Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Here you go - garden ornaments. 

I'll have to leave now, I have apostrophe pedantry coming on , and I do hope it is a deliberate spelling mistake in Ornaments

YoungBlueEyes

Aye why aren’t they all apostrophised? Gotta admit though, I do pronounce it ‘orniments’ now ha haa! 

I’m with you on the pedantry Farway. I used to have a good collection of pics on my phone, signs in shops mostly but also menus occasionally. That phone died  

ArbitraryRandom

Do they perhaps sell a wide range of bird related garden decor, with the compost being sourced from a local farmer by the name of Pot? 

Unfortunately I can't come up with an explanation for agregates...  

But I can't say I'm militant about it - they can be funny mistakes, but it's not the end of the world as long as it's understandable  

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

 a quick think about concrete is going on, is it hand mixed or machine mixed? We're planning on building a thing next year now [ it just didn't materialise this year]. I remember the amount of woek it was just to make one wheelbarrow full to top up round the posts a few years ago

I bought a new mixer in 2019, and I still haven't used it. All the concrete I'm making currently is being knocked-up in a barrow, which saves cleaning the mixer and moving it out of sight each night. I suppose the main tip is not to over-fill the barrow, and to choose one of the wider models. A mixer will give a stronger, more consistent result, but for a lot of jobs, top quality isn't high on the agenda.

Today turned out far better than the tipsy tipsters in Exeter predicted, but perhaps we were delivered your sunshine by accident, 2p? We reached the dizzy heights of 7c, and I didn't feel at all cold.:)It'll be a different story tonight, though, with snow possible on the moors. I've covered my concrete with fleece and old dumpy bags. It's tomorrow with higher wind gusts when things will turn really raw, I think. 

Farway said : that Hunt bunged me extra as compensation for being a grumpy old git

Yes, I understand some get £600. Apparently, I'm too young.   At my age, it's hard to be too young for something, so I'm almost grateful to young Hunt for that....but only 'almost,' mind!

Your sedum is looking good. Not sure about ours. Mrs Dusty was tidying.....

in_my_wellies

ArbitraryRandom said:

Like others, beautiful baby blue skies today with only a hint of cloud creeping in as we move into the afternoon. I'm going to venture out shortly to do a little tidying up, but won't be long before I'm back where it's warm. I need to get some snakeshead bulbs planted before they completely dry out on me, but I think I'm going to just dig a single hole (edit: 3 shovel sized holes in the end for 50 bulbs - some good clumps if they come up) and dump them to survive or not! No neat planting in rows for me

Apologies in advance I have a routine appointment at the GPs tomorrow so expect it to rain at around 10-10:30 

Just popping in to say hello! 

Real life has taken over - I visited an aunt in hospital today, an hour and a half trip each way. She was explaining the hospital timings/routine which she found fascinating, turns out it's her first stay in hospital at age 90. Not bad! Lovely drive over there in the sunshine

I have a friend who regularly buys me bulbs, I hate planting bulbs so inevitably use your method of planting - dig a spade sized hole and put in as many as will fit. Then I got the timing wrong on a visit to said friend and she asked me to plant bulbs in her lawn. NIGHTMARE!!! However, following her instructions 1) throw bag of bulbs on a two square meter patch of lawn 2) drag a large bag of compost across the lawn 3) open bag with knife 4) spread 3" deep over bulbs 5) walk over several times to 'pack them down' Well it worked for her, next spring it looked fantastic, over the years this is how she's achieved the 'natural' look to her spring garden. 

I think Wort is on the same cruise I'll be on next week in which case they won't access internet if they're a MSE. My daughter tells me it's £12 a day if bought for the whole trip or £18 a day if you just buy it for one day. Or find a café and buy a drink to have access for a few minutes. I'm leaving my phone with my son so he can deal with anything urgent. 

Yesterday I made 5 jars quince jelly, gorgeous colour and to me it tastes a bit like Turkish Delight so can't be bad. Then I made membrillo with the pulp, 7 small jars and a tray which I cut into strips and wrapped this morning. Not sure that was worth the effort, will find out at Christmas. That's if for preserving this year. Had a sort out - 167 jars, at least 40 jars to be given as Christmas presents and 2 hampers I donate to a raffle.

