Awful weather - typical Brits talk

pink_poppy

Up early drinking hot chocolate again...

Heavy rain at the moment, with Storm Kathleen hitting from 11am for a few hours, then same again tomorrow.

I sprayed a room with flea spray yesterday, completing forgetting my potatoes were chitting on the windowsill hope they're going to be okay. I noticed a couple of days ago that the Maris Piper were going a bit green, presumably because they're in the light. The Kerr's Pinks and Roosters seem to be okay and I think are starting to grow little shoots. I'm wishing I'd taken a pic at the beginning to compare though.

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

More later as I'm too happily pooped to wind up the computer to download photos........

I was too pooped last night to write anything. Yesterday, I didn't get going properly till after lunch, when I took advantage of all the sogginess to plant about 100 bits of tough Geranium and Alchemilla in the hedgerow on the private road side. These are needed to bind the soil and stop less desirable plants establishing. It probably needs about 500 similar bits. I can find them easily enough; it's just making the time to do it! Planting's easy; I just use a large engineer's screwdriver to poke a hole and then push the pieces in. Done now, they'll root quickly, but the real test will come when the hedge sprouts outwards and the soil dries to dust. I can't water anything on that side.

After the planting, I decided to dig up the other part of the PVC pipe, buried in the old polytunnel floor. Got about 10m out before it began raining again around 18.00. There's almost enough now to complete the water supply in the new, shorter tunnel.

I'll be MIA today. On a wee visit to that odd county to the west. No new garden pics, so here's an orchid on the kitchen windowsill.

YoungBlueEyes

No gardening here yesterday, I was out all day and wasn't it warm? It was lovely and dry and breezy still by the time I got back (5ish) so I put a few bits on a quick wash and hung them - and they were dry by the time the dark came Warm out there - 13' when I got up - and a high of 19' this aft. Holy moly. They've recalibrated the wind to just go up the left hand side today, hope all in it's way have battened down the hatches.

Posh Friend gave me a present yesterday - pic in a min - think I might be spending too long whining about my daff/slug situation I'll keep these safely indoors too I think. 

Arb I wouldn't worry about your toms just yet either (I'd still buy another too like ha haa!) mine are showing no signs of life at all and I'm not a bit bothered. IIRC from last year I was ages waiting on them getting going then suddenly they all threw up a diddy wee sprout and they were away. The minute you buy a load more, or plant more seeds, they'll start growing with gusto outta badness.

I think His Holeyness is starting to really miss Lovely Neighbour. I was out there first thing deslugging my plants (bluergh!) and he was sticking close by me. Poor little s0d. So I took advantage and rewarded him with a salty foot bath, and he let me. Shows how forlorn he is I reckon. Good luck with pusscat today pp, I hope it's nothing serious  

Jeez we've got actual strong sunshine out there now. I know I made that joke about it being british Summer time but this is a bit ...on the nose.. 

YoungBlueEyes

No label so I don’t know what they are, but one of the nicest thank you presents I’ve had  

While I’m out here, here’s Ska. It’s finally identified itself (I think). Just hope it survives the wind now :fingerscrossed: 

twopenny

Sounds wonderful Poppy. I'm going to lay down and finish my book as it's lovely and warm and quiet and I've nothing desperate on today.
14c nearly though it doesn't feel quite that. No gales yet.

Bluey the curley leaves and pink spots? Hessayon doesn't help tis time. But in the absence of Dusty Farway will know.
Frost? Feeding? I've seen it before. But it's alive and trying to fruit so it's doing it's best for you. Better than my apricot. Not a blossom in site and it says 'guaranteed' on the label.
Good news on pusscat paw. 

Dusty you reminded me to put piping in to water the lavender during the heatwave. Thats going to be irritating with all the builders rubble and roots.

When I've finished my book I'll see what the weather is re garden or decorating. I have to brace myself for the tourist hoards and get some shopping.

YoungBlueEyes

Ooh laying out with a book sounds perfect 2p. I'd get the shopping out of the way then you can relax and leave the tourists to it.

I thought Ska might be a pear from the way the leaves are opening. My Tesco pear leaves look the same - uncurling from the length of them itms? Whereas the apple uncurled roundier... Not sure now, hopefully Farway/Dusty will be along soon and give us a ruling. I don't have a plum or anything else to compare it to so it possibly isn't a pear. I've not fed it or protected it from frost or nowt. Mind I've not had it that long so we haven't a frost while I've had it. It's sat in the sunny end of the garden and it gets watered when it rains. That's it *shrug* 

Maybe your apricot is like Arb's toms, waiting for you to turn your back to burst into life  

Farway

OW, Ow, my back is giving me gyp now. Not constant pain, just a stab at awkward times. 

