Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Cooler & a bit dull, no rain due though, so I was out watering early again. I may get the hose down the garden later to water the blackberry now it's swelling & it's not rained for a week

Ta ra, trumpets , no sooner had I posted yesterday about lack of runner beans flowers this morning I spied two glimpses of red in them. Phew, a sigh of relief.

I've gone from CBA, not going to grow beans at the end of last year to worrying about flowers on them now, my change of heart came about when the "great veg shortage" happened at the beginning of the year, and now I'm glad it did, mind you I still have a way to go before I get to pick & eat any, many mollusc mouths lie between them & my plate

And, more trumpets please!, the LG lettuce I sowed early in the year, again triggered by Great Veg Shortage are now nearly ready for harvest, not quite to supermarket visual standards but enough to make a meal for me. I can't get a photo in situ, too awkward with my wonky bones, so it'll have to be once harvested

Sometimes there are Highland Cattle on a Downland nature reserve near here, keeping the grass down, a bit of muck and hardy enough to look after themselves. Being a southern softy, I look but keep well away from those horns even though the beasts are supposed to be gentle enough to walk amongst

The drunkards keep changing their minds about Thursday weather, I'm off to Wisley again on Thursday, not really transferable at short notice because I need one of their electric buggies to trundle round, and it's a long waiting list we booked two slots a fortnight part, just in case of grotty weather, this is the second slot but decided no to waste it because there are items still to see, like the rose garden & veg plots + trial gardens

RAS

Farway:

Sometimes there are Highland Cattle on a Downland nature reserve near here, keeping the grass down, a bit of muck and hardy enough to look after themselves. Being a southern softy, I look but keep well away from those horns even though the beasts are supposed to be gentle enough to walk amongst.

I'd rather Highlands than commercial beef steers and definitely preferable to many breeds with calves. I think one of the issues is that cattle used to be handled almost daily. Now they are gathered in by 4 wheeler and put through crushes and races, and dairy cows shoved through automatic milking parlours. So they are less accustomed to humans.

Having said that if you watch a Highland herd with calves, keeping a respectful distance, the matriarchs will form a defence line round the calves and relocate to cover the front as you walk round. They don't gallop at you like steers. And preferable to Jerseys who can be nasty.

pink_poppy

It was lovely to come across them - I’d guesstimate around 20 coos all around us (we were in the car) and the big bull with a ring in his nose was right next to the road.

Can anyone identify this lovely plant - it was poking out of a garden in amongst other stuff. I had to take the pic whilst holding onto an umbrella so it’s not the best.



OT - it’s persisting down ☔️

ArbitraryRandom

It's lovely - and I can't swear, but I want to say a white martagon lily (they're most commonly a purple colour I think).

While we wait for the clever people to turn up, here's some pictures of things wot live in my garden today. 

pink_poppy

Ooh, I think you’re right, AR 😁 I googled what you said and it came up with a pic of Lilium Martagon Snowy Morning, which looks identical. I did think it had the look of a lily - definitely one to look out for at the garden centre, thank you.

Your pics are amazing 😍 is that a jasmine your bees are on??

ArbitraryRandom

pink_poppy said:

Ooh, I think you’re right, AR 😁 I googled what you said and it came up with a pic of Lilium Martagon Snowy Morning, which looks identical. I did think it had the look of a lily - definitely one to look out for at the garden centre, thank you.

Your pics are amazing 😍 is that a jasmine your bees are on??

No, my best ID would be they're the (under-appreciated?) flowers of ligustrum ovalifolium  

Quite popular with the bees this time of year - which is fortunate, given there's so much of it around. 

Which reminds me, I was just putting the bins out and noticed my little hotel has two guests. Picture to follow if I remember  

RAS

Arbitrary

Middle two pictures are bumblebees. Lower is a red tail bumblebee.

Upper is one if the stripey ones, might be a white tail, or a garden bumble bee. It's not a buff tail as the bum isn't "grubby" enough. I thought some of my white tails had grubby bums until I learned about buff tails.

What plant is the caterpillar feeding on?

ArbitraryRandom

RAS said:

Arbitrary

Middle two pictures are bumblebees. Lower is a red tail bumblebee.

Upper is one if the stripey ones, might be a white tail, or a garden bumble bee. It's not a buff tail as the bum isn't "grubby" enough. I thought some of my white tails had grubby bums until I learned about buff tails.

What plant is the caterpillar feeding on?

It's a cinnabar moth caterpillar (one of many I've seen in the last day or two) munching on yellow-flowered ragwort; not sure which variety (oxford or common). 

I mentioned a few days ago I'd seen the adults about the garden but they refuse to sit still long enough for me to get any decent pictures!

Just to say, I'm not near any grazing land, so I'm not intending to do anything about it in the garden unless it seriously starts to take over. 

YoungBlueEyes

Thanks for such good detailed info re the auction house RAS, it's not nearly so attractive now. So no camera and no croft for me.

Parp prp prp prp parp parp parp paaaarrrppp for your beans and lettuces Farway! Must be a relief your beans are on the go now eh.

Nothing much gardening wise to report from Shawshank Patch. Some stuff is growing, some stuff just wants to die and so it does... I've plenty of (unfortunately quite pretty) snails now it's cooler and damp. They're a sort of pale yellow colour with brown lines in their ridges. I haven't managed to deplete the squirrel population, but slugs are being dispatched nightly But there's at least one more blackie and robin in the world - the parents are bringing the babies down to the feeder for meals now. The baby robin is very sweet, all tufty and squiggly  

The Oracle came back from Pateley Bridge on Sunday evening and was across here first thing Monday morning. She was all het up about the ...differences.... and took photos from my back bedroom. I wonder at her connections, she must have spies all over. Tuesday no new windows appeared... lets see what today brings.

OT Muggy and heavy and not a breath here. The cool has gone, we're back to 'too warm too early'     

wort

Back from hols to a very lush garden!! Dgson has done a good job watering except for a hidden acer which is looking decidedly crispy, will leave alone and pray.
Did a few hours chopping back ,then the hedge trimmer died on me, so back to shears and secateurs . I came across a tiny nest with teeny eggs in as I cut back so left alone in the hope that the mother comes back(it’s been a few days now and I’ve not seen it) 😔
Green bin filled to busting point, and refilled after the bin men came.

sweet peas are still green but not grown much, still only an inch or so tall. Some seeds I stuffed in a pot are growing can’t remember if they were out of a chili or pepper 🤔

My roaming terror seems to spend most of his time lying on his back with his feet in the air or wrapping himself round my legs and filling me full of hair, I swear I can make another 2 cats out of the hair I’ve brushed off him.

the tassels are on my shrub, could be Garrya? Will post pic for identification.

huge black rain clouds out to the west, will need to time my walk to Lidl well.
I need to be back for a freezer being delivered, came home from work the other day to a dead freezer , and a dead kettle. Hope that’s it for dying electricals!