Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Wow, yet again you beat me to plum blossom! 
Still feeling ropey, cold? Not as I know it but tests negative so again not gatdening. I did sit in it though which is the whole point of making one.
My enormous sprouting broccoli is really good and the kale has sprouts which I use means trying to make meals that work around them.
I don't want to tempt fate but I have a Jamaican Primrose that has flowered winter and summer now for 3yrs. And a rampant Bowles Mauve intermingled with it. Cheers you up from the bench beside them.
The broad beans I planted in pots are doing well. Looked so many when sown now don't look nearly enough. Second sowing needed. But I'm reluctant to put them in the ground at the mercy of slugs. They look so happy as they are.

Farway

Another sunny day ahead, hopefully ideal for my plum blossom this year. Last year the weather turned awful & there just weren’t any insects about to do the pollinating on the plum, hence a really poor crop last year. All being well this year will be better.

Just waiting for the sun to get round before I get out with the camera

The ornamental cherry on the verge has started losing its blossom, pink snow with every puff of wind; it was nice while it lasted

I’m trying an experiment this year, growing carrots & parsnips from the tops cut off when prepping veg.  I know years ago as a nipper in the 50s we used to grow the carrot tops on the window sill, not much else to do in those days

I’m not looking for veg, more the flowers to attract bees & insects, they make nice large flat multi flower landing pads and a nice change, sort of architectural in their way, and I suppose if self-seed free carrots & parsnips next year, probably in the lawn

 

RAS said:

I got one of those Black Satin a while back; it had a nice fat bud at the base although there was only one bud left on this year's stem after it was packed/hacked.

Nice to hear RAS, mine looks a bit past it but I can kid myself a bud has swollen overnight, don’t want to poke at it just in case it drops off, should know by the weekend I guess

Woolsery

I've just ordered a 'Merton Thornless,' as DW thinks it's a very superior blackberry based on the one we had back in the Carboniferous Period when living in the city. Others have had AGMs awardedsince then, but as with recent events, perception is everything.

Managed lots of weeding yesterday and the plumber/boiler guy did his stuff. Now the toilet he 'fixed' leaks more than it did before and the lid slams down instead of having that elegant soft descent. There are considerable advantages and also penalties when living in the posterior end of nowhere.

I'm sure I grew carrot tops too in the 50s, Farway, but I don't believe it was because we had nothing much to do. Kids then were allowed to get on with being kids for 90% of the time, so long as they turned-up for meals on time. No one asked, "Were you in the quarry?" or said, "Don't go in the ruined house down Scratchpit Lane!" They just imagined you were playing in the park; not mucking about on the town dump, hunting rats with air guns and exploding aerosol cans. Yes, there were boring rainy days, but even then we'd find something of interest in a garage, or play war with our plastic soldiers in the pub skittle alley using the wooden bungs from the barrels as missiles. There were 13 pubs in our small town, so the adults didn't do so badly either! There are only 4 now + a wine bar.

Oh dear, off topic again! Back to the weeding.....

twopenny

Sunny again!
Still poorly but managed to clean some guttering and clean a couple more flags/paving and the seed trays. I can only find 2and I'm sure I had 4 so I need to rest now but clearing up the garage must be next. Seed trays and pruning saw must be somewhere.
My plum blossom is opening! Just a few buds and some to come. If, like Farway, this continues I'm hoping for a decent crop this year.
The greengage is showing nothing yet 
Interesting idea to grow carrot tops for the insects. I may try that. 
First butterfly this morning. Newly made garden they have been the last to come.
Blackberries, the ones growing wild in my badger run are, luckily tasty. So fence protection and fruit. Love that.

Woolsery

I didn't weed yesterday after all; I had my final clear-up from the winter tree cutting as the wind was just right to do it without the bonfire inconveniencing anyone. It took most of the day, but that was because material was scattered around, so I did lots of walking and dragging branches too; all great, much needed exercise. My usual walking partner isn't able to accompany me this spring and I've lapsed somewhat....well, quite a lot!

Having had such a mild winter, I think many of our verbena bonariensis will have survived and that's one of our favourite 'landing pad' insect attractors, along with good old 'Bowles Mauve.' They both go on longer than we have a right to expect. Added to these we also have Tansy, Valerian and Achillea 'Gold Plate.' We don't seem to be able to keep the more delicate achilleas here, or echinaceas, while Centranthus ruber, which survives anywhere, isn't prolific locally. This year we're 'in between' on perennial stock, which isn't really, so it needs replacement every 3rd year or so. I have some seedlings still sitting in the bare polytunnel, totally unphased by the lack of protection.

I still haven't sown anything new in the edible line. Casting my mind back, I've had a protected growing space since 1984 and as we've been living the fictional version that year for the past two, it's appropriate I have to build back, if not better, then at least adequately. My first greenhouse was an aluminium lean-to that temporarily held pot plants in a small city garden centre demolished to make way for something more profitable. It cost £10 and a lot of swearing, despite my having labelled most the bits as I took it apart. I have a feeling the amount of polythere I'll need for the tunnel will cost about 40x or 50x as much. It'll be interesting to see if the local recycling centre will take the old cover or want to charge for it as 'commercial waste.' They know what they can do if it's the latter!