Biggest gardening disappointment this year - Bramley apples - two trees, only 12 smallish apples. The worst crop in 40 years hopefully down to the weather and the trees 'rest' year (they are biannual) Fortunately, on seeing the poor blossom in the spring I froze 12 x 1kg bags so I do have breakfast sorted

I thought the bird was a wren because of the sticky up tail. I helped cut down an elderberry tree last week. At the back of a row terraced houses, the last tree standing but it had to go because it was pushing the wall/fence over. Well did I feel guilty! There was a blackbird, a wren and a robin bobbing about in it. We'd cut a branch at a time, drag it out and cut it. Each time these three birds were back. Tree was cut down, lying on the slabs. Daylight ran out so I returned the next morning. I walked round the corner to find the blackbird and the wren still bobbing about in the fallen tree. Almost expected them to get in the car. Poor things, there is no other tree/greenery in sight. Student housing = concrete gardens 

greenbee

Cold and frosty here - and I’m working out how much oil this house uses (it has a 1000l tank, which is pretty small given the size of the house!). I’m also dealing with mice - and have acquired two cats. Unfortunately they won’t be up to doing much about mice for a while as they’re not much bigger than mice at the moment.

I’ve had quite a lot of shrubs removed as they were in a poor state, and have a vast pile of stuff ready for shredding when we have time - the chippings will be left in a pile to rot down and added slowly to compost/used as mulch. Greenhouse is in but not yet being used as there’s so much else going on. Water butts and compost bins have been acquired in the sales (still need more, but have some to start with).

Tree surgeon has decided he is too busy and can’t fit me in, so I need to get hold of another one. And the person who removed the shrubs was supposed to come back and do the pruning but didn’t - is it too late now we have frost? Everything that’s left desperately needs it as every single shrub is deformed from having been overcrowded.

I’d hoped to have beds dug and soft fruit/rhubarb in by now, but obviously my plans were a little over optimistic!

YoungBlueEyes

She does sell bird related garden decor Arb, and we're fairly rural here so there may well be a farmer called Pot. Let's go with that Not militant here either, they're just something that makes me smile  

Gawd you oldies don't know you're born ha haa! 7' and £600? What I wouldn't give for 7' and £600! It's -2 here, ''feels like'' -4 and a bitter wind. Worse tomorrow mind. How’s DGD with the cold Farway? Bet she wishes she was on the Isle of Widget now eh? 

Helloo wellies. Hurray for 90 years old aunts! Is she keeping the docs and nurses in line? How goes your house hunting? I’ve forgotten if you’d said you’ve found something…? That's awful about the blackie and the wren, I hope they found somewhere else..  And in this cold weather too, poor wee souls  

That sounds like good progress gb, at least you've got stuff ready to go. I don't know about best times to prune stuff.... I hope the mice are outside not inside! 

twopenny

Same wind here Bluey....2c and bitter.

I was supposed to go walking/coffee with a leisure group. A toss up but whatever is wrong with me doesn't like the cold and neither do I. Can't get a good march on to warm up.

Dusty, yes you got our sunshine I guess as we didn't get it. Wonder if you are going on your rambles?

Tried to go back and catch up on all that's been going on here but there's tons of it.

Pruning can wait. Possibily best after they've been traumatised to let them catch their breath. They've been drastically trimming the field hedges here. Feel sorry for the birds that nest there but I guess it's the right time to do it.

Quince jelly for Christmas, yum! Had to look up Membrillo. Interesting. Would like a taste.

Allotments, just think of it laying fallow and the worms doing their job. The weeds will keep the soil warmer than if it was all cleared.

Good thing you've got your plants all tucked up Farway. I'm doing the same with Me

On the thougth of the Apostrophe, love David Mitchells rant on the subject

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUiWXNt7lqc

My favourite line which I can't find is 'Now apparantly the apostrophe isn't needed, I want all the time I spent learning it at school BACK!'

Did you see the other thread? I got my Christmas tree at half price! One happy bunny.

I don't usually celebrate but it's been a sucession of crisis laden years since I moved so this is my way of saying, lets make this little house a home.

Farway

Snow has arrived! For us Southern softies, it's a blizzard, but TBH it's just a few flurries and will never stick. 

DGD however is finding pretty snow is not all it's cracked up to be, the non-self clearing drive is now iced up, and her car is stuck at the bottom of it, can't get a grip on the slope.

Thanks for popping in with updates Wellies, busy times for you, shame about the Bramleys, but that's gardening, next year will always be better

My extra heating dosh from that Hunt, the word has got round & my content's insurance premium renewal quote is now treble what it was last year. The rotters, I suspect skulduggery because online comparing show my insurers quoting less than what they are asking me, mutter mutter.

Along with the snow flurries there is a bitter wind, so no way am I going out to do any gardening, I'll just look at the blackened dahlia foliage through the windows

However, here is a photo from the other day while the sun was out

Lily seed pod, I may try to germinate some seeds, but I do not really expect to see results before I forget where they are, or they get eaten by some creatures

ArbitraryRandom

greenbee said:

...and have acquired two cats. Unfortunately they won’t be up to doing much about mice for a while as they’re not much bigger than mice at the moment.

Reported as I'm fairly sure it's illegal to say this then not provide pictures!