Awful weather - typical Brits talk

YoungBlueEyes

Aye I know, some people just ask for it I half thought I'd be PPR'd for that last comment, and I was sure the thread would be gone this morning.
Hurray for Saturday boys, get yourself unionised before it's too late! 

OT well it drizzled a wee bit there but it's not even doing that now. The 4 horsemen are clearly busy elsewhere... 

-taff

I swear everyone is grinding the knife in with the obviously happy erigeron elsewhere...One day...I had to take out the chocolate foxglove because everything was feasting on it now it's been drizzling all day, I discovered there are actually two together so I split them and potted them up, hoping they live. Got a bit wet but was fed up of hearing munching just below audible range, but that you can feel in your skull..Like a drill.....And fed up of the fox cubs decimating my plants. Hurry up and grow so I can block the hole.

YBe, yeah, maybe it's too early for ladybug larvae. I did like your suggestions of things to go with handbag trees. I was surprised to find they exist I'm not sure what the point of that thread was either. If you don't know where you can buy food that isn't in a sm there's not much hope for you...gave me a laugh too.

2p, hope your fingers are ok, not fun being caught by gripper rods. And I did chuckle at you sneaking round your own property to not disturb the blackbirds. That's really sweet.

Dusty, Im going metal detecting in a couple of weekends, by the sea if the weather isn't atrocious. Looking forward to it. I did fancy mudlarking but no more permits are being issued.

PP, lovely handbags, with real and all foliage, much nicer than the things you have to cart aound. I've just got sick of my grown up one and gone back to my Army and Navy preferred canvas one. Much bigger, can carry much more. Gorgeous half and half photo too!

Farway, same re the beans, I've just gone out to try and rescue some now. I have a couple spare but not enough. I like your tutting ability too. Good thing to develop.

GF no clue sorry, haven't got the hang of trees except olives, I could identify one of those for you?

Arb, bet your hands hurt after that! I'm lucky, I just need shredded paper and so much carp comes through the door there's always a suppply, and the fun of doing it in the machine.

I did spend some time the other day part making a bug hotel in an old metal wine rack but I needn't have bothered, seems I already provide accomodation

twopenny

We've had dire warnings for a few days but if you step out it didn't feel like thunder or look like it so I have learned to take no notice. I'm watching the birds habits and the clouds instead.

We've had most of the Ash trees cut down around here for health and safety reasons so no looking for the Ash Oak scenario.

I started the day with my dental appt cancelled 2hrs before it was due and looking at the baby birds I now see 2 or 3 rats

So moving the fat feeder bird house so the pigeons didn't come and clean up had repercussions.

I've put dish catchers under the feeders and on Thurs I'll get some boards to block up the Badger run netting.

But the day continued 'disappointing' so I went out to the ponds to try and get a photo of the heron in flight and an hour turned into 4hrs with coffee and raspberry and white chocolate flapjacks, Of course I've seen it in flight 4 times now and not had the camera ready either time.

Someone said the Kingfisher flew across the ponds this morning. I'm going to have to get up earlier.

No sign of ducklings I saw last week but some goslings eating away as though their lives depended on it.

Lots of wild roses around which is gorgeous.

But the garden is in full swing re blooms and that rose I posted the perfume is stunning in the garden. Worth buying a good one when it's something you know is right.

Of course I've still got lots of repotting to do but not in the mood with the gloomy clouds and drizzle.

The Clematis is looking sick, no idea why the blooms look accusingly at me as though it's something I did.

Must get advice on Wisteria when I finally get around to my 'arbour'. I've read up but still don't know how to manage it.

Looking forward to seeing how your new garden is progressing Arbs, so organised!

goldfinches

Arbs - thankyou for the suggestion about growing my own plant supports, I'll have a go and see what I can achieve.
Dusty - cor, that wisteria makes you long to be landed gentry with acres to play with and the money to pay the staff doesn't it.
taff - that snail is taking a liberty and asking to be launched into low orbit.
Ybe - the four horsemen of the apocalypse were here this morning and then returned just as I'd arrived at the plot so I got thoroughly drenched. The good news is that the plot next to mine was planted up by a very optimistic couple yesterday and they don't seem to have heard of slug pellets and are growing their own wedding flowers so I have my fingers crossed that everything survives the next few days. The birds seem to be revving up to pick off the assembled molluscs as well, it's an ill wind.

