Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

I was up deliberately early this morning, wanted to get the volunteer garden stuff done while still cool, all done now, watering because it's supposed to be hot hot hot all next week, and planted out the coleus in the large pots with pink petunias, the coleus have dark red nearly black leaves, very designer from DGD, should look nice and exotic

Nice "lily" YBE. The curse of supermarket labels. Hope the planning + Oracle works out, it would be a pleasure to watch as works get pulled down, more likely brown envelope retrospective planning agreement

Dusty is right, of course, online planning works. I used it to object to loping of large oak with a TPO. Not sure if it was my whinge or what, but it was refused, and I was kept informed

Here's a tip Blue, if you have to go back & check, copy your golden prose first. I've been caught too many times now, so I copy whenever I deviate, then paste when back again

The thornless Black Satin blackberry from H Bargains, that came back to life, it has turned into a thorn ridden devil plant with spines like a porcupine and will have to be put down before it gets too big. Poo!, why couldn't it be a "lily" like Blues?

I'm worn out just reading 2P work, be nice once done though

All I have left to do today is drag hose down garden & water the Golden Delicious in a pot, plus top up bird bath while getting a sneaky peek at next door's new shed, he has spent ages putting it up, it's looks like a tin one in a subtle shade of battleship grey

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Determined to get better if I can. Too many people just give up and let their lives get small. Farway probably knows what I mean. 
If there's something you want you have to get up and make it happen.
Exactly what your quote says 

I concur with this. A couple of weeks ago I was on that hellish walk that went wrong, and all-in by the time we finished it, but since then my knees have improved. I'd not pushed the boundaries enough, so joints had stiffened-up.

I was also up and at it early today. The forecast was for 25c again and we had some early cloud cover. With the ride-on still in the mower hospital, I had a large lawn to cut with the little Honda that goes anywhere if I push it hard enough! . With luck, I might get the house lawn done tonight. Right now, it's lunch and then siesta time. My 'helper' here agrees...

Murphybear

Eenymeeny said:

'The countryside is often noisier than the town' I remember staying with my sister and husband and being woken up by the farmer with his tractor and trailer dropping off turnips for the sheep in the opposite field. Followed by the row of demijohns popping away on the windowsill as the rising sun warmed them up. (It was the 70's )  Since sat navs their quiet road has been 'discovered' as a short cut to a local trading estate. It's quieter where we live!
I've been trying my hand at radishes too for the first time. They're in a window box and showing leaves,. I'd read to scrape a bit back and if it's red it's ready. Tried one yesterday, it was tiny, about the size of a marble. I've popped it back in and will try to be patient. I've heard that they go woody if left too long though. Any tips please?

We lived on a farm on the edge of Dartmoor for 6 months.  The main noises were Mooooo and Baaaaaa which I loved.  The thing that put me off wasn’t the cows and sheep but the pesky little flies that nipped your legs.  

ArbitraryRandom

Just been out for my evening water, which goes someway to telling you how hot it's been here today. My strawberry plants, which were looking perky enough when I watered them 12 hours ago, were practically limp with exhaustion. A couple have dropped some fruitlets but there's enough that if I can stay on top of it I should be able to make that single jar of jam for my Christmas breakfast! 

I didn't have my camera as I was just nipping out to assess the damage, but I was delighted to see several fluttery things. The only one I can name for sure was a Cinnabar Moth - so striking even at such a tiny size. I expect it laid a number of eggs on the ragwort I seem to be cultivating. 

I think I also saw a pair of small tortoiseshell, or perhaps painted lady... or maybe red admiral (I waited to long before looking up names ) doing their beautiful dance in the air.  

Dustyevsky

Murphybear said:

Eenymeeny said:

'The countryside is often noisier than the town' I remember staying with my sister and husband and being woken up by the farmer with his tractor and trailer dropping off turnips for the sheep in the opposite field. Followed by the row of demijohns popping away on the windowsill as the rising sun warmed them up. (It was the 70's )  Since sat navs their quiet road has been 'discovered' as a short cut to a local trading estate. It's quieter where we live!
I've been trying my hand at radishes too for the first time. They're in a window box and showing leaves,. I'd read to scrape a bit back and if it's red it's ready. Tried one yesterday, it was tiny, about the size of a marble. I've popped it back in and will try to be patient. I've heard that they go woody if left too long though. Any tips please?

  The thing that put me off wasn’t the cows and sheep but the pesky little flies that nipped your legs.  

This is now horse fly season and those nip more than your legs! Ours seem to like cheeks and elbows best. Having said that, I was out weed hunting in the fields this afternoon, and I wasn't attacked. There was a fair old breeze, but I didn't think they were as sensitive to wind as midges. Chatting with another 'mature' farmer last Monday, he agreed that reactions to the bites diminish over time. They still make you jump, but the itchy swelling doesn't happen.

The Swallows and House Martins are fewer this year, so I'd expect more flies. Early days yet, I suppose.

I do like Cinnabar Moths, AR. You know exactly where you are with them. None of that staring at an ID key and thinking "These all look remarkably similar!"

YoungBlueEyes

Where I used to live, a group of us used to go walk the dogs round the fields (farmer's fields with a RoW, so we were careful to walk round the edge). One year there was a load of ragwort started appearing from somewhere, and the farmer treated it by slinging buckets of cinnabar moth caterpillars into the fields. Took a while but it worked a treat. The moths really are strikingly pretty  

Thanks for the copy+paste tip Farway, simple and effective It's a beggar your thornless being exactly not that eh. There should be some comeback for mislabelling I think. And plants that just won't grow/die on you for absolutely no reason whatsoever. 

I'm not any nearer to eating my strawbs -something is carefully nibbling them overnight. I would guess mice but my traps aren't producing anything. Another mystery for the list.

I have another plant to add to my faves list. I'll have to go out to read the label, I can't remember what it's called. Fat velvety leaves and tiny wee flowers, it's really lovely and the bees agree Whats not lovely is that somebody's eating perfect circles out of the young rose that lovely neighbour bought me. They're not munching anything else, just this roses leaves... hmmm.

OT bright and warm here, 20' now. Think I might start house-hunting in Lerwick or somewhere Not a cloud up there but desperate thunderstorms and lashing rain due mid aft say the drunkards and the sobers.... 

YoungBlueEyes

Diddy wee strawbs, nibbled rose leaves, and a stachys byzantina (with a queer caterpillar on it) 

And yes I sacrificed my beautiful fingernails for my garden  

claire07

This is a lovely thread I stumbled on by mistake but I think YoungBlueEyes your culprit may be a leaf cutter bee.  I grow cacti and succulents in a greenhouse and at present am being bombarded by several bees carrying beautifully carved out rose leaves which they dig in my pots to bury.  I've tried moving their favourite pots around but they're not fooled!  

YoungBlueEyes

Leaf cutter bees.... never heard of them! Thanks claire07. 

And welcome

claire07

Many thanks for the welcome.  I've just been lurking outside trying to get a photo of one of them carrying the leaf parts which are as long as they are some time but they seem to know and wait till I've turned away.  Anyway there are lots of photos online and the RHS page had their life cycle.  I feel quite honoured to have them make homes in some of my pots each year.  They can also nest in hollow stems and dry wood.  They can burrow under the pot but the first time I realised was when something threw all the top gravel off my plant pot so it could excavate!