Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Black_Cat2 said:

How'd you go with the begonias F?

Went very well,  and seem vine weevil free from my quick look. I'll let them dry a bit and then check more thoroughly

Must say I was amazed how large the tubers have grown this year, as big as a fist now from conker size when I bought them a couple of years back from £land

They are weeping ones and made a lovely show this year, I propped them up so they were more bushy than fountain, kicking myself now because I never took any photos

Rain here this morning, timed the begonia lifting just right it seems

Nothing else planned garden wise today

ancientmum

Just caught up. Love your photo of the rosehips Farway

Farway

Hot news, my seeds from DT Brown are on the way.

There was Friday of Colour all seeds packs a quid offer which sucked me in

Farway

And today it's raining again

Black_Cat2

Yep F, rainy here too.  Are those vine weevil critters you mentioned the jumping things that live under piles of leaves?  Whenever I clear them off the paving slabs there seem to be those things in the corners, under the leaves 🥴

Davesnave

More shopping, so hardly bothered with the weather, but I didn't put a coat on, so it could only have been spitting at its worst. The river told me we'dhad a lot of rain in the night, though.

Didn't realise how hard it can be to find nice Christmas cards!   Found some eventually, but they were very pricey. Bought Dearly Beloved a plant, but immediately felt guilty because I like it too!

Vine weevils are essentially beetles BC, and about average beetle size, dull brown and slow. Thy aren't much bother. It's their grubs which do most damage. They are very like maggots people buy for fishing, but they have an amberish-brown head when mature. They eat roots and bulbs, corms etc, mostly when they're in pots of nice squishy compost, and a  bad infestation will often kill the plant. 

Black_Cat2

Thanks D, now I wonder what those things under the leaves that jump about are 🙀. What plant did you buy your OH? 

Farway

Not raining for once, dull but just about enough blue on horizon for a sailors collar

Christmas cards, by coincidence I stocked up last January so spared this year. Hoping to write them this weekend.

BTW price of stamps is increasing from Jan 01 so if you're flush maybe buy now? The 1st class will have largest increase, but I doubt many use 1st now with deliveries down to when they feel like it

Too soggy outside to contemplate much, I do need to finish off major apple & pear lopping, remove tops to bring down within my feeble reach

Davesnave

Mixed here today, but tomorrow is guaranteed wall to wall rain, so that's when I'll be doing my cards.

BC, the plant was Pittosporum 'Silver Queen.'

It can go in a winter display and maybe a summer one too, then into a new bit of garden.

goldfinches

Handsome pittosporum that. 
British Heart Foundation charity shops have some nice own brand packs of cards this year.
Has anyone else noticed that when they do receive a postal delivery the stamp is unfranked?
I'm still astounded at the rank stupidity in the higher echelons of Royal Mail. Who exactly is it that thinks making a dying service more expensive and less reliable simultaneously will increase business and are they "mates" with any politicians? I wonder if their neighbours would care to comment on the standard of the local postal delivery service too.
Anyway I think I'll go and take my frustrations out on the washing up, night all, goldfinches.

ETA: it occurred to me while scrubbing away that RM management sees the opportunity to assassinate a costly service they no longer want to provide and to do it relatively quickly. I predict that in two or so years time we'll be reading that RM wants to remove the 'guaranteed delivery to every UK address' element of the service and the pandemic will get the blame.