Awful weather - typical Brits talk

greenbee

Happy Birthday Farway!

Many thanks to whoever mentioned the need to take the autovent openers off the greenhouse roof vents in storms - given we had 20C and 45 mph winds at the weekend, I think this might have saved my greenhouse! It was easy to do (from a step ladder) and I've just put the cylinders back this morning. I've also ordered autovent openers for the louvres as I've realised I need those too. 

My bluebells are starting to come out, even though they were only planted a few weeks ago, which is lovely.

Lots of pruning and cutting back still going on here. And building of no-dig beds. Asparagus is in, everything else is waiting to go in - broadbeans should probably go in this week as they're looking healthy, but I've been told they are likely to be ravaged by pigeons so they may have to go in the veg cage which wasn't the original plan (however, with the wind we are getting, netting everything is unrealistic). Soft fruit needs planting, but a combination of running out of wood (I have pallets to demolish, but can't find my saws) and my compost/topsoil delivery failing to materialise means I'm running a bit behind. 

Lots of seeds have been sown, and more need sowing - not just for the veg plot, but to fill the rest of the very empty garden while I work out what to do with it!

LessImpecunious

YoungBlueEyes said:

My leaves look like the ones in your pic Arb, they're bigger than the ones in Dusty's pic. The description kinda fits, I don't see 2 red glands at the base of the leaf but the bark has lenticels. The leaves are in clusters. I downloaded the app and it's given me 3 options - Chestnut, sweet or Willow, crack, or Willow, white. Hmmm

The glands are the little red blobs on the leaf stalks - so looks like Cherry... Not sure which app that was, but it's way out!

PS Happy Birthday Farway!

-taff

Happy Birthday Farway, have a lovely day hopefully pain free and full of helpers! That's a lovely colour tulip too.

2p, you have a sit and read bench?  I am jealous, now I have to have one too..beautiful rose, really healthy looking too [ mine will succumb I expect to black spot before long]

YBL, yeah, I'm afraid I'm a bit of an experimenter of things probably best left unexperimented on because I expect lots of people have already done these experiments...but it does pass the time and it is fun..cute ladybird and ska! And sorry to be the bearer but the ants are probably not laying eggs, they're probably farming aphids. Get your water bottle out to blast them.

Dust, nice whitebells. When I lived in wales I dug mine out and chuckd them out the back in the lane. Wouldn't you know it, the lane is now full of them [and apparently they are protected - but not from me! ] and I have none and want some...murphys law or something...

pink poppy, dead hedgehog moss, that's worthy of terry Pratchett

green bee, you've been a busy!

Potter today, it's grey and not raining so I'll find something to do in a minute after the dreaded housework...

Paspatur

Very Happy Birthday Farway

@greenbee think that was me as I was saying how my autovent got buckled because I failed to take the tube out

Wind has dropped to 25 mph so I cut the back grass, still wasn't really dry enough but given tomorrow is a yellow rain warning it would have ended up really wet again and then been put off for weeks

Potted on some aquilegia

greenbee

I remember now @Paspatur - I hope you can get it fixed. I appreciate you posting here as it saved me from the same fate. I just need to share the info with my neighbours and make sure they'll deal with mine if I'm away when we have stupid weather. 

YoungBlueEyes

Less the tree app thing was the one on Atb’s link so it was Woodland Trust! This is why I ask so many questions on here, it doesn’t matter what name’s on it I never got a good answer from an app. Asking the right people is a winner every time  

Aww bluebells gb, put up some nice pics when you get them eh? 

Farming aphids?! Well I never knew that. It was a few leaves on the side so I nipped them off at the stalk. I’ll have to go through my blue bin cos I’m nearly sure I’ve not long binned a fairy up liquid bottle. Thanks taff Are you far from Wales now? I’d be nipping back and lifting a few of your white bells if that was me

I hope you’re all getting the same lovely weather I’ve got. Mild and a nice breeze and occasionally sunny. It’ll be the nicest day of the week I reckon  

Farway

Nice & mild, so I knocked the tomato seedlings onto the conservatory floor as I went out to get the potting on sorted.

