Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Farway:The rain came with some wind, which blew over a tomato & my Runners are back to leaning,

No wind needed here. Yesterday, while Mrs Dusty and I were on a hospital appt, our 10' tall cucumber in the polytunnel lost its battle with gravity. 😥 It was well secured to a net by many tendrils, but the weight of fruit proved too much. Normally, we tie it in too, but we're not up to being perfect gardeners just now. 😔 At least we have numerous cues, the plant may recover. and there's a second one just starting to ascend.

The car behaved, but I've a multi-tester coming up-River. 😉

While Mrs D was visiting consumer emporia, I foolishly strayed into Sp*csavers, thinking it was time to have my self-destruct shades renewed, but apparently not. I vaguely recall having a rant on here when, at the last test, a family, munching crisps and pasties, appeared to have mistaken the place for a fast food outlet. Their revamp certainly made it look like one. So, that wasn't long ago, yet there's been another internal 'improvement,' hard to describe, where one now sashays and twerks among a maze of racks, customers, and staff, vainly attempting to find a recognisable reception point. It wasn't quite the Marquee Club Bar in 1968, but it reminded me of that, or various discos. 😄

Eventually, a forward young lady intercepted me, and we established contact with my personal data without dancing. It said I'd to wait till October for a free test, and no, the place was under new control, so Mr Smith wouldn't be doing the test, like he's done for many years. In fact, it wasn't possible to divulge who'd be testing….. ☹️ She looked my type of girl, and we'd have got on fine 60 years ago, but I decided to end our speed date and left the club shop. Now I've until October to find somewhere more 'suited to my demographic.' 🤓

Farway: All set for Mangy Toots next year then, and Fennel. looks like another bargain haul there, with some unusual ones.

Yes, there are some new Mangy Toots, and there's a 'proper' pea called Bernard, which they claim suitable for containers. It doesn't say F1, so improving on the stingy packet contents ought to be possible.😉 As for the fennel, we already have it, but Mrs Dusty cuts the heads off for some reason. ☹️

Love the chameleon fail! 🤣

Dug around for a photo, but only came up with this one of buddleia 'Dusty's Erect' with Red Admiral and bee.The advantage of this 'variety' is that it doesn't flop over paths. The disadvantage is obvious!

Weather edit; A really pleasant summer day with 21c and light, cooling winds from the NW. Back to scorchio soon, though.😣 Will it come with a thunderstorm bonus this time? 😏

Farway

Sunny of course, and this weekend continues with hotting up again, I'm getting acclimatised now and into Tropical Routine, up early, do a bit, then loll about. In past times the lolling may have taken place in some dingy dive, which sounds somewhat like Dusty's Marquee Club Bar. By coincidence it was sixty years ago Mr C Checker began twisting the night away, I may have joined in 😁

OT, I only found out recently every Sp*csaver is a franchise, but called a joint partnership, which explains the revamp at your one Dusty. Hopefully alternatives are around, I know there are here, presumably because some prefer them. I use SP, but it suits me,parking etc. I've never had same person test me in SS, but I go 24 months apart, as the booking robots require. I'd use Morries or B & Q if they had one, then I could browse the garden bit while waiting

The up early today involved feed & water the front pots, they're drying out very quickly now the plants are larger, more lady courgettes on the way as well. Plus outdoor toms starting to ripen, first up is Bajaja,, a red cherry, supposed to be a micro tom but is quite a large plant. One that looks like it may do well is Vilma, supposed to be basket but is growing like a cordon.

Picked my first tom, Sungold, a bit sharper than I remembered, but maybe I picked too early? i had to pick 'cos it split as Sungold does

On picking, started picking my early apples, they are ripe & dropping off now. Unknown wrong label, but AI thinks it could be Ellison's orange, all I know is it is early & does not store or keep well. Not huge crop this year, I'll take pic later. Some years I've had bags full to give away. Could be jam making next week with the blackberries