Awful weather - typical Brits talk

ArbitraryRandom

I don't have any pipe at all... yet I do like blue, but I'll be happy if I can just make something that works and looks reasonably tidy.

Re the cupboards and 'best before' - things in tins I don't tend to bother to look at dates. I normally add 6 months to UHT (used for making yogurt and cheese on occasion) and open spices, and a year to flour etc cause it can loose it's oomph. Other than that, it depends on if what it is looks or smells any different. I've a big bag of 80% culinary chocolate that I've had for about 5 years now. Fairly sure it can't go off never mind what the label says. 

pink_poppy

Ooh, that's what my Calamondin should look like, YBE   I think that's what my DD paid a year ago for mine. I keep telling myself it's lasted longer (sort of) than a bunch of flowers for the same price... I'm considering snipping the dead bits off of mine, but am worried what I'll be left with haha. Fingers crossed for you with the Delft and how lovely you've got a fig. I've never eaten a fresh fig, only fig rolls (& you can't eat too many of them...).

Those hoops look like half hula hoops, Dusty. I wonder if you could try that instead, AR, they come in lots of pretty colours

Well done with the Fuchsia cuttings, Farway, they look really healthy.

Drizzle and a moderate breeze forecast for today - nope, it's dry and not a whisper of wind...

ArbitraryRandom

I'd really recommend trying a fresh fig PP - I know they're on the expensive side and only a short window in the supermarkets, but they're a really lovely strange mix of melon, raspberry, and brown sugar (different varieties taste different, but that's the best I can do for a description) that's completely unlike anything else I've ever tried. You can eat them as is, or they're lovely with a nice sharp cheese.  

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

I think your blue pipe is preferable to black Dusty, have you got blue pipe Arb? Your physio is gonna have a fit if you tell them about that work you've done Dusty

There are blues that are subtle, and there's that blue! But there's a reason for it. The blue pipe is meant for underground, and it's a bright colour to help people avoid digging into it by accident. Also, if an unknown pipe is found, and it's that colour, it's pretty certain it's carrying water, not gas or electricity. The black pipe has extra UV stability and is meant for use above ground. Oh, and hula-hoops are a nice idea, but probably lack the strength of 20mm water pipe. For big spans, 25mm would be suitable.

I'm not telling the physio anything! I have rested more than usual, and I've not been on any walks longer than half a mile or so. Luckily, walking friend has her older sister staying with her over Easter, so she's been able to keep going. Once I've seen the physio, and he's given me the OK for exercises, we'll try a walk or two. There are so many I still want to do!

twopenny

My friend used to bring ripe figs back from France. They were lovely.

Farway, what are the figs like that grow in the UK? Do they get really ripe and sweet?
I've rarely had a good one from the shops.
I fell in love with fig cake (pan de higo) in Spain. It was great to take out as a snack and never went off.

Not a happy bunny today. Wet grey clouds with strong easterly wind. About 8c but damp chilly as it rained overnight - again.
I'm all out of get up and go having tackled indoor jobs for days and hoping to revive soon because more of the same predicted.
On the up side my seedlings haven't been eaten too much. I can't find the darn slug this time.

Envious of your fushia Farway, great results. Some twigs of rosemary I stuck in soil had a few diddy ones. Just hope they survive because I had to transplant.
And wonderful selection of fruit trees in supermarkets there and the price! We don't get anything like that here.

Perhaps a wander down to them today and the garden centre sale bit. I really don't need anything but that's not the point   

Dustyevsky

Staying with the practical theme, here's the other bit of digging I did, prepping the soil to take the new Viburnum tinus where the old ones mysteriously died. The weed membrane should help them settle-in, so long as we remember to water......err...when it stops raining, that is!

Altogether, we replaced 8 plants. If all of these survive, they'll be rather close, but that's unlikely.

YoungBlueEyes

pp put up a picture of your calamondin and we'll they'll tell you which bits to snip off. Also, mmmm fig rolls and MMMM fig cake, god that's good eatin'
I like your description of figs Arb, that sounds just right to me. 

According to Tusky you suvveners should be drying up cos the rain's swirling it's way up round me now. The wind might be with you for the day though. Put your big coat on and go see what temptations the gc sale rail has 2p You don't have a Lidl/Aldi near you..? 

The Oracle is away to her caravan now her ....busy season... has finished. So in return for house-watching, blind opening and closing, and bin putting out-ing, she's bought me this - (don't look Farway!) I don't recognise the label so I've no idea where she got it from. 

Farway

Back to rain, not pouring, just the get you wet stuff.

twopenny said:

My friend used to bring ripe figs back from France. They were lovely.

Farway, what are the figs like that grow in the UK? Do they get really ripe and sweet?
I've rarely had a good one from the shops.
I fell in love with fig cake (pan de higo) in Spain. It was great to take out as a snack and never went off.

They certainly do, the trick is to leave them on the tree / bush. Seems they are not a fruit that ripens once off the tree. I wait until it's soft, squidgy and the end drips

Nothing nicer than warm off the tree

Wasps love them, but I find they are a bit earlier than the wasps, so not really had any problems.

Flying snails also love them! But I think the skins may be a tad too tough for snail teeth, they never seems to do much damage.

BTW, UK ones ripen without a pollinating wasp, too cold for the wasp, any vegetarians may want to avoid furen ones 'cos there will be a tiny wasp corpse inside.

Early doors at Home Bargains, blimey the price of compost has shot up since I last bought some , and what happened to the 99p Grow bags?

In the end I bought 40ltrs of Levington, £3.49, top stuff but the bog-standard was only 50p less so thought why not?

Left the grow bags, Westland, £2.49 I think, partly because of car space

The plants were carp, dead sticks and soggy pansies mainly, I'll look in Morries sometime for grow bags, but it's not urgent

Being too wet, so probably not potting on the other fuchsias today, if my T & M offer seeds arrive I may sow some

Posted just too early, nice Jetfire there Blue, into the garden once done? Mine have gone over now & need deadheading.

twopenny

Now that lady has class Bluey. If Farway has them it must be so  did you grin when you saw the label?
Yes there's a lidl but just a few pot plants, nothing exciting.

Good to know about the figs. I obviously have to have one now.
The fig cake is made with baby ones so I guess they ripen sharpish over there. Still may be worth a try with bigger ones. Just figs, almonds and honey I think for the real deal.

Cleaned some cupboards and drawers. I need light to finish the painting and it's like dusk here.

Farway

twopenny said:

Now that lady has class Bluey. If Farway has them it must be so  did you grin when you saw the label?

I think Dusty also has them, but his live near the Fiords and, from memory, flowerless this year