Awful weather - typical Brits talk

goldfinches

Waves hello to all from still rather chilly Oxfordshire. It was so cold here yesterday that when I got home from the plot the heating had come on and it came on again this morning. However it has been sunny all day today albeit with a chilly north wind so things may be looking up. 
I'm enjoying everyone's photos although I've yet again forgotten to snap one of my flowering chives, I'll tie a knot in my hanky for tomorrow.
I also liked Driving Over Lemons and both the Annie Hawes italian books and hadn't realised that she'd published anything else so will see if I can get my hands on those via the library. I'm currently reading Geoffrey Hamilton's A Year In The Garden which was published after his death and I'm enjoying it so much, I do miss that man, The Titch, Monty et al just aren't the same for me. I found the book in a charity shop and it looks as though it's never even been opened, it's in such good condition.
One of my ridged cucumbers has been severely munched by the molluscs so I've chucked more blue sweeties around, buy shares in slug control is what I say and also the sweet pea clips which are easy to use, someone ought to benefit from my profligate expenditure.

Dustyevsky

-taff said:

YBE you did make me laugh out loud then. Bungalows and children

Dusty, I'll try and save seed from them, the idea was just to grow one plant, save the seeds and go crazy next year if they're nice. I love black tomatoes but sometimes they can taste a bit fusty so I'm looking for one as tasty to be my go to.  I did laugh at your burgeoning lack of plums too , but if she's right, she's right...is she right? don't answer if it would put you in jeopardy.

I laughed at that too, but the children were so different, we were bowled for a duck.

I'll take you up on the tom offer, when we get some toms, that is.Thanks. I'm sure I'll have something to share, though my weirder ones aren't doing so well as the old favourites at present. I can't recommend any of the 'black' toms as being noticeably great, and as the judges at the local show ignored them, I abandoned further experiments in that line.

Is Mrs Dusty right? Yes, of course. It's the secret of our happy 40+year marriage; that and walks with my soul mate from the days of Pearly Spencer Percy Thrower! 

A long way from the same era, when the Walker Bros released the prophetic, “The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More,” our friends in Exeter confirmed another 'conspiracy theory':(old video, apparently)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX6pzzoACwc

Lots of interesting body language there.

 No gardening this morning, I'm off to Morries to see if they have any of Farway's sweet corn modules left, and to build my huge stocks of emergency stuff for the3 days of planned possible disruption the government suggests might happen any time now, but probably not before the election.

EDITED

YoungBlueEyes

Hmm so fig branches need sunshine on them Farway, that might be tricky. Currently the pot is sat against the sunny fence but the leaves are big and happy and it's producing new little leaves, but they're shading the branches.  More research needed - when to notch etc. About the only thing I know about figs (thanks to BeachGrove) is don't be potting it on too often. It likes it's roots 'hugging itself' and running round the inside of the pot. So while you might look and think it's potbound leave it be.  Your fruity floral idyll sounds very appealing and I have full faith it'l happen  

Thanks for the book recommendations 2p. I've got the Chris Stewarts (v good, mentioned in the back of a Peter Mayle one iirc) but Lois Pryce is a new one on me. The motorcycle one sounds like good fun so I'll look for that. If you like eccentrics you could try the one I've just finished - Our Spoons Came From Woolworths by Barbara Comyns. It's 1930's bohemian London, she's an artist's model in a miserable marriage, has a miserable affair, so jacks the lot in and moves to the countryside. It's much better than I've just made it sound! E.g. when someone invites you out to dinner at a nice restaurant make sure to put your newt in your pocket cos when you get there you can give him a swim in the water jug. I looked her up online, and she's some girl too. I'll be looking for more of her stuff for sure  

You're right taff, some plants are just erseholes (I love that that's catching on). I planted my toms out yesterday morning - pic in a min - and one of them just decided it wasn't having it any more, for absolutely no goddam reason whatsoever. Ersehole. I had 2 lovely foxgloves growing away happily, now one of them decided it's not loving life and slowed to a crawl. It's half the size of the other one. No reason there either *sigh* Why are you panicking now it's 6 weeks 'til the builder comes? Have you changed your mind about the whole thing...? I'll put Annie Hawes on my list too  
 
My mum loved the sun too Arb but neither me or my sister does. It was perfect weather here last night, by about 1800 I was sat out as the sun was thinking of setting, it was about 18' and there was a gentle breeze, it was ideal. Anything hotter than that and I'm beyond it. Thank god all the climate change nonsense is, well, nonsense or I'd have to move to the top of Scotland or somewhere ha haa!

I'm nearly sure I've got something by Geoffery Hamilton gf, I'll have to look it out and add it to my pile While people are buying shares in blue sweeties buy some shares in the little curly hooky clippy things too. I had to buy another packet on saturday cos one of my roses is growing wrong - I want it all splayed out and rambly and those clips are just the job I'm also considering doing something brilliant+funny/utterly stupid with my plum tree and I'll need a lot more clips for that. If I do it. I can't find any reference online to what I want to do so I'm either using the wrong terms or it really is stupid and the tree won't be happy and will head northwards for badness. I'm still reviewing the situation... If I decide to go for it I'll wait 'til it gets going and then take pics. 

