Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Dustyevsky

I don't believe we're seeing anything particularly unusual with the snowdrops and primroses; they're small plants that can respond quickly to varying weather conditions, like the generally mild winter we've had so far. This will bring an advantage in terms of a longer season of active growth, but being bone-hardy, they'll also be fine if a sudden cold snap arrives, or there's a white-out.

Looking at the larger plants, such as the hawthorns in mild places I mentioned last week, there's no hint yet of leaves. If we were 6-8 weeks ahead, there would be, I think. The elm hedge I'm working on will begin to show signs of imminent growth when reddish buds appear on the stems, but there's no sign of those either.

In other words, there are plants which can take advantage of 'weather' and others that can't, though they've been affected by climate, which is a different thing. We only have to travel 30 miles or so up the M5 corridor to spot the difference between our climate here and that in the Vale of Taunton Deane. Springtime and autumn arrive earlier there as a result of differences going on for decades.

When it comes to dizzy spells, apart from inner ear problems, the first thing I'd think of is blood pressure, though a week in a different environment isn't long enough to be in any way conclusive. If someone's in London on business, then their body is in 'work mode' which could be reflected in higher blood pressure than when they're at home and feeling more chilled. That's just a hypothesis. When I worked in London as a late teen, I found the whole experience exciting, but also oppressive and exhausting too. I knew within weeks it was a place with no long term interest for me, and I got the hell out of there within 2 years!

Gosh! This is all sounding very serious.....sorry about that. I'll quickly remind you it's National Farmhouse Breakfast Week, which means you can eat eggs sausage, bacon and fried bread and bump-up low blood pressure that way!

YoungBlueEyes

Welcome back Arb! Sounds like you had a great time I agree with Dusty re not feeling right - if it is low bp then all the excitement and carryon of a new environment will have masked it temporarily. If you'd done what you normally do at home (just tootling about, or sat watching telly etc) you'd prolly have still had it. It was masked by your brain whirring away with stone placements (love that btw ) and getting dressed up for the RAH and visiting all new places etc. Bit like Pain Gate Theory - can only do one thing at a time. Or as Dusty says, your bp was raised with all the people and noise and getting to places on time etc. Possibly. Imo  

Thanks for the reassurance on my fuschia. I've decided that as I really don't know what I'm talking about re gardening, I'm not going to worry about any of it. It can all sit out there, and either Shawshank or Schrödinger as the mood takes it. That's my masterplan. 

I don't want any Saharan sand up here, my garden doesn't drain very well as it is so sand isn't gonna help me one bit! So if you can catch it all before it comes up here Farway thank you please  

Feels cool out there this morning, in a nice fresh way. When the humidity drops I'll have my windows open. I was tootling about the village yesterday but I didn't see any snowdrops or anything. God help me I almost went to the garden centre cos I was out that way I did buy some more bulbs from a charity shop though - "Blue Magic" irises, "Alcea mixed" Hollyhocks, and some "Ixias" mixed. 3 for £5. I'll get them in today. Along with all the others I found when I was looking for somewhere to store them   Florifouriness here I come! 

twopenny

Still waiting on the weather today.
They say high temperatures and a bit of sun with strong windy gusts.
It is 9c but looks like grey rainy cloud. The washing is wafting. But left it out overnight and its seeming dryish.
Blackbird at the bird table at last! So I can't go out and check said washing  . 

If it stays dry I'm going to have another go at the garden.

Hope spring makes it's way oop north sooner rather than later. That's why bulbs are good. As Dusty said, they're tough little beggers and come through regardless giving hope and cheer.

Don't think I'll be going to Snowdrop Valley. Can't walk there now and it's £10 pre bookable lift 
With 6 at a time thats £60 a half hour work. Nice job if you can get it.
So I'm going to have to find my own snowdrop spot. That's a nice little thing to do.

Sorry to hear about your dizzyness Abs. Not relaxing/ stress of building your garden/ no distraction technique?

Farway

No stunning sunrise, no sun , sod's law it's cloudy just when the sand is on the way.

Welcome back AR, sounds like a good time in the Smoke, and inspiring with the stone drops. Very odd with the dizzy spells, apart from conspiracy pylons & Ley Lines the other explanations given sound more plausible.

twopenny said:

Went out looking around village churches and one little one was surrounded by snowdrops which were in the lane banks too! Even some wild primroses, camelias are about to burst forth at another. It seems spring is well underway - and it's only January!

What's going on?

Oooh, tempted maybe next week to have a mooch around the local churchyard for the snow drops, mind you the weather will need to warm up before I poke my hooter out for long.

Dustyevsky said:

Welcome back to the fold. The only wisdom I can impart is, “Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.....especially if it relates to anything in a T&M catalogue!”

Very wise words, but being a gardening optimist I plunged in yesterday, with the offer of free P & P this weekend. Actually turned out quite well, some seeds down to 89p, I expect these will be the older stock, no matter, I've ordered my Coleous [£1], Calendula, California Poppy, nasturtium & Romello F1 tomato [89]. Plus couldn't resit Divinity F1 toms at 99

The toms were reduced down from the £3 plus mark, and supposed to be blight resistant as well. The tom seed are the bargains I like, I'd never buy at £3.99 for six seeds but at 89p it's worth a gamble I reckon.

