Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

We have rain again today, and some may be yellow , weather folk telling us about a yellow rain warning. It certainly looks very stormy & end of the world outside right now. And now it's thundering, the end of the world is truly nigh.

YoungBlueEyes said: Fat

Sorry your castor plant has shuffled off this mortal c-oil Farway. Is there no chance it's just ...deeply resting...? 

No. it's a gonner, not even in a coma, and it's not Fatsia either, much as I'd like one not enough space. I'd also like Alliums, but they are another plant that dies here no matter how I try, but oddly enough chives don't seem to mind it here.

Cant see me out in the garden today with this weather, but when I went out there yesterday I spotted my Boysen berry. It is settled in and seems to be making a go of it, as is the newish Helen blackberry.

The fresh, this year's growth of my Merton Thornless, I've trained over and along the large red pear framework, may as well enjoy the blackberries 'cos the pears are a mis label and probably more cooking than desert. But a berry trained along there will look nice, and enjoy the sun.

I've also taken a tip layering which seems to be settling in but not checked for roots yet

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Dusty, that path, you're spot on! Gee you're good at that

Its darn hard to walk because it's all shale so you cant get a wriggle on but have to say lovely area once you're there. Surprisingly sheltered so plenty of water a must.

Just been reading back and spotted your comment. I have to confess it's not me but Google image search that ID'd the path! However, I knew the background, because I researched the walk a few months ago. It's definitely on our list, but with these short days, we stay close to home, or eat fish 'n chips in the car and enjoy the views from car parks that have them....like this one.

That's Rosemoor in the background. They want to build houses on this one! Grrr!!!

YoungBlueEyes

Australorps - had to D’Duck them. Aren’t they cheeky looking! You don’t have a whole lot of luck with neighbours, will the Rosa do the trick fast enough? So there’s hope for my alliums then, if they sprayed their seeds about before I got to them… it’s a possibility  

Could you do some alliums in a pot Farway, if it’s your soil they don’t like? Or is it a geographical/aspect thing? 

And as for building houses on that view…..

wort

I’m glad you attributed the warmth to me not the wind😳
Saturday was gale force up here and soaked walking round to my sisters after work less than a minute away. Keep saying I will detox after all the rum punch on holiday. But then folk keep having get togethers and  it would be rude to not have a drink or three. 
after throwing my tree up last weds, I had decided not to bother with the outside lights. But today although it was miserable this morning off out to lunch with old friends, as I walked back it turned into a bright afternoon, and galvanized by the wine the lights went up outside.
hoping for a good day tomorrow to get bedding washed and out, then a walk to the cemetery as it would have been my hubbys birthday and my lovely nieces on the weekend. So off to put flowers on.

loved the arty butterfly pic Dusty, some clever people isn’t there. And those fields they want to build on look like they are made of velvet.
Fingers crossed for the lambs lugs YBE.
yellow rain ?! Hope it’s not like yellow snow ! Farway.
Off for a mince pie and extra thick cream and a cuppa now.

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

Australorps - had to D’Duck them. Aren’t they cheeky looking! You don’t have a whole lot of luck with neighbours, will the Rosa do the trick fast enough? So there’s hope for my alliums then, if they sprayed their seeds about before I got to them… it’s a possibility  

And as for building houses on that view…..

Australorps aren't a common breed in the UK, but they're tough all-rounders and have a good temperament. I would say they look more knowing than cheeky, myself.

The neighbour hasn't done anything wrong (yet! ) just tidied-up a corner where water collects and goes into the stream. It's been overgrown for years, so I've not felt the need to put a growing barrier there, just a fence. However, any gap from a public road is best plugged. One of the huge advantages of this property is that there's no access at all, except from a private road.

You may well get lots of alliums popping-up. They're pretty good at it; sometimes too good!

You can relax about the housing plans for the car park; apparently there was a public outcry and whoever thought up the idea was overruled. That town is really blessed with places to walk, because most of the surrounding land is held in common by the residents and there are miles of footpaths. These also join up with a major footpath we walk in winter when others are too boggy. You can just about make out a path in the picture....it starts gently  and becomes pretty steep!

Well, this morning was reasonably dry, so I dug holes and put some concrete in them. Then, the rain came in over lunchtime, so it was a sludge-fest where I'd been working and the holes had water in them. The concrete will still go solid, but it was fortunate it's foundation and won't be seen.

twopenny

It was supposed to rain all morning but the sun sort of came out.
Still feels quite mild at 10c after that cold snap.

Won't be any gardening done this week. Cooking for 4 Christmas events , just nibbles, and Friday two on the same morning!
Not sure whether to hit the Baileys before or after 

Could someone please write some new Christmas songs?
It's driving me crazy!

