Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Woolsery

I think there's less wind today and plenty of sunshine forecast, so I'm off outdoors. Before I go here's piccie of a Cistus ladanifer (?) I grew from seed about 10 years ago with a wheelbarrow for scale. Its a great plant for about 2 weeks of the year when it's actually in flower, but it will withstand incredibly dry conditions and it's evergreen, so a good weed suppressant at the base of hedges etc.

Sorry about the state of the polytunnel!

twopenny

Beautiful, that's a real triumph!
Sunshine and beautiful weather, but still a fair breeze ( read windy) so being a fine weekend forcast I'm expecting to rest this afternoon and get starting on garden chores like de bugging, mowing and pruning.

Farway

Warm & sunny day forecast, so without any rain due I made an early start down to the volunteer garden & watered all the pots, some of the sunflower seeds I poked in them last time have germinated and Hotlips has fresh growth after the haircut & feed.

Pleased to see one border that was sort of planned as shrubby roses [rugosa] with buddleia backing is looking good as hoped with rose scent wafting on the warm breeze, far better than looking at bare fence IMO and given the incompetence of some drivers it makes a handy crash barrier, we’ve had two so far floor the Go instead of Stop pedal

Back home, replanted one of Bishops Children dahlias uprooted by squirrels, I have one remaining lanky tomato to find a home for this afternoon, I think I’ll stick it out the front in one of the large pots.

Ordered some of the One Pound seeds from Browns for next year, nothing exotic and no beans or tomatoes because I already have seed & hoping to carry over

Woolsery

Nothing much to report yet, but it was a super day yesterday and I spotted a couple of things, neither of them captured by my camera yet, so I'll hold fire for now.

Another bit of lovely weather may allow me to complete my first new deep bed today.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of the stream area, more or less minus stream now.   The geraniums are coming along well and there are a few other additions I'm trying out. If they look 'naturalish,' they'll get to stay. 

liberty_lily

I've been missing in action due to connectivity issues for over a week (no signal at all indoors and only outside intermittently if I wander to the very furthest point of the garden) and sadly no-one's pics are showing up for me 😦

Lovely weather here for the past couple of days so I've made the most of lack of internet by getting lots of garden clearance done, particularly some huge clumps of sedge! Of our 64 roses, many are beginning to open now including the first couple of flowers on two of the ramblers (American Pillar and Frances E Lester). Sarah Bernhardt Peony buds getting huge but not yet open, Allium mount everests looking good in the white bed plus the first iris (Not Quite White) flowering and my broad bean plants are starting to push up through the soil.

We were planning to edge the rose beds with ilex crenata instead of box (we planted box at two previous houses, but not sure how it's survived - a couple of our topiary box here are succumbing to either blight or caterpillar), but as we recently lost a £400+ ilex crenata cloud tree, I'm having second thoughts ☹️

liberty_lily

Meant to add, we have eleven little apricots on the potted tree, two quinces on the tree in the mini orchard and we had lots of medlar blossom so hoping for some fruits there...

twopenny

So a mixed deal here.

Lovely weather but the soil is so dry because even the bit of rain hasn't made up for the prolonged dry.

My cherry tree went from a few bent leaves to rampant destruction in a short period of time so looks like I've lost my lovely crop of cherries. It's the leaves that were attacked but I guess the dry weather made the situation worse. I went out and squished everything I could find with paper towels. Yuck!

So while I was at it the blackfly on the broad beans got a squidge too. They are on the stems not the tops so pinching out won't work.

I'm thinking the tree should be washed down with something this winter though I really have no idea where these are coming from.

One little lady bird fell in my lap when working. What happened to the swarms we used to get that hit the news headlines?

Been mowing, tidying, pruning and the roses are doing splendidly.

The funniest thing was seeing a pigeon sat in the bird bath like a nest. I think it needed to cool down.

in_my_wellies

Another perfect day for gardening, mostly sunny but with light cloud which kept the temperature just right. Like you 2P I found it too dry to do anything other than general clearing up and tidying. It's far too dry to dig or plant and so my backdoor nursery grows and needs watering and snail removal. I'm away next weeks so I can't risk anything newly planted. My good crop of cherries are suffering too. After the 'May drop' I expect the birds will have the rest. 

I won't try to compete with that pigeon photo - brilliant! 

Today I'm visiting DS2, a 2 hour drive. Going with instructions about what to take and that it's not a social visit, I need to do the garden I do that anyway and am rewarded with a swim in his pool and good lunch. 

Farway

Another one MIA yesterday but I was active in the garden at least. Finally got my climbing beans in, all three of them, one thing about dry weather is the weeds give up easily and I managed to clear the large bean pot without any trouble

I also got on and took leaf cuttings from my four Dibleys Streptocarpus, fingers crossed on them but should be fine. I noticed the large old Strep I had and spilt up earlier this year is just showing fresh flower buds, I’ll soon be looking for new homes for those.

Oh dear 2P, shame about the cherry, mines holding its own so far, I’m hoping my plum doesn’t go downhill with aphids, I could spray but bit loath to with the plums now swelling nicely but may be driven to it. I was squishing yesterday, woolly aphid on one of the apples, sticky job but I’ve found if caught in time one squish is enough

My £1 offer seeds are on the way, of course I have since discovered an unopened packet of Wotan beetroot seeds, grrrr, looks like next year is going to be beetroot heavy

Out to lunch later with son & family, probably at a garden centre, can I keep my wallet in my pocket or will “stuff” come home with me?  I do need a bag of compost & having strapping son to hand to lug it into the car boot may be an opportunity not to be missed, depending on prices on a sunny Sunday at a garden centre

Woolsery

Yesterday there were cloudless skies here, but today we have quite a lot of grey and a cool SE wind. Pleased to say I almost completed my first deep bed to DB's satisfaction, so, with luck, that should be operative by the Bank Holiday.

Yesterday I tok a photo of the 'tulip' I found in the top field at about the same time as goldfinches found one in a similar location. Pleased to say mine turned out somewhat better than a tulip!

Spot the spider!