Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

2p: Wow those tomatoes!

I've always grown Cherry Falls, in pots before, and I won't make the mistake of having them in a deep bed again! 😐️ While the others didn't like the hot conditions so much, they fairly romped away. At first, they tasted OK, but the longer they've stood, the more watery and tasteless they've become. The hens don't care, though! 😃

I didn't know Greencombe closes early, but I'd not go there late, because it's primarily a spring/early summer garden. For various reasons, this hasn't been a year for walks, and it remains to be seen if I can get my knee stamina back without an op.🤔 It's better, but not 5 miles up and own the coast path better!

Yesterday's Show went off well. The judges commented that our standards were better than many they'd seen in this year of the big drought.😇 Mine weren't. 😥 Without Mrs Dusty's input, especially in display, the best I did was seconds and thirds. People often commented that their gardens not only been parched, but also wind buffeted. Those with shadier, sheltered plots had probably fared best.

We did have a few show entries from new, younger people, which is always good to see, but it's the old stalwarts who are holding things together. When it came to the job of packing-up, there wasn't anyone in the room under their mid-seventies to be seen! 😂

Oh, and the chap who should have had a first for tomatoes last year, didn't succeed this year either. He's moved to a property where grow bags are his only option. As for mine, the judge said their dry calyxes showed they'd been picked days ago. They were picked the evening before, but I forgot to put them in the fridge. Detail! 🙄

Something different today. These are the flowers on my Melon Pear, grown from a seed. I also have a smaller one from a cutting of the original. There won't be any fruit this year, but the family connection to toms and potatoes is obvious!

Farway

Sunny & warm day ahead, should help the melon Pear, which I had to look up. Now I'm wondering if I could / should grow one in the conservatory instead of tomatoes. Something for me to ponder over winter. But the fig I have in there remains fig-less despite being in what I would think are good surroundings.

I did wonder about the Cherry falls toms, why chucking away? But now I see why now. This year I tried Tumbling Tom in wall baskets in the conservatory, Sort of worked but suffered from the heat. I won't bother with those in there again.

Glad the show went well Dusty, but it shows how difficult it is to win even at a small local show. Those of us who have exhibited, and failed, realise the effort some winners put in, Except photography where it is smoke & mirrors, fad flavour of the month etc

Wort Champion apples look good Farway will you be picking them before the birds get there? No, I usually leave them, last year I tied fruit net bags over them, which stopped the birds but made useful suitcases for the rats to carry off 😂. Now you have put the thought into my head, If I get round to it I may chuck some fleece over later today. The fleece saved my cherries last year

Gardening today, maybe fleece over the Champion apple, and garden waste bin trundle round front for Tuesday collection

twopenny

Hmm for some reason the site didn't show new posts today 🤔

My cherry falls is not thriving just scrabbling around on the ground. The best I've had were from the saved seed from the honey crunch? Which while tiny are plentiful in that I have enough for lunch and dinner.

Yes greencombe has the hydrangeas next then closes so end July? It's on the website.

I'm clearing out the garage bit by bit which will include seeds. I still have masses of saved seed which includes the onion and poppies. Onion I'm inclined to just sling plant in the potato patch which is spare because of tree roots coming in.

The hot sunny day predicted is grey, windy and cold so I'm inclined to continue in the garage. Maybe take a walk down to the hardware and see if their seeds are on sale yet. I came back with another geranium last time 🙄 but it was a pretty colour of pink and white and they seem to tolerate the heat. I'd put a photo but I bought the one with the best growth and no flowers yet.

But it's odd jobs, finishing things that are laying around. I'm not enthused like I was yesterday. Perhaps it will return with coffee and chocolate 😊

Dustyevsky

Will this work for you 2p? Anyone else? 😉 Will remove later. Dont know if it will work if you're not already being spammed by known to them

https://www.thompson-mo Edited.