It's weird out in the garden. Bulbs are coming up, Helebore fat buds and the japonica is in bud too.
The Hidcote lavender is blooming as is my climbing rose Blush Noisette. Defo worth the.money
Must get my favourite cream one this year. They only sell till Feb and I keep forgetting. 

YoungBlueEyes

Oh they want to build on the car park Dusty? I didn't read that right, I thought you meant they wanted to put houses on the fields. Wort's right, they do look like velvet, I can see it now I'm on my laptop Mind I wouldn't say no to a house on the car park, I'd never get sick of looking at that view! 

Lamb's lugs are #Shawshanking wort. Actually I haven't looked at them for a few days cos I've got a new obsession. Himself came home with my christmas present last night - a squirrel baffle. Well it took the alpha squirrel a couple of minutes (literally) to work out you can't get up it, so he jumped at it from the fence and slid off. He went home for a sulk for a few minutes then came back determined. He's worked out that if you jump from the fence and grab the pole, then lower yourself onto the baffle, you can slide down it on your bum. Within possibly 15 minutes I had 5 squirrels all at it. I was stood in my conservatory giggling away, 'til I caught myself on and realised the baffle was a complete waste of time. So don't be spending any money at all on baffles folks, unless you're looking for something entertaining if there's nothing on telly  

Baileys before, during and after 2p, you need to keep out the cold Funny I was gonna mention Baileys - posh friend says Aldi have improved their Baileys, and while it was good before it's even better now. But not the white choc one, she says (and she's a white choc eater). So I lifted a couple of bottles in case we do end up doing christmas and having people round. I can see The Oracle being a "oh just a small one at christmas' type, then throwing it down her neck by the half pint

2p do you want a daily nagging about your Blush Noisette?  Have you to go to a gc or are they available online or what? Be a shame to miss out cos they sound heavenly. 

OT it did stay dry yesterday officially, but the air couldn't have been any damper without it actually raining. Showers on and off today but it's not cold, breezy yes and it's 6' out there now says my phone. Nicer weather coming the next few days though, possibly. Dry and sunny-ish and double figure temps, and the pressure is set to rocket. Good high pressure makes everything feel better imo

pink_poppy

Ooh, am I going on holiday, YBE?? Where am I going?? Unfortunately not me heading off to the sun - was it Wellies??

Have you heard Snowman by Sia, twopenny?? It's a different kind of Christmas song and I actually quite like it.

It's yet another frosty start this morning - I think there's only been two mornings in the last three weeks where DH hasn't had to scrape the car... The sky looks lovely though - all pink.

I finally had a look at the Calamondin and it's not good. Leaves are dropping off. It's my own fault.

twopenny

Blush Noisette I have Bluey. 
https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/blush-noisette
I'd like to say what the other one I want is but I'm forever forgetting. Will look it up.
Alistair Stella Grey......It also blooms till Christmas. In spring it can have 13 flowers in one 'hand' and the scent is gorgeous all summer! 
https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/alister-stella-gray

Yes, a weekly reminder would be useful    
The things that make life happy get pushed away as utilities and lifes trials take precedence 

Hoping to look for holidays, plants and hobbies in the 2 weeks over Christmas whn for me the madness stops.

Saw the video for Shawshank...bit I must wiki it. Quicker. I'm guessing it's not a comedy.

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

Oh they want to build on the car park Dusty? I didn't read that right, I thought you meant they wanted to put houses on the fields. Wort's right, they do look like velvet, I can see it now I'm on my laptop Mind I wouldn't say no to a house on the car park, I'd never get sick of looking at that view!

There's always people willing to do anything for money, including taking away a town's prize asset like that. I'm not sure where they thought visitors would park, given the centre's already stuffed. 

In a nearby town, there's a road of 1950–1970 detached houses which had wonderful views all the way to Dartmoor. They have names like 'Greenacres' and 'Dartmoor View.' Then, about 7 years ago, someone built 95 houses in the fields behind. To add insult to injury, they named the last road in the estate 'Great View.'

Way back in the mists of time, Mrs Dusty and I considered a reasonably priced bungalow with land a few fields to the right of those in the photo. We didn't go to view it, though, because we already knew it was overlooked from the car park. There was nowhere in the 5 or 6 acres that was private. We could imagine people like us, parked there, eating lunch with binoculars trained on the surroundings!

They say there's not much chance of rain today. We'll see. I'm feeling guilty for not helping Mrs Dusty clean the conservatory, and the mild spell coming would probably be a good time to get thoroughly wet doing the exterior!