Awful weather - typical Brits talk

CatieE

Farway, it is very nice to see boarders come to life. I love that purple flower.

I'm from Switzerland originally, but married to an Englishman and living in the chiltern hills. Last year we bought a house which has a very long garden. Two thirds of the garden is fenced and the bottom third is very wild and open. We are trying to clear that space to grow vegetables next year. We don't know much about gardening and so I shall follow this thread to learn more . One thing I do know though - you can dig up pieces of chalk here.

Davesnave

Farway said:

Blimey, just looking at the times of your postings, you lot are up early!

 Maybe we didn't go to bed? Gotta make the most of the next few days!

Yes, the outdoor space thing is confusing, like a lot of things. DD2 has spent the morning trying to decide whether to be furloughed or not, as she has a choice. Last time she built an internet site and started a business, but this time it's not so tempting.

Great result Farway, and it'll surely get easier. I once had a similar border to look after and it became less demanding once I found the right combination of plants.

[Deleted User]

CatieE said:

Farway, it is very nice to see boarders come to life. I love that purple flower.

I'm from Switzerland originally, but married to an Englishman and living in the chiltern hills. Last year we bought a house which has a very long garden. Two thirds of the garden is fenced and the bottom third is very wild and open. We are trying to clear that space to grow vegetables next year. We don't know much about gardening and so I shall follow this thread to learn more . One thing I do know though - you can dig up pieces of chalk here.

How lovely, it's always fun starting up a new garden 👍

[Deleted User]

Davesnave said:

Farway said:

Blimey, just looking at the times of your postings, you lot are up early!

 Maybe we didn't go to bed? Gotta make the most of the next few days!

Yes, the outdoor space thing is confusing, like a lot of things. DD2 has spent the morning trying to decide whether to be furloughed or not, as she has a choice. Last time she built an internet site and started a business, but this time it's not so tempting.

Great result Farway, and it'll surely get easier. I once had a similar border to look after and it became less demanding once I found the right combination of plants.

There you go again, living that  s e x y life, D, .... backs of cars, fish and chips, up all night ........😋🤣

[Deleted User]

Farway said:

Blimey, just looking at the times of your postings, you lot are up early!

Rain & windy earlier but now sun's out it's looking pleasant, not that I'm up to much, may collect the bean pods when I'm emptying the tea leaves onto the garden but that will be it

Yep, had me as well Dave   Odd rules meet one person in outdoor space but not a garden?

Black_Cat2 said:

Loving your continuing progress F, ty.  What are you going to do on that patch by the hedge/wasp nest?  Are you composting that to grow anything in particular? 

Nothing in particular was planned, the compost would just be used a top dressing when large enough heap accumulated

Before yesterday's CV announcement the idea of chicken mesh fencing it in as a corral for the soon to be fallen oak leaves was mooted, but not an easy job for people with bad backs, bending problems and the like, could've managed as joint social distanced effort but now unlikely, too near a main road and Stasi eyes

Which may mean the leaves will, as in previous years, just go to waste.

The "Tidy Brigade" used to sweep them up, into bin bags and slowly drip feed bags into the waste bin

Thinking this year was if we gave them somewhere specifically nominated to put the leaves the TB would see this as "Tidy"

Have to wait & see early next week

Border saga part 3

By August we were getting on top of the border which was visibly settling in and growing with our attention, weeding, hoeing and watering, including seeds sprinkled about in May /June.

We had also planted perennials, from our own gardens, either cuttings, seeds or divisions

Some examples are Fuchsia, "Hot Lips" sage, Shasta daisy, plus kitchen herbs, sage, thyme, rosemary, fennel

The kitchen on site provides hot lunches and the herbs will be useful there as well as easy bee friendly border plants in their own right

Some of the seed successes were "Shoo fly" and Sunflower, both high visual impact and some quick colour to show to casual observers something was happening

By September the weekly work and watering was no longer needed, apart from the occasional hoeing, or squirt of systemic weedkiller on any new bramble shoot

This was the scene late August

I am definitely an early riser, usually between 5.30 and 6, it's the best time of day  😋

Farway

CatieE said:

Farway, it is very nice to see boarders come to life. I love that purple flower.

I'm from Switzerland originally, but married to an Englishman and living in the chiltern hills. Last year we bought a house which has a very long garden. Two thirds of the garden is fenced and the bottom third is very wild and open. We are trying to clear that space to grow vegetables next year. We don't know much about gardening and so I shall follow this thread to learn more . One thing I do know though - you can dig up pieces of chalk here.

I once had a garden like that, saved me a few hundred quid in footings excavation when I had an extension built, even the building inspector agreed that if the chalk had been stable for eons it was not likely to move just because I put a small extension on top [South Downs]

The only thing the chalk did stop was of course the acid loving plants, but there are so many that do not mind it's not really a problem

And I found that once things, including trees, got a root hold they magically found their own way down into the chalk

Davesnave

[Deleted User] said:

Davesnave said:

Farway said:

Blimey, just looking at the times of your postings, you lot are up early!

 Maybe we didn't go to bed? Gotta make the most of the next few days!

Yes, the outdoor space thing is confusing, like a lot of things. DD2 has spent the morning trying to decide whether to be furloughed or not, as she has a choice. Last time she built an internet site and started a business, but this time it's not so tempting.

Great result Farway, and it'll surely get easier. I once had a similar border to look after and it became less demanding once I found the right combination of plants.

There you go again, living that  s e x y life, D, .... backs of cars, fish and chips, up all night ........😋🤣

Ah but I've got nothing on this guy who arrived this afternoon and immediately began sussing-out the local talent.....

Yes, it's non-stop action here all right!

[Deleted User]

Oh gawd, glad i'm not one of those ewes 😱 🥴 🐏

Farway

Very windy overnight and still blowing hard. By good luck I picked most of the Elstar apples yesterday, no windfalls there

I am however now blocked in at the back door, the grapefruit [in tub] and the blow away plastic greenhouse have toppled over against the back door, blocking me in

I'll leave it a few days for the wind to die down before I trot round the back to put them upright again

One apple I picked was my first crop of Golden Delicious, only bought the pot grown tree in June last year from Lidl £8.99, so deliberately allowed just the one apple to develop

And what a development, a 273 gramme whopper

Davesnave

Catsacor said:

Oh gawd, glad i'm not one of those ewes 😱 🥴 🐏

They were to be left virginal this year, but their owner's reluctance to visit crowded markets has meant them being exposed early to potential motherhood. I've not seen this ram before, so he may have been borrowed, but he seems to be docile enough. However, I've learned over the years that my farmer friend's honesty in describing the behaviour of rams may be affected somewhat by his sense of humour, so I'll tread carefully!

Nice apple Farway, but not for me this year until the dentist sorts me out.