Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

I didn’t realise your volunteer patch is a war memorial garden Farway, that’s an extra layer of complexity eh. Jeez that’s a beautiful show of flowers, did they result in good fruits? 

I’m trying not to be envious of yous still picking toms, but I am a bit My haul has gone, wineberries inhaled and a few more to come (I think), and toms scoffed in salads and himself’s lunch box. Even though it didn’t really all go to plan it was good fun doing it and I’ll go again next year  

My contribution to the pics. I was in town this morning (no wosname books but they’ll turn up eventually), and I took these 2 photos. I don’t know how long they’ve been there, maybe a wee while and I just never noticed them. The candle is one of a dozen on a paved area near the edge of town, and the other is low down on a wall that someone’s trying to extend their house onto the back of. Itms. It’s a close up shot cos I had to cut out people’s legs ha haa! The way they’ve phrased it made me smile  

 

All the candles were the same as that, with the same numbers. 

twopenny

Sunny and warm, windy and cloudy - so much the same 'who knows' weather.

Inside doing forms online for the dull stuff that has to be done.

Torn between pruning - the queue at the recycle centre was massive yesterday so haven't emptied the basket. Another coat of paint on the little table or going out and enjoying what's left of the summer.

Just had some lunch, smelly blue cheese on toast with tomatoes still warm from the sun. Just picked tomatoes can't be beat.

I've even had 3 normal tasting raspberries since the cut back.

Chucked some water over my front patch. Honestly I could keep going for days to try and get everything watered. Been months without any real rain. Would love to see some flowers in the garden instead of twigs.

Tescos have daff bulbs, big ones, going for a couple of bags (I think) for £6. May seem steep but they're big fat healthy bulbs so if wanting to plant some drifts of the big ones now's the time.

My experience of the tall daffs is that they bloom mostly in March when the winds blow and flatten them but elsewhere may be different.

ArbitraryRandom

Dustyevsky said:

I was thinking maybe Laura for a memorial tree in my friend's garden, which 'mustn't get big,' but on the other hand, 'it's got to look like a tree, not a pillar,' so I guess she's out!  

There's a few naturally dwarfing (10ish ft) ornamental cherries which look very 'tree like' and have a lovely scent/display? 

YoungBlueEyes

Yep Tesco bags of daff bulbs are 2 for a fiver, got some this morning. Big and healthy they look too

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

I didn’t realise your volunteer patch is a war memorial garden Farway, that’s an extra layer of complexity eh. Jeez that’s a beautiful show of flowers, did they result in good fruits? 

I’m trying not to be envious of yous still picking toms, but I am a bit My haul has gone, wineberries inhaled and a few more to come (I think), and toms scoffed in salads and himself’s lunch box. Even though it didn’t really all go to plan it was good fun doing it and I’ll go again next year  


 

The volunteer patch is in three parts, two borders are adjacent to the car park, both of these we have free rein over, and it's left to us wot do the work and supply the plants etc. 

One of these is named buddleia and Rosa rugosa infested curated, doing the vital job of preventing clients crashing their cars through the fence & into the Health centre next door, at the same time the border provides fodder, nectar & hiding holes for insects

The other car park border is where I have planted a mixture of named, but tough, plants, like forsythia, Shasta daises, cistus, ribes, escallonia etc. All plants are dual purpose, main function is anti clients' cars crashing into neighbouring fences, secondary is for insects and provide some colour and year round interest

The Memorial part is separate again, and this is the bit where we have to think before we try anything. 

Not my planning, but it's four roses, one in each corner, with a named oriental poppy in the centre. Underplanted with mixed daffs, which, as 2P says, blow over in the Spring winds and get dug up by the squirrels. Could look nice, but summer watering is just not going to happen. The other borders were deliberately planted with tough & tolerant plants

Went out in the sunshine, picked all the early apples from the unknown tree, a good year once it rained, some of the apples are as big as Bramleys but are eaters. Ready now, but I've found just holding off a few days improves the flavour once picked, They do not store for long though

Three pounds picked, a smaller crop than some years but all very welcome

Picked 400g of blackberries while out there, now in freezer and could be jam making this weekend, but at least the fruit will keep for a while until I have time spare

Oh, and I have five pears, not ripe but now large enough to use

twopenny said:

Just had some lunch, smelly blue cheese on toast with tomatoes still warm from the sun. Just picked tomatoes can't be beat.

I've even had 3 normal tasting raspberries since the cut back.

Chucked some water over my front patch. Honestly I could keep going for days to try and get everything watered. Been months without any real rain. Would love to see some flowers in the garden instead of twigs.

