Awful weather - typical Brits talk

[Deleted User]

The weather here, is all over the place !

We had a week of very low night-time and daytime temps until yesterday when it was 12C and very still .... crazy, crazy weather.

I spent a few, very, productive hours cutting back, raking, minor pruning, and generally tidying and it was good to be out there again.

The Blackcaps are back again, nesting in an Eleagnus, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Gold and Green Finches and Wrens all darting about the place, Blackbirds and Dunnocks scootling across the ground, and Collared Doves on the roof tops....... really lovely spring weather - in January ..... which is becoming more and more regular 😕🙄

greenbee

Same here - it would be nice to have more than a week of winter!

Farway

Sounds like simalar weather, hard frost, then dull. Today is a dull, grey & mild day. I keep wanting to have a tidy up but it's just soggy and manky, hardly enticing.

However one spot of news regarding the so called Bonsia seeds I was given for Christmas present have germinated, or at least some have, without all the bung in fridge malarkey.

Given my age I'll take what there is and grow them on in the full knowledge that I've no idea what variety they are & bonsai do not just grow, they require years of training that I do not have available to me

Anyway, small bonsai from tiny seeds grow

twopenny

Congratulations on your babies Farway!
It's bitterly cold and mostly the dark sort of dull here so no inspiration to get outside but I've had a bit of a clearup out front and found that there are some daffs and crocus putting up shoots which is a relief as I thought I'd dug them all up.
Also a free Foxglove seeded which I'll move.
I finally got my Daphne plus couldn't resist one of the new helebores and with 20% off. New owners of one of the garden centers.

[Deleted User]

Morning gardeners

Had another few hours outside yesterday, mild but no brightness to the day like Saturday had.

I was pleased to see lots of the shrubs forming nice fat buds, the Grevillea is in flower too - amazing .... the Callistemons are doing very well too, clearly the microclimate here is akin to their native home !!!

The roses are budding away nicely, as are the Clematis.
I love Taxus (Irish specifically) and have a few, they love it here too, their gorgeous golden new growth is so fresh and bushy.

The whippy Salix are doing well but, the woody types, i mentioned last year, are still struggling, if they don't buck-up they're going to get the old heave-ho this year.

Must sign off now, 
Have a good day gardening, all  🖐🌱

goldfinches

Hello all, I've been stuck indoors for the last month or so because of the horrible weather. I plucked up the courage to try a short walk this afternoon and was thrilled to spot a kingfisher perched near the footbridge. It's only the second time I've ever seen one and the first time one has stayed still long enough for me to get a photo. Annoyingly some joggers came along and scared the bird away after only a couple of minutes so the photo isn't great but at least I saw the bird.

RAS

My birding has been different.

This last week I've heard chirping on the park but not had time to follow up when it's quiet. I walked down to the plot today to discover the same calls from a flock of redwing whom I'd hoped were the source of the chirping. They've been a frequent  but not consistent source of joy over the decades.

Lovely to see them again.

Farway

Lucky you GF, I have never seen a kingfisher, it's one for my bucket list

No gardening, it seems my area is in "anticyclonic gloom" for a few more days so have to bide my time

twopenny

Yipee!!

A bright day, even some sunshine and not freezing so I've been in the garden all day.

Sorted out the steps/path that will lead to a false gate in the corner and replanted, moved plants then trimmed and mowed. It's looking a lot better.

I went to cut down the rose that is not really doing much and it's throwing out small new leaves already so it's still there.

Found my peony that I thought had perrished and replanted it.

I have some new herbs that I found by luck so early but didn't have the energy left to make a decision. Should I plant them midwinter when they could perish like the previous ones from too much rain or wait. The pots are jammed with roots. Need to find a way around this - and yes, I did use lots of grit and small stone

Farway

Still dull & grey, getting very fed up with it now and want some warm sun to potter around and clear some of the dead stuff.

The sun came out on Sunday but I had family outing so that stopped any pottering that day

I could do it in this grotty gloom but I keep hanging on & hoping