Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Congrats on the tomatoes, 2p. 😊

Not sure where you might have been in Devon to be "cool" (Totnes? 🤡) but it's officially still 24c here. If you were more coastal, or on the moors, the lack of a vest might notice more.😉

I'll concede we have duff roads, which is why there are all-season, chunky tyres on our wagon. We're trying to find another 4x4, because we can't see our roads improving in the future. 😕

Farway :While on dahlias, you may recall how I snapped off shoots and new ones were growing? I have to report that particular dahlia is jinxed. While pruning the apples I knocked over the pot the recovering dahlia was in, and broke off the new shoot, and the pot as well 🤬

It's always the way. Our dahlias survived in their pots, but I overwatered the one most precious to us, so it then swam off to the fjords. 😥 The one that sat outside the polytunnel back door all winter is rampant.😏

The improvement in my mobility has not gone unnoticed. Mrs Dusty now has me digging out a path in the builders' detritus at the front of the bungalow.😣 That's been topped-off with about 10 years of ash from a fire. To add to the fun, there's a big floor's worth of broken thermoplastic tiles in there too. Some of you may know why they need to be collected and treated with care.😫 If I ever get to the bottom of this carp, I may also find out what's up with the soak away. Picture tomorrow. It'll be a month's project, on and off.

Meanwhile, here is the 'coolest' place we know: our shady Secret Garden

twopenny

Dusty, meant to say ages ago - the bird

Isn't it a Redpoll?

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/redpoll

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82078000#Comment_82078000

I think the beak's too large for a Redpoll.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/linnet

Also, on the map we are in a least likely area for Redpolls. 😉

Farway

Morning all, an early start again for me, getting out there while still cool

I was niggling half the night, thinking about finishing off the apple tree pruning, every time I dozed off it seems my mind went to the apple trees. Anyhoo, I was out there first thing and now it's all finished, and looking better for it.

Now I have a buddleia to sort, but that can wait a bit.

Picked more blackberries while out, fresh with dew, into freezer later

2P, well done on the toms, seems like only a few weeks back you were despairing, and now you're eating them.

Finally my hibiscus bush has flowers opening, I'm sure it is normally earlier than this. maybe the heat has held it back?

It looks like my runners may be getting their second breath and more flowers, hope so nw it's cooled thay may even set.

Here are my begonias, baking on the front steps. Nothing unique except they seem to survive the blistering heat

twopenny

Sure is quiet around here in the mornings without our early bluebird.

The colours of those begonia look lovely against the brick steps Farway. I always wanted steps with pots going down the side. I tried it on my ramp wall for a while but the effect isn't the same.

Forgot to water last night. Maybe today as I'm waiting in for a phone call from physio. I stupidly said after 10 but that could be anytime 🙄

I ought to spend time pottering round the house today but I'm still too excited by my new found freedom to walk where I want. Hope the tree pruning didn't cause you too much damage and you can still enjoy the rest of the day.

Dusty will probably be digging out that trench. Sounds like a dreadful job.

-taff

My geraniums are the same 2p, despite watering, still crunching up…But yay to new found freedom to walk, that's been rapid [ for me reading, probably not you though]

Sun is still stopping play in most places, but a good chopping down in the front garden has occurred, some plants are a goner, like the deutzia, it's quite crispy. Your secret garden looks very inviting Dusty. I had planned ot try and do something more shady in mine until I just realised the spot I had in mind was south facing where I wanted to put a bench..No idea about the bird!

All I seem to be doing lately it attemtping to water the most in need only to watch them keep flopping, but at least the bees are lloving the self seeded borage. Everything is going to need a planting rethink, along with a scrabble round for something to stop the warth cracking at the lotment…Zucchine are producing quite happily withut water though.

Lovely grapes Farway! Finally have weather for that kind of thing :)

Also missing the spitfire…

Dustyevsky

2p: Sure is quiet around here in the mornings without our early bluebird.

Dusty will probably be digging out that trench. Sounds like a dreadful job.

Here is the 'dreadful job,' before I got really deep and found more of the plastic floor tiles…and the drain! 😐️

Unfortunately, all the incorporated ash means it's not proper soil, so the dusty stuff has to be barrowed where it can be mixed with real soil and planted-up. That place for that is 250m away! 😭

And I'm not doing any more for a while, 'cos I came in looking like a coal man, with the stuff stuck to my sun cream.😩 Mrs Dusty has forbidden digging. We have guests arriving tomorrow, so it's been hoovering today instead. 😡😰

As for our blue Spitfire, I've been in the attic with my Ouija board, and there are indications all is well on the other side, or as well as can be expected. 😉 A sideways shift has occurred in the professional firmament, meaning no more meeting with troubled souls, and a greater focus on regulatory compliance. Mmm, I didn't understand that either! 🤣 Anyway, you're all remembered with fondness. Further communication may follow, if the Mark of the Beast can be overcome. ☠️

Must go. Mrs Dusty has noticed it's gone quiet! 🤐

Dustyevsky

Another hot one, up to 25c, and hopefully with some cloud forming. A possibility of some rain at the weekend, but it seems the best of that is going north of Brum. 🙄 The garden's looking sad now, apart from the courgettes, which are trying to produce too many at once. I picked 8 from one of them yesterday. 😮

Lots going on at the weekend here, with a baby naming ceremony to attend at DD's too, so I'll post a picture and run. This is a very reliable day lily called 'Red Dwarf,' though I'm not sure if it's really red.

Farway

Morning all. Cloudy & cooler today, but still made an early start to feed & water the front pots. All done now

Our promised rain is now reduced to maybe a few spits on Sunday evening. Standby Dusty, DS & family are on the way for a holiday as I type, to Newquay, rain may ensue.

Thanks for updates from The Other Side Dusty. I wonder if any seeds did get sprinkled around Forsythia Corner? Prompted because while out watering this morning I spotted zillions of self sown foxgloves coming up already, and I only wafted them around the other day. I seem to recall you had a sprinkle near your stream Dusty 😁?

Those excavations look like the Forever Job, one thing after another while wishing you never started, somewhat as I imagine the Donald thinks in quite moments 😕

Today is another harvest of a gold ball courgette, I've let this one get a bit larger, think large grapefruit or small Honeydew melon. More waiting to flower, I've trimmed off some going manky leaves.

And, Ta Ra! Cafe Au Lait is open, two large heads, but the blighters are facing the wrong way for a photo, so hoping they swivel round later, like sunflowers do.

Only other garden related today is maybe feed the blind runner Lezzbeans and an apple tree in a large pot, which for once, since I repotted & moved it, has decent looking apples on it. It's Pinova, supposed to be Cox / Golden Del cross, and taste is "Marmite" love or hate, with floral hints.

twopenny

I'm loving that things are still blooming or promising to in such wonderful colours 😃

Here it's been 35c at the back, 28c at the front and no breeze so 'orrible.

No gardening to do. The ground is concrete with a dust overlay and the plants crispy and diseased. The survivors are Heuchera (?) and Acers with autumn cyclamen blooming.

The plums have ripened but are small and rock hard and I have ready dried raspberries.

Did some blackberry and tupenberry picking so just in time because the lack of rain is beginning to make those hard too.

If it's not so hot tomorrow I'll have a go at downloading some photos.