Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Just checking on Taff weather, seems Honiton has gone to the dogs

Screengrab of webcam, had an earthquake down your way Dusty?

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

Just checking on Taff weather, seems Honiton has gone to the dogs

Screengrab of webcam, had an earthquake down your way Dusty?

Honiton's a little beyond my normal everyday range, having too high a % of antique shops and coffee houses for my sensitive disposition to tolerate for long. I'm certain, the earth hasn't moved for me here, though, unless we count the trench in the polytunnel which I'm just about to fill with a length of MDPE pipe. Mains water at both ends will soon be a reality again!

Searching around for a Honiton webcam, I must admit I couldn't find anything functional, which is no surprise in this county, but I noticed aliens landing at Paignton.....as if it didn't have enough problems already!

OT: Rain's stopped and sun's out here! I'm off to plumbing heaven....

twopenny

Farway, lovely photo of a red campion. They are rare so I'm told so a double whammy 

Popps, thats a herb not a weed. Useful little thing. It's also supposed to be under threat - though they grow well up here.
Herb Robert https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/herb-robert/

The weather is playing Russian roulette. Rain, sun, big black clouds, white and blue.
So not even going out to tie things up. I moved 2 seedlings, into the wrong pots.
One growing runner bean out of 10, one tomato plant has shown it's head out of 8.  

-taff

Well, I left here, it was sunny, we got there, walked a hundred yards from the car, it was most definitely not. There was drizzle, more drozzle, a bit heavier drizzle, a chuck down, a light drizzle, a cold wind, and then a bit more drizzle. I've just got warm now [ didn't take the umbrella out of the car...doh!

So despite that, it was entertaining, some of the show gardens I really liked, mostly the ones focusing on reusing things, espeically the one with old roof tiles [ the concrete ridged type] as something to walk on. We will be having our roof done and I had already earmarked ours as walls if we have to replace not reuse. There did seem to be a trend towards some plants being a bit different, lots of things I hadn't seen before but lots of stalls selling them, so it was a bit deja vue-y. Heucheraholics was there but I didn't see any I fancied, there wasn't much choice, but then, it was the last day of the show. they might have sold out. Saw quite a few selling what I would consider normal stuff that can either be grown from seed or acquired from the side of the road. did buy myself a hori hori knife. God, it's dangerous...super sharp an everything. I also bought some curry plants [they were quite cheap]. Again, dismayed by the stands that had nothing to do with gardening or food. Some guy stopping people with, have you got a dog, trying to flog his pet food...Jewellery stands? And don't get me started on the charity stands.

All in all though, it was an OK day, I did see a lot of stuff that was interesting, mainly in the show gardens, [ too embarassed at lack of knowledge about anything to chat with the people whose displays they were] did buy an arancini ball off a guy who had the best Italian accent until he lost it for his London one

We stopped off at Fairweathers on the way back [thank you for mentioning it!], bought some stuff from the dying plant sale area and a very small version of a big one I liked at the show, an Abutilon which cost £8 at the show, but £1.75 at the GC. And my friend was really chuffed to see donkeys, horses and cows at the side of the roads.

Geums, I have a few including the dwarf one you have poppy,one which is red but not the Mrs one [ I divided tht this year, the dividied bit is happily flowering already but did have an iffy moment - this should tell you how oblivious I am sometimes, I was looking at it, thinking, well, it looks a bit floopy, why is that? Completely forgetting I'd not watered it in so than god for some rain a day later], one which starts yellow but ends up red [ I think that's the dwarf one] and another which I don't know out the back curently in a pot. Hope your cat has forgiven you by now.

Dusty, that's a creepy looking place, the owner really went all out for some scare factor there

2p, did you know they trade dandelion seeds in Singapore because they love them? weird...

YBL, glad you had a nice time, I love your new toy!

Farway, she could probably have some heucheras there too,, mine seem to like it in the dry too, which is weird.

Sorry, done a lot of waffling...

Oh and there was surprisingly little traffic, we didn't get held up anywhere...

