Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Thank you for the sympathy 
Surely it will come to an end eventually. Meanwhile I enjoyed a sit in the garden with book and refreshments and my rose that is supposed to be shrub is arching in musk scented blooms over the space so must get some sort of arch built. Got the makings just not in the mood for digging holes and concreting.
I'm reminded that we rarely see ladybirds these days. They were a common sight.
Had a shock when I saw damage to my dwarf box hedge and immediately thought the worst. Then I thought it was snail damage - now I'm finding caterpillar type webs front and back.
I've seen the damage they can do on coastal plants. I've sprayed the areas with dilute fairy liquid and hoping.
It will dramatically affect the layout if I loose the dwarf hedging 

in_my_wellies

Woolsery Lovely photo of the Hesperis matronalis. Looks like a well behaved plant. I'm pleased you can recycle you staging. I'm all for that. My brassica cage is made from old gazebo corners, white plastic water pipes, old copper piping and net curtains, just one side has 'proper' netting.
Another woman has an adjoining allotment/garden. During a lockdown out daughters came to have a clear out. Between them they said we could build a house with all the 'rubbish' we had stored. They 'think' they threw lots away but we know otherwise  

Woolsery

I noticed our medlars flowering yesterday, wellies. There used to be a lady in the village who who'd come and pick the fruit for medlar jelly, but she no longer has a jam and condiments business so I'm afraid they go to waste. Even the chickens aren't keen!

I'm not sure I'd be keen on your Alkanet either, but it is pretty at this time of year and I tolerated some in our old garden. Never seen it here.

I'm supposed to be visiting a friend today to continue planting-up their new garden, started last year. However, it's not looking very favourable out there, so we'll have to see if the rain lifts.

RAS

Woolsery, if you add lime juice to medlars, it makes a huge difference to the flavour.

Farway

Weather not looking too promising here either, dull, cold & windy and may get some rain

My very nice neighbour cut my grass for me yesterday, one less thing I can’t do to fret over,.

 2P, your box sounds like it may be time to think of replacements, from what I’ve heard the Fairy liquid just doesn’t work but I hope it does for you, another imported pest like my lily beetles, amazing how quickly they spread in a few years

My fresh replacement sowing of dwarf French beans have germinated, give them a few more weeks and they can go out, meanwhile I’m hardening off the climbing ones, the “blind” one has sprouted two ears so fingers crossed it will survive despite losing its growing tip

Like Woolsery, I have a couple of lanky toms that need planting out, but it’s Arctic out there so best left cosy but gasping for now

Today picture is the last streptocarpus to open from my four Dibleys plugs, this one is Harlequin Blue, looking like it deserved Plant of the Year 2010

twopenny

Farway the box were only planted 3ys ago!

Then the paving done last year means their roots may have been compromised.

Also i let a lot of new soft growth stay this year because it looked good. That may have been a mistake.
Fingers crossed. Starting again would be a depressing nightmare as they form the shape of the garden.

in_my_wellies

It turned out very cold and windy today inside and out. I decided to clear a small bed by my front path as it's sunny there. After all the heavy showers we've had this past week I expected damp soil but it was like dust beyond 1" depth. Geraniums will survive. 

Twopenny - I cut my sons fancy shaped box three weeks ago. Last cut exactly a year ago on my previous visit. I'm really hoping it survives the shock. I managed not to cut into the old wood except for one tiny mishap. Fingers crossed for me too except I doubt my son will notice so I'll not know till next year just like he didn't notice the two beautiful 6' tall ball shaped bay trees had died either side of his front door 

Woolsery

Two power cuts yesterday and another long one this morning helped me begin my day in olde style..... I wonder if they were just the usual blips we get in the country or a foretaste of things to come? I'm not going to say much, but my forays into the world of economics are indicating serious problems with stocks of certain foods in a few months time. It will be too late when the bulk of the population realise and clear the shelves. Like veggie seeds, it's not a bad idea to build up some stocks anyway while prices are still low.

On box blight, Dearly Beloved has relied on our relative isolation here for protection and so far she's got away with it. I've seen it in a posh garden about 5 miles away, so it's not far off. There's lots of alternatives to box, but sadly not all are as easy from cuttings. Here's a few suggestions from the RHS, most of which I agree with. The exception is Lonicera nitida, which would be banned from UK gardens if I had my way!

https://www.rhs.org.uk/my-account/articles/alternatives-to-box

It was cool, wet and windy here yesterday, so regrettably I was unable to help my friend on the coast to fill her garden. I managed to get jobs done here I'd been putting off and sowed more veg including some patio squash I'm trialling. The first lot of that seed rotted in the pot like your  beans, Farway. Never mind, you have some truly edible looking Streptocarpus!

Tossing a coin in a mo to see if I shop or attempt another go at the deep beds, now re-specified by DB who doesn't want to bend so far. Considering there's another 1/2 acre of garden where the surface is still where it's always been I'm not convinced a few m2 will make much odds, but anything for a quiet life! 

EDIT: We had a further power cut two seconds after I posted, so I have only just popped the RHS link in!

Farway

Just can’t make this weather out! Forecast is cool but when I popped my head out it was very warm but dull, so much so I may just get on and weed the pots where the climbing beans are going to go, I’ll have to do it soon ’cos the beans are now getting their skates onwards & upwards

Box, 2p, sorry I wasn’t clear when I said replacement, I was thinking of them just getting eaten and dying not due to age or anything like that. Woolsery, I’ve seen the RHS layout with the box alternatives at Wisley, it’s actually quite impressive and thinking outside the box if you’ll forgive the pun

Although I’m not one for clipped hedging I do think that if box fails some of the alternatives look better to my eyes, but as with a lot of gardening things there is a reason some plants are commonly used in preference to others

Woolsery, I think I’m follow the same reasoning as you regarding economics and what may be ahead, hence my excursion after many decades into cucumber & lettuce growing, a slight touch of planning ahead on my part.

On the veg seed front, as you say now is a good time to get them in, the £1 packet offers are still on, and no doubt there will be bargain bucket bins in some garden centres once this bank holiday is over and they want the seed display space for more profitable BBQ items

While head was popped out this morning I spied my purple clematis is just starting to flower, it’s loving the spot it’s in and making a good but unplanned job of covering my useless, mislabelled & this year fruitless red pear, I’m quite pleased how that area is accidently shaping up

twopenny

Farway, sheer panic on my part having spent 3yrs and seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Just hoping it's not an oncoming train.
The box plants were healthy and £3 where the alternative from garden centre would have been £8 x 30......
Busy today and this evening there's a ferocious cold wind. I'll be looking to mow, plant, net etc over the weekend.
I got home to find plants waiting to be planted blown around  and those planted needing water and treatment so plenty to do.
The plant addiction is still there. Came home with a beautiful pink scabious, now wish I'd bought 2!