Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Rabbits ears Farway, are they lambs ears by another name…? I like them myself. Or how about a hebe? I’ve one in my garden that’s just ever so gradually getting bigger - I take no care of it, no watering or trimming or deadheading or nothing. The flowers are a welcome lay different shape too. I’ve a myrtle in a big pot that’s getting the same treatment and it’s happy enough (I think). 

Sorry YBE, just my description of French Lavender, the ones with tufts at the top

Lambs ears would look nice I think, but we were looking for something with bee power as well, and lavender fits nicely

Hebe, mmm, maybe.

Not rained yet, but due, have been lied to before though

Dustyevsky

Grim here, with that very wetting sort of drizzle. I didn't stay out long. But....it looks like an improving week, with the liars predicting 22c at the weekend and the drunkards saying it won't be quite that good. Indeed, tomorrow morning, the wasted weathermongers in Exeter reckon we shall start Tuesday with a thunderstorm. There's a few of those knocking about, but none within 100 miles of us at present.

Very little gardening news, apart from the fact that Amateur Gardening is to close:

 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/27/alan-titchmarsh-amateur-gardening-closure-percy-thrower/

Apparently, even old fogies, like me, are now turning to the interweb for their info, instead of sitting in the potting shed and flicking through its pages. 

twopenny

There's a reason this type of weather is called gloomy.

Sheesh it's miserable. I can't see the hills for low cloud or rain.

Barely looked at the garden.

So no photos of it - can't see it for mist!

Farway, I looked repeatedly at Munstead v Hidcote. Munstead always looked scraggy and leggy compared to Hidcote which stays neat.

But I have noticed my Hid, while it survives the winter weather and can bloom even then, struggles with the drought and heat we've been having. It keeps on going though.

The one that really thrives whatever is the Old English Lavender. But that can grow quite large in comparison. Needs absoloutely nothing but a cut back in autumn.

I'd have thought you'd do it from cuttings . Very easy. Every bit I knock off Hid goes into the ground and 90% root.

in_my_wellies

Good evening, I've been reading and enjoying the photos but have had too much of nothing going on to sort out posting. 

I left my garden to it for the summer and went volunteering abroad - left my daughter in charge. I came back in time for harvest and got busy making jams, jellies, cordial, pickles, etc so all stored for winter

I'm back in Devon, having a rest and doing serious house hunting - again. Revised my plans downwards again, smaller house with larger but not too large garden. 

Blue sky and T-shirt in the garden yesterday whilst planting bulbs for the friend I'm staying with. Today was wetting drizzle as described by Dusty. I hope they're wrong about thunderstorms tomorrow as a trip to Rosemoor has been suggested. 

twopenny

Welcome back Wellies.
What an exciting life you lead.
What were the gardens like where you were?
I like being nosey about gardens when I'm in other countries.

YoungBlueEyes

Hey Wellies! I was thinking of you yesterday when we were talking about greenbee's new house and garden. Have you been somewhere exciting? I second the garden nosiness - have you seen rare and beautiful things? 

Farway I'm not a French Lavender lover either, much prefer Old English. I had 4 of them in the front garden of my last house. It was a west facing gravel pit but you shoulda seen the size of them after 3 years Total bee heaven. Also for no care and lots of bees - buddleia? I can't say I've seen many bees round my hebe tbh so I take that back. 

Sad news about you auld gets not buying the mag any more Even I've heard of Percy Thrower! One by one they fall. 

No gardening done at all here yesterday cos Monday is Domestic Nonsense day. I've still the weeding to finish and my bulbs to get in.

I'm mentally putting the drunkards on one week's probation, before I start calling them Devonians again. They (bbc, sobers, and the other one) all gave drizzley rain on and off all day yesterday, but ventusky and drunkards both said no rain til 7pm when it'll be heavy. And they were right!. So today they've given a 20% splash about 2pm then proper rain late eve again but windy with it so I'm considering putting a wash on... Should I risk it...? The other 3 have got showers and rain blowing over me and out to sea starting in a couple of hours and continuing all day.... it's a quandary....

Dustyevsky

in_my_wellies said:

I'm back in Devon, having a rest and doing serious house hunting - again. Revised my plans downwards again, smaller house with larger but not too large garden. 