Double birthday swearing ensued, now I have no idea if I have Sungold, Balcony Yellows or Veranda reds in what pot,, it'll be exciting come summer!

YoungBlueEyes said:

There's ants laying eggs on the underside of the leaves too If that's a help.

Taff has it right, they are moving in the aphids. Ants, aphids & cherries go together like Peaches & cream, kids & puddles, Labradors & cow poo etc.

I have the same weather here, excellent for knocking tomatoes onto the floor.

Back to happier reports, following on from Quince mentions on here, one of my Birthday pressies was some Quince spread, lovely stuff, first time I've had it, so anyone growing them, persevere with the final product.

Post tomato quake I sowed some aquilegia and lavender, now sit back & wait

The new to me peat free Levington is very unlike its predecessor, quite rough and not sure how small seeds would fare in there, looks like it would be good for pots / baskets though

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

now I have no idea if I have Sungold, Balcony Yellows or Veranda reds in what pot,, it'll be exciting come summer!

Back to happier reports, following on from Quince mentions on here, one of my Birthday pressies was some Quince spread, lovely stuff, first time I've had it, so anyone growing them, persevere with the final product.

The new to me peat free Levington is very unlike its predecessor, quite rough and not sure how small seeds would fare in there, looks like it would be good for pots / baskets though

Aw! But at least you saved the plants.  I did something less spectacular and muddled-up some of my Sungold with Ex-Sungold. Maybe no one will know.

I've done a deal on Quince jam. I get some if I hand over my Medlars, pre- or post-bletting!

At great personal risk, I gave the bags of Levington a thorough tweaking in Sainsbury's. No one arrested me, and I came to similar conclusions, albeit through a bit of polythene. That's why the stuff at Morries was purchased instead, but it all seems a bit of a lottery.

One localish (Somerset) brand is RocketGro. They claim to have a 'virtuous' system of production. First impressions are that it's OK, but I still like Miracle Gro better. 

EDIT: No sign of the huge gales and rain promised yet, either here or at the coast.

-taff

RocketGro has a massive green thumbs up from one of the gardening groups on FB I'm a member of. One person works there, one is about to work there and all responses have said their stuff is really good.

Farway, I asked on freecycle for quince a few years ago and came away with a massive carrier bag..and there is a website called falling fruit i think which will hopefully show you if there are any in your area..I used ot make it every year when I used to go to a local pub which had overhanging branches from next door. I love the stuff, especially just to plonk around the house in the winter just for the smell, it's gorgeous.And quince cheese will last forever. I have some I made about six years ago and some I bought about three years aho. You might be able to find it in an Italian deli, it's called melecotogna there.

ah well, tomato surprise!

twopenny

I've muddled up my tomatoes too. All was well till I used a label to get rid of a couple of slugs late one night and moving pots and a label..............but at least they are tomatoes

My cherry tree has lost some branches due to the excessive dry last summer so perhaps I'll post a pic of it last year as not a lot has changed   the apricot leaves aren't right at all and being chewed by snails. I got an ant hill back last month. They're early.

Taff you get the old roses if you don't want black spot. Cornelia (small) Blush Noisette (climber) and my favourite which is cream coming to white which I can't remember!

A neighbour said I have a lot of sitting spaces in the garden but you need one for the brief winter sun, one for spring and autumn sun and one for summer shade.

This was my old garden reading spot with my favourite rose. The smell was divine with the sound of buzzing bees.

No gardening today. The wild winds didn't appear. It was windy but no more and at last, southerly!

Enough spats of drizzle to prevent washing day.

The purple sprouting and kale have sudden'y stopped hibernating and I'm getting a few meals from the plants that survived.

Good swap Dusty. That jam is a pita to make but the odd jar or two just delicious for a chang from the strong flavours we have now.

Farway, aquilegias are so joyful and cheerful and look after themselves. I love to see them.

Wow Greenbee that is 'A Lot' you've got done.

Thanks Les and Pas for you're piping in with useful knowledge