Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Dull at the moment but I've fed & watered the pots at the front because no rain due here for a few days

I'll do the ones in the back garden later today hopefully

The lilies are over & done with now, dead headed and that's it until 2022 but made a nice show while they lasted. I'm waiting on my Russian Giant sunflower to open next. It's the only survivor from a troop of six after a massed snail attack when they were just saplings

Could be good news at last on my plums, they seem to have purpled up, I'll give them a squeeze later

phoebe1989seb

Horrible drizzle here today 🙁 Nonetheless I've been out and started prepping for the removal of rockery *stones* (which are actually fairly large rocks). This has involved clearing the overhanging plants on the bottom level, quite a few of which are actually weeds, particularly the dreaded ground elder. In previous years - since redoing the rockery during our first year here (2018) - I've kept on top of this, but knowing the whole rockery was destined to be removed this year I've been less than diligent, lol! 

The plan is to utilise the lovely old stone to build a retaining wall separating the steps up to the slightly raised level of the garden and the new small seating area that will be created outside the new building.....another job for DH 🙄

No further visitations of the cow variety 😉 And no idea from whence it came or indeed ended up! Most of the land surrounding our property is agricultural - there are only two *houses* nearby (one is the mansion to which our mill and the neighbour's former stable once belonged) and their gardens are - for the most part - some distance away/opposite direction to that which she was headed. I can only assume she found her way back to the farmland from where she originated. Hope so, anyway 😃

In other news, my *art* is finished so I'll try to take a few pics and post them up for Catsacor (and anyone else who's interested 😃)......

twopenny

Been hot , humid and cloudy and humid finally ending with drizzle after i put the washing out.
I've spent the last two afternoons going around 15village gardens.
Wonderful to see so many so different and the owners there to answer questions.  I have serious garden envy now.
Lots of ideas though but no energy left!
So nice to do something normal 

goldfinches

@Farway - if your plums aren't as luscious as you hope I recommend this recipe by Diana Henry in her From Oven To Table book which I turn to when I find under-ripe punnets of y/s plums in the supermarket, it really does taste delicious with Mr T's own brand dark rum. Kavey Eats » Ginger-Roasted Plums with Lime, Rum & Muscovado Cream I don't usually bother with the cream and think that you could use ginger wine or amaretto or cointreau as the alcohol if you don't care for rum. Once cooked they keep for ages in the fridge so you could try bottling them in sterilised jars with a bit more rum as well.

Farway

Thanks for recipe idea GF, but my plum harvest this year, along with lack of beans and cherries is a disaster, be lucky if there are half a dozen to choose from

Sun's out but I'm back into Taxi Service so no gardening today

wort

Decidedly miserable here, overcast and strongish wind. Wouldn’t trust it not to rain.
Thank you @Blackcats the rest improved my back. I’m glad I painted the garage when I did as it’s been mizzly since.
snails have eaten my radishes, I have some leaves that they don’t seem to be interested in! Some kind of salad I 🤔 think. Basil is still rather tiny🧐 off to make another cuppa whilst I decide on a plan for the day.

wort

My Garrya which I love , not the best pic as it’s taken through the window as it’s blowing a hooley outside.

Paspatur

Wort, can I ask how old your garrya is please? I bought and planted one this year at my gable end part of the garden part sun part shade. Looks very healthy but only about 8 inches tall right now. I read hardiness is to -10 and I had -13 in February this year but that is not every year

Farway

Wort, I have garrya envy now even though I have no room for one I've always liked them, should I ever get my walled courtyard it would go in there somewhere

Dull but mild out so I took the opportunity to feed & water the pots out the back, nice surprise to find some Autumn fruiting raspberries are in flower & setting. I thought they had fizzled out but obviously  runner or two must have perked up with my generously top dressing the area with farm poo

More Merton Thornless blackberries ready fro picking later today, and the plums are still not ripe, looking nice & decent size but not ripe, here's a pic, hardly prolific but it has been struggling this season

phoebe1989seb

Fabulous plums there, Farway 😂 I definitely have fruit envy (our little orchard is in the very early stages whilst our huge, ancient apple tree has little fruit this year).

I have garrya envy too, Wort - I love a garrya but as yet it's something we haven't planted here. It's on the list, though! We've planted them at a couple of previous houses - including the one where our buyers (philistines 🙄) consequently ripped out all the planting we'd done (including some very expensive shrubs and a gorgeous yellow magnolia!) immediately after purchase back in 2011. Wish we'd dug it up and taken it with us! We did dig up an akebia which has been in a massive planter ever since and is thriving 😃

Dull here for the past couple of days and a very autumnal like chill in the air. At least the rain stopped! The sun is threatening to come out and I've managed to get huge swathes of one bed clear of weeds/silene in readiness for the refugees from the rockery when dismantling proper finally happens 😉


Here's a couple of quick pics of my *artwork* which I appreciate won't be to many people's taste, lol 😉 I copied something I'd seen that I liked, substituting an owl for the raven that was in the original piece.....