Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Torrential downpour last night but only brief. Was awake at 5am and a bit cooler, went back to sleep and the usual cool breeze blowing through but it's still again now so battened down all hatches and staying indoors.

I get the sun on the bungalow all day and this time of year it's above as well. So it's back to 30c in the shade and 28c indoors.

No gardening. Perhaps I should watch gardeners world from the winter episodes. See if that would help 🥵 no sign of this endr.

greenbee

Forgot to close the west-facing window above the concrete-tiled garage roof that I suspect was radiating heat in. The irrigation thermometer behind the shed (so north-facing and sheltered) was registering 40C at 11am and is now down to 39C. Indoors is 27C upstairs, a bit cooler downstairs. I've just mended a blind and put that up to help a bit. Sitting room blinds are arriving today but I'll need someone to help me put them up (or just put them up for me).

I've ordered curtain wire so I can hang muslin/old sheets at windows that are too hot, but I'm tempted to get some space blankets, cut them to size for the outside of the south- and west-facing windows, and make some kind of velcro strap to hold them in place. That should guarantee cold and rain for the rest of the summer!

Too hot for much gardening - just trying to keep the things I want alive in the time outside is bearable. I'm glad I got the irrigation up and running and need to have a good look at the greenhouse system to work out what the problem is. If I can get drippers working on the patio that would be a bonus, but I also need to fill the pots otherwise that's a bit pointless.

Still, it's good weather for killing weeds - if I can pull them out and fling them on the ground they're not going to survive long!

Hoping for rain tonight to fill the water butts that have run down. I do need to buy some more - there's room for one more on the old oil tank stand, and I'm going to talk to a neighbour about putting some slabs down on the east side so I can put some there too as there is masses of water coming off the house roof and no real way to collect it.

I also think that taking up some slabs by the two west-facing walls and planting against them will help keep the house a bit cooler. And hopefully once roots get under the slabs they'll also have access to plenty of moisture. I think the garage wall, which has no windows, could be good for something like a climbing hydrangea. The one between the kitchen and utility room windows I'm not sure about … I don't want to encourage spiders, particularly as the bathroom window is above it. At the same time, there's a lot of wall that might benefit from having a green layer added. There's one more second-storey wall that could do with something on it, but there's glass and paving underneath it, so no way to get anything growing up there.

I do have other places that I could grow plants against the walls, but being an arachnophobe, I need to balance the benefits of cooling with the risk of wildife using them to access the house (see also mice…). However, suggestions are welcomed!

Farway

GB However, suggestions are welcomed! Grape? Would love a west wall, loads of green foliage, roots go down & down. Pick the right one and maybe even eat, or drink, them.

Fig? Huge leaves, and fruits if it feels like it

twopenny

I've got blackout fabric, the heavy stuff, with the use of double sided velcro to put up and down. You can't see the velcro strip on the inside of the window. Amazing what you can do with self adhesive velcro and double sided tape. I

I also use space blankets pegged up over the patio doors and draped over garden chairs to keep the slabs cool as they can act as a radiator.

I have used the foil windscreen covers to stick on windows in direct sun.

Unfortunately I am not allowed to get on a stool to put the blinds up at the moment because of the op.

I have planted a small prunus nigra outside the bedroom window and that shades it and is nice to look out on. In winter with no leavesit lets the sun in 🙂

twopenny

Ok😃 the temperature has dropped!! From 35 to 20 c so now it feels really cold.

So I've made a start on deadheading because the temperature indoors is still sweltering despite doors and windows open and cut some pinks for indoors. There's a lot more to do.

Watched a bit of gardeners world and there's a great bit about a garden about 30mins in. But Farway, don't watch beyond that. It will upset you 😏

Dustyevsky

Heatwave measures?…I just live at 500' 😄

It was up to 26c in our living room yesterday, but OK, with the breeze blowing through. After Thursday's 33c in Barney it felt almost cool, and by dinner it was down to 23c, which is normal.😊

Today, we might peak at 24c, but the strong breeze will temper that. There might even be a dribble of rain overnight, and for the foreseeable, it looks like low 20s, so the 'heatwave' looks done here.

