Stop Press - Spending Devil Update. 👿

Free P & P this weekend, from now, at Fothergills & DT Brown.

Could be good for those spuds you forgot

There are also some reduced, from 69p, seeds, could pay you to look at both sites because similar but not identical, Browns do 4 for price of 3 for instance so potential there

Oh, look Brown has Gardeners' Delight toms at 69p! And my old GD seeds are a no show, guess where I'm off to 😁

No connection except as a customer

twopenny

Farway not the only person getting carried away. Tough day so went to garden centre for greenhouse shading (too small, too expensive) and came out with 3 Thyme plants. 1 silver, 2 citrus. Lovely and healthy just in that day.

I'm finding that they don't last like they used to. Could be climate, could be I no longer have a dog spraying nitrogen liquid on them.

So how many packets did you get Farway? Wanted just tomatoes but .......... 😄

Greenbee you really do have a lot to deal with. The house seems to be testing you.

Bluey, you really are seeing the other side of human nature. You should write them down and make a book. Quite a few have subsided early retirement doing that. I'll give you a few to bulk it out 😉

No sign of apricots on my tree. Think they got blown off along with the blossoms like so many trees. The up and down temperature seems to have affected a few other things.

Mowed the lawn but it's so full of moisture really I'm just flattening it. 😐

Dustyevsky

We had hail in Barnstaple on Wednesday, Less. I managed to be in the Midl of Lidl at the time. ☺️

2p, that bee programme is fantastic 😀 We saw the full version on 4 last night. 😍 You asked what Mr C will do to retaliate for our planting a hedge. There's no reason for that, since he built a 1m high caravan pad without planning, invading our privacy. Eventually, he'll be viewing a nice hedge more than 3m away. In time, there will be a lovely cotoneaster tree, too. 😇 Of course, this will be lost on him. Like Bluey's EA sign haters, he'll probably feel aggrieved, but methinks he'll have more pressing concerns within a few weeks, as will we all!

Sorry about my absence yesterday. Mrs Dusty and I were with a new, 'almost neighbour,' and she was teaching us how to use a computer program in exchange for some local info.😉 Then there was the small matter of preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best. We have a season's worth of logs coming now, rather earlier than expected, and maybe a more frugal vehicle to consider. Stuff like that. 😕

Farway said: YBE asked, The CatWee tree - is it a hawthorn, or is it something else because hawthorn comes out in May? I've read back twice but I still don't get it 🤔It smelled like a CatWee but then my snotter plays tricks on me (thank you covid).

Mine, and sounds like Dusty's is a Hawthorn, but I asked ChatGPT and it found a few more, yours is probably

(Ornamental pear) Flowers: March–April

Smell: Famously unpleasant—often compared to fish, bleach, or cat urine

Common in streets, new builds, retail parks

Last year, we decided hawthorn was of two kinds: one smells of cat wee. Not very scientific, but there again, AI doesn't have a nose! 😛 No hawthorn flowering yet, deffo.

I can't say I've noticed our Ornamental Pear has any particular smell, and I can't check now, because the hoolies have blasted it bare! 😐️ This is it yesterday evening. It was almost dusk, so not very clear.

The pear, 'Chanticleer,' leafs-up early, but I'd still rather have had a Malus. 😕

Drizzle this morning, after being promised better yesterday.🙁 Less wind, but more hooliness tomorrow to accompany the alleged sunshine. Polytunnel time, I guess. I've potted-on all my toms now, but grown fewer, mainly because there's zero feedback when I give them away. Honestly, I think I could give most people any old thing, and they'd not know differently! 😄 Yes, wort, why not try a few smears of M&S 'Piccolino.' They'll probably be better than some I can name….but won't, in case someone here is growing them! 😂

twopenny

Such a beautiful garden Dusty 😍

Raining here too today but that was forecast and expected. No wind but still and wet.

I have to tip my favourite japonica out of its enormous pot and see what is wrong. It's dying fast. But today isn't the day. More appointments and then me time this weekend.

