Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

New neighbour claims they're gardeners. If I see actions matching words, I'll lower the laurel hedge planted between us and let more light into their detached garden area. It's been a dumping ground and wilderness all the time we've been here, but the wildlife's probably enjoyed it. Our garden proper is over 200m away, so there won't be a lot of chit-chat over the hedge or privacy issues.

Primroses love our acid soil. If we didn't cull many seedlings, we'd have little else! My Merton Thornless looks Norwegian Blue-ish, but I'm expecting it to pop up from around the base any day now. The same goes for the raspberries I ordered. Never had such a slow batch of plants!

YoungBlueEyes

Am sans primroses here (so far ) I wonder if I have acid soil… Is there an old school way to test it or do I need to go buy some sort of tester? 

I popped out to vote this morning, and came back via the garden centre cos I saw a board saying they’ve a sale on! I bought 2 houseplants, the labels tell me they’re a bromeliad and an asparagus. Couple of quid each so it was a sin not to. The asparagus is all feathery and fluffy  

I took a pic of next door but ones fence eating triffid, I mean rose (where’s the strike button gone?) I don’t know what sort it is but there’s a lot of it. Lovely neighbour says it’s beautiful and fragrant. Good job himself came back with plenty, I’ve enough to share even if it’s a 50/50 hit rate. 

twopenny

Yes Blue, the greengage has is definitely deceased. It has a sprout from the roots/rootstock thats beginning to look like a wild plum. I need a 'privacy' tree so along with other ner'do wells I'll plant it behind the fence in the badger run and see what happens.

Shame about primroses Farway, I'm shortly going to be digging out some self seeders in my lovely, no longer here, neighbours garden I'm tending. To pot up for the charity stall. I don't think they'll make it through the post or I'd offer.

YoungBlueEyes

Speaking of charity stalls, I hawked the majority of my forest round the charity shops here yesterday and most took some. I'd still some left so I asked in the church at the end of my road if they'd like some. The 2 cleaning women in there said ooh yes cos they've a fete on Monday and they'll soon go. So I humped a load round, then another load. 3rd trip was the big pots and I'm carrying them with my fingers in the tops like a barmaid carrying empties, and this time the rector's in there. First thing she said to me? "Err have you sanitised your hands?" pointing at the gel by the door.  I couldn't think of an answer that was appropriate to say to her (even though I'm agnostic it's not right to use bad language to vicars etc) so I just left them down, thanked the cleaners for being lovely and left 

You'll not need primroses when you're knee-deep in canna lillies Farway

Did you think of something to plant for you lovely neighbour 2p? 

Raining and mild here. 

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

 First thing she said to me? "Err have you sanitised your hands?" pointing at the gel by the door.

Typical. I suppose the best answer would be, "Have you updated your knowledge base?" As proved by research many times now, the sanitiser, the masks and the distancing were largely ineffectual and often created more problems than they solved.

Twas similar when I entered our church this morning at 08.00. The first thing I saw was a notice telling me to stay 2m away from the next person. The only other person there was my daughter. As she's the subject of ongoing research, I know she's had strong antibodies since early 2020. They seem to work well, despite some people who should have known better denying their efficacy a year or two ago.....

But I digress. While I have little time for most of those running our religious or medical institutions, the people who do the actual donkey work are a different matter. The folks who've put on a display down at the church to mark this historic weekend have put in a tremendous amount of effort.  Some beautiful floral displays too. It's a struggle running many clubs and groups since the thing that shall not be named put the fear into many people, but I'll hazard a guess the Garden Club, the Floral Art Group and the Crafters pull more in than the vicar does!

Photo later. I'm standing in for DW who's not well enough yet to sample the cakes and assorted delights at the fund-raiser today. Sad, but a man must do his duty!

On topic.....changeable.

Farway

2P, thanks for thinking about the primrose seedlings & me, but even if they survived posting I've tried planting seedlings from a local donor with zero success

I have self seeded goosegogs, but they do not have the same eye appeal in Spring

My canna from seed are now acclimatising in the conservatory, I may split & move into individual pots over the weekend

And, Ta Ra, trumpets, one of my expensive named posh cannas has at last emerged into the light, now hoping the other two are not far behind

And I took three dahlia cuttings plus potted two toms into final pots in the conservatory, so it's all going on here at the moment. Had to stop because my back said" no more"

Tad damp start, but sun is now out, the Exeter drunks say I'm in the dry bit of UK today, hope so because I've put some toms, the pot of runners and the potted dahlia out to start the hardening off process now May & warmth have arrived

Talking of runners, of course the ones I sowed in panic have now germinated, and I've moved to window sill

Finally, in yesterday's sunshine, the lazy brown fox jumped onto my shed roof

At the front bottom is some of my "Champion" apple blossom, looking like a good year

YoungBlueEyes

Bladdy phone isn’t letting me quote. I see what you did there with your fox sentence Farway, took me straight to college and my typing days  Parp prp prp prp Parp Parp Parp paaarp for the posh cannas! 

Dusty  I didn’t dare say that to her, I could hear mum telling me off for the sarcastic answer that went through my head as it was ha haa! 

These are my tom pots. Same size as the ones I took to the church. Imagine me walking in with one of these on each finger and she asks me if I’ve sanitised my hands   

twopenny

Good healthy plants Blue 
The hand gel doesn't kill viruses so what it's for now (or then) goodness knows. I think they just bought a lot of stock so have to justify having surplus. 

Thats a very special photo Farway. Looks totally relaxed and content. Obviously a good weather forcaster and knows it's going to be dry.

Don't understand how someone can be too ill for cake Dusty. Unless they are asleep.

Torrential rain storms here and for once welcome. My frog has to duck there's so little water in my pot pond. Still less than half full even after that. So no gardening.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Don't understand how someone can be too ill for cake Dusty. Unless they are asleep.

She was asleep. Still fragile after her operation, dear wife spent 7 hours on her part of the crown, finishing at 01.00. She wasn't.up to attending the tea & cakes. I was, but in deference to my increased waistline in recent weeks, I paid not to eat anything.   Had a nice wander in the churchyard too, which covers more than an acre. It was sunny then and still pleasant in the afternoon, when I planted a couple of potted trees.

The crown pictures are coming, but they're still in the camera and need to go into t'other computer first to be tweaked. One day, I'll learn the posh program I have on this one.

Raining steadily this morning, but my early courgettes are loving it.

YoungBlueEyes

Aye they're growing away happily, but they gonna bankrupt me in growbags! I'll have to move them down to the conservatory cos I've 3 pots in there that are all bigger and one of them's got a flower starting! I thought they'd be happier in that little bedroom cos its SE facing but the NW facing, cools overnight, connie is better it seems. Shows what I know....

I hope you brought back Mrs Dusty a few cakes and treats from the fundraiser? Did yous make plenty of money?

Don't be knocking yourself about and ruin your back entirely Farway, not when you've got it all growing on!

No gardening here today, we're on MiL duty. Last time, she thought I was her daughter and had no idea who himself was. It pure chews him up.

Lots of (unpredicted by the lot of them) rain here last night. Forecast for a couple of hours rain in early evening, by the time it made an appearance at 10ish it persisted it down!  Lovely