While it lasted, there was a fine opportunity for the climate catastrophe bods to weigh-in. I see the latest target of these miserable folk is the humble kitchen roll. Meanwhile, one pf the most prominent hand-wringers is spending £millions on a refurb of a property he won't even live in, to say nothing of all the other part-time residences. 😏

I'll give up my kitchen towels, if he gives up his helicopter. plane, and fast cars. As it is, we have a pair of scissors next to the roll, so we make custom sheets for the job, which seems very MSE, if not a complete cure for global boiling. 😇

No Mow May was scuppered here by the appearance of grandchildren, who wanted to play football. We used good petrol to give them a space to play, evil people that we are! 😮 So, here, by way of compensation, is No Mow June, which will probably go into July.

And the container finally left. Obviously, the lorry ran on rhubarb juice and fairy farts. We wouldn't have anything else. 🤩

wort

👏 yeah to the container leaving Dusty, no mow June has given a great photo of the dandelion heads. How long are gs staying.? Be much easier now the temps have dropped.

Greenbee I have climbing hydrangea on a detached garage which is west facing, oringinally planted in v. Small gap between paving, it’s romped away going onto the fence and round the corners of garage. I do have to cut back and watch for it keeps trying to go under the roof into the garage. It does get birds nesting at times too. Love your ideas for keeping the rooms cool.

The pink flower in with the dianthus is diasia, it has come back a couple of years now.

After 2 days of living in a furnace, we have finally got cool breeze today, overcast at the moment too, bliss.🥰 yesterday we just had a rumble of thunder and a tiny bit of rain then it was back to sun. So I went out around 8 pm and mowed the grass and hosed the planters. I gave the conservatory windows a blast of water whilst I was there.

Farway

Dusty, There might even be a dribble of rain overnight, Yay, I had some here overnight, it was only a dribble, wet the leaves, dampened pavement, encouraged the slugs out & finally set rot in on the ripe Boysenberries. But very welcome, it feels much fresher here now. Still hot sun & blue sky, just not as oppressive

The euphoria went to my head, offer of free p & P Farmer Gracy, today only, popped up. Visions of red daffs & black day lilies swarmed before me, so in I jumped. Narcissus 'Classic Garden & Hemerocallis 'Voodoo Dancer' Anyone with time & cash free, the offer is FREE SHIPPING with code: FRSH. No connection except as customer

2P Watched a bit of gardeners world and there's a great bit about a garden about 30mins in. But Farway, don't watch beyond that. It will upset you 😏Ta, I normally have a look, so forewarned.

No just kitchen roll Dusty, Air Con and tumble dryers. As someone pointed out, tumble dryer ban from those who have huge houses & gardens, and will never have need for wet washing draped over radiators and required for school the next morning. I have neither but may just go & buy them now 👿

Lot of ex container space Dusty, another tunnel?

Out first thing, post rain. Bit damp but wanted to get the Boysenberries while ripe & before rot with rain, plus photos. Got a handful of BBys, the runner beans are romping away, flowers but no beans yet, I think it's too hot for them to set.

Found some useless hard red pears have set, and one manky plum is left

Here's the BBy pics from this morning.

twopenny

Impressive photo of the container leaving Dusty. Must feel great to have the space back.

Greenbee I had a difficult spot against a wall and put flat rocks around some plants (but like your paving slabs) and everything flourished. Ditto my arch rose is under weed suppressant membrane and slabs loves it. Just bung in some bfb when planting.

Only 18c here this morning but still 25c inside despite all the airing. Surprisingly the southerly wind is very cool. But all welcome apart from the people who like to slam car doors at silly o'clock or have a sander on permenantly.

I'm off shopping, walking there and that's what counts as a social life at the moment. Not sure if gardening is involved today as it all takes so much longer but plenty of deadheading and watering to do which is probably my limit.

The lawn is like Dusty's but that will have to wait. May strim the edges this weekend. No end to the fun 😊

middlewife

Morning all, last hot day here, but it has

brought my cherry toms on a treat, I may have a fully ripe one in June, do I win the first ripe tomato contest😅

2p you have some good ideas to keep the house cool, Mr Middlewife keeps opening doors and letting the heating in from the hot side of the house, sigh...... Be careful carrying stuff, I tried carrying watering cans for 2 nights then had to rest for 2 days due to pain so back to hosepipe

Dusty that's left a fair space behind , what are you going to do with it?

Farway those boysenberries look fab, I have a fence that's in sun half the day, 15 foot or so and always fancied digging up the grass and planting either autumn raspberries or boysenberries, any recommendations (although no digging yet as I have compensatory muscle weakness and pain 😔)

Also have lawn like dusty and 2p, we must be fashionable,