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Farway, lovely photo of a red campion. They are rare so I'm told so a double whammy 

 At least Red (pink) Campion isn't endangered. That Scarlet one's a cracker that I want now., but will it grow on acid soil? Goes to investigate.....Can't find it in UK, except as a Flickr photo. Are we talking local versions of the same thing?

They've just started blooming here. No flowers on any last week.

This could be a good day for a walk, though the sunshine they promised us has been subject to a substitution by cloud now.

Good to hear you found inspiration at the show, taff. Your experience regarding plants for sale at such events is ours too. You're far more likely to find unusual or interesting stock at a Hardy Plant Society or other local show, than at these big events where “pile 'em high” is the thing.....and not “sell 'em cheap,” except perhaps in the last few hours.

YoungBlueEyes

Glad you had a nice day despite the weather taff, inspiration is it's own reward. And imagine finding the plant you wanted on the Dead Plant Society shelf in a gc And no traffic - woo hoo! The Italian London accent made me giggle, reminds me of Omid Djalili (sp?) 

That's the cottage out for me then, himself loves military stuff (well, of the Sean Dillon variety) so I'd never get him in the house. Although...  

Thanks for that link 2p, that looks like the thing that's growing like Topsy in my garden. I think it's lovely looking so I've been carefully pulling bits up and transplanting it round the garden, which it's perfectly happy about. I never thought of rubbing it to see if it smells "mousey" mind. 
I'm with you on the recalcitrant tom seeds. The original ones I planted - the little yellow pear drop shaped ones - haven't come up at all, so I'm putting that down to north bound seeds rather than user error. I'm pleased now no-one asked me for a share, I'd be upset to have given out dud seeds. 

Good luck with your geum pp, have you got space for it...? 

How's your waterworks Dusty, all plumbed in and sorted? What'll you grow in there then? 

Future crumble pic made me smile Farway. And anyone who wants my share of liquorice is more than welcome to it :bleurgh:

It may or may not be a nice day here today. Drunkards say cloudy and mild all day, sobers say sunny and warm all day. No wind though, naturally, as it's domestic nonsense/washing day *sigh* Also, I can't usefully read my Galileo thermometer thing cos the little dangly discs are too small to read ha haa! So today's weather is - they're all floating :rolleyes: 

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

How's your waterworks Dusty?

Bit of a personal question, but I have some pills.....   Oh, you mean the polytunnel. I won't connect-up until tomorrow, 'cos if anything goes Pete Tong, I might be on it a while.

We normally grow only the tender stuff like tomatoes and chillies in the tunnel. It's actually better to put most plants like lettuce, peas etc outside in the warmer 6 months. In winter, it comes into its own for crops which would not do well outdoors like lettuce, mizuna etc, and for protecting some tender plants. I'd rather have a big greenhouse like at our old place, but we can't afford that yet.

I can't say much here, but we could also be using the tunnel for short-term storage if/when the barn is sold. There are  many things inside it which could simply be covered with a tarpaulin for a while, but others, like the ride-on, would need better protection until we build another smaller barn to house them. There's also the option of having a container delivered rather than renting one on a site miles away. Now the larger entrance is there, that's easy.

Farway

Rain here, the off & on sort, but looks like another day of not weeding the pots ready for my tomatoes. Supposed to improve from tomorrow, so that could be my chance.

Nice to hear about your show day out Taff, even better without traffic problems and your friend loving the ponies etc wandering around. 

They can be a pest at times, I was in Lymington and a pony just wanted to eat the sandwiches of a picnic party, a bit like the joke of where do elephants sit? Wherever they like. Become what do ponies eat? Whatever they want.

Even better that Fairweathers GC turned up trumps for you, I would have felt bad had you gone there & been ripped off

I had to look up the hori hori knife, seems a handy tool, but maybe not to go with a machete if gardening in our capital city.

"Farway, she could probably have some heucheras there too" 

I had thought of those, but from my limited experience with them found them to be vine weevil magnets, I'll see, they would be nice & easy if uneaten.

Dustyevsky said:

twopenny said:

Farway, lovely photo of a red campion. They are rare so I'm told so a double whammy 

 At least Red (pink) Campion isn't endangered. That Scarlet one's a cracker that I want now., but will it grow on acid soil? Goes to investigate.....Can't find it in UK, except as a Flickr photo. Are we talking local versions of the same thing?

