Awful weather - typical Brits talk

in_my_wellies

My visitor has left, I thought I invited her for the weekend but she stayed for a week, high maintenance too but got me out of my hermit bubble. So now I have to catch up as precisely no gardening has been done and at this time of the year too! Much needed rain has fallen (and brought out the snails)

Barnesdale was lovely although a bit in between seasons. I have hosta envy - no snails there



Farway, those blackberries are way ahead of mine which are still in small tight buds. Woolsery, all my aquilegia have reverted to pale pink. 


My neighbour told me this weigela was planted in the 1960s when the garden was modified. Half died last summer but this half is making up. I can usually find at least one flower every month of the year. 

I lost the label to this last summer when workmen fixed the nearby window but this picture shows all four shades of yellow. Pity it's not smelly-vision too



Must get on! 

So do I choose Devon or Dorset? A house in Devon my brother looked at is unexpectedly back on the market. He's decided on one by the beach.  I'm seriously tempted except the drive looks very small

Woolsery

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the floppy tomatoes, Farway. I've stuck mine outside when I can, but the wind here has been too fresh on  some many days.

Not a lot to report. We had visitors on Tuesday who wanted to do some major tidying-up in the big barn, but I left them to it while the morning's weather held and pushed-on with a job I've put off for a year, namely building a small concrete base for seating  in the herb garden. I tried to get away without one, just using pavers, but the ants moved in.  There were no good seats to be had anywhere, so the whole thing was shelved.

Yesterday DD had a half barrel delivered to contain the lillies and other flora/fauna currently in her pond at her rental house in Bristol. After she and her husband leave there they'll help us build a pond, but there will be other priorities, like a site for their mobile home and a new waste water treatment plant. I'm expecting the latter to drain into the stream, giving us a small amount of extra dampness there, even when the natural flow ceases in summer droughts. With regard to the barrel, I'm hoping the creatures like a wee dram now and again, as it still has quite a strong odour!

Our mini ponds made from old wash house 'coppers' (actually iron)  now have some life in them. I've seen water lice and diving beetles and DB has spotted a newt.

 Today's plant is very floriferous, albeit for a relatively short time. I found it surprisingly easy from seed.

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liberty_lily

Lovely pics in_my_wellies and woolsery 😃

We've had a reasonable amount of rain here, but it's dry and sunny this morning so I've been out taking a few pics too.

Iris (inherited from previous owner so not sure what)...Pink rhododendron now in full bloom...
And another rose (Desdemona)...
Not a great deal of gardening going on, although the other evening we did succeed in getting the second large planter moved. We put the apricot tree in the first and it's now sunning itself against a south-facing wall. The second is in the 'front' garden planted up with the remaining ilex crenata cloud tree (excuse the salvage yard!)....

Farway

Nice rain overnight, sunny now

Lovely photos everyone, I have some more cape primrose to post but can’t seem to get a good shot that does them justice, thank heavens for digital cameras so cheap & easy to try again

The climbing beans I sowed the other day in pots in conservatory are up now, bit worrying is a couple seem to be “blind” and I’m not sure if they’ve been scoffed by snails or it’s just the way they are as it’s not a variety I’ve grown before, “Moonlight” Anyway, poked a couple more seeds in to make up, no doubt all will grow well and a surplus later

Before the rain yesterday I potted on the beetroot I had growing in modules, hopefully they will be fine and give me something later in the year, never used module sowing before so never too late to learn new tricks

IMW, I think the blackberry I have in flower is early type, Merton Thornless, another I have “Thornfree” is still in tight bud, and fruit can be fickle. I have an apple down the bottom where not one apple has set, yet right next to it another tree has loads set, which is why, apart from taste etc. I try and grow more than one variety of most things

I’d go for Devon but both counties are nice, and I’m sure both have rougher bits as well

Woolsery

Farway said:

I’d go for Devon but both counties are nice, and I’m sure both have rougher bits as well

Unfortunately, I found myself in one of the rough bits of Dorset as a child and the experience left me jaded about the county, but some of my family live there and like it. I don't think I'm giving too much away by showing you the house I lived it for 10 months. Of course, the whole area's very up-market now, the house has been extended and the lane is clean, even in winter:

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8510023,-2.8079519,3a,75y,61.03h,84.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMRNBKmUbi05mSNaPLK2ucw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Discovering the wildlife was fantastic for a lad from London and I even appreciated the views, but the kids..... polite words fail me! At least I didn't try to shoot them, like the vicar's son. Fortunately, a lad with a 12 bore he could barely carry attracted some attention!

