Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

Dusty, I used to have a transit, originally my fathers, it was something of an heirloom by the time I got it but after 3 years of non stop welding I had to give it up. It was 23 years old by that point though,. I loved it, it was like driving a boat.

Our first 'proper' van, 'Buttercup,' was a bright yellow, turbocharged Transit 150. After a couple of shunts, its  printing business owner decided to give his delivery lad something slower, but we soon found the impressive 'oomph' was only part of the problem. There was no power assistance to steering, or brakes, and no ABS. It wasn't a machine for the inexperienced, but it was wonderfully comfortable. A few bags of gone-off cement helped with the roadholding, but in the wrong hands it was potentially a death trap.

My walking friend is becoming a keener gardener. It's good to see the way her 'blank slate' plot's progressing, despite drainage issues in winter. 3 years ago we'd get around Rosemoor in 90 minutes, easily, but last time it was 3 hours. I was hoping to go back to Rosemoor this week with Mrs Dusty, but she's been re-designing the chicken orchard and ordering a new winter run, so I'm not sure if we'll make it now.

twopenny

Well we had a cold grey day with some light rain, enough to scupper anything enjoyable but not enough to get into the soil.

My little pleasure was watching  3 very young blackbirds pecking away at the lawn for ants for some time and small birds buzzing about.
The blackbirds have finished off my red currants. I didn't want them so they are welcome. I guess it was the moisture.

The plants have a look of relief and it looks more like a garden than a scene of devastation. 
Just hope the slugs don't get my baby veg. Reminds me I must raise the hedgehog gate before bed.

Greenhouses? Abs has one in a dismal state of repair. I wonder if you could collect it as I don't think he /she wants it......but £1500- phewwww!

I haven't made as many trips to Greencombe this year Dusty. I guess there's more going on generally. And they are on a 5 day week and afternoons only so it takes planning.

Farway, I only had a handful of gooseberries. But stewed with a little sugar and put in natural yoghurt with a dab of honey was surprisingly delicious.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Well we had a cold grey day with some light rain, enough to scupper anything enjoyable but not enough to get into the soil.

I haven't made as many trips to Greencombe this year Dusty. I guess there's more going on generally. And they are on a 5 day week and afternoons only so it takes planning.

We're about 32 miles apart as the crow flies, but we could be in different parts of the country! The rain was incessant here and the ground had a good soaking. It wasn't enough to get the stream going, though.

I planned to go to Greencombe and combine it with one of the well-known local walks back in spring, but the weather and other things conspired against that. Mrs Dusty could manage Greencombe now, but not the walk, so I think we'll leave it till next year. As we move into summer holiday territory, I expect to go inland more for walking, but perhaps even the touristy coastal bits aren't too crowded on the Exmoor fringes, so long as one stays out of places like Dunster, Lynmouth and, of course, Bossington! Looks like there's an easy circular route there, at the right time.

A little rain on the cards today, but not too windy, by the look of it.....we'll see.

YoungBlueEyes

twopenny said:

Oh great to have a gardening friend. Mine passed away a couple of months ago. I miss the chat dreadfully. Bluey seems to have struck lucky.
So hard to find.
Look forward to developments.

2p it was taff that got lucky with a new gardening friend. I've got lovely neighbour who's more keen than knowledgeable I think, and the Oracle to errr... keep me grounded
Did you think of/find a tree for your neighbour? Or maybe a bush or something...?

My edibles aren't doing so well here I don't think. I stripped out my toms yesterday (jeez they do look funny now!),  strawbs are being eaten by something, as are rasps by something else. The Japanese Wineberry is coming along but the fruits don't look at all appealing. Might have made a mistake buying that. I'm hoping the heat at the weekend will see my toms right - there's fruits on them and flowers still. Wish I'd labelled them :rolleyes:

Raining here now, only gently but it's better than nothing. And thanks for pulling the wind machine plug, whoever that was  

Farway

A lovely lot of rain here yesterday evening, a nice steady drench which should perk everything up. Dull, cool & breezy right now, if it warms up a bit I'll pop out later with some blue sweets for the slugs, and squish any aphid newcomers on my runners, I'm trying to keep on top of them this year

YBE, I saw a J Wineberry at Wisley last week, they have all sorts of cane fruits to look at & compare. I agree the JW doesn't look good, no idea on taste of course. One I admired was a Boysenberry, it looked great, big fruits, thornless and ripening now.

That's on my shopping list now my Black Satin Blackberry has turned into an incorrectly labelled spikey monster

All this MOT talk, mine's due next month, had a list of "advisories" last time, so I suspect some may have become Must Do by now, it's only a small diesel Citroën but given size & fuel economy it's worth my patching it as required because I'll never be able to get an equivalent for the price of repairing it

Trouble is on modern cars there's not much one can DIY, I have steering wheel play, in my Anglia days it was just tapping the shims in a bit, now I expect the car has to be dismantled at umpteen pounds per hour labour

Off to tend the Volunteer Border tomorrow morning, with fellow Gardening Volunteer, the rain will have boosted it a bit. Neither of us can bend or kneel, so we potter while her hubby does the bending & weeding under direction

wort

I managed to stuff the green bin to the gunnels ready for emptying today. Chopped height and width off the black sambucca, and width from the ilex I have the yellow and green one not sure of the variety, but it’s turning into a monster, need to do the height again or persuade grandson to have a bash.
been to sports day to see nephew and nieces little ones this morning till the rain put paid to it. There’s another for the big ones this afternoon but unless the sun comes out it will be soggy going on the field.

pink_poppy

YBE, what do you mean you stripped your toms??

YoungBlueEyes

Poppy where I used to work there was an auld fellah called Ziggy who used to grow toms (and all sorts). I remember him saying that once your plants get to a good height you should snip off the majority/all the leaves and stems and bits that aren't producing either a flower or a fruit for they're only taking up goodness and producing nothing. So I did mine yesterday. I'll go take a pic. 

It sounds like a sports day here too wort, and from what I can hear from my garden "Laura" is doing very well indeed Fingers crossed for your weather this aft! 

Farway steering wheel play is unnerving, makes my tummy go funny just thinking about it I think I'm a good way off harvesting my wineberries, I'll update when I've had a taste. 

YoungBlueEyes

Toms - 

Wineberry - 

YoungBlueEyes

I’ve just noticed both my swish roses have got blacks spots on them!

Noooooooo!!!! :’(