Awful weather - typical Brits talk

wort

Ouch Farway, I’m glad you are feeling better. Dusty are you still coping “home alone”? I like the wicker animals ,I have a seated reindeer at Xmas which it woven wood. 2p and Less hope you manage to get some edible nuts.

I’ve cleared crocosmia at my house and DDs 🥵 but weather has been strange so never the same one day to next so not done a lot. Ate my first tomato it was very tasty. Dgson has tons on his plants, location outside must be better than my conservatory.

Dustyevsky

wort: Dusty are you still coping “home alone”?

I'm still alive! 😃 Being alone doesn't bother me. I had a year of it in darkest Dorset when I was 8, and it was tolerable. You're never alone in the countryside, even if the wild inhabitants don't always show themselves.😉

You're OK with wicker animals too. It's the Wicker Man you have to watch out for! 😮

A wet start here today, allegedly giving way to sunshine. They said that yesterday, but it stayed grey with occasional hoolies, and it rained a bit in the afternoon. Today, the weather matters more, because I've to select exhibits for the show tomorrow. 😬 What's the betting I can't find 3 courgettes of similar shape and size?

As it was unpleasant out of doors yesterday, I sowed our autumn and winter 'resilience' vegetables 😉 in the polytunnel. It feels a little early, but I always think that, and then find myself trying to catch up! Last year, kale and various oriental greens/salad things did well undercover. This year, I'm hoping for even more variety. Purslane, for example, may keep going, with protection. I wouldn't be without that now. Easy-peasy crop which will even substitute for spinach in a stir-fry. 😇

I still haven't looked at our main walnut tree, but well done those who have some. 😃

Still at Rosemoor. This is Dahlia 'Honka' in the Hot Garden. I'm not a fan! The Hot Garden wasn't doing terribly well either 😕

Farway

Same as Dusty, A wet start here today, allegedly giving way to sunshine

Congrats on the walnut Less, I hope you get to eat it. I tried my solitary Sunset apple, with the eclipse. It was rotten right through, with just a tiny sliver OK for a taste, and that was sharp & unripe. Oh well, there's always next year

Wort Dgson has tons on his plants, location outside must be better than my conservatory. Same as me then, good outside, awful in conservatory this year.

Dusty, how is your Divinity tomato doing? I have two, one in & one out. The in one is rough, scrawny, wizened & two smallish toms on it. The outside is as per catalogue, dark green bush with medium sized toms, just starting to ripen.

I'm not keen on that dahlia either, looks like something is missing. I've not been to Wisley this summer, but I would think their hot garden would also suffer, there's hot & HOT, especially as Wisley often tops the hottest UK place

The pot marigolds that self sowed in neighbours border from mine. I sprinkled some of the new 2026 seeds from neighbour's border onto a patch near my garage, and noticed they are up this morning following the rain. Make a nice show 2027, fairly safe from wheels & feet near a fence

While checking marigolds I spotted this fella. Defiantly nothing I've sprinkled. Can any one identify it? AI thinks is may be some form of Amaranthus cruentus, and could well be. How it got there I've no idea, bird seed dropping? https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-amaranthus/

Dustyevsky

Amaranthus is a good shout, Farway, but with all the varieties now available, I wouldn't want to go further on the ID. In ye olden days, it was just 'Love Lies Bleeding.'😉

I think it's too early for walnuts here, having studied the biggest tree this afternoon. There are plenty, and none falling yet: 😃

On the way back, I picked 5 varieties of apple to choose show entries from. While doing that, I spotted something that seemed vaguely familiar:

I've no idea about the variety, but trying an unblemished one, it seemed no great loss. Whatever it is, it's well past its best and the texture is very mushy. 🤢

Oh, and the promised sunshine was absent again! 😕 No rain, but breezy and grey. It looks like 2p might have fared better.😉

twopenny

It was ok weather, cool and cloudy. So better is a moot point. Better than a heatwave though.

Less I'll try dropping the walnuts from a height 😄 well I'll start with a small hammer and try and make an entry point. I've managed to peel some using a knife.

