Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Oh that's not good news Dusty 😲 but I guess they are desperate for food too as there's not much chance of their natural food being found. Hopefully the damper weather will continue for long enough to get the small critters back on the menu.

On that subject I've always wondered why the societies say that hedgehogs shouldn't eat slugs and snails when they naturally hunt them out.

There's touches of green in the grass now and the raspberry canes look like they might survive after another night of showers. Overnight rain is just the job.

No gardening on the agenda today. I walked round the town and got kindly asked about my progress a few times but kept standing for ages so it's gently does it for this day. More rubbish to go to the dump tonight.

Hoping for a fine autumn to try and catch up on the preserves.

Dustyevsky

Luckily, it's a small one, but even a determined badger that size could destroy the plastic box, 2p.

Some of the small critters they eat are hedgehogs! 😕Hedgehog experts say slugs are only 1% of the average hedgehog diet.

Our planning application has been rejected on a technicality we can fix. To be honest, having dealt with these jumped-up clowns local public servants previously, if that's all they can whinge about, I'm relieved! 😋

Sun's out. Off to Rosemoor! 😁

twopenny

Good that it can be fixed easily. Shame they couldn't do it there and then but hey ho.

Definitely signs of green stuff in the ground after the rain. Gorgeous big rain clouds in the sky but only till tomorrow it's said. Everything has perked up even if its scorched.

Wonder if Farway is off joy riding in his new car? Hope it's not more problems. Perhaps he's had to go out to work again to pay for it.

Ooops no, somehow my page skipped straight to Dusty's last post.

Dustyevsky

Our Rosemoor visit was dry and quite sunny, if a little windy. The kids loved finding the Lego models, but two were off limits due to the Garden Festival, starting today, with an area roped off for the various trade stands.😏

The Lego models were mostly excellent, with only some bats 'flying' in the Winter Garden shelter being a little disappointing. I'm still editing the photos, but here's one I've done. No prizes! 🤣

Here, showery rain overnight is clearing now to a bright, breezy day. 😃

P.S. No sign of badger last night on the hog cam. Hog activity has dropped markedly since the arrival of rain. More natural food around, I imagine.

Farway

Morning, back to semi normal for a day, new [2011] car pickup is tomorrow so that will limit any gardening. Old car goes for scrap on Monday, have to clear the bits out by then. I don't know how this works or reasoning behind it, but I get more cash for my old scrap car if they come along & collect it on trailer than I would if I took [drove it] it to the the same scrap recycling yard!

The rains came & went, enough to wet the ground and help a bit, of course it split my tomatoes, pic at the end.

I've got the same bright & breezy day as Dusty, nice and fresh after the humid weeks we've had

The rain has probably put paid to my blackberries for a while , but hopefully will swell the apples. still not got round to jam making, unlike 2P stocking away the summer sun for spreading on winter toast

Glad you made Rosemoor Dusty, and the GCs look happy hunting. We went Easter bunny hunting at Wisely one year, no doubt Rosemoor does the same. Every child got a Lindt choc bunny as a prize

Our planning application has been rejected on a technicality we can fix. To be honest, having dealt with these jumped-up clowns local public servants previously, if that's all they can whinge about, I'm relieved! 😋That's good bad news, at least fixable. It may be urban myth but aren't you supposed to make a minor mistake for them to find? Then honour is satisfied when they find a mistake and their job shown to be necessary & worth the taxpayer cash

Despite the rain I still fed the pots at the front this morning, keep them going, and heat is on the way back as well. Despite my best efforts i think I messed up the tomato labels, again. I've got one, looks lovely, nice sized salad toms forming, supposed to be a bush cherry, another, supposed to be Outdoor Girl is a cherry plum shaped one.

Oh, and I spotted a self sown never planted it, cyclamen, photo to follow, deserves a decent photo if i can

Here are the split toms, self seeded but taste is excellent, i'll be smearing seeds for next year

twopenny

No fruit eating or jam making for me, it's all shriveled up and poorly trees. No apples at the roadside either yet. I've resorted to supermarket fruit where it's discounted.

The Bramley's look good there but thinking of the saving money by growing your own thread, looks like money does grow on trees.

I've been looking through the threads to see when Poppy last posted, and there's some amazing photos here. We should have an exhibition I think. And definitely an Auld Lang whatsit post at new years. 👋

I need as much jam again as I've got at least. Did spot some lovely fat sloes so slow gin for breakfast when the jam runs out anyone?

Been starting the clean up of the garage after not being able to for some time.

I didn't enjoy that but I can walk through now. Part two tomorrow 🫤

Darned hot in there as after a cold night the afternoon was baking! Big fat clouds with flat grey bottoms all around but not over here.