Blue sky and T-shirt in the garden yesterday whilst planting bulbs for the friend I'm staying with. Today was wetting drizzle as described by Dusty. I hope they're wrong about thunderstorms tomorrow as a trip to Rosemoor has been suggested. 

Good to hear you're back in Devon, wellies.   I wouldn't worry about the thunderstorms due to happen about now. The Exeter inebriates' website has no mention of them this morning, and indeed, there's none in the UK at present.  It looks like a dry Rosemoor awaits.

I don't know if you remember me warning you off a property, not a million miles from us here, but anyway, it eventually sold at a knock-down, though sensible, price. Since then, the new owner has spent a considerable sum turning it into a bijou holiday rental, and even obtained permission to install double glazing, which is usually a “No” on listed buildings. I'm pleased they found the local authority more amenable than I've done recently, but I  wonder how things will go with  traffic shaking the place morning, noon, and night. People go  on rural holidays to  get away from that sort of thing.  

Mind you, this morning the road's free of tractors and trailers whizzing back and forth, but being Tuesday, the services have been active since before dawn with low-level helicopter training....

Farway

Welcome back Wellies with hopefully lots of nice memories locked way

Yesterday afternoon did finish up with rain & thunder so zero gardening, but I did watch GW if it counts, Monty agrees with me about my hard pears. My two are still on the window sill ripening, or rotting internally

twopenny said:

Farway, I looked repeatedly at Munstead v Hidcote. Munstead always looked scraggy and leggy compared to Hidcote which stays neat.

But I have noticed my Hid, while it survives the winter weather and can bloom even then, struggles with the drought and heat we've been having. It keeps on going though.

The one that really thrives whatever is the Old English Lavender. But that can grow quite large in comparison. Needs absoloutely nothing but a cut back in autumn.

I'd have thought you'd do it from cuttings . Very easy. Every bit I knock off Hid goes into the ground and 90% root.

Thanks for this insight, 2P, just what I needed. I have thought about cuttings, but will need a donor first. 

Being where the Memorial garden is, anything needs to be low growing and not obscure or detract from the war Memorial

Old English I did think of, but it can get huge. What I may do, and have seen done in Lavender fields, is alternate varieties, so I could do say mixed Hidcote & Munstead

YBE, we have buddleia along a fence, for bees & screening, but it would be too large for the front area

I was a regular reader of Amateur Gardening for years, but I guess like most of its readers found it just stopped being of much use or interest

Blackmoor is having its annual Apple Day this weekend 8 Oct if anyone is near enough and interested. I will not be going due to my mobility and walking troubles , shame but there you are, a life lesson if anyone wants it, do it now while you are still able to do so, actually I have been in the past so nothing regretted

However, what I am doing tomorrow is toddling off to a GC which is attached to a Country Park, which has a lovely border, with cannas of course , all within my walking abilities, plus café & Olde Farm Shoppe.

I'll get some photos obviously and have a check on lavender plus my Volunteer pots pansy shortage, at least for guide prices, which I expect will be sky-high given it is a GC

wort

Hi I’ve been MIA . Having to work is such a blight on living your life😂
@YoungBlueEyes I thought your hanging basket had petunias in it? I used to have those in mine but not done them for a number of years now. I’m usually on holiday after I’ve done them and dd forgets to water them ,so I gave up.

I refilled the wheelie bin ,cut the lawn and had a good chopping session. 

We didn’t get storm Agnes here. After I made the effort to put the garden furniture away, it’s been warm.

Sunday was weird opened the door at 6am and it felt like getting off a plane hot and humid!! The shop where I work was Baltic inside and as I walked up it looked like there were blinds on the windows ,due to a thick layer of condensation.
Today is forecast to be persisting down all day ,but clear tomorrow so washing on tomorrow.
My fur guy has lost his meoiw , poor thing. Getting lots of cuddles. Though he is also good at sussing who doesn’t want him near them and sitting on their knee 😂 

wort

2p the cornus you posted about was on Gardeners world , I was equally took with it. Can’t remember which episode as I 20 plus on record and wasn’t watching in any particular order. But seem to recall they pruned them into small tree shapes?

Farway I have a low growing lavender and it’s been in many years seem to think it’s hidcote. I did have a small hedge of of the taller one at the front which was beautiful but ended up too leggy.