Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Good point Bluey.

I got a customer satisfaction email (have you checked) almost straight after so I filled that in with 'no way to give bad news' but in politer terms which was just as well as I got a letter of apology from the optomitrist asap and she was mortified by what she had unsuspectingly done. We get on famously now  

Glad you liked the story - so many happening right oposite my sofa

I have to photo through the window which is tricky.

Farway I'm with you on keeping low today. Far too cold and windy to want to go out. I had a bean flower too. Blackfly and wind did for that. Still fingers crossed for more.

Dusty, enjoy. I'm sure lots of useful ideas to be had. Not to mention tea and cake.

Wort missed your post as it went into the nether regions of the thread for some reason. Its not what it used to be and weird things happening on here.

Glad you are getting up to snuff - though it does sound as though your doing a lot. Take care and pace yourself.

pink_poppy

We've had sun today, even though the forecast was for thundery showers. I've been snoozing most of the day though.

Dusty, I tested because we were due to visit an elderly family member today and bring them up here for a few days. Obviously that's not happening now. My DH isn't very well, YBE, but testing negative. I had another faint positive this afternoon.

Love the birdie pics, Dusty and twopenny I put another suet block out today because the one I left on Wednesday had gone - I did catch a gull a couple of weeks ago practically standing on it's tiptoes trying to grab an almost new one from the feeder, so I don't know if that's where it went. Anyway, a couple of wee sparrows came down and started pecking at the new one pretty much straightaway, so I think I'm forgiven for being away.

Hope the cement mixed turned up, YBE. Disgraceful that the optician wouldn't give you an explanation without an appointment and more money...

Glad you're on the mend, wort.

Finger crossed for the carrotty carrots, Farway.

-taff

Love the sparrow, he's got a Captain jack stance going on too The garden I saw last month had some cardoons, very impressive pieces of kit though even if they do fall over.

PP, it's just horrible having lurgy of whatever description but as ybe says, best in your own home.

YBE, that's pretty bad that they whap you with a staement like that and then say ner ner ner ner ner to you...I would complain for sure...Stick a bit of emotional damage in there too.

2P, a gif of that would be good, love the story teling. My contact lenses went up nearly 200% in price this year, she told me they hadn't put the prices up for a while. Maybe I'll try somewhere else next year.

Farway, hope the carrots are showing..can't disappoint the children.

Felt a bit off today so did mostly a big fat nothing except for ferrying full buckets and wheelbarrow from the overhang into the waterbutts. the planting out is on the cards now though since it's been persisting down for a couple of days and the soil is throroughly soaked. It's open garden here tomorrow in posh places too [ for where I am anyway] but no idea if I'll be up to it. We'll see.

YoungBlueEyes

The mixer turned up yesterday after lunch and himself got the foundations done. Hurray. Just gotta wait for Bob the Builder to finish golfing now and it'll be all systems go. Not sure what I'm gonna do with all the soil that's come out, that's the next thing. There's such a lot of it from such a narrow shallow hole...
I went into the opticians yesterday, different receptionist naturally. She was far more helpful than the rest of them, and explained in general terms how different things show up through the eye exam. Which was a nice thing to do but I could probably find that on the internet somewhere.... I hovered around looking at glasses but the optician never appeared. 0 stars - do not recommend. So I'll just wait on the doc texting me an appointment and write off Specsavers. I'll ask the Oracle where she gets her eyes done and go there. If I ever catch her in.

Anyway. I hope you and DH are feeling a bit better pp, even if you are still a bit positive? Good that your sparrows have forgiven you Can you reschedule the visitors for another time?

Keep the storyboards coming 2p, I liked it I don't know if they sent me a "how did we do" email cos I don't give a real email address to these people

Are your water butts full now taff? Hopefully you'll feel bright enough for the open gardens  

Sorry, I forgot to mention you too wort even though I 'like'd your post! How's the V pillow working out? Sounds like you're getting plenty done... I've never heard of a climbing hydrangea but I reckon I could find room for one  

Did you get your seedlings planted gb?

How's the carrotty carrots doing Farway? Was it little tops you could see? I was thinking of you yesterday - on the Food Network channel John Torode was in Korea (good little series) and going round the street market with a local. They grow radishes and carrots and use them in cooking, but they go mad for the tops. A lot of the goodness is in there apparently. So there you go Another interesting fact - they have 24 seasons in