Coming here to Devon after Dorset was simply wonderful, even if the first thing my teacher did was stand me in front of the class and make me sing. They hadn't invented child psychology then, of course. Anyway, it was a great opportunity to scope out the girls and my attention fell on one called Ann, whom I now email occasionally. She still looks amazing for 73....

But I digress....If choosing between Devon and Dorset these days  I'd be diplomatic and choose Somerset, especially the part between Taunton and Minehead with the Quantocks in the east, Exmoor in the west and not so very far from the Levels; a really contrasting landscape.....Oh, and still not just around the corner from MiL!

Woolsery

Just spotted all the great pictures. What a lovely time of year....and a bit of sheep fence makes me feel right at home, lily!

twopenny

I love the phrase 'Hermit Bubble'......... I've had a couple of friends round for the day and it's exhausting. I'm just happy to get out and about and relax after the last 2 yrs stress.

Plus there are some village gardens open in July. The ones near me are only opening the big ones this month which I don't really get much joy from. I like the small and quirkey where I can get ideas. Hopefully that will be the July ones.

Well I've been unwell this week. I guess it's because I really was isolated the last 2yrs and just started mixing and getting close to people. Too miserable to get any work done. Hopefully this weekend.

So pleased that the rain and sun have made my new garden look really mature and where I thought there wasn't enough roses they are burgeoning (?)

There are things to be moved come the winter when I widen the beds but I think I'm done for the time being.

However there is the badger run which is over grown. I need to take that in hand as a new project. It's not visible so easy to forget.

It just looks like somewhere you want to sit and be already so I must make sure I make time for that. It's too easy to just keep going and not sit back and enjoy your hard work.

Loved all the pictures and stories. It's facinating to see.

Farway

Another one here enjoying the recent rain, and still coming down this morning which saves me watering the pots today which has become my “normal” Friday job

Sounds like you have been having a bad time of it 2p, at least your garden is showing the results of the hard work you have put in, time to enjoy it

I was on my routine lily beetle hunt out the front yesterday afternoon when my normally non-social but friendly enough when cornered neighbour spoke without being spoken to first, she has kindly offered to mow my grass for me, Yay, it is getting long and a good hack will be very welcome

My back & lack of puff prevents me doing it as I can’t even lift the hover mower out of the shed

I later saw her & a visitor eyeing up their bare front patch, probably another cunning plan. She is the one who buys plants and then never waters or cares for them, then its rinse & repeat for rest of the year

My figs are doing well so far this year, not bowlfuls to look forward to but at least it’ll be a taste after zero last year, here’s a couple from yesterday. In large pot outside, sheltered from North winds

Woolsery

Ah, that's me in the herb garden there.... when I get the blooming concrete pad down and put in the pavers for the seat. At  the current rate of progress, maybe August? It's been peeing down this morning so far, but due to lift, which is good because I have to shop and pick up my wood for the deep beds which are becoming somewhat deeper. The best wood yard doesn't pressure treat wood until it's ordered, but at least its on the way to the shops, so no extra journey today.

Crikey, that's some big heap of what looks like Erigeron karvinskianus on steroids in the background. It's an odd plant; sow the seed and they won't come up, but pop it in the garden and it will travel about happily year to year, or in a town situation it'll come up between paving slabs. Reminds me of Erodium pelargoniflorum, which needs to be surface sown then neglected a lot! I will do a photo of that. At last my big primulas for the streamside are germinating, but the slugs want them as much as I do!

twopenny

You noticed! Yes it was a huge mound and it looked beautiful. Not something I would have thought of but it was perfect for that cottage garden. Very clever.
I have it here. Hard to keep under control and won't grow where you try to plant it.
Almost forgot, I had a brief go at the badger run this week and found a young frog and a young grass snake.
I was thrilled. So I somehow need to change plan to make it possible to walk there and enough vegitation to encourage the wildlife.
Morrisons gave me free cornflower seeds on my recent visit. Remember previously they gave sunflower seeds? I still have those. Anyone know if they are stil viable? 
I can collect wild poppies locally. It's a start.