Tescos have daff bulbs, big ones, going for a couple of bags (I think) for £6. May seem steep but they're big fat healthy bulbs so if wanting to plant some drifts of the big ones now's the time.

My experience of the tall daffs is that they bloom mostly in March when the winds blow and flatten them but elsewhere may be different.

 I think my sun warmed ripe fig will be a score draw with the toms. Picked one while getting the apples. The fig never made it to the kitchen

Dustyevsky

ArbitraryRandom said:

Dustyevsky said:

I was thinking maybe Laura for a memorial tree in my friend's garden, which 'mustn't get big,' but on the other hand, 'it's got to look like a tree, not a pillar,' so I guess she's out!  

There's a few naturally dwarfing (10ish ft) ornamental cherries which look very 'tree like' and have a lovely scent/display? 

True, thanks, but having got as far as Malus, and loose agreement, I don't want to muddy the waters by suggesting there might be something else!   And there are the two seasons of interest, though crab apple jelly isn't likely to happen.

RAS has kindly offered some advice by PM, which we're likely to look at this week. There's also Sorbus vilmorinii, which I shoe-horned into our tiny terraced house's front garden back in the 80s. Just checked Street View, and it's still there! Needs a good pruning tho'.

pink_poppy

YBE, I love that you found a random seed and popped it into some compost. I wonder what it turns out to be, forget me not or something else - next time take a pic of the seed  

Dusty, didn't you have a 'something' growing a while back that you weren't sure what it was??

I've been stewing some freebie cooking apples (not Bramley) and having it with my porridge on a morning with a sprinkle of mixed spice. I just need some brambles now. I ate my last homegrown tomato yesterday - I haven't checked the plant since I put it (and the gnats) outside, but a couple of days after I'd relocated it I heard on a local plant group that it had been a bad year for blight here. I'm sure they mentioned it for potatoes too??

YoungBlueEyes

This is gonna be short because it keeps signing me out when I hit 'post' So, 3rd time lucky?

I'll make sure I get a pic of the seed next time I just plant something I've found. Seeds are identifiable but leaves can be a bit all over the place so it's more fun! Might have to repot it soon cos it's getting tall and wobbly...

Stewed spiced apples on porridge sounds yummy I'm not a morning eater but that does sound good. 

Another fine autumnal morning here, warmer than recently though. It was almost a photo-worthy sunset last night but I think I missed the best of it cos it was so early   At the risk of sounding like an auld s0d, aren't the days getting shorter quickly? There's a wee bit of darkness left when I get up now, and the nights really are drawing in. The winter constellations will soon be upon us  

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

Dusty, didn't you have a 'something' growing a while back that you weren't sure what it was??

Yes, and I'm ashamed to admit I over-watered them, so only one remains, which hasn't done a lot. Still, it's not a weed if it's taking this long!

A warmish morning and a good day in prospect, so I thought I'd take my walking friend to an open garden, as my walking ability's a bit suspect again. Hmph! They're all waiting for the weekend, but there's one that often opens for groups of 1 to 30, so we're definitely a group! Failing that, I can get us in half price at another place we've been to, but not for a couple of years. Or there's digging...

Not much going on in the garden at present, but Farway mentioned pears, so here are mine in the orchard.

You can tell from the state of the tree, I don't deserve them!

twopenny

Internets slow here - guess with a dull dark morning all the holiday kiddies are on the net. That's how it works out of cities.

Last night I had to water because my winter clematis that was so healthy 2 weeks ago looks almost dead, the hydrangas which survive most things are brown round the edges of leaves and flowers and even my mini acer is dropping leaves.

And the autumn cyclamen are flowering!!!!!!!!

So might be useful to say that primroses are thriving regardless, Bowles Mauve wallflower (though the new fancy varieties only have pompoms of leaves on sticks) and the wisteria which gave me another flower out of season. The old roses are doing ok survival wise but only Gertrude Jeykell and Blush Noisette are blooming beautifully.

Looks like the runner beans have had their day so I'll let the last ones go to seed.

Still running around like a mad thing. Need to get the car seen by someone else and if it will survive another year, find flooring for the bathroom even though the guy hasn't been in touch to say if they are still coming, what time or payment. Thought I had 2 weeks to do this all but realise it's 2 days!!!

So bathroom and window lady next Tue, Mri collect tiles and shower rail Wed, collapse in a heap to the sound of banging (hopefully) Thurs. Ooooo heck!

At least Bank Holiday I should have time to do house and garden.........can only hope.

I've some nice photos to post - just need the time to download them.

Weather white cloud, dim and cool. No sunrise, no sunsets, but the stars are looking good when the cloud clears.

See Farway's got another front page