I was beguiled into Robert D*as this am by a notice offering special discounts for their birthday and bought some seaweed tomato food with a £1.30 reduction, when I glanced at the bottle standing in front of the window I could see exactly why it was being discounted.



NB the bottle is unopened, modern life eh!

Dustyevsky

LessImpecunious said:

Since we're in Election time (can I mention that without the post being removed?)

I'm ambivalent about the election. There are plans, and those won't be altered by whose head the puppet is wearing.

It took a certain event to fully wake me up, but now I appreciate we've always been gaslit by those who understand the power of the subconscious. Divide, distract, and rule; it's all a pantomime. Professor Mathias Desmet is one who gets it, but he's not going to make prime time!

goldfinches said:

Dusty - cor, that wisteria makes you long to be landed gentry with acres to play with and the money to pay the staff doesn't it.

The days when that property had servants are long gone. There's still a cleaning lady.  Originally, there was a clergyman in there, but the house wasn't impressive enough, so he complained to the Bishop. It was rebuilt to a grander design. In those times, the Church was a big player in the People's Pantomime, and the property had over 100 acres. Now, it has less than 10, all managed by the lady of the house, her husband p/t, and one trainee, also p/t. It's an example of how times and power structures have changed, and quite rapidly, too.

However, never mind all that, here's another view of their interesting iris with wavy leaves:

YoungBlueEyes

According to the new banner at the top of the page Less politics are go! 

Wot a swizz gf, that's practically half empty   Any chance the remainder is concentrated and therefore better and worth the money? Aww growing their own wedding flowers hopefully the birds will decimate the slugs + snails all round :fingerscrossed: 

Taff I agree with 2p being sweet to creep about her own garden so as not to disturb the birds, that kinda thing makes my heart smile Definitely good karma points accrued there. But in response to you being surprised my suggested plants exist - here's my erigerons  



The blue tub of them looks a bit worse for wear so at least one horseman must've galloped past in the night... 

Coffee and flapjack and herons and goslings and wild roses 2p - heaven   That's a bu99er about your dentist though, swines. If the hanging trays don't work does your council have a ratman...? As for the wisteria advice, my absolutely delightful etc neighbours don't do a thing to theirs and it's glorious. I don't do anything to the overhanging bits in case I set them off   

Speaking of cats I was talking to Lovely Neighbour yesterday. The Holey Roamin' Terror has a belly full of squirrel and has the scars to prove it she said. She watched the whole thing and although his Holeyness got his face and neck clawed at he was the victor. So the lack of babby blackies mystery continues... 

Beautiful soft morning out there, the sun rose gently and the air was mild and fragrant after all the overnight rain.  Almost autumnal actually. Sunny today with a warm breeze. They say. 

ArbitraryRandom

-taff said:

Arb, bet your hands hurt after that! I'm lucky, I just need shredded paper and so much carp comes through the door there's always a suppply, and the fun of doing it in the machine.

I did spend some time the other day part making a bug hotel in an old metal wine rack but I needn't have bothered, seems I already provide accomodation

I don't need it as such. I just had quite a lot (cat food for 6 months delivered in cardboard boxes and then each 6 cans on a cardboard tray - plus the boxes from my trees and impulse online shopping etc) and it's a bit of a pest to get rid of around here. Biggest issue is they won't take it if it's wet or has been wet as apparently it then won't recycle properly and has to go in general waste monthly. But then they won't take it if it's not in the bin and it takes up a load of space... so as getting wet isn't a problem for composting, it seemed sensible to just use it as my brown to get the new bin set up  

Can I ask what you (and others) use for a bug hotel? I've got a couple of barrow bags worth of logs that are now about two years old rotting in the corner of the garden, but I'd like to encourage a bit more variety of bugs as that's mostly woodlice and centipedes. Speaking of which - anyone see any may bugs this year? Last year I was inundated with them but this year I don't think I saw one. 

