Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

Farway: The scaffolders are here now, removing the scaffolding, so no chance of that blowing over tonight thank goodness. Plus I can un bung the porch roof drain hole

Hope the polytunnel is OK with the storm Dusty, be a test for many this weekend, all those cheap plastic greenhouses to be blown away.

That's a double bonus. Not only did your roofing guys get the job done PDQ, but their scaffold company didn't make you a storage location for their gear! 🤩 It's great when businesses do things properly.😇 Similarly, the garage Mrs Dusty's buying her car from rang to say they'd prepped it, done a fresh MOT and investigated the slight noise I'd picked up on our test drive. It originated from a major transmission component, so might have been why the previous owner PXed the car at a main dealer.🤔 I thought I was being ultra-fussy!

The polytunnel frame will stand storm force winds, but from experience, covers 9 or 10 years old, won't! 🤐 I'm hoping to have a proper greenhouse by then. Blowaways are well named, but flying trampolines seem far more dangerous. 😬 However, having popped my head out the door during overnight plumbing inspection, I've not noticed anything untoward about the winds here. There's been plenteous rain, which should set the stream going, but that's it, so far. Could it be a damp squib, or has the worst gone in Less's direction? We're due much more rain today

Many fuchsias survive winters like our last one and, if potted, their biggest enemy's the vine weevil. As for fancy toms, I wish I'd not clicked your link now! 😥 By the way, your earlier link about GS in Bristle was a 404 for me. Related to the PHP problem??? 😉

wort: Dusty the nerines are a sight for sore eyes, what a fab display at this time of year, are they tubers or from seed?

They're bulbs. A customer gave us some many years ago. 😀 They receive unbroken sunshine where they are, but sometimes go underwater for days at a time when we have heavy rain. Even in my friend's garden, facing east, on clay, they're also doing well and multiplying.

How do you get your ears lowered? And if you do, can you take corners faster? 🤣

I hope 2p made it yesterday without going in the river. My journey home began as the rain reached the coast, but I outran it, so unloaded in the dry and got the logs in before it arrived here. Everywhere was busy for a Thursday, which must've been people deciding to shop a day or two early and miss the weather.

I admired this shrub 2 months ago, growing in almost complete shade on a north facing wall. Curiously, I now have a small one in the cold frame which seems to be doing OK. AI says:"The best place to plant an escallonia is in a full sun location with fertile, well-drained soil and protection from harsh, cold winter winds." 

Oh well….🤥

greenbee

I thought escallonia grew anywhere inhospitable Dusty!

We won’t be getting the weather you will down in the south west (must check up on my brother and his family at some point), but it will be wet and windy so I need to get as much of the garden furniture in today as I can, and the go to my mum’s tomorrow morning to make sure everything is secure at hers and get home before the wind gets up too much.

I have builders and plumbers today, so fully expect them to let all the heat out of the house again. I need to shift some logs too, and next week I’ll have to start splitting some.

LessImpecunious

Sounds like hatches remained battened, or maybe didn't need to be battened - hopefully this continues for all sou' sou' westers - Austen has certainly not headed here (yet) - not a gust in the night, though there was a little rain…

I wondered about the ears too…😁

Dustyevsky

Update: We're finally getting some wind action here, accompanied by torrential rain. Seems Austen is late, not off course. ☹️ There will be flash floods if this continues…

GB: I thought escallonia grew anywhere inhospitable Dusty!

There's a very robust one in the Health Centre car park. Not quite in hospital, but close! 🤣

twopenny

So far it's quiet. There was some goodly rain overnight. A bit of wind, not much. About to check the weather forecast.

Yup, we're supposed to be in the middle of a storm but so far it's pleasant out there.

Definitely no gardening.

I had enormous escalonias in my last place but they were a bit scraggy in the sun and the constant trimming put me off the plant but that looks lovely.

The dreaded journey was actually fine. Someone mentioned to the co-op delivery van that the bridge had a weight limit and the railway bridge a height restriction but he hadn't noticed 🙄

I feel smug now because I know what having your ears lowered means 😊

Farway

Wet overnight, tipping down now and getting wetter. The ex Dusty stuff is due to arrive around noon here. The new roof is still there, and the gutters now also work, water going down the drain and not slopping over onto my paths

First dose of porridge for breakfast, it's that sort of morning

Something wrong with the commercial world, my roof & Mrs D car, suppliers doing a proper job first time round. well spotted, or heard in this case, BTW Dusty, could've turned out expensive I'd guess

The 404 for the Bristle site, I'd guess it's the PHP problem, especially being linked to a super computer site. I've been noticing some sites doing the same, presumably better safe then etc

Lowering ears I always thought meant having haircut, but meanings change over time so could well be very wrong.

Good luck with the plumbers etc GB, let's hope some heat is retained.

As for fancy toms, I wish I'd not clicked your link now! 😥

Yeah, it's a devil that one isn't it, so tempting.

And well done to Wort I have to say I was mightily impressed with the seed smears from the piccolini toms, they have produced really well and taste great. I will deffo do again next year. Good to hear, and so easy to do once you've done it.. I think the washing, faffing around & ferment etc is to prevent spread of virus and suchlike, but for us hobby amateurs it is unlikely to be a worry

There are some roofer casualties, where big boots trod on Poo border as they climbed scaffolding. I fear for Roseanne geranium, and the Sea Holly, both have disappeared. The oriental poppy is just squashed so should recover, but only time will reveal the fate of the other two, maybe roots are alive under the mud?

No gardening today, closest will be using some of my apples in a crumble

Dustyevsky

Sunshine now.😁 Most of the rain is over here….. until tomorrow! 😟

Total damage so far: one Cottager's Kale has keeled-over, but as you'll know, they're not dead if still attached to the ground.

I think your Rozanne and Eryngium will be OK, Farway. Both propagate from root cuttings.😉