Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Officially Spring now, and the sun's out but a cold wind

2p, sounds ideal spot for you lavender, and my strawberry dreams also triggered yesterday as well, spotted some green shoots in the old crowns, I'll have to tidy those up soon

Once it's warmed up outside I'll get some seed trays out of the shed in preparation for gradual sowing over the coming days, annual cosmos and nasturtiums for the moment

Destined for the Volunteer border and hopefully by the time ready to plant out the CV restrictions will allow the volunteers to mix & plant them out out

If the wind drops a bit & warm enough I have an hibiscus to prune as well

twopenny

Dense freezing mist most of today with an easterly wind then just a glimmer of sun about 3pm. Couldn't be more different.

So I decided a busy 7 days last week allowed me to stay in and do nothing. The gates been oxided and first coat so it will keep.

Can't help peeping out. I would like to move a seating area to a dark chilly corner but think it may be a step too far even for summer. Just would give me a bigger veg patch but a lot of hard work.

The beautiful spot I made for 'entertaining' no one likes. They all head for my hideaway spot among the veg and next to the compost heap. Aparantly it looks 'cosy'

Davesnave

twopenny said:

The beautiful spot I made for 'entertaining' no one likes. They all head for my hideaway spot among the veg and next to the compost heap. Aparantly it looks 'cosy'

Stick a comfrey barrel in there and people will soon make a different decision!

Another good day yesterday once the mist burned away, and especially good because my 'orrible neighbour at the far end was out, so I was able to finish work on the congested and overgrown hazel near him. All tree work is finished now so it's 'just' a matter of dragging stuff to the appropriate bonfire pile, with a minimum distance of about 100m!  There's more than enough pea sticks too!

I think this is the last decent day for a bit, though still grey ATM. No walks likely for a while now. My partner for that wouldn't meet me till they'd had the jab. I respect their decision, albeit annoying.

Farway

Dull start but sun's out now

Managed to get the hibiscus pruned yesterday, gradually getting there

Doc's first thing, then onto the volunteer border via "essential shopping" where one of the hardy and bendy volunteers was hard pruning the Rosa rugosa and oiking out errant blackberries that had snuck in under it's cover

Found this hellebore opened, it was the first plant that went in the revamped border after lock down One last year so in some ways an anniversary

goldfinches

Farway said:

Dull start but sun's out now

Managed to get the hibiscus pruned yesterday, gradually getting there

Doc's first thing, then onto the volunteer border via "essential shopping" where one of the hardy and bendy volunteers was hard pruning the Rosa rugosa and oiking out errant blackberries that had snuck in under it's cover

Found this hellebore opened, it was the first plant that went in the revamped border after lock down One last year so in some ways an anniversary

Gorgeous colour F and pretty petals too, a really fabulously deep and dark palette of shades that look marvellous against the fence. I could envisage someone taking interior decoration inspiration from your photo, it would really suit a mid-Victorian house don't you think.

twopenny

Freezing mist all day with the added ingredient of a goes through you easterly breeze.

I'm still trying to get this gate painted. Every time I turn it I see more bits that haven't been done. I'm never going to get one of these again unless it's plastic coated. I'm past suffering for beauty.

That is a stunning plant Farway. A double is unusual. I have a single that colour planted at the top of my back slope so it really shows off. I used to have a clump nearly 2ft wide at my old house and they've dumped breeze blocks on it and the rest. Wish I'd dug the whole garden up now

Davesnave, I used to have a bucket of comfrey water in my last place. I threatened to get a big water-blaster and fill it to deal with my neighbours disgusting children when they tried to break in. It would have been a lot of fun even in the court case...........

in_my_wellies

twopenny said:

Freezing mist all day with the added ingredient of a goes through you easterly breeze.

I'm still trying to get this gate painted. Every time I turn it I see more bits that haven't been done. I'm never going to get one of these again unless it's plastic coated. I'm past suffering for beauty.

That is a stunning plant Farway. A double is unusual. I have a single that colour planted at the top of my back slope so it really shows off. I used to have a clump nearly 2ft wide at my old house and they've dumped breeze blocks on it and the rest. Wish I'd dug the whole garden up now

Davesnave, I used to have a bucket of comfrey water in my last place. I threatened to get a big water-blaster and fill it to deal with my neighbours disgusting children when they tried to break in. It would have been a lot of fun even in the court case...........

Good to see everyone has made the most of the last few days, the weather has changed today so the house will get the attention it needs.  

twopenny - my son got a gate powder coated last year. Fortunately it fitted in his car so he took it to them. They stripped it down and coated it for £30. (I should have said it's a wrought iron side gate, about 2'6" x 5' tall so not huge, paid cash so perhaps it went in the tank with other jobs) 
Nasty neighbours - Why, why, why? Mine lights her bonfire and stands squirting it with a hosepipe 'to keep it small' but causing a lot of smoke. She deliberately squirted my 87 year old mother with the hose last year when mum was behind the fence, she said, 'I'm defending my property' and mum (who she could clearly see) was in the way. 

Farway

Dull day, but brightened by my visit to the dentist for a check up, all clear, rinse & repeat in December

I skimmed into Morrison's on the way home, their plants are normally outside so felt safe enough just checking

There were some, bog standard bedding, like pansies, but nothing shouting "Buy Me Now"

I'm looking for a cheap upright cherry or similar blossom / foliage for one of the volunteer borders, has to be pencil shaped grower due to space, and has to be cheap from a S/m not mail order "Gulp, How Much?". I'll spot it one day

twopenny

That's astounding Inwellies. Everything is closed around here for the last 4mts so no chance of getting it stripped.

Your neighbour sounds nuts. The last were straightforward criminals. My current one is just irritating and weird with a nasty streak that I don't understand.

Farway I got a small cherry from Tescos end of last lockdown. It's still under 3ft a year later and the branches reach out and up. So that would be about May. I'm looking for the standard lavender on an almost daily basis although it's early. If I see the dwarf fruit I'll let you know. About £10. Local nursery does small bare root greengage or Damson (lovely blossom) for about £25. I've got a Prunus Nigra which can be trimmed down and has the earliest blossom and purple leaves for a long season should you see one.

Spent a bit at the garden centre today. Being in all the time with a view of a half created garden I need some midsized bushes. Just gulped and paid. So a tree heather and a white chaenomeles - which will go in a large pot along with something that blooms in summer. Don't know what yet.

Paspatur

Farway, my Tesco currently have Prunus for £5. Unfortunately they have put a sticker over the info on type, height etc. so no idea what kind they are. I don't do supermarkets at the moment and no way my other half was trying to peel off a sticker with his specs steamed up with mask so I told him not to bother.