OT cloudy and cooler all day today, they say. Right so far. Grand drying day too, a good breeze and dropping humidity. The pressure's dropping too though Hopefully you get a bit more heat today gf  

YoungBlueEyes

Toms before I got them in the growbag yesterday. The one near the middle of the pic obviously wants to be a hairdresser, it’s practising it’s ‘curl up and dye’ routine ha haa! 

Ersehole :rolleyes:

Edit to add foxgloves

 

YoungBlueEyes

The strangest thing just happened - I just heard my granny's voice say "did you not feel any shame saying that?" That's what she used to say to us when we'd been caught out lying  

Dustyevsky

RE the curly-up one. Have you looked for aphids, Bluey?

Grey here. Promise of pm sunshine and 18c. I'm keeping me vest on!

YoungBlueEyes

I gave it a careful going over Dusty. No aphids, or bugs in general, no squishy bits or striations on the stalk, no nibbled bits, no nothing. It was just curled up and darker coloured. It’s another mystery for the list *shrug*

Farway

Dull but expected sunshine & warmth, being down the bottom of UK means grotty Norf weather takes a while to slide down here

YBE, the sunshine on branches for figs, means this magic  “open framework” everyone chunters on about fruit trees, you should be able to throw a penguin through it without hitting a branch, or something like that. 

I like the hairdressing plants idea, very suitable.

What are those curly clippy things? Got a pic or name? I think I could do with some for my pear, I have thoughts on it, maybe we are thinking the same?

Best of luck on sweet corn module hunt Dusty, it is all pot luck in mine, which for a bung it in gardener like me is fine

They did have beetroot in modules at the same time, and I was tempted slightly.

I saw a similar YT on weather, not had chance to really take it in, but I've ordered another Bacofoil hat just in case.

I went looking for Burmese sour toms after mention by Taff, and went down a rabbit hole, as if I didn't have enough tom seeds.

One day the perfect one will arrive, but maybe a yellow banana one next year? 

Banana Legs, love the name. https://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/product_info.php/tomato-banana-legs-seeds-veg491-p-5574

No gardening today, I've watered a couple of pots at the front just in case it gets really baking.

I'm expecting DD to arrive and put some of her excess boxes into my garage while she has builders in, she's busy shuffling stuff around making space

twopenny

"did you not feel any shame saying that?" I like that a lot

I think I'm going to have to adopt it but to stop me being judgemental about my neighbours. My mouth seems to run away with me before my brain engages these days.

Your garden is really coming on a pace Bluey. It looks like a garden is happening there now.

Love the white foxgloves. I love the trough even more. It would fit in well with my country garden feel - and no I won't swap it for my table..........

Must watch Dustys vid in a mo but the site is playing up for me now.

It's very odd reading through about it being cold in the middle of the country Goldie when everyone is staying in out of the heat here. Some of my family used to live there in Bampton.

Arbs, glad you're relaxing a bit now. About time. You've put in some hard graft between work and major structures in the garden.

Again, can't turn the page to read back but I know Farway is out seeking bargains, Taff is still working like  a trojan, Poppy chilling out, Imps popping in with some comedy and advice. See, I do take notice even though I'm locked out of the board most of the day. I really must email them and see if anything can be done.

Warm here, white cloud which is perfect so it's not too hot.

The garden is too dry to do much more than a bit of tidying - which it needs - dead heading just after I've machine blown all the winter detritus out of the gravel

And maybe after town chores, a swim and table tennis I'll get on with clearing the old bramble pile to give me room to get at the Elder and chop some branches off.

Oh joy!

Some photos to post later. If I start sorting them now I won't get anything done.

YoungBlueEyes

Clippy things Farway, I expect we're talking about the same thing but I'm probably not calling them the right name - 



I got this packet from Boyes but you see them all over. I don't know if you suvveners have got Boyes stores? I don't know what I'd do without them, they're the only reason my garden isn't all slumped on the ground ha haa! 

It's a good saying 2p, I daren't use it as often as I'd like Granny was mum's mum, definitely not a sugar-coating it sort of people. The fellah in Dusty's video just reminded me of the times my stomach was all frothy and acidic and you could be sick with it. It's called having a conscience I spose *ahem* Anyway. Not that I'm given to pride but I'm quietly pleased with my garden, considering I've only been 2 years on it. Even though I started little knowledge and little money it looks alright I think My stone concrete trough was from a gc on the sale rail. It's got a chunk missing out of the bottom corner so it was £6 instead of £15. I thought that sounded fine cos it's just extra drainage innit Bladdy heavy for something so little!