Just trying to catch up on stuff and gazing at the garden. Not a lot can be done till it's got it's mojo back properly. I still have a huge box of chicken manure pellets stinking out the garage so may feed again. Bought last year when Farway pointed out the discount. My that stuff goes a long way 😲

Wort, good plan getting the youngsters growing tomatoes so you can snag some of the harvest. Anything else growing well? 😉

Sunshine promised for the next 3 days so washing, cleaning gutters and sanding down a few things. All of which can wait as I'm off exploring a new marsh walk way with a friend+ dog tomorrow and ignoring the lot. Dusty will know it but I've only been down there twice before. See why they need to build fancy stuff no one sees.

https://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/__data/assets/image/0019/5149/porlock-boardwalk.jpg

LessImpecunious

Pity about your Sunset Farway, and odd that the taste wasn't good, as mine, small and green, had good flavour…

The fact that Dusty's and my walnuts are not anywhere near ripe maybe suggests yours are "June-drop" nuts 2P? and may have little to recommend even if you do get inside… question is whether they worth risking hammer bounce back (or even walnut bounceback), knife-slipping injuries or legs flying out from under whilst trying to stomp on them… But await further reports 🙂

Remaining mostly dull, but still very mild/warm, with these odd intermittent hoolies as reported by Dusty, kept waking me up last night, wondering whether I'd wedged greenhouse door firmly shut (luckily I had…)

Best of luck with the show Dusty!

Farway

Sunny couple of days ahead, and despite all the recent rain I had to get out first thing to water some pots.I thought that was over but mixed blessings, at least the outdoor toms will carry on ripening, even Balcony Yellow is turning now. Photo once it's there.

2P . I still have a huge box of chicken manure pellets stinking out the garage so may feed again. Bought last year when Farway pointed out the discount. My that stuff goes a long way 😲Glad to have helped, yours has lasted much longer than mine. Now I'll have to remember to check the gardening shelves in Morries, it is getting to that time of year, clear out for Halloween etc.

Good luck in the show Dusty

Love that board-walk 2P, Looks tempting, no where near me but even if it was I'd be off the edge & sprawled in the mud after after few steps.

Forecast is sun & warm for the weekend, I may get round to the buddleia, but depends on the post tumble achy knee really. More likely to just mooch around a bit & catch up on GW.

More apples, not yet ready, but Champion is living up to it's name again

Dustyevsky

I know about your marshy walkway 2p, but whether my friend and I will get to walk it this year is somewhat doubtful now. My original plan was to go on to Bossington, but I see there's an alternative of nipping up into Greencombe too. 😉 As the nights close in, the chance of going further afield wanes, though, and that area's in the further afield category. We're not good at early starts! 😄

Less: Best of luck with the show Dusty!

Those who win the cups this difficult year, will have worked extra hard. It's the judges' mental processes that create the luck! Without Mrs Dusty's input, I'll be unplaced, but that's fine. It costs £15 and a trip into town to get one cup engraved. 😕 Last year, I stole the tomato prize from the person who should rightfully have had it, so I'm hoping he's lucky this time around. 😊

Today's photo is what's left of my tomato Armageddon, when a few Cherry Falls went berserk and ripened all at once. I've fed about half of them to the hens, but they can't keep up either! 🤣

And for Farway, this is what I think is Divinity, obviously well behind everything else.

Just refreshed to see Farway's Champion. Now, those would win prizes, I'm sure! ☺️

twopenny

Hanging around waiting for friend and dog. Forgot that when you invite people you have to clear out the car and can't use it as a storage unit.

Notice I have weeding to do now we've had rain and I'm sorting of mobile. It promises dry for a few days so it's going to be chorea. Probably a good thing because I think I've over done it. Think it will be crutches for the walking.

Dusty Greencombe is closed now. He goes off to America or sailing the fijords . Wonder if that's where he gets his plants seeing as so many seem to have gone there 😉

More walnut hunting tomorrow. Did you know English walnuts have more goodness than the foreign ones in shops?

Apples? I may have a few. They are still on the tree and swelling a bit. If the squirrels haven't gone for them they aren't ready yet.

Wow those tomatoes! I was out last night looking for some for dinner but I've only had a few small ones and the plants aren't looking healthy. I have some late planters that if we get some sun again may give me a few late ones.

Waiting for the promised sun to shine. Washing is out. Perhaps that's what is keeping it in......

wort

2p my first thought was the same as Less, be careful with trying to break into the walnuts😳 might not be worth the injuries. Wow Dusty that’s a mass of tomatoes, you could have fed us all with those. Mine are slowly ripening. Champion apples look good Farway will you be picking them before the birds get there?
Yesterday started windy ,so got the washing dry, then went to see dsis just back from hols so not got in garden. It did warm up and wind drop.Today is supposed to be up in the 20s but I’m off to work now. Might get grass cut later if I remember.