Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Davesnave

goldfinches said:

2p - Hasn't california poppy (eschscholzia) got seed pods very like that?

Yes, I'd guess they're related. There are other similar members of the poppy family like it too:

https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/4328

Nipped across the road to take a photo of the sunset, but it wasn't wonderful tonight, so I snapped the final row of the hay cut for silage instead.

twopenny

Ah yes. So are they really 'poppies'?

Now I want to know why they differ being of an enquiring mind but too tired today to exercise it. Facinating.

MovingForwards

Twopenny,  I'm definitely not fit! I do work FT and have other work on the go, all currently WAH which frees up a lot of hours by not commuting.  It's sheer determination to do all of this.  Provided I take regular breaks, time my meds right and flop on the sofa after, I'm coping ok, exhausted, in anyway, but it's worth it.

Hopefully I will get an allotment space when convenient for me, which definitely isn't the next year or two as I need to be back to one garden and ideally only weeding the one I'm making over.

I know I push myself too hard, if I stop or get a simple cold my body shuts down and I'm bedridden.

One day the mortgage will be cleared and I will have enough money to retire, work PT or temp as and when. For now, it's just another thing on my to do list 🤣

Farway

Potted on my fig cuttings water rooted into compost yesterday, duly photographed and I'll put them here up soon

Hot 'un today, slight breeze thank goodness

I popped up to water & and tend the volunteer borders & pots, all coming on now but bone dry already, the border was planned for neglect & nil watering and it seems to be rewarding us now, looking nice with blobs of colour and lots of promise, the deutzia is about to open, as is the escallonia, both should bring the bees along.

A fitter volunteer than me dug out a load of the  three cornered leeks which were colonising a patch

Talking of poppies, we have them at the volunteer borders, California & bog standard roadside verge type, both type open in today's sunshine & looking excellent, which reminds me I forgot to take some pictures, bummer

twopenny

Out all day today and so very hot. My lovely and newly green lawn is turning brown front and back, newly planted tree heathers looking decidedly ropey even though they are in shade part of the day.

Pots are drying out so quickly and of course, I couldn't resist moving a couple of plants or 6 and now have to water them.

Forgot to net the raspberries, strawberries, currants and cherries. Fingers crossed they will be ok until tomorrow because I'm exhausted.

The garden is now frequented by Blackbirds sunning on my compost house in the morning, and drinking and bathing in the afternoon. Small birds continue to visit despite me tidying up the Forget-me-nots and seem to have found the seed feeder at last. Bumble bees are busy in the flowers all day to the point I can listen to them buzzing out there.

Blackbirds singing for me morning and evening.

Insects are all around to the point I had at least 2 bats flying around the garden last night.

So pleased, from nothing and barren land to my personal idyll in 2yrs..............well, at least for the moment. It's not only the desired insects that make it onto the plants!

Davesnave

I think you'll get some respite from North Somerset's blazing sunshine over the next few days 2p, but next week looks pretty warm and there's not much hope of serious rain.

As I have no great gardening news, I'll post another lesser-known plant. This is Baldmoney, otherwise known as Meum athemanticum, and as I've had it for ages, it's not one of those umbels that builds up for a few years and then conks out after flowering!  Stays nice and low too.

More info:https://cabinetofcuriosities-greenfingers.blogspot.com/2015/06/spignel-meum-athemanticum-tales-of.html

Farway

Your garden sounds idyllic after your hard work 2P

Up & about early today, bit dull to start and a "promise" of maybe a shower later prompted me to get cracking planting

I finally cleared out the troughs at the front, rotting begonias & dahlias that never made it over this winter , topped up compost etc & planted out the coleus I've been growing from seed into the troughs. Not watered in so it's a job for tomorrow if the drizzle fails to arrive

Decided to water the grapes in the pots while I was at it and spotted a slow worm sunning itself, nice to see because I knew I had them but not spotted one this year so far, never know with so many cats around here

Grapes are doing well, even though their flowers have not yet opened for my photo opp.

The Sunburst cherry crop is looking a bit sorry for itself, despite all the blossom a lot of it must have missed pollination with the cool spring, I do have cherries but can see a lot are getting ready to shuffle off to the Pie in the Sky

As I was watering found Hurst Green Shaft peas have flowers, these from own saved seed, just matter of time now for pea pods

twopenny

What lovely photos of two very different unusual plants looking stunning.

Mine, not wonderful but when you see what I started with - the pots are what I bought with me

and where I've got to in a couple of years with bargain plants mostly

And the front

 

Blossom all year, 8 different fruits and 4 veg beds and just got to finish somewhere to sit in the shade as I moved that to make a veg bed. Fences on both sides blew down, on scuppering progress, ants invading everywhere and eating the brick work plus the devastation inside I'm feeling it's more like a home now. Extending the borders to deep beds and fancying it up can come slowly.

CatieE

2penny what is the name of the blue flowers growing against the front of your property please? - they are beautiful.

twopenny

That makes me smile. They are Campanula that are growing in gravel and block paving, well anywhere they can. They were there already and are Campanula. Even along the edge of the tarmac. Lots for sale cheap in Morrions.

The bees love them and they last for ages. If you cut them right back once they've got to seeding they will bloom again so they really earn their keep.

I guess from where they like growing they want it dry and poor soil though I'm not sure these have any soil.