Awful weather - typical Brits talk

-taff

@ArbitraryRandom see if there are any garden centres near you run by locals rather than big names. We have a few where I am, the pots are much cheaper than they are in Dobbies for example. My strawberry planter is a nice tall cylinder, in terracotta and cost me a tenner near enough which I didn't think was too bad from an independent.

@Farway good on her , I am quite envious that's she's star spotted and been feted too

pink_poppy

A bit of polytunnel envy going on here too. Mind you I’m envious of anyone with a greenhouse as well - I’ll get one one day... 🤞

I potted on Tom 🍅 yesterday in what I thought was his forever home, only for my DD to say nope, you’re gonna need a bigger pot 😉 I’ll need to go pot and bamboo cane hunting at the weekend.

A couple of pics I took yesterday...



I’m not impressed with the cress - it seems to have all bunched together in the middle even though I sprinkled the seeds evenly. I can’t believe all of the peppers germinated 😁 I’ll probably just keep a couple of the healthiest looking ones. I’m pleased with the relocated rhubarb as well, although I’ll probably take out the middle one as I think I planted them too close together. The parent rhubarb continues to go mad - I’ll be putting that up for adoption at some point...

ETA... well done to your DGD, Farway 🏆 

twopenny

Random time of year helps. Autumn is two for one or end of range. You could always take up pottery classes ;,)  
Any auctions, car boots near you?

Dusty, doing that in this heat, phew!
Taff like the idea. They do plastic ones here in Poundland. I'll run my mind round that for a spot I want for privacy.
I'm still fighting the pressure washer. Think I'll abandon it and go to the Repair Shop event and see what they can do. I'm going to attempt to repot seedlings and finish painting the garage door frame I started last autumn 

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Chelsea & DGD update, celeb spotting went well, she is chuffed, pictured with Brian May, plus Judy Dench, Bill Bailey, Alex [one show, had a long chat apparently], Alan Titchmarsh & Adam Frost and others. No pics until her parents have seen them first, fair enough

Never mind the celebs, I spotted the RHS Plant of the Year in DGS's Chelsea garden. Good move!

For those wondering "What?" it's this:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2023/plant-of-the-year

Anyway, well done to DGD, though I tried to emulate her over the weekend and felt less than gastronomically elevated while chewing new beech leaves. I'll stick to my Mizuna!

Yes, 2p, prepping and covering a polytunnel in blazing sunshine is not recommended. At one point I became disorientated and had to go indoors and drink a lot, but if the truth were told, the youngsters took most of the strain.

As to what will be going-on inside, there will be a lot of digging and improving soil to get the tomatoes in swiftly. After that, construction of deep beds, because sinking the thing below the natural soil level was questionable. On one side we're almost on bed rock. I didn't want it to be too obtrusive for ourselves or the neighbours, but achieving a sheltered, less 'in your face' appearance has come at some cost to easy set-up, and there are drainage issues to consider....not at present though!

Lucky you with your pressure washer, over the border in Somerset. You're on Wimbleball reservoir, I expect, and that's full. Someone must've pulled the plug out at Roadford!

YoungBlueEyes

Them’s actual celebs Farway, even I’ve heard of (most of) them And Parp prp prp prp Parp Parp Parp paarrpp for the gold medal 👏🏻🥳

I’m desperate for a greenhouse too pp, I don’t see one appearing on the horizon either… 

My guess for The Plant Of The Year was wrong, but in my defence my guess looks similar to them (well my ones do - alliums) and I’d heard of the right answer! I couldn’t have said that a few months ago. 

I may be muddling my threads here, but there’s Karcher K4 pressure washers for sale in Morrisons 2p - £210. I saw them this morning when I went in for Nippon ant bait stations. At that price I’d wait for the repair shop myself… 

twopenny

Lol they're£46 in my local diy. But thanks for the info. Ours don't run to practical stuff.
The gel for the traps is £2 something on amazon.
Oh I'm fashionable! I have agapanthus either side of the patio. Expensive plant. I bought one and grew in a pot and now have 2 pots full and some in the soil - going out to see if it's survived.

YoungBlueEyes

Beautiful morning here, quite a nice dawn with the birds singing their wee hearts out. Heaven. We don't talk about the moon but it was early to bed last night. Skinny wee sliver was almost down by the time I turned in, and Venus twinkling away. I tried a photo but it was nothing like! 

I watched Chelsea last night waiting for a certain foraging garden to come on but.... did I get the day wrong? The 2 women with the arty mushrooms were on Countryfile, I'm pleased they got gold  

Gardening day here I think, the weeds are running mad with themselves. Need to sort out my rasps now they're going mental on bfb and my toms need either bigger pots or putting in the growbag. Need another growbag I think, and more pots... And a gun for the goddam multiplying squirrels!  

Dustyevsky

Speaking of alliums, my grandson somehow arranged for two to grow in his play area behind the barn. Nectaroscordum siculum :

We do have one or two others about 100m away, but the sudden appearance of these in 'his' gravel is a mystery.

Edit: Thanks to Sarah Raven for the photo.

Farway

Sunny & warm day ahead.

Dustyevsky said:

Farway said:

Chelsea & DGD update, celeb spotting went well, she is chuffed, pictured with Brian May, plus Judy Dench, Bill Bailey, Alex [one show, had a long chat apparently], Alan Titchmarsh & Adam Frost and others. No pics until her parents have seen them first, fair enough

Never mind the celebs, I spotted the RHS Plant of the Year in DGS's Chelsea garden. Good move!

For those wondering "What?" it's this:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/news/2023/plant-of-the-year

Anyway, well done to DGD, though I tried to emulate her over the weekend and felt less than gastronomically elevated while chewing new beech leaves. I'll stick to my Mizuna!

DGD mentioned the POY, seems it attracted celebs like wasp to beer, in conjunction with T & M.

On the table at the front, with free samples of hawthorn leaves, yum , is dear daughter's wooden salad bowl, now world-famous. DGD is back up there Thursday, until closing Saturday. Her mum is dreading just what DGD will bring home from the last day clear out sale, maybe a POY?

I've tried and failed on growing alliums, I like them, but my conditions are not right & I CBA to change the situation now

YBE, I liked the arty mushrooms, I've dispatched DGD to go and have a look at the stand. They are just over the border in Sussex, but not open for casual visits. Actually the mushroom grow house thing, I can see DGD bringing one of those home and erecting it in her bedroom, her room is nearly like James Wong's, plants everywhere

I found the lettuce seeds, couldn't make up my mind, so did a pinch of LG & same of Cos. Both outside in the large pots I have the toms in

The toms have settled in outside, for once I got the timing right, at the start of a sunny spell and not the end. The plants are now  a healthy green with some flower buds appearing

The sun has helped with my strawberries, these are odd ones that are escapees from a few years back when I tried to really grow some, without much success due to slugs & weather. Maybe this year these will do better because they obviously have chosen where to grow, I'm not expecting bowls full, but a taste with my breakfast would be nice

Strawberry flowers

ArbitraryRandom

Yet another one for the google then add to shopping lists hall of fame...