On topic - weather is grey but warm and currently dry. The forecast for this week is basically copy paste of yesterday (dry in the morning then showers from about 3ish for the rest of the day, sticking to the low teens). I need to get a wash done at some point so I'm trying to pick my moment... 

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

According to the new banner at the top of the page Less politics are go! 


Taff I agree with 2p being sweet to creep about her own garden so as not to disturb the birds, that kinda thing makes my heart smile Definitely good karma points accrued there. But in response to you being surprised my suggested plants exist - here's my erigerons  



The blue tub of them looks a bit worse for wear so at least one horseman must've galloped past in the night...

Those are different Erigerons from those I posted. They're easier to plant out and establish. All of them are easy once growing away, but the ones in my pond picture like to DIY, resenting human interference. They can be moved, but not always with great success.

Although it's very kind of 2p to be so considerate of the birds, and it's rarely necessary to be noisy, I find our birds get used to us being around, pottering about. They might move off the feeder when I go by, but it won't be far, and they're soon back.  The woodpeckers are getting quite bold now. They don't even stop when I open the curtains near them. Yes, they're up before us!

Could be reasonably dry and pleasant today, but 14c isn't great.  We'll be released from GC duty soon, so the improving forecast means I can crack-on. I've a horrible feeling I'm too late for the second wave of thistles in the field. At least I don't have to eat the resultant hay!

I don't think the banner at the top of the page means real politics are go anywhere on this board! If I could ask a single question to any politician (no bias) it would be "Which people did best out of the so-called pandemic, and why do you think that was?" I already know the answer, backed by data, naturally, and it's a minuscule % of the world's population.

-taff

gf, it be nice if they could say, well, it settled, like they do with cornflakes, but that'd be a lie. If I felt like being ersy [ thanks YBE] I'd measure it out and complain vociferously if it was short. I did think about launching the snail but after that study where they painted them, launched them and they came right back [ slowly though] I just launch the ones in the back garden now. 

Dusty, it's a thing, been going on for so long, divide and conquer innit, oooo look over there, what are they doing? They're taking one of your coins! with one hand behind the back doing nefarious things taking the rest. I did have someone tell me quite seriously once that politicnas were doing their best and really had our interest at heart. I managed not to punch him. It was an effort. Good old George Carlin is all I can say. Those wavy leaves are lovely!

YBE, thank you for showing me yours that are alive and still thriving despite the horsemen. I am feeling seriously inadequate now so I must buy more plants to cheer myself up. Good on the Roamin' Terror! Hope it was a grey one though...

Arb, any old junk, twigs, bamboo sticks that went to the fjords, cut down, There's some hessian in there, some clay roof tiles, some wicker sticks from a broken basket, and a ridge tile over the top of it. I'm on the lookout for holey bricks and there's a skip up the road so I'll investigate that after.

Today is a job of hoiking out hotbin compost and mixing with the mushroom compost. Nothing is liking it much so a mix up is on the cards.

twopenny

Indeed to goodness wandering around the ponds in sunshine with snacks was a treat. Was thinking of heading to Dusty's Devon for more of the same today but the weather there is not predicted to be as good as where I am - though I've yet to see this blazing sun they suggested.

That photo of the snail in the lillies is outstanding Taff  

Goldie it's a tricky world out there. More than usual. Specsavers would be delighted at your eyesight   

Bluey, no chance of rat catchers. There's open land behind my garden and huge houses with big gardens. But I intend to go and buy a Supersoaker today and have some fun making them think it's not so rosie here. 

Seems the seed catchers are doing their job though the messy baby birds have become self sufficient very quickly. A pigeon found its way onto the seed catchers and the rats aren't keen on them - plus they clean up the place.

I have loads of photos to post but it's too nice outside to download/uploads stuff. Need to get out there.

As for the cherries that did so well, I've about 3 tiny ones left. Curiosity of the baby birds I guess. Next years challenge is to get cherries and birds Farway will have something to say about that.

Listening to the sounds of summer - massive trucks and lawnmowers, half term airplanes etc. Always forget that everyone's outside making noise as soon as the weathers good