Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Hurray for sm daffs - they're very cheering

No I didn't see Hairy Bikers, but an orchard of wee fruit trees sounds very appealing. Have you got room for one 2p? Would mini trees produce mini fruit or is it just the tree that's mini?

Had a lot of rain here last night. My decking had dried up beautifully in that fierce wind yesterday, but it's back to a slip-n-slide now. The rain's starting to ease off I think, and at least the wind is from the south so it's mild here. 

It's the Oracle's birthday today, my lovely neighbour said she thinks she's 80. She's funny about birthday and 'too much fuss' so I've only bought her a card that I'll quietly slip through her door when she's out. Won't be hard cos she's never in ha haa!

wort

My Son-in-law came by whilst I was at work and manage to get the large shrub out, he did manage to break my wheelie bucket 🧐 but seeing as I only paid a small amount for it and it’s given years of service I will forgive him. He did offer to replace but I refused I am just pleased to get the bloomin thing out. 

Yesterday my bil came and took it plus stump and old paint and other stuff to the tip for me ,so the garage looks much better.
It has been a week of torrential rain and strong winds, yesterday the wind felt quite icy. So the stump hole now resembles a swimming pool! 

There are a few roots I’ll need to eradicate as much as possible, before new plant goes in.
I think possibly there was some bulbs and other plants eradicated in the move but hard to tell yet.
i have bulbs shooting in other areas though, so hope the sleet doesn’t kill any off. I’m pretty sure my rosemary isn’t in flower Farway , but with a furry animal sat on my legs keeping me warm and he will be grumpy if I turf him off.

twopenny

No I don't really have room, yes it will make life difficult mowing when I get a life back but the absolute pleasure of super tasty fruit whenever you fancy is one of lifes pleasures.

Yes different sizes of tree but fruit is normal size. I used to have a full sized bramley apple tree and apples 6 months of the year. Now waiting for my 5ft baby ones to get big enough for fruit.
I've a 3ft cherry tree that I love. The tiny apple didn't make it.

Just found out the smallest greengage is a pixie rootstock. More investigaation needed.

Blue you could plant autum fruiti  raspberries now. Raspberries for breakfast  just dig t h em up when you plant your designer garden.

Wet, not blowing so much and mild. It's supposed to have sunny spells today. Can only hope.

Farway

Back to gales & horizontal rain this morning, it's just awful outside

Regarding the oak tree felling, there are no other nearby trees for squirrels to move too, with luck they'll move into the tree killing neighbour's loft

I like the mini orchard idea 2P, it's what I've been doing, which is why I like the idea. I'm tad too old but if I had time I'd get grafting trees as well on the assumption many can spare a few twigs of a desired variety for grafting, in fact there are "swap" groups on FB

YBE, no, it's full size apples from mini tree, just less of them, unless you stray into bonsai world of course

Given the awful weather, I was very glad to see this flower on an African violet I grew from a leaf cutting, it's on my kitchen window sill with just the one flower at the moment

YoungBlueEyes

That's a beautiful colour Farway, I do like those.

Would Wooly loan you a couple of sheep 2p, then you'd not have to worry about mowing at all

The guy who owned this house before the woman we bought it off (itms) was a proper gardener apparently. Lovely neighbour said he grew lots of food but mostly fruit. She identified a handful of leafy stalky bits as his old rasp stock - at least, that's where she remembers them being. So I may already have a bit of something!

I've asked lovely nieghbour to stop feeding The Murderous Colin so he can gobble up my mouse and she said she would   I really wish she was my actual neighbour (we're in semis, she's next door but not attached). My attached neighbours are inconsiderate screaming heathen scum who make us sorry we bought this house. Be good if we could have a swop round cos her actual neighbour is a dreadful person too she says. Cest la vie :shrug:

Farway

Colder this morning, and dull, no gardening today

However, I have been browsing the seed catalogues that came in the post, horrified at the prices of runner bean seeds, not that I want any, but all even the common ones, are over £4 a packet. I save my own seeds and at those prices I reckon a lot more will do the same

It's not all seeds that are dear though, some at 49p, so I guess they know their market

Off to rummage for my bean seed packets even though I only sow half a dozen, mainly for the slugs breakfasts

YoungBlueEyes

C-o-l-d here this morning. It was windy yesterday so I thought that'd blow all the damp away and it wouldn't be too icy when the temps dropped. Wrong. Outside my back door is an ice rink (NW facing so it got a full blow yesterday). Forecast for today is sunny though  

I saw the queer bird again. It's deffo not a blackie cos both Mr+Mrs blackie are fighting with it. I'm desperate to get a good photo so yous can see it.

You've got to keep a few slugs on the go Farway, or what will hedgehogs eat? Do you have hedgehogs? 

I've got rasps on my shopping list. Lovely neighbour thinks I've already got some in the garden. They're only skinny leafless stalks now but she remembers that's where last but one (possibly) had a fruit patch. I'd be happy about that

Farway

Hard frost this morning, on wet ground, so loads of problems on the roads round here with us Southern Softies. DIL took two hours to get to work, and D granddaughter still stuck on the college coach. I'm indoors though, so not a problem for me

Only gardening is continuing browsing the catalogue, quite tempted by some, the Cannas are calling but blooming expensive though. If I did, I will have to dose with vine weevil killer, just too expensive to plant & hope

Just checked and maybe if I buy some I could increase them by tuber division, depends on size received, of course. Cunning Plan taking shape

Meanwhile, I have added some pot grown herbs to my Asda grocery shop, 60p a pot, curly parsley. rosemary & thyme are the only ones available right now, come spring they'll be OK for planting out and cut herbs all summer. I still have flat leaf parsley from last year

Hoping to pop into Home Bargains tomorrow for fertiliser and maybe find some bulbs, plants, tubers etc to tempt

YBE hope you have rasps, mine have all but died off. I did read they all succumb to virus & everything after a few years, that plus neglect & drought in my case. I still get the occasional couple now & then, sort of consolation prizes

No hedgehogs, they seem to have died out or at least moved away

in_my_wellies

Very icy here this morning. I was supposed to dop the car off for its MOT at 7.30am but I chickened out of driving over the bridge by the reservoir. I waited until the gritter and a few big lorries had passed over first. The garage didn't mind. I went for a walk whilst I waited, although icy underfoot, it was beautiful with the sunshine on the frosty fields. 

Whilst still wrapped up I walked round the garden and the woods. What do they say about falling trees not making a sound if no one see it? Well a fairly large ash has fallen, I didn't hear it but I suspect I will hear the chainsaw in a few days time when the owner comes to clear it - he doesn't leave much for the critters. 

I put a few halved apples out for the fieldfares which only come when there is snow. 

The African Violet photo brought back memories Farway. Thanks for that. It's a long time since I've seen them

YoungBlueEyes

Ah I love a frosty sunny walk 😊 

I didn’t see any rasp plants when I was out shopping. Mind you I only nipped to Lidl and they’ve no plants at all. 

Here’s what I already have. They’re in better shape than I thought, last time I looked they were about dead but there’s some leaves on the tops and a few buds too, so they’re a living something if not rasps. Also, they’re bendy not brittle. 

I don’t know how’d you tell if they’re rasps from these pics tho ha haa!