Hurts when I bend down, hurts when I get up, hurts when I sit down. Puts paid to any seed sowing or bending today, shoot me now.

YoungBlueEyes said:

I thought Ska might be a pear from the way the leaves are opening. My Tesco pear leaves look the same - uncurling from the length of them itms? Whereas the apple uncurled roundier... Not sure now, hopefully Farway/Dusty will be along soon and give us a ruling. I don't have a plum or anything else to compare it to so it possibly isn't a pear. I've not fed it or protected it from frost or nowt. Mind I've not had it that long so we haven't a frost while I've had it. It's sat in the sunny end of the garden and it gets watered when it rains. That's it *shrug* 

Maybe your apricot is like Arb's toms, waiting for you to turn your back to burst into life  

A second for pear, mine look the same, with grey long leaves uncurling. And just a tad too early for apples. Plum blossom is smaller & more flattened.

Nice move Dusty, going where the rain is due. Supposed to escape it here, just mild, dull and warm.

Must be getting warmer, found my fist two Lily beetles yesterday , dispatched to see the Northern Lights from the fiords. Beetle hunt daily now, I managed to keep on top of the blighters last year and hoping to repeat this year.

Here's Little Miss Figgy, just unpacked. Now in a larger pot, with the dead wood removed & having a doze in the conservatory for a few days before she goes outside.

pink_poppy

Hope the back improves, Farway. Have you tried the bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel trick?? We were skyping my DD and her boyfriend last weekend when my back suddenly went as I was trying to get us both on screen - big ouch. I'm back on the anti-inflammatory gel today, but this time for my elbow...

Thanks to you and Dusty for the leek info, btw. 

I was in town yesterday with the pussycat and the traffic was horrendous - the usual at this time of year (Easter hols = lots of tourists) but made worse by the traffic lights being out of sync after a power outage a week ago.

Are they a type of daffodil, YBE?? Absolutely gorgeous and so unusual.

AR, you need to threaten your absent seedlings with the compost heap - that's what I did last year and the next morning I had a shoot pop up.

It's not warm and quiet here, twopenny. It's blowing a hoolie outside, but at least it's stopped raining for now. Enjoy reading your book.

Little Miss Figgy looks in good condition, Farway. How long before you get any fruit?? Years??

I've been sat watching the clouds whizzing by this morning and the birds doing the equivalent of cat zoomies - it's a bit wild out there   

YoungBlueEyes

Farway it sounds like your back might need looking at. Posh Friend has a frozen shoulder and stuck it for so long til she went to the doc, she got diclofenac (?) cream to put on it and she’s sorry she waited so long to go. Ibuprofen gel made a difference but the diclofenac is worlds apart apparently. 

The daffs are called Bridal Crown she says (I just rang her to get the name of her shoulder stuff). 

Little Miss Figgy looks happy eh. How long will she stay in the pot before being planted? Not that I’ll do the same or anything  

Grrr to lily beetles. Do they have a predator…? 

No whizzy cats, birds, or clouds here, the sun was only out about an hour before the thick sheet of grey/white cloud rolled in 🙄 18’ apparently but doesn’t feel like it in this wind. 

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Farway it sounds like your back might need looking at. Posh Friend has a frozen shoulder and stuck it for so long til she went to the doc, she got diclofenac (?) cream to put on it and she’s sorry she waited so long to go. Ibuprofen gel made a difference but the diclofenac is worlds apart apparently. 

The daffs are called Bridal Crown she says (I just rang her to get the name of her shoulder stuff). 

Little Miss Figgy looks happy eh. How long will she stay in the pot before being planted? Not that I’ll do the same or anything  

Grrr to lily beetles. Do they have a predator…? 

No whizzy cats, birds, or clouds here, the sun was only out about an hour before the thick sheet of grey/white cloud rolled in 🙄 18’ apparently but doesn’t feel like it in this wind. 

Clouding over now, just as I was about to do a lily beetle patrol, being furriners there are no natural UK predators, but chickadees & Bluebirds eat them in foreign parts. Being bright red I think that is a warning sign to predators to avoid, like yellow stripes etc.

Miss Figgy is now into her larger pot for a few months. Unlikely to fruit this year, but may get a taste next year.

I've PM'd the medicine reply, can't have it due to my other medical woes. 

I may have to see if NHS will prescribe a flight to Thailand for a massage, . Not only that, but I could come back a changed man, snigger, nudge nudge.

Just checked out Bridal Crown, great scent as well it says, a lovely gift there.

I've just had a catalogue arrive so who knows, one to look out for next time I'm rich