Awful weather - typical Brits talk

greenbee

Get yourself on the waiting list Dusty. I think it'll be about a year. My mum ended up going privately for the first one and then had the second one done on the NHS just over a year later. Same consultant, same (private) hospital (at a weekend), definite difference in quality of stitches 🤣. Luckily her original referral was for the knee that the consultant decide could wait, so she didn't have to start again on the waiting list.

I've planted LOTS of plants. Still need to water and mulch, but that will have to wait for morning as I'm off out shortly (they'll get a quick water, but not a proper soak - it's only the plants in the newly-dug bits I'm worried about as they're the only ones that are in dry soil). I found some bagged mulch, so will use that, then attempt to cardboard around the plants and stick woodchip over the top once I've given it a thorough soak. I'm aiming to soak everything thoroughly once a week, but will see how things get on.

It's cooling down here - clouding over and we've had a breeze all day despite the heat.

twopenny

Thanks Middlewife, lovely to see you again. How's it going? Are you skipping up the road now? 🙂 thanks for the advice. The nurse said much the same but it's been so long. What with the heat, instructions, knowing might not have the weather to dry, and I doubt I'll be hanging out washing for a while I just got going. I did skip a swim in the sea sadly after googling MRSA in seawater 😲

Dusty yes, don't leave it too long. If you're fit and free from other conditions so get to go private it will still be months. You don't want to be unable to do much for over a year.

The house is starting to look almost normal, I pulled up the poppies, feverfew and old kale plants I was hoping to get seeds from. I got ruthless.now I can get at the raspberries 😀 maybe.

I mowed the lawn first in 6 weeks and without changing blades I didn't blow the motor! I need everything to be accessible. Cleaned the bird feeders and fresh water in the bird bath.

And down the side alley is this little soul that planted itself there.

And it's half sister

Been hot again. Not quite as bad and cooler overnight. This evening is quite chilly.

Dustyevsky

greenbee: Get yourself on the waiting list Dusty. I think it'll be about a year.
My mum ended up going privately for the first one and then had the
second one done on the NHS just over a year later.

2p:If you're fit and free from other conditions so get to go private it
will still be months. You don't want to be unable to do much for over a
year.

Thanks both, but private is out of the frame just now. When Mrs Dusty wanted a rapid result, a knee was £16k, and it won't have become cheaper! We're asset rich, and cash poor, though Mrs D receives her pension from June onwards, which will make a difference. 😉 Our NHS here buys ops from the private specialist hospital in Shepton Mallet, so Mrs D went there for her knee when it locked, enabling her to jump up the queue. That's what I meant about an op being some way off; there are people far worse than me who, rightfully, should have priority.

And of course as soon as I'd sent off the e-consult, I felt better! 😆Worked 2 hours last night, without a break. Mrs D, on the other hand, was in pain and using a stick again. She twisted her hip, falling into a hole the chickens had dug.😯 Anyway, the good news is, our tomato frame is up, so those guys will go in soon now.😊

I think you and I may have tied for having the first strawberry, 2p. Looking at the crop, it should be large.🙂 Your foxgloves are like most of ours; self-planted, but here's a self-seeding fail. Plenty of Eryngiums last year, but no seedlings showing now. Well, all those seeds went somewhere! ☹️

The weather here looks to be cloudy, moving to fair this afternoon, but at no time topping 20c. That's OK. The promised rain at the weekend has moved into next week, and there isn't much predicted.

twopenny

Cloudy and comfortable at about 15c.

I'm short on sleep what with the heat and so on. Yes I was disappointed to notice that the predicted rain was only about 40% for Sunday.

Still front lawn to mow. It's looking lovely and quite different from the back. Not mowing has gone from scruffy to tall stems of seeds just ripe for poppies and cornflowers. I'm loath to cut it but needs must as I won't be able to do it again for weeks/months.

Anyone know if seed grass goes for a second go in the summer? I'm thinking not.

And the rose over the arch is in full bloom and has to be hacked back because the petals will fall all over neighbours sons car and drive and I can't clear them up.

The potatoes need to be dug ( if there are any) the ground looks hard and trampled. No idea why.

Also Poundland are doing a big oval pot to make a pond. I'm tempted. Though goodness knows when I could get that in. And I don't think it's tippable to clean out. Any ideas for syphoning dirty water out?

Too much thinking 😉

Dusty, your photo has gone AWOL 🤔

greenbee

Leave the lawn 2p. I don't do mine until about September :)

Farway

😁Cloudy but still warm, slightly cooler I'd say.