No other gardening today, I've “done something” to my right knee, and I'm hobbling around more than usual now, still yet to look through the fruit catalogue, just for educational purposes of course

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Don't think I'll be going to Snowdrop Valley. Can't walk there now and it's £10 pre bookable lift 
With 6 at a time thats £60 a half hour work. Nice job if you can get it.
So I'm going to have to find my own snowdrop spot. That's a nice little thing to do.

Hmm, I've had a look and the parking around there isn't good; never mind the long drive there. I have hopes for some open access woodland nearer to us, which I'm hoping to walk tomorrow for the first time. Yesterday the inebriates said we'd have sunshine on Monday, but now they say, “Only kidding, it's actually light rain!” We'll see how it goes.

Rain or shine tomorrow, I've had a good day cutting the grass, which was threatening to get out of control. Our wild lawn areas need doing now too, as the cowslips will be up soon; then it will be too late.

We had the ferrets out walking in the chicken pen this afternoon, so hopefully the ferret smell, the shorter grass and the mower racket will encourage our rodent 'friends' to move further away. Hoping's free!

Here's hoping your knee gets better quickly too, Farway. I've appts for X-rays on both knees in about a fortnight, which is quicker than anticipated.

twopenny

Aw Farway, sympathies. My bits decided to do something random today and no pain but leg wouldn't hold me up. Every day a surprise.

Managed to paint the bathroom and get stuff pinned to the wall though so its really weird.

Gardening doesn't seem to be doing any of us much good apart from the youngsters.

However happy to report that when putting my bins out I noticed my Prunus had burst into blossom since yesterday

My little snowdrops from SValley are blooming (never see a sign of them then 'pop' they are there.

And despite the risk I climbed up and got some of the clematis moved without more injury.

And some garden veg for lunch..........things are looking up!

Dusty, not a chance with dodgy knees and MrsD either those paths down to the valley and knee deep in mud. But I'll send you a message if I can work out how.

So a little reminder

 

YoungBlueEyes

Aw Farway, hope your knee rights itself soon. Would lots of sitting down looking at catalogues/watching telly and drinking tea help or hinder?

Your Snowdrop Valley looks idyllic 2p, but a tenner is a bit much really eh. And boo for disobedient bodies but hooray for your blackie  

I think the weather will hold for you to get your wild lawns cut Dusty, before the cowslips poke their stinky heads out. They're attractive enough but I can't stand the tart smell of them

It was cloudy here yesterday, so no pretty sandy sunrises/sunsets. Cloudy out there now and nicely raining, so I've put my big ficuses out cos they're gasping. The gnats will either thrive or drown in all the rain CountryFile says is coming today. Fingers crossed for drowned! 

Oh and the Holey Roamin' Terror still hates me. He came sniffing round the bird feeder yesterday and gave me such a filthy look. I think there might be mouses in that corner for he spends an inordinate amount of time patiently watching it. I've given up feeding him to umm encourage the circle of life

Farway

Supposed to be sunny, but it's hard to tell with the fog & mist shrouding the landscape. Not raining or frosty, or sandy either, come to that.

YoungBlueEyes said:

Aw Farway, hope your knee rights itself soon. Would lots of sitting down looking at catalogues/watching telly and drinking tea help or hinder?

Yes, that medicine seems to have worked, still a bit wonky but much easier now

twopenny said:

Aw Farway, sympathies. My bits decided to do something random today and no pain but leg wouldn't hold me up. Every day a surprise.

Hope your "bits" have also improved, shame about the snowdrop valley for you, I've become philosophical about things like that these days and now glad that I saw things when I did. At least I can still trundle, for free, around Wisley.

The fruit catalogue is tempting of course, I find I used last year's for reference at times, just to check a variety out. It's Pomana BTW, no financial connection, just envy at the fruit. 

A bit tempted by the crab apples they have, could I sneak another one into the volunteer patch?

Now, Ta Ra, I have two embryo daff buds in pots at the front. Which is doubly good because not only are they my first this year, but these are the “new” ones from Morries, planted in October. 

Of course, I failed to label them , so will have to wait to find out which variety they are.

twopenny

Good morning everyone.
Glad everyones bits are working. Yes, weird but by evening it was working fine. No reason.
The valley I've been going to since I was a child and it's only recently it's become shut off because of the volume of traffic and even then lifts were free. Still new beginnings and time to explore for my spring fix. That's gardening too 

Farway so glad an expert like you fails to label. It's something I'm horribly guilty of. I always think I'll remember. Planning to mark where all my bulbs are this year so I can titivate for next - read get the right ones in the right places and some it seems, out of the lawn.

The dry day forecast became a wet forecast last night and the ground is wet but a shower only today.
It's 12c this morning   so if bits stay moving it's a walk to survey what's out in other peoples gardens.
I may pour the magic medicine on the moss out front and stab a fork in aerate the lawn I trampled the other day.
If I'm not diverted I may even tidy (make standing room) in the garage and sharpen the lawn mower blades. Though perhaps not on second thought. That would guarantee rain !!

Dustyevsky

Weather still unpredictable, so I've arranged to meet my walking friend just west of Lidl. Then, if it's raining at least I'll be able to shop, and we'll be able to chomp fish & chips while staring at the view seen last week....or there's always Rosemoor, if things look desperate!

Otherwise, it's an easy valley walk past pine woods, I wimped-out of when the temperatures were much lower 9 days ago. It's a potential circular, but not this time of year.