So, today I'm going to plant up some troughs with salad greens after I've done the weekly shop for stuff like peppers and cucumbers. There are some 'Little Gems' hearting-up in the polytunnel beds, plus land cress and mizuna too, so we're all right for those. As usual, I will be doing some practical investment in tinned products. Not my favourite type of food, but after yesterday's budget statement and recent happenings it's likely to be a sight better than putting any surplus in a bank! 

Farway

And another sunny warm day ahead, looking lovely outside right now

If I get round to it I may sow some beetroot in modules later today. I tried last year but failed, I blame the scabby compost which was all I could get with Covid etc. most of my seeds failed, perished or were just plain sickly and having been growing for decades I don’t think it was a sudden onset of brown fingers

The seeds this year are all up now, including my ricin castor oil “Impala”, plants, and looking exotic already just unfurling and nicely poisonous, should really have poison dripping from the leaves to complete the look.

The carrot & parsnips tops are starting into growth, I hope it works but worth a try

Woolsery, playing in ruined house and on the town dump, used to do that between spells of growing carrot tops and playing along the tow path of the canal

Hate to Black Cat but I also have Merton Thornless blackberry, grows well and very tasty. I have it grown as cordon & over arch, looks a treat in flower. Should the Black Satin survive I’ll then have three cultivated varieties

Here’s the plum blossom

Woolsery

Farway said:

If I get round to it I may sow some beetroot in modules later today. I tried last year but failed, I blame the scabby compost which was all I could get with Covid etc. most of my seeds failed, perished or were just plain sickly and having been growing for decades I don’t think it was a sudden onset of brown fingers

The seeds this year are all up now, including my castor oil plant and looking exotic already just unfurling and nicely poisonous, should really have poison dripping from the leaves to complete the look.

Woolsery, playing in ruined house and on the town dump, used to do that between spells of growing carrot tops and playing along the tow path of the canal

Lovely photo as usual, Farway.

Wonder when I will be allowed to do photos and links? I can't even edit at present.

Yes, compost was rubbish 2 years ago and I still have most of mine. It will be used for soil improvement, but B&Q stuff is still very hit and miss. Fortunately, I have large amounts of perlite, vermiculite, grit and good light soil to improve it with. Having read the runes last autumn, I also have enough fertilizer stashed for the next 4-5 years.

I'm sure you had just as much fun as I did, way back. I would have loved a canal. A water-filled quarry was a poor substitute, but in those days the rivers were alive with fish and usually safer.

I have a Ricinus from last year surviving in the conservatory, so we'll see how that goes. (Had to change your quote as 'they' thought I was posting a link! )

in_my_wellies

Another lovely sunny day here.

Yesterday I dug out the strawberry bed and took a chance on ordering bare root ones online. I'm cross because I didn't get chance to keep the runners last year so I have very few.

My brother has returned to the UK after 20+ years. I thought (and so did he until he realised the cost of stamp duty) he would settle near me to help with mum's care but he's now decided on Mid/East Devon which is where I will end up after all. He's found a house in a smallish village off the A377 half way between the north and south coast. Never a gardener I have no idea what he plans to do with the beautiful 0.25 acre. Why do people do that? It will certainly be rewilded very soon

Woolsery

in_my_wellies said:

My brother has returned to the UK after 20+ years. I thought (and so did he until he realised the cost of stamp duty) he would settle near me to help with mum's care but he's now decided on Mid/East Devon which is where I will end up after all. He's found a house in a smallish village off the A377 half way between the north and south coast. Never a gardener I have no idea what he plans to do with the beautiful 0.25 acre. Why do people do that? It will certainly be rewilded very soon

Care to be a little more specific without giving the exact location away or PM?  I happen to know many small villages half way between the coasts and 'just off the A377.' They're definitely not East Devon around there, fortunately. Mid-Devon Council is much easier to deal with!

Anywhere there with a reasonable amount of land is being snapped-up, often without much regard to the soundness of structures or other important factors. A bungalow near me went in no time recently, despite not seeing the sun for best part of half the year. And I really hope it isn't the old thatched toll house....neighbour issues of substantial proportions!!!  

phoebe1989seb

Tree trimming at the weekend here, too, or should I say "hedge" as the overgrown, twisted laurels were obviously originally intended as such when the mill was part of the big house estate 🙄  Neglected by the two previous owners to ourselves - I definitely agree with the *why buy somewhere with loads of garden if it's not your thing* sentiment expressed by in_my_wellies - they had managed to reach some 25-30' 😮

Fortunately there were no nests in sight and as we have so many other trees, the birds won't struggle to find a suitable location 😊

We're not done yet, but the amount of light that's been let in is amazing!

Today it's another warm, sunny one so I've been clearing up, moving branches to the bonfire pile, like Woolsery 🌞

I've also - almost - finished transplanting the bluebells from the old rockery to beneath our ancient apple tree, where they've joined the masses of primroses I gathered into one place from dotted around in ones and twos elsewhere in the garden.

Walking round our plot, there's loads of new life appearing/already in flower - most notably the Brunnera Betty Bowring, Pulmonaria (Sissinghurst White and Opal) and Bergenia (a white too, but can't recall which) are all flowering away in the white bed. Lots of blossom on the magnolia stellata and one of the ornamental cherries....and there's a bud on my Lady Emma Hamilton rose 😄

Those cheap daffodils have been well worth the £4 expenditure!

Need to get on with clearing as I've an Amelanchier to go in later.....