They've just started blooming here. No flowers on any last week.

I think we may be Dusty, same thing, different common names, sorry if I misled anyone, or should I say led you up the garden path, boom boom!

I also have Herb Robert everywhere, which I sort of like, and it is easy to pull up. Because of this I'm going over to hardy geraniums, on the assumption the species like it here.

-taff said:

2p, did you know they trade dandelion seeds in Singapore because they love them? weird...

I'd forgotten, but I now recall James Wong mentioning something about that. He grew up in Singapore and despite all the exotic plants around, he wanted dandelions & daffodils, a trait most gardeners can recognise. Greener grass elsewhere, struggle to grow what is difficult while ignoring the easy.

YoungBlueEyes said:

I'm with you on the recalcitrant tom seeds. The original ones I planted - the little yellow pear drop shaped ones - haven't come up at all, so I'm putting that down to north bound seeds rather than user error. I'm pleased now no-one asked me for a share, I'd be upset to have given out dud seeds. 

Future crumble pic made me smile Farway. And anyone who wants my share of liquorice is more than welcome to it :bleurgh:

It may or may not be a nice day here today. Drunkards say cloudy and mild all day, sobers say sunny and warm all day. No wind though, naturally, as it's domestic nonsense/washing day *sigh* Also, I can't usefully read my Galileo thermometer thing cos the little dangly discs are too small to read ha haa! So today's weather is - they're all floating :rolleyes: 

Were those yellow pear drop seeds from one you saved, or some you bought?. There doesn't seem to be any common theme, I have a tom forest and a marigold desert., so like you, I'm putting it down to Oslo based products.

I also have one of those floating balls thermometers, DD present one Christmas, apart from ornamental it's useless

I'll take your liquorice share, ta very much

pink_poppy

I'll fight you for YBE's liquorice share, Farway

Dusty, that waterworks quip did make me giggle   

I've heard of Herb Robert, twopenny, but didn't know what it looked like. I don't like the smell, so that will be going when I sort the Geum pot out. I've got a few other patches of it around the garden and they'll be getting dug out too, sorry.

I like your thermometer, YBE, it reminds me of the lucky ducks you can buy in Whitby, so appropriate that you bought it there   Pussycat is behaving himself today, fingers crossed. He's a big tomcat and I think he thinks he's the boss of me and that I'm below him on the feline equivalent of the pecking order haha. I'm going to repot the Geum into a bigger pot for the time being - hopefully do that today.

Sounds like you had a decent day out yesterday, taff. I love donkeys, so would have been over the moon to see them at the roadside.

Sunny spells and a light breeze today. Saturday and Sunday are looking like BBQ weather at the moment   

twopenny

It's sort of still and grey and chilly because of the damp and cloud but not freezing thank goodness.

Disappointing though to keep waking up to gloom. Everyone around here is getting grumpy because of it.

Taff I looked up Dandelion seeds in Singapore. Sadly that's not the key to improving my bank balance. Shame.

Still, nice to know someone loves them.

No sign of gardening today. Life seems to keep throwing me problems, the boring sort that you don't want to deal with but need to be dealt with before you do any fun stuff.

I've got a lot of Heuchuras (?) as they were going cheap in Morries end of season a couple of years ago. They provide colour all year with no attention. My sort of plant

I was very tempted by all the colours but I love the dark leaves. If I had room I'd have more. In fact it's just given me an idea. Hmmmmm..........

There are some nice Acers in Tescos yesterday. About 2ft high on single stem so a nice tree. I resisted!

And the little ones in Morries. Having found I can grow them and they thrive despite all the warnings they're so pretty especially when lit at night. So far, resisted.

I'd like to think I'm getting better at this but only time will tell.

Started marking local Gardens to visit this summer. Pre house move I did 30 in one season and realised if I stayed at home and worked on the garden that would be more use.

The 2yrs lockdowns and slow to return have given me renewed vigor! So much easier to wander round and see what others have done and they've started putting the prices up of home grown seedlings so that helps with the resistance.