Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

No I think I'll leave it indoors Farway, it's on my front window cill now and it can stop there 'til it goes over. I recognised what it was when she brought it over 2p, thanks to pics on here, and I did get a bit giggity  

I'll remember that about figs not ripening after they've been picked, that's a good tip. If I get that far I mean. I wouldn't have said I was in the right climate for figs but we'll see. And I don't know what happened to cheapy compost or grobags etc, they all seem a bit dear to me this year. I don't remember anyone selling them off at the end of last year either, sort of September time when all the Christmas tat needs instant displaying. 

Seems like it's trying to brighten up out there, finally  

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

No I think I'll leave it indoors Farway, it's on my front window cill now and it can stop there 'til it goes over. I recognised what it was when she brought it over 2p, thanks to pics on here, and I did get a bit giggity  

I'll remember that about figs not ripening after they've been picked, that's a good tip. If I get that far I mean. I wouldn't have said I was in the right climate for figs but we'll see. And I don't know what happened to cheapy compost or grobags etc, they all seem a bit dear to me this year. I don't remember anyone selling them off at the end of last year either, sort of September time when all the Christmas tat needs instant displaying. 

Seems like it's trying to brighten up out there, finally  

Somewhere I've seen, fruiting depends a lot on sun shining on the branches. 

Being hot doesn't count, it's the sunshine on branches wot does it, which could be why my one in the conservatory was figless , but the one outside about a yard away figged. 

Is that's a word? I claim it is if sportsfolk can have"meddalled last year" my tree can have figged!

No sign of my seeds, but I heard PO wants to drop second class delivery to every other day. I think they've started here.

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

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

Yes, impossible to tell if they're Jetfire or Tetes when there are just a few with equally few leaves. The whereabouts of the rest are as tricky to determine as Zelensky's. I'll plant the reject Tetes from DD streamside, but as the neighbouring farmer thinks that bank's his, I don't put anything that costs real money there. 

Meanwhile, on the side that's definitely ours, the adjoining neighbour has just inserted some wee conifers against our admittedly rather see-through-in-winter cotoneaster hedge. They're 6" tall and it's maintained at about 7'   I feel an interesting struggle for light and nutrients will play out there.

I can confirm that ripe figs straight from the bush are lovely, which reminds me, I should get mine into the polytunnel pronto.

On the subject of compost, I found some reasonable stuff at my local Morries; 2 bags for £10, or something like that. It wasn't as nice as the Miracle Gro ones I had, but those cost £14 for 2, and I mix adulterate everything I buy with other materials anyway.  To be honest, I'm still struggling with the modern composts, especially with the way they seem to dry out on top. This means I end up hefting each pot to check I'm not overwatering. Nevertheless, I'm getting some germination now from trickier subjects, like Lepechinia hastata, which I found dropping seed carelessly like salvias do in a well-known establishment near here last autumn. I lost mine a few winters ago. It's not a plant that's long-lived, or even pretty, but I like it and it has a unique smell. 

https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/conditions/plants-for-general-conditions/lepechinia-hastata.htm

pink_poppy

God, your description of figs made me snort, Farway   

That was lovely of the oracle to get you that gift, YBE, just perfect for you. I posted a pic of my deid Calamondin a while back and tbh it doesn't look any different now. I'll see if my phone will say yes tomorrow.

Hope your weather got a bit better today, twopenny.

Dusty, I was just being a bit silly about the hula hoops suggestion   

AR, your description of fresh figs sounds delicious, I'll definitely try them when they're in the shops.

Isn't it lovely that it's nearly 8pm and it's still light outside   

YoungBlueEyes

I agree about the longer days pp, it was about 8 last night when I put the lights on. For such a little difference it makes such a big difference eh   Yep the daffs were thoughtful, she's seen how the slugs are ravaging everything out there so they're a good present. I must remember to text and ask her when she's back and I'll get her a little top up shop. 

Sunshine on the branches so my fig figs (if they can have "meddaling" then I vote yes to figging). Funny you'd think it'd be heat or low humidity like wot them Mediterranean sorts have. I moved it down the garden so it gets the sun, and sitting on the grass will be warmer on it's bum than my cold patio was.
Good luck with your post Farway, any signs of your seeds yet? I was reading a thing yesterday about that, the journalist was umm ... not sympathetic to their make the plebs pay cos our coffers aren't full enough cause  

So what will you do about your wee hedge Dusty? Would it die on you if you lifted it to replant somewhere better? Aren't neighbours just animals sometimes. I think we should bring back pistols at dawn - ok the bodies would pile up but if the good guys all took shooting lessons first then I think that's a winner   Hastata looks pretty to me, reminds me of borage  

His Holeyness is still a fully toed person and ate his breakfast fine. Lovey Neighbour said he's probably alright and she'll look when she gets back. 

