Awful weather - typical Brits talk

-taff

Farway said:

Photo below, can anyone identify it for me?

I think it's a common spotted orchid but I could be wrong...I often am

Beautiful colour on your geraniums by the way...

twopenny

Yes, common spotted.

I used to paint them on plates in another life. They take 7yrs to flower so I am told and grow in drifts in the verges here. One secluded river valley on Exmoor has them all over, there was a huge area in Devon but they built a main road over it.

Still picking raspberries. Early for them but I'm not complaining.

We've had some rain, not enough but it's greened up a lot of the grass. The plants are either suffering from the hot dry or the wet and windy so looking not their best. When it evens out I'll go and deadhead.

Sadly the wonderfully fragranced climbing rose I bought this year the flowers seem to turn rotten when exposed to rain. I'm hoping this is because it is young and not throughly established but I have a horrible feeling it's not a goer and will have to be gifted.

wort

That sounds lovely 2p, if I'm ever in exmoor I will look it up, and what a shame they built a road over the others !
My roses always get black spot. Dave fingers crossed for the wedding ! My cruise for sept to Croatia has just been cancelled. I must admit the airport bit was stressing me out and I'm glad it's been put off, I thought it was too soon.  Much as I'd love a holiday, health first for me. 
More drizzle here today so hopefully slowly refilling my empty water butt.  I've bought a new half barrel for my chusan palm, been in the same one 15/20 years and it's rotted. Will need some family muscle to shift it!!!!! 

Farway

Thanks for orchid ID, seems right and common as muck, a valley of them must look wonderful, like bluebell woods just a blaze of colour

Rain here this morning, but I was out watering the pots at the front, not quite as mad as it would seem to a casual walker because today is their weekly Tomorite feed day.

I think my figs rooted in water have settled into their growing on pots, new foliage just peeking out. Photo once I'm 100% sure

What is sure is my Arctic King lettuce that was sown about ten days ago has germinated

This demonstrates Sod's Law

1/ Only sown because I couldn't buy any lettuce, so not fussed if it lived or died

2/ Seed is ancient, dated 2012. Unopened foil packet though

3/ Wrong time of year for this variety, I anticipate it bolting once it sees the sunshine

With all that I would not be surprised if they turn out superb and finally get scoffed by snails the day before I think of picking one

Davesnave

wort said:

That sounds lovely 2p, if I'm ever in exmoor I will look it up, and what a shame they built a road over the others !
 Dave fingers crossed for the wedding !

They built the main North Devon Link Road right beside my childhood secret place and it's now part of a huge caravanning & camping complex.

If I'm completely honest I won't mind if the wedding is cancelled by the powers that be. It's a very expensive event; enough for a deposit on a house. They're legally married and have lived together for 10 years, but tradition dictates etc, etc....err, we won't go there! 

MovingForwards

Been busy with work and tending to the gardens. I decided to risk sowing borlotto bean seeds in the garden, see if they hold up against the slugs as the ones I've transplanted haven't. 

I doubt the fascination of watching a seed turn into a seedling, into a plant and then produce will ever get boring.

All my toms are planted outside, some dotted around the borrowed garden, some in a dedicated space in my garden and a couple in pots. I've had to create some shade in my garden to take the edge of the sun. About 80% of them all are in bud / flower, some are still small plants.

Only 1 tray of veg, 1 melon and 4 squash left to put outside. I've already decided most things will get down outside next year!

Finally had some rain last night, which should do a world of good and the rose buds are starting to open; I only have the small patio type in my 'walled rose garden'. 

pink_poppy

This popped open yesterday 😊 funnily enough it’s closed again today even though the sun is out.

Farway, hope you enjoyed your strawberry. I picked my first red currant yesterday but didn’t eat it straight from the bush (memories of finding maggots in wild blackberries!!) I was going to give it a soak but it was too ripe and just sort of dissolved into a sticky mess.

phoebe, I have peonies envy (apologies for lowering the tone there 😂) and I would LOVE to have Gunnera in the garden, it’s one of my favourite plants.

MF, I know exactly what you mean about never tiring of watching a seed turning into produce. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to grow anything from scratch this year because we had just moved house, but I must admit I’m regretting that now. I’m not going to change my mind though, I have enough to be getting on with.

Davesnave

Peonies envy! I love it! Yesterday I wrote a similar post and then lost it, but somehow  I completely missed the chance of that double entendre.

And I wrongly identified Farway's orchid, so perhaps it's just as well the post is wandering the ether.

We don't have a jungly bit of garden, but we have the stream area where I'm hoping to let loose a few of the Rheums I've grown from seed. At present, it's being overrun with ferns and I may even have to cull some.

Speaking of culling, did I say we think 4 out of the 5 new hens are boys? According to the enthusiasts they're likely to be 'docile,' but friendly or not, they won't lay eggs!

I have no new pictures, but here's one of our Asrantia border just now:

Needs some blue campanulas behind.

twopenny

I have plenty Dave, just been ripping out the seeding stuff because it gets straggly and then feel guilty because the bees are still buzzing around.

I have to confess that the one in the photo is a Marsh Orchid ( still common ;-) the Common Spotted is darker. So you may have got the jackpot if that's what you said.

That border looks lovely, I've finally realised that most plants look better if you view the border from the side - trying to work a way to do that viewing from my big patio windows but then there's the lawn that needs easy mowing. Another thread for advice I think

The wild Orchids grow more here now than they ever did. They were growing among Bluebells and Primroses this year which was beautiful.

Wort, there are a couple of drifts on the A39 between Minehead and Porlock. First as you leave Minehead and towards the campsite and the second around Selworthy both on the left hand side. The valley I'll keep to myself or PM if you want it. More Devon way.

I've got one of those cheap clematis suddenly come into bloom, deep purple among the shell pink rose and they've survived the ever changing weather.

I've plants suffering from the dry really badly. It's too late to water, that won't work when it's got this dry.

Greengages still on the tree and I've one cherry left on the dwarf potted. It's a real cherry but I doubt it will make it through. It needs to go in the ground somewhere, somewhere the roots won't interfere with other fruits/drains/veg bed.

Yep, waterlilly envy - just thought a smaller, shallower pond so I get it done then I saw this. Peonies which I'm starting from scratch have buds but never bloom. So miss my 50yr old one that the buyers put breeze blocks over so more envy.

wort

Thank you 2p , I would love to get down that way some day as I spent many holidays in Devon as a child, all piled in the car, sat on the sheets etc, I’m amazed my dad could see through the windows, so many kids and stuff needed for self catering. 🤗
Dave, the border looks great, I only have 1 astrantia, and I think they are so pretty.
Pink poppy love the water lily. I had a gunner but had to take it out as it took up so much room and I wanted to get more Acers in!