2P I'm short on sleep what with the heat and so on. Same here, three nights without real sleep, last night was slightly cooler & I just conked out from exhaustion, slept for hours but I'm worn out and certainly not raring to go.

Also Poundland are doing a big oval pot to make a pond. I'm tempted. Any ideas for syphoning dirty water out. Now I'm tempted, I'm in for eye test next week & £land is just next door so I'll have mooch around. You could buy mini portable pumps at one time, but I suppose any pond pump would do the job, but not sure of cost benefit over a large bucket / jug

And foxgloves as a bonus, hope they get to stick around for you.

Oh dear with the knee Dusty, we need a Rottery win to get everyone fixed & repaired before we move into Rottery Acres. Perhaps get discounts, or toofers on knees, hips, eyes, ears etc.

Dusty Plenty of Eryngiums last year, but no seedlings showing now. Well, all those seeds went somewhere! Ha, I have one, at last 😁 . After decades of fails the one I bought from Morries last year,and added to the dog poo border, has a flower spike. Not yet open but all being well it will be my first ever.

Not a recommend, but dog poo does seem to work wonders in that area. I've also go a huge oriental poppy just opened this morning, and the self sown toms are galloping away since i cleared the weds from their area. I went for a photo shoot this morning but my camera is playing the fool on focussing, I'll try later

The bees have found my grapefruit blossom, with lots of flowers open now, most I've ever seen. As a back up I was out earlier with a small paint brush doing dirty deeds to the grapefruit ladies

Nearly all tomatoes and everything is now in their rightful places for summer, only a couple of toms & the cucumbers left to sort out, hoping to do that this afternoon

What a cracking Acer Wort, lovely.

Bird cherries, Dusty, there are some in out Morries car park. At least it looks like you have some, my sweet cherries are very sparse, doubt there's a a dozen on the tree, not worthwhile taking any effort to stop birds this year

What is doing well is my deutzia, covered in flowers this year. In fact doing too well, it's encroaching on my Sunset apple and the cherry. Once flowering is over I'll give it a hard prune in June

middlewife

Morning all, last day in Cornwall, these chooks watched me doing my shoulder and hip physio, surprised myself by unintentionally walking 2 miles yesterday. We'd called at a garage to charge my EV. There was the usual uninspiring selection of carp food and drink. I'd spotted a sign opposite for the Arbor1st cafe which looked good. So we started walking. I should have twigged because there was no pavement on the driveway. It was a mile from the road either up or down, but beautiful day, lovely birdsong and fantastic cafe in an old golf clubhouse when we finally got there. I did some stretching and had no pain at night although my legs felt like they'd run a marathon. So not bad for 3 months with 2 dodgy knees. I really want some chickens now ...

twopenny

Ah Middlewife, so cake is the answer to your recovery 😀 like a dangled carrot.

Farway you seem to be going great guns at the moment. It's all happening. I inherited a deutzia, beautiful but very short blooming period so it had to go. Every year I'm tempted but so far resisted.

Greenbee I did cut the grass. What is really interesting is that leaving it for 6 weeks not only helps the insects but the grass is thick and green and almost weed free. So all that stuff they sell is unnecessary 😉

It's also damp at the roots despite the dry weather. Definitely something to explore.

Cooler today with a good breeze and sunshine. Perfect 🙂

greenbee

Thanks for the pic of the deutzia - I was wondering what the shrub in the front garden was that has flowered (as far as I'm aware) for the first time this year after being given a serious haircut last year.

2P - my 'lawn' is mostly hawkweed and dandelions. The grass has pretty much given up - I wouldn't mind if there were some other wildflowers to keep the hawkweed and dandelions company.

twopenny

I could certainly send you somefrom the back garden! Some sort of tiny pink geranium and a little yellow one with a clover type leaf.

But they spread so densely that they squeezed everything else out - and the ants loved to build skyscrapers in them.

Loads of daisies which visitors said looked good. Every year the back doesn't work but the front does. I may drop some poppy seed next spring. Can't do cornflowers but I have LITM which could substitute.

I must try and get a photo of the lawn I saw last year. So pretty.

Featuring the much blighted Box hedge. Squidged caterpillars where they fried on the paving but also appreciated by the Dunnocks to feed their babies.

I've cut it right back to expose to the lights some chicken manure to give it some help. No good watering in because it just runs straight off 🫤

I should post the 'after' picture tomorrow 😉

Lopped off whole branches of scented roses so they didn't fall on neighbours car. Usually I'd fill a big jug with them but not much point if I'm going away. Hated doing it but I must admit it looks better.