Awful weather - typical Brits talk

LessImpecunious

Congrats on germination success Dusty 🙂

On willows dying I have big self-seeders here (several years old) with brown and shrivelled leaves; hazels, etc, are dropping leaves and (unripe) nuts - can't believe Wales is drier than Devon…

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075866#Comment_82075866

The willow I was cutting back a little looked unstressed, but it's about 25' tall. It has overwhelmed a Rowan that was there first, but that may have planted itself too.

The new dead/dying trees in the verge are Himalayan birch, about 3 cm in diameter at the base, so young and vulnerable. Planting those into rough grass and not assisting them in drought, is potentially enough to kill them. However, there's honey fungus there, feeding on the roots of poplars, cut down about 8 years ago, so it's anyone's guess as to the exact cause of death. 🤔

I've not seen our big willows close-up recently, but I'd expect them to be dropping leaves, like trees within our garden. The hazels you mention, and an Italian alder are defoliating to survive. The only tree we've 'helped,' other than the heavily loaded plum, is a newly planted damson, which has the chickens' water emptied by it every evening when we re-fill. There's also the new hornbeam hedge, under a metre tall down in our wildlife area. I water that about once a week, and it's doing OK. 😁

One happy effect of the hot weather is the formation of seed on our Euphorbia 'John Phillips.' The original plant, given to us by John before it had a name, got so out of hand Mrs Dusty insisted I move one of its progeny to the Secret Garden, which became far too shady. The original plant was destroyed, being by then about 8' in all directions and still expanding! 😰 Now, we may get a chance to grow one in a sunnier spot, where it won't be such a thug, so far as other plants are concerned!

OT: Sunshine and occasional cloud, with variable light winds. Hot again, at up to 27c. A possibility of rain at the weekend, but not much of it forecast. I predict a few more water supply problems.

Farway

Last night was much cooler & I managed a proper kip at last, but still up & about early, needed to get to post box with my ISA nonsense, some things still require black pen signature, at least no longer needs to be in blood & sealed under oath.

Had intended to finish off the summer pruning while still cool, but by time I returned I CBA to get my long loppers out.

I wish the goat willows on the verge here would keel over, there is nothing to commend them, except sucking up water I suppose, which may be their purpose of course. There is a large Swamp Cypress which is for that, it was a duck pond in 1800s according to old maps

Meanwhile I continue watering, I def have embryo runners, visible to naked eyes now. Not many but they could be all I have this year. very healthy plants, just not setting beans since Bluey turned them into Lezzbeans 😁

Similar weather and forecast to Dusty, All Northern rain gives up by the time it reaches the Midlands

Little Miss Figgy is loving the move to the front, perked up no end with a good watering and sunshine. She was poked in a corner, oops, let me rephrase that, 🤭She was neglected and hidden by foliage besides a garden path.

Tomatoes are weird this year, the outdoor ones are cracking on, all fruiting, with none yet ripe, but the failsafe in the conservatory are just not setting much fruit, very sparse, despite plenty of blossom. Only exceptions are Sungold setting every truss on a lanky spindly plant & Tumbling Tom, TT is tumbling and loads of tiny unripe toms. All very odd.

No gardening planned, maybe emergency watering if any droopy ones spotted

Dustyevsky

Farway, you reminded me about the figs, sitting in big pots outdoors. I picked the first two last night, put them on a breeze block to collect later, and then forgot.

Today, the least ripe one is intact. The plump, juicy one has been pecked to death.☹️ I suspect blackbirds. Suddenly we have loads of those. They've done well, as have the swallows and martins.🙂