OT Raining, but at least it's not windy (yet). Are you suvveners drying up at all now? Have you floated away 2p?

Dustyevsky

pink_poppy said:

Dusty, I was just being a bit silly about the hula hoops suggestion   
Isn't it lovely that it's nearly 8pm and it's still light outside   

 The lighter evenings are lovely if you're not waiting for hens to decide it's bedtime. When darkness falls earlier or later, there's no problem, but right now, locking-up clashes with dinner at Dusty Acres.

I didn't think the hula-hoops idea was silly, but as a well-known conspiracy theorist, I'm obviously gullible. You could use hula-hoops of the robust kind we used to have in school, reinforced with galvanised wire inside, but I expect cheap, Ch n se imported ones wouldn't fare too well. Oh dear, is that racist?

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

So what will you do about your wee hedge Dusty? Would it die on you if you lifted it to replant somewhere better?
OT Raining, but at least it's not windy (yet). Are you suvveners drying up at all now? Have you floated away 2p?

It's not my cotoneaster hedge that's wee, it's the neighbour's new conifers; 7 feet as against 6 inches or so. Also in a fairly shaded place, though that changed somewhat yesterday, as the neighbour had persons identifying as tree surgeons in.

Everything's foreshortened in the picture (that willow is at least 50m away!) but  you can see how see-thru the cotoneasters are in March when they change their leaves. The neighbour's carp and woodshed is clearly visible. Anyway, that tree came down along with several others, but it's to the west, and they were more north-west. They've left the larger tree. Anyway, the upshot will be more light for my wild slope and the streamside in the late afternoon and evening. No complaints! 

Here's another shot from the north of there showing the entrance to our small wood:Apart from the tree surgeon having a throbbing chain saw nicely positioned at the moment the shutter clicked everything is again foreshortened. The commercial buildings and containers are on a different property, at least 25m from the tree he/she is astride. The conifers behind are on another property to the south, hence the desire to get more light in! I've just measured digitally, and the conifers are 60m from the camera. You can also see we have a hornbeam hedge alongside the containers, which was there before them, but it's very useful now for blocking them out in the leafy months.

So, lots of things going on here, though this bit of tree surgery doesn't affect us much. The people who bought the cottage at the other end of our field had many conifers taken away, which gave them, and us, more views. It's the Leylandii that are the biggest problem here. Planted for 'privacy' on a property of 30 acres, they will go on growing, possibly to 70' or so. I'm glad they're not behind us; had that, got the T-shirt!

Farway

More rain, but it's the showers & sunshine sort, makes everything dripping wet, and when the sun just starts to dry it out, it rains again

I'm back in the Sick Bay , lugging compost did my back no good at all. 

Thanks Dusty, I'll keep an open when next in Morries for compost, I was hoping to maybe go up there today, but now the Back is playing up it's probably not wise. 

My back is sort of the twinge one, it's OK then Arrggghhhh if I move awkwardly.

My beans are up above the loo roll compos , these are the started on damp tissue ones. Photo later.

Your throbbing chain saw pic Dusty, looks quite precarious up there, but I suppose if you know what you are doing no doubt a piece of cake.

No sign yet of Postie & my seeds, luckily I have just bought paper back “Grow a little fruit tree” so my gardening today will be reading that. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18796083-grow-a-little-fruit-tree

I have been looking at other pruning methods, and it seems, for back garden growers, small is beautiful. Could be right, and ideas change over time. Small stubby trees, head high max.

How long ago was it strawberries were all in row along the ground? Now it's waist high trough / basket etc.

Cherries, gone are the long ladders, now along wires shoulder-high

-taff

If you look at that picture quick, it does look like he's running in mid air like those weird chinese movies where they run on water Monkey style....

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

If you look at that picture quick, it does look like he's running in mid air like those weird chinese movies where they run on water Monkey style....

I don't watch weird Chinese movies, but I can see what you mean!

Farway, hope the back eases. I did too much yesterday, but with Mrs Dusty returning imminently, I'm doing only light housework today. The good news is that I found the water pipe after an hour digging into the path where I believed it was. Yeah, I know, it's not blue!

Must re-home those self sown Garlic Chives!