Dustyevsky

Farway: It may be urban myth but aren't you supposed to make a minor mistake for them to find? Then honour is satisfied when they find a mistake and their job shown to be necessary & worth the taxpayer cash

Nowadays, the great majority of applications are checked by AI via the Planning Portal, reducing 'menial' work, and discretionary actions previously part of it. Paper applications don't appear particularly welcome now.😕

2p: I've been looking through the threads to see when Poppy last posted, and there's some amazing photos here. We should have an exhibition I think.
Yes, the standard's pretty good, considering we're not people who engage in photography competitively, or have much time to spend on it.🙂 My personal view of this thread is as a light-hearted pot pourri of gardening and everyday experiences, others may dip into. Whether they do or not, I've no idea. 😄 I'd like more to join in! 🤔

As for pp, she was last visited MSE in early November last year. It was an unexpected departure. She had the info contact me by other means, but she hasn't done so.😢

No gardening yesterday, beyond the watering still required in the polytunnel, and for outdoor pots. Mrs D and I weren't feeling our best. It's the last whole day of hosting the GCs today, and next week's rest will be welcome! 🤨

Speaking of watering, a confession.😔 I told you Lythrum could weather dry conditions well, but that observation was based on a plant Mrs Dusty now says she was watering daily! DD 2 lost hers in the drought.☹️Should have been obvious to me, it being a waterside plant! 😫

Here's a species that does do well in heat, and more varieties are appearing. Many are featured in September's RHS 'The Garden' magazine, but I notice they've also found them hard to photograph accurately! This one, Dallas Red, is definitely a deeper red than it appears here.

They're not reliably hardy, but go well from cuttings taken in April or May.

wort

Good Morning All, we are on a downward decline in numbers . I am still missing YBEs wit and stories. I’m hoping she’s reading along and will reinvent herself . Pp s photos are similarly missed.
It’s been rather wet here, but then brightened after I have decided not to wash 😪 So today towels are in ,and I’m hoping they grey clouds will clear.

Farway I hope the new car is a good drive for you. Shame about the split tomatoes 🍅 at least yours are ripe mine are very small and very green ! I had just tied in the dahlia when I saw your warning. Thanks. 2 flowers and more to come 🥰

Dusty maybe the hogs are avoiding Mr badger then. That camera must provide you with plenty to watch, much better than the tv offerings now .

2p glad you are moving about more now, take care not to do too much. My garage looks better now the council picked up my bulky waste collection early last week, after my lovely nephews nipped round to heft it outside. I had a bit of a tidy in there, went through pots and moved some larger bits around.

I’m still on the lookout for new specs, it’s difficult to decide what suits ,won’t be too heavy, and dsis wasn’t much help 🫠 I’ve books to return to the owners today so that should give me at least a half hour walk.

Farway

Morning, quick pop in before I go and pick car up.

Slight delay because my driver, DS, is delayed because DSIL car has flat battery, however by good / bad synchronicity there is a spare battery booster thingy in the car I'm having, so in a way it's like organ transplants, a spare bit to help someone else out. New battery required by DSIL though, hers won't hold charge, looks like £100ish, just what is not needed

2P I've resorted to supermarket fruit where it's discounted. I saw that, and although I have my own fruit I think if I see, say reduced strawberries, I'll give them a go.

Mrs D and I weren't feeling our best. It's the last whole day of hosting the GCs today, and next week's rest will be welcome! 🤨 Hosting GC can be exhausting, even if well behaved, but I'm sure a good time was had by all, and more importantly, memories and experiences added

No gardening due to things, I do need to clear the manky toms out of conservatory.

Will have to rethink for next year with all this El Nino nonsense, if it's going to be rinse & repeat next year I'll concentrate on outdoor toms and try & think of something better suited for the conservatory. Trouble is not a fan of peppers, chillies or aubergines and forever watering melons would be PIA

Here's the cyclamen that popped up, spotted it last year but it got trampled when the poo border was worked on. Did it no harm and must like it there. dry shade, as I said not sown by me, it just arrived.

I'm hoping to get some lily of the valley into another part, and I want London pride, both are childhood memories for my dotage 😁

Dustyevsky

wort: Dusty maybe the hogs are avoiding Mr badger then. That camera must provide you with plenty to watch, much better than the tv offerings now .

I think it more likely they are avoiding the guerilla warfare and sword fighting that's gone on for a couple of hours each day! 😂Still, the camera has been handy to confirm the continued existence of woolly cat, who has also 'disappeared' temporarily. She was the only living thing captured digitally last night! 😮

Farway: Will have to rethink for next year with all this El Nino nonsense, if it's going to be rinse & repeat next year I'll concentrate on outdoor toms and try & think of something better suited for the conservatory. Trouble is not a fan of peppers, chillies or aubergines and forever watering melons would be PIA

I gave up on the aubergines, which succumbed to red spider very early .Apart from chillies, toms and cues, the polytunnel is a dead loss in a summer like we've had. Personally, I doubt any consistency, year-on-year, just wider extremes. Praying for a drier winter.🙏 Just ordered another few cubic metres of logs. Nothing like being prepared, and, reading the runes, the signs for Peace on Earth don't look encouraging. Could we all be digging for victory? Potato Pete and lots of Woolton pie etc? 🤥