Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Woolsery

Spent much of yesterday indoors, hiding from the heat. The north side of our bungalow stays cool, so when we get around to it, we can have a shade garden in the corner between the converted garage and a bedroom.

I finally got the last of 6 courgette plants in when it cooled down and the first deep bed is ready to go, so hopefully things will start being productive soon. Having diggers soon driving about over our usual veg garden has pushed us into new territory and the food supply issues have affected our longer term plans too.

My plant for today is Parahebe 'Porlock,' which doesn't much like being in pots. This one is sitting in a dry, raised bed near the back door mainly occupied by mint. It seems happy enough there.

Farway

Early start up to Volunteer garden to water large pots using a hose. Good job I made the effort because the cosmos were just starting to wilt, a jolly good soaking was given to all. The cosmos have opened up now so picture is due

Of course having watered it’s now spitting with rain, not enough to do any good mind you

My first Bishops children dahlia has flowered, another photo due, also spent a bit of time squishing woolly aphids on an apple; I’ve found that if I catch them early it keeps them away

Something, a squirrel I guess, has really dug out the contents of a large pot and it’s everywhere, but there was nothing in the pot AFAIK, what a PIA, I’ve left it for the moment but it’s on the “to do” list

Today’s pictures are my white currants; I get to eat these because they’re hidden and not easy for birds to reach, seems caterpillars found them though, second picture

twopenny

Yes, I've got tiny white catterpillars on my raspberries. Have to be careful when I pick them.

The greenfly have attacked the new growth on the plum tree. I lost a plum when I was pruning them off but the tree I was repeatedly assured was a dwarf is no such thing so that's going to be a problem on my neighbours boundary.

At least yesterdays heat came with a breeze so not so bad and today we have rain. Not heavy enough though it's refreshed the plants I'm not convinced it's enough for me to dig out the turf or really help the fruit.

Bird bath and hedgehog bowl filled with water, food put out for the blackbirds that can't get into the ground for worms. Only one baby this time, usually 3.

I was watching the sparrows feeding their young and showing them how to do a dirt bath. Lucky my veg patch is right under their nesting tree

RAS

Slightly off topic. Spent a day volunteering down south (ish). Thought you might be interested in the platinum garden. It rained much of the day and heavily just before I left. That saw off the crowds viewing earlier so grabbed a few shots on the phone.  There's some naff squash plants, bolting beetroots, fruit bushes and wild strawberries in amongst.



The bog garden and inside the lower part of the corrugated iron tower.  As well as the inevitable bug hotel in the bottom of the steel girder. I assume they also attract predators to the feast? 

Woolsery

Is that Frances Tophill's garden at the NEC, RAS? Makes me feel quite good about ours. We have 3 sinks awaiting deployment and that barrow looks only slightly worse than one of mine!

Frances is a Deb'n girl now....down Dawlish way I think. With their climate she's got it easy and I wouldn't be surprised to see a revival of the fruit growing around there as the recession and shortages bite. Big with tomatoes and strawberries at one time, those coastal areas could be used better. Just look at the 2 litre potted Alstroemeria I gave my friend last July for her garden on the estuary!

No gardening for us yesterday as we were clearing out more of the barn, but we had a sudden wild storm mid afternoon which knocked plants over and tore branches from trees before settling down to steady rain. Thunder too. Now the grass will grow.....

Farway

twopenny said:

Yes, I've got tiny white catterpillars on my raspberries. Have to be careful when I pick them.

The greenfly have attacked the new growth on the plum tree. I lost a plum when I was pruning them off but the tree I was repeatedly assured was a dwarf is no such thing so that's going to be a problem on my neighbours boundary.

Somewhere I’ve read there is no such thing as dwarf plum, something to do with root stocks and none suitable. I think the “dwarf” tag is relative, means it’s about twenty feet at final height and not forty. I suspect this is part of the problem with my plum in large pot, if I had room it would be in the ground

Woolsery, love the Alstroemeria, another plant I’ve always wanted, your picture may just prompt me into trying one as the look so exotic

Yesterday’s rain came to nothing; waste of time never even refreshed the plants, which means I will probably have to water the coleus at the front, in troughs and I was hoping nice gentle rain would do it for me

Very windy today, and colder compared to previous days, nothing planned in the garden for today, I have DD arriving later for dad’s day so maybe she will go home with one of my cape primroses?

RAS

Correct, Woolsery. Very shabby chic. Lots of structure and a lot on using recycled materials, and escape slopes in all the sinks.

Some interesting little notes, like the different height of the soil either side of a hornbeam hedge; upper side having to hide potted trees which couldn't be sunk in the ground.  If you know what you are looking at.

Tatton best in show last year was a wild garden; not a cultivar in sight. Stone wall, mini wood and rough pasture.

All interesting but also b* annoying when you've put up good and bad plants to explain about disease and climate stress with notes, and get marked down for not being show quality. 

Farway, you're correct. Apples you can put on M27, pear is much harder but you can at least prune. I've a cherry on Gisela 5 that I can net with the help of a cane. Although it looks like a lollipop because the new growth is distorted. 

Plums need pruning now. No later than early July. There is no really dwarfing rootstock. So take out a few tall verticals now just above an outward facing branch or shoot and do some more next year. You can safely cut back this year's long growth to 5 leaves, although that makes it bushier in future.

Farway

RAS, thanks for plum pruning tips, I’ll need to get on with mine sharpish although it’s not unruly at the moment I think the centre could do with some air and of course the “looking a bit dead” branch needs to come out

I do wonder if all this Eco & unkempt looking show gardens are a bit “Emperor’s new clothes”, it’ll be a brave judge who crosses the Eco warriors, as you say RAS, must be infuriating when not show quality is given. You may recall someone submitted plastic flowers once, the Irish bloke I think, and because of name he got away with it.

Today I need to tie up some of my lilies at the front, they’d be OK flopping but I need the space underneath for the last of my red leaved coleus to go into

Yesterday I had son & daughter come over after treating me to pub lunch, I think I may have given a few ideas to daughter regarding espalier training fruit, impressed with the trained gooseberry & pear.  Her daughter is the one attending horticultural college so maybe; just maybe, they can get the SIL to train his fruit trees as I’ve been itching to do for years

Today’s picture is from the volunteer border I tend, I know it as Lambs ears but Google tells me it is Stachys byzantine, it’s doing well there, neglected, poor soil and baked every summer suits it well. PS, a teasel in the background, they also love it there

twopenny

Thank you folks for the hints and tips on Plum trees. Most welcome if a little concerning as it's other side of the fence from my neighbours newly laid little patio

My fruit trees were going to be espaliered. I may try that low key way as quite right. It's getting an over full top-not.

As I thought it may die from the weeping branches I wasn't too bothered but it still seems fine and producing.

Farway, my Lambsears are blooming too. Not as prettily as that but the bees love them.

liberty_lily

Nice lambs ears, Farway! We have them too...in the not-quite-white bed 🙄, added for the foliage as I believe was done at Sissinghurst 😉

So, for us the weather on Friday was not as hot as predicted, then Saturday's torrential turned into a few thunder claps first thing, one massive downpour, followed by a few showers and blustery wind throughout the day. It was, however, sufficient to put paid to building work outside, not to mention gardening...and now the roses are exhibiting the scars of over watering.

Yesterday was dry and sunny so the building work resumed. Today is blue skies all round, so I'm clearing up the aftermath of the rain/wind...ie, much dead-heading of roses and generally tidying up!

There's still lots doing ok, though. Patty's plum has eight flowers this year! 

The phlomis are starting to open...

And the day lilies too....