The tomato seedlings I bought inside show something is wrong with the seed leaves. Looks like something has nibbled the ends like a scale bug. May have to start again.

Glad you enjoyed the programme. The photography is amazing. I've always been curious about the different sorts of bees but never really tried. Seems like someone in the beeb has inspiration between that programme and the Wild Gardener ones using wildlife camera men who've semi retired. Summer project to find some large chunks of wood to drill . More lavender and the right wildflowers to plant.

YoungBlueEyes

Morning all, on World Theatre Day :)

Gawd gb it does sound like your engineer has made a booboo, but does that mean he'll get you sorted? For minimal spends, and quickly? 🤞Good thing you've got a bit of oil left as backup, and we're heading into the warmer months now thankfully.

2p I would love it if me and you could write a book together, but I've a line in my contract that basically says I'm to keep my gob shut no matter what for ever and ever and ever amen. I'm on thin ice putting bits on here even 😶 Which I'll stop doing as soon as I run out of good stories.

Never mind that tempter Farway's seed links - anyone looking for seeds can just ask me. I've that many of the bluddy things I could stock a small shop, and more arrive monthly. Himself bought a year's magazine subscription to a big name gardening mag for my birthday a few years ago, but the department responsible for taking money didn't tell the department responsible for sending the mags to stop sending the mags, so these last 2 years I've been getting mags in white paper packets (rather than the decorated ones) every month. Oddly enough I don't think I ever get tom seeds, but I've got just about everything else under the sun, so if yous are after something - if I've got it you're welcome to share. Before I give the whole shebang to a charity shop or summat.

OT - raining but mild. It was lovely earlier when I was sat out with a coffee just listening to the world, but it's been raining this last hour and I reckon that's it in for the day. Tusky says it'll stop about 10ish though so I've a wash ready to go out. DomNon next, then food shopping, then up to mum+dad for I haven't been for a bit. I haven't seen PoshFriend for a while either but then she's never in. I rang her last week and she said she couldn't chat she was just about to go into a shop. Ah ok, well if you're at Lidl let me know if you see any bargains. Nope she was in Covent Garden, she'd got a cheapy rail ticket and off she went! God love her 😍

Farway

Dull, cold wind, not raining, but Ex Dusty due this afternoon

2P asked So how many packets did you get Farway? Wanted just tomatoes but .......... 😄 Funny you should ask, the Gardeners Delight toms, plus some mixed cosmos. Then my finger slipped and three posh fancy large flowered Dahlias, including Bishop of Canterbury, fell in, but to be fair, they were reduced to £5 & 3 for 2 so practically giving them away, just over £12 total but saved over £13 with the postage offer. Cheaper than Costa & cake

I have to tip my favourite japonica out of its enormous pot and see what is wrong. It's dying fast.

I forecast Vine Weevil this time of year 😕Yesterday I spotted my potted foxgloves looking wilting, quick tug and very loose, with lack of roots. I suffer from VW in those pots, not as bad as previous years, since I discovered the magic of after I accidentally spilt Jeyes Fluid diluted 1 teaspoonful per gallon into the pots it has reduced them, but a few seem to have bred again this year. Butter fingers spilt some more last night 😁

I used the Jeyes rinse water from the watering can onto my emerging lilies, maybe there will be some residual JF pong to stop the Lily Beetles on the lilies? Worth a try anyway

Cat Wee trees, I think it's only the odd one or two that get whiffy, most Hawthorn is fine, except the one near me, and obviously Dusty as well. Same with Elder, most are fine, but some, phew. Maybe ornamental pears are the same, only needs one to pong

Having just ordered a fresh packet of Gardener's delight tom seeds 69p my laggardly sowing has arisen this morning, must have known it was nearly Easter 😉That's all bar some Polish variety up & at 'em

And now, segue into back from the dead, it's the turn of my "dead" plum, it flowered this morning !

And here is Gooseberry that also "died" but surged again