Farway

Dusty link worked for me, but nothing for me, well except eriwahtsit which is just being cruel

twopenny

Oh I can see why you get tempted 😲

Would love sunflowers - and the swan gourds.....my pond isn't big enough. Mini munch too £5 🫤

It's hit the wrong time as well. I went out and started weeding which became a lot more and the heatwave turned up. My un used hands I've now got a big blister between thumb and finger, I ache where I shouldn't and feeling rubbish.

Had a visitor twice today

Cut little beggar but he's not coming in!

LessImpecunious

Our promised sunny day also featured far more cloud than sun, and breezes, cool or gusty at different times, but warm enough to bring out a few butterflies again (other than the small whites which seem to appear every day 😕), including a Small Copper, and a Clouded Yellow spotted on our Sunday am walk, but impossible to photograph…

Hopeless hornet was scooting around again, diving at buddleia flowers aimlessly, seems still not to have got the idea that it is supposed to be grabbing insects, or maybe is short-sighted…. Yesterday in a brief sunny spell there were two hornets and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, which became the target (unsuccessfully) of one of the hornets… Don't think I mentioned the previous occasion when two hornets were seen together - at one point they approached each other head on and hovered for a second or two, looking as though they were having a confab, or maybe a face-off…

Sadly no photos of these either, so instead, pic of an unexpected crop mix, growing at c. 1000ft, on our morning walk…

wort

oh Less poor hornet if it has bad eyesight, I’m imagining him in glasses ! Dusty shame the toms were flavourless. Is it best to pick as soon as toms look ripe then ? Mine have been tasty so far 🤞🏻

Yesterday was rain in the morning the heat waited till I was home from work, so I got the grass cut whilst making tea. I was going to sit for an hour outside but cat sat in the sunny spot when I got up to make a brew, then it went chilly, so I had a shower and got pjs on.

Been pouring down in the night and still at it now. Hope there’s improvement in the latter end of week cos I’m off to YBE/ Brontë country, for the weekend.

Dustyevsky

Yesterday turned out warm and windy eventually, so I waited until the heat and breeze had died a little before spending 2 hours zapping dandelions, which have recovered faster than the grass in what we laughingly call lawns. I don't often bother about the dandelions, but being next to the field, where they have free rein, we have more than most people. 😕

This morning, despite the gentle rain, the dandelion rosettes are already curling. I'm no big fan of chemicals, but there are thousands of them. Of course, if we went fully no mow wild, they'd mostly die out, but Mrs Dusty wants 'lawns,' and remembering the wild garden we inherited here 😱, so do I!

The week ahead looks mixed weatherwise wort, but next weekend looks tolerable, over in the Wolds. 😉 Yesterday was a brief reminder of sun cream times, and the difficulties of keeping potted plats hydrated.

Yes the Hummingbird Moth made a brief unrecorded appearance here too, Less, but no hornets were seen as we chased various flying visitors, including a Small Copper which also 'got away.' However, Mrs D and I finally had success with a Clouded Yellow, and her picture was Best. 😥

2p, you are naughty! You must've frightened lithe black moggy, shooing him/her away. Look, what turned-up here a few hours later on the other side of the hill! 😄

No, didn't get in! 😜

That's an interesting experimental crop, Less. I wonder how it works? Just left for the wildlife? Doesn't look like combine country!

Dustyevsky

Farway: Sunny & warm day ahead, should help the melon Pear, which I had to look up. Now I'm wondering if I could / should grow one in the conservatory instead of tomatoes

Hard to say. My fruit, from which I extracted 3 tiny seeds, was grown locally by a chap who uses no heat or chemicals, just a polytunnel and conservatory. I've no idea how large they get by the time fruit arrives. Mine is in about 15 litres of compost currently, and doesn't seem to be a martyr to whitefly.😊

I see the 'far right' headed your way yesterday. 😮 Thankfully, despite the lamentable lack of diversity and cultural enrichment in these parts, being so very 'far off,' some of us do experiment with the occasional exotic plant. Someone produced a very commendable aubergine at the Show, and this cactus was amazing, although its size (about 10 pre-decimal inches across) isn't apparent from my rubbish photo.😔