Awful weather - typical Brits talk

pink_poppy

Aw, bless you for thinking about my Calamondin, YBE, I've been meaning to do an update. It's, erm, still not quite in the land of the living. It's been inside for a while now and I've been giving it citrus feed every now and then. Most of the leaves are D E A D, but there are some smaller offshoots that look like they're still alive, so I haven't given up on it just yet.

I thought I recognised the leaves of the chocolate vine, Dusty, but I think I'm thinking of something else. Probably way too delicate for up here.

There are some lovely pics on here. We have a cherry down the road too, but I'm pretty sure it's well into April when it flowers. I did notice buds/something growing on the crab apples near to us - they look gorgeous when they're in flower so that's something to look forward to.

I think we reach the dizzy heights of 1 degree overnight/tomorrow morning, so not quite freezing. It's looking dreich out there at the moment with a Northerly wind forecast, so a bit on the chilly side.

Dustyevsky

LessImpecunious said:

Darn! you named it before I had my guess...only recognised because I tried to grow one in a large pot in our garden in London many years ago - it never produced flowers, and therefore never the hoped-for sausages! (the fruits for those wondering...)

Sorry, I should have named it later....I just meant after the picture.

'Proper' rain again here right now, but the drunkards say some prospect of dry interludes later. Yesterday, confined in the polytunnel, I split a huge Geranium 'Rozanne' into many pieces, so if they all 'take,' we'll be Rozanned-out. That would be nice!

At the spot where the Akebia grew, I turned my camera towards a garden where someone is in the process of repurposing a piece of road furniture, no doubt acquired entirely legally...

It was only later, at home, I spotted the cat. But is it real? I swear no photo manipulation has taken place. It would be royally stupid to do something like that!

ArbitraryRandom

I didn't recognise the picture, but chocolate vine is on my list of possible edibles - the man issue being needing two of them for pollination and them not being particularly small. Could be something I try for climbing the shed if my honey berry don't work out. 

edit: and just seen another email from the builder... 25th this time. Good job my seeds aren't doing much in the propagator  

Farway

Rain has stopped and even a spot of sunshine

I inspected the volunteer garden yesterday before the meeting, it's all coming on now , and the new, council subsidised, cherry tree has settled in, buds are showing but not sure if leaf or flower ones just yet. I hope it's blossom, just so we get an idea of what is ahead in future years.

Quick, if anyone is tempted, T & M have free P & P until midnight 17th, perhaps rhubarb or six Arbs?

twopenny said:

The wildflowers we call weeds are so pretty makes you wonder why we don't grow them instead!

Agreed, and to prove it here are the wild violets + celandine growing on the verge opposite me. Actually the cherry tree in blossom is on the same verge, if I were a half decent photographer and the sun ever came out I bet there's a good, right royal, picture to be had there.

YoungBlueEyes

I sometimes think of your calamondin pp cos I was that taken with it  

Your photo Dusty - looks to me like someone who’s struggled long enough trying to get a straight edge on the lawn and finally gone “Right! That is it!” whilst eyeing up the road sign  

So you’ve 10 days ‘til the builder comes Arb, might be the chance your seeds need and it’ll all come together eh. 

Those weeds are lovely looking Farway, I was going to say they’d make a good carpet to keep the weeds down

I only came on to say I have an un-noshed flower! Complete with a wee beastie but at least it ain’t a slug. Also my cat wee tree is a vibrant verdant colour (vibranter and verdenter than it looks in this pic, naturally). 

ArbitraryRandom

YBE - how is your ska tree doing?

Mine are still mostly just buds, but the medlar is going great guns with a decent number of leaves open or opening. I can even see it looking 'greenish' from the other end of the garden  

Edit: I know what a T&M plug plant is (thumb size), and I've a decent idea of a 9cm one (hand size)... but can someone help with a visual representation of a 3L rhubarb? Random question I know  

Dustyevsky

ArbitraryRandom said:
Edit: I know what a T&M plug plant is (thumb size), and I've a decent idea of a 9cm one (hand size)... but can someone help with a visual representation of a 3L rhubarb? Random question I know  

It's the size of 1.5 big pop bottles. i.e. big, probably deep, but not ginormous. A good chunk of rhubarb root will fit in a 3litre deep, whereas a 2l would be too narrow.

ArbitraryRandom

Dustyevsky said:

ArbitraryRandom said:
Edit: I know what a T&M plug plant is (thumb size), and I've a decent idea of a 9cm one (hand size)... but can someone help with a visual representation of a 3L rhubarb? Random question I know  

It's the size of 1.5 big pop bottles. i.e. big, probably deep, but not ginormous. A good chunk of rhubarb root will fit in a 3litre deep, whereas a 2l would be too narrow.

Thank you - Sounds like a perfect late mother's day gift  

Edit: potted 'Victoria' ordered - also picked up an 'early' crown for myself as the seeds I have are a late variety and I think having two means (eventually) I can alternate between harvesting them each year. 

YoungBlueEyes

If something is litre sized I imagine it in pop bottles too cos they're 2l. A bucket, a pop bottle, a bag of sugar, my hand span, my fist, my thumb - that's my (pleasingly accurate) measuring system. Do try this at home  

My ska tree is still alive Arb, that bud is still the only one but it's got a wee bit bigger. I'll get a pic of it today. I think it's just waiting for some heat to get going, it's big enough and old enough (?) to know what it's doing so I'm hopeful that it'll burst into life soon :fingercrossed: I'll take a pic of my apple tree too cos that's further along and I think my espaliering is working. 

Who mentioned tatties btw? Monty last night on GW was chitting his this week if that's any help. Mind he was also starting some sweet peas to plant out in the cool shady damp part of his garden and I wasn't sure that was right? I planted mine on the sunny side of the fence last year and they roared away!
And on the news last night was a thing about bees - did anyone see that? They're having a great time at the tennis at Indian Wells, squillions of them apparently. Which reminded me I read a lovely thing about bees the other day there and meant to put a link up here. I'll go find it again.

Lovely and fresh out there this morning, no frost but a nip in the air. Nothing startling in the sunrise/sunset/moon dept though, and the cherry tree at the end of the road is doing nowt. I suspect it's sulking and holding it's breath from the smell being given off by yet another £$*%*$£ pole! Grrr  

ETA - bees being brilliant  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64884107

Dustyevsky

Interesting observations in that bee study Bluey:

 "Where both "blue" and "red" demonstrator bees were released into the same groups of bees, the observer bees..... eventually developed a preference for one solution, which then dominated in that colony."  

Until the next election presumably? It doesn't say, nor does it indicate what happens if the observer bees notice that it really makes no difference, whether they choose red or blue. The whole operation is steered by unseen hands to give the illusion of meaningful choice. Interesting! 

Meanwhile, back in the real world, it's another on/off day, where unseen hands are guiding rainy blobs to arrive at the exact time when walking friend and I want to plant her Malus. Yesterday, an almost dry afternoon was predicted. 

Yesterday, I also interpreted the physio's command to 'take things easy' as inclusive of wading up the stream, lopping off overhanging branches.  There was only about an hour's worth to do. While carrying out that task, I saw a couple of what might be the Tete a Têtes I planted last year, but no flowers as yet.   So, after packing-up, I snapped the reject haul DD2 has brought home from work.

There won't be any more this year; she's gone to India for a wedding.