Awful weather - typical Brits talk

ArbitraryRandom

I might be in the minority, but I don't have a problem with people avoiding animal products (and having the information they need to make that choice easily available) - because there are actually a lot of animal products used in manufacturing of products that you might think are naturally animal free (like blood, egg or milk used as fining agents in wine production). 

I agree it's hard for an inexperienced gardener to know what's happening/what to expect this year. I'm reading a lot saying xyz 'should' happen, then I'm seeing something completely different actually happening in the garden - plants that are supposed to flower in spring starting to grow buds right now, fruit that should be set and ripening just giving up the ghost. Then it's about working out if there's anything I can actually 'do' and the advice being contradictory! So I'm taking the attitude it's about trial and error and what comes good will. I won't get much produce for my time and efforts this year, but I've enjoyed doing it and would have spent the money on something else anyway  

Dustyevsky

ArbitraryRandom said:

I might be in the minority, but I don't have a problem with people avoiding animal products (and having the information they need to make that choice easily available) - because there are actually a lot of animal products used in manufacturing of products that you might think are naturally animal free (like blood, egg or milk used as fining agents in wine production).

I'd agree, especially in relation to food. Footwear usually has the info on it, of course, and my remark was just a joke. Not a joke was the experimental nature of a product the government wanted us all to embrace, without any clear idea of what it contained....but I won't go there.

Every year is a lottery, weather and pest-wise. Experienced or not, if you're tuned-in well, you'll spot the differences. You won't always know the why. For example, at Rosemoor last winter, they lost pittosporums and hebes in the ground, which we managed to keep here in pots. On the other hand, we lost long planted-out buddleia and alder, not exactly known for lack of hardiness.

Right now, while you folk have suffered blight, despite the rain, (it's just done it again, un-forecast! ) there's no sign of blight on our outdoor toms yet.

Farway

Dull and dry, supposed to be boiling but wrong again, however sun is trying hard so maybe later

Not a bad haul YBE, and very pleased the wineberries turned out to your liking in the end, of course they will now die this winter

I think the trouble with a lot of gardening for beginners is not just the global boiling, but the advice tends to be calendar based, it's April, mow the grass etc, never mind the six feet of snow covering it, as we all find out it will vary now just year to year but even location by a few miles, for instance between me & the sea is a hill, trees bloom a fortnight earlier on the seaside of the hill which is only ten miles as the gull flies, another ten miles further north up the A3, and it'yet another fortnight added

Another who doesn't mind folk avoiding animal products, but hate it when they demand everyone has to do likewise. I speak as one with vegetarians in the family, in fact it's just me, and DGD who I weaned on bacon sandwiches whenever the opportunity arose, as the omnivores, but I don't demand a bacon buttie when I get taken into a veggie café

And don't get me started on gluten-free, or I'll explode

Had to recalibrate, I thought it was garden wheelie bin week, but it's next week, which gives me more time to start trimming the buddleia now the flowering is nearly over, looking a bit brown & tatty now being a white one, with very good display this year though

I found my Honesty plant, lurking among the dahlias, looking good with leaves the size of an open hand and very robust looking, high hopes come the spring. 

There is another fig ripening, any day now , can't find your post ARBs but have you ordered a Little Miss Figgy? I'm sure we'll follow her adventures on here

Your apple tree to be, and pollinators, I know you had in mind the Laura crab but are now reconsidering, did you ever look at so-called Family Trees? Two or three varieties grafted onto one tree? Maybe solve potential problems for you, but of course varieties may be not be what you want

Today's pic, it was going to be Winston Churchill fuchsia from a cutting, but it had a visitor as the shutter clicked, I wish I could claim it was my highly honed photo skills but 'twas not

twopenny

Oh beautiful Farway!

I just lost a long post this morning so I'll try and summerise.

Joy! I've got another truss of GD tomatoes  Trouble is it's autumn weather so comfort food rather than salads. I'll just have to get a grip.

Not so Joy. My self fertile Cox has doubled the size of it's branches (good) but one right across the lid of my compost heap

So another major job along with trying to de bramble the badger run and dig for surplus plants and wildflowers.

Where did I get the idea that gardening was about light pruning and cutting a vase of flowers?

Love the variety of peoples gardening habits. Blueys new trial plant, adventurous. I used to buy little plants from a wi stall on the way to work with no idea what they were. I had some real gems.

Wish I was as disaplined as Abs, Dusty  working on a grand scale and on the gardens I can't visit, Farway and experimenting.

Poppy and Wort, one I think has a lovely old garden with stone walls, nooks and crannies which I envy. Hard to follow folks when they have to challenge those of us who are more verbose

Weather sunny with grey rain cloud round the edges of flat white above so anyones guess, certainly not the weather forcasters. I think it's back to the old ways of fortelling the weather. Look out the window.

I have a friend who is vegan, dairy free and gluten free. But for her it's her beliefs, all variations of people inbetween but the true vegan will avoid any food polinated commercially by bees, it cuts out a lot of things like avacado, waxed fruit, and quite a bit more.

Another who eats only raw food

I'm for whatever people want to do as long as they don't preach to me. But even then I have a friend on a usual food diet who won't eat this or that so she's of my 'come to lunch' list

ArbitraryRandom

Farway said:

Today's pic, it was going to be Winston Churchill fuchsia from a cutting, but it had a visitor as the shutter clicked, I wish I could claim it was my highly honed photo skills but 'twas not

I spy with my little eye, a BUM! ... I never was very good at that game  

Yep, Little Miss Figgy ordered - I ended up going with the smaller 9L pot as I think I'd like it to take a little longer so I can hold off planting it out just that little longer. 

I did look at family trees, but I think there's just too much variety/too many choices for my little brain. I like the idea of Laura because it's predictably and naturally fastigiate, so no guessing about it spreading, no pruning, plus reliable colour and pollination (plus useful, if tiny, fruit)... and it's just stuck in my head.

That's a big thing for me, I read lots - but most things go right in one ear and out the other. When something sticks in my brain I assume something about it has caught the attention of the hamster that lives in there and maybe it's worth a second look    

EDIT: Just received my seed from that offer in the newsletter (20 packs for £10):



Date on the packet is sow by end 2024, so while I might not want them all next year, I can probably find homes for the extra easily enough. And it's nice to see they're heirloom, so the ones I do grow - if I like them - I can try and keep the seeds. 

YoungBlueEyes

Someone needs to invent a sarcasm icon. Sorry folks, I didn’t mean to rattle anyone re my vegetarian wine list story. (Vegetablists is from J Clarkson and made me giggle!) People can have whatever beliefs they like imo, but it puts my back up when it’s assumed everyone is like that, or they force it at you. Grrrr. I’d never heard of vegetarian wine, but the guy made such a performance of glaring at me before getting the ‘other’ menu and that’s what put my back up. 

I’m with you on the trial and error Arb. Somethings like it and some are suicidal and c’est la vie *shrug* It’s just a bu99er when you’re trying to learn stuff but things I’ve …mastered…? this year maybe won’t apply next year. Is this why folks are gardeners for life, cos there’s always something to do differently or better? 

Yep wineberries will now never produce another fruit ever. If they’d been mediocre I’d have been knee deep in them! It was the extra ripening that did it for sure. More patience required on my part :l:lol:

Love your bum pic Farway, that’s definitely front page material!  

I’ll get a pic of my new mystery plant. It’s only a babby but there’s leaves on it already, I’ll be impressed if someone can id it like. 

I think there’s a few with beautiful walls on here. Arb for sure, with the one missing lavender plug, now all planted out. I’d swop my fences for proper walls in a heartbeat. 

And as for wobbly brains, maybe that’s what’s matter with mine - my hamster is vegetarian   

YoungBlueEyes

The latest mystery. The seed was small and round and grey. And hard. If I see another one I’ll get a photo of it. 

The leaves feel like they might become fleshy, they’re kinda velvety too. No discernible smell when I rub them. 

Edit - I think hamsters are veggie. Doh!

twopenny

My guess would be Forgetmenot.

But I'm not sure you could see the seeds.

The fact it;s growing fast is probably then a weed wildflower seed

ArbitraryRandom

Any more info about the size/shape of the seed and where you found it? 

The only 'grey' seed that really comes to mind is Hound's-tongue, but those seeds are fairly distinctive and the plant tends to be coastal (which is the only reason I know it). 

Murphybear

twopenny said:

That is a beautiful arrangement Dusty, I'm quite envious.

Still no gardening done. Been working on the house and relaxing so nothing new to post.

Indeed the same applies to the weather - had a couple of showers today. One tiddly drops more like mist then this evening it hammered down - I got all excited, proper rain. But it lasted 10mins only. Still dry as a bone

Everyones not enamoured of it. It's cool then hot and humid then cool................there was a gust or two last evening but it was just wind.

But still reading your adventures.

Bluey, keep an eye out for slim paperback books by Dr D G Hessayon.

Be Your Own Gardening Expert

Be Your Own Garden Doctor

Be Your Own Vegetable Doctor

There's Vegetable Plotter, Rose Expert, Tree, Shrub, Flower etc.

They are really easy to find stuff quickly and simple answers so easy to remember. I started with them and moved onto the thicker ones on the same lines. They were very popular in their time and still crop up on second hand book stalls.

Waterstones £8 ea - Abe Books 0,98p - Amazon £42!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to see if I can sell mine and pay for the bathroom

Doesn't matter if they're tatty the info's the same and by the time you've put your gardening hands on them ...........

Because I was busy working I got a note book and wrote down the things like what plant food for which plant and when, when to prune etc for just the things I grew. That was really useful.

I eventually grew into  Mrs Beatons Book of Gardening and some of the old 1920s ones which had the good old knowledge without the complications of glossy salesmanship that seems to be the theme these days

Hessayons books are brilliant.  They can be found in charity shops and boot sales in abundance.  When OH and I got together I had loads of cookery books, he had loads of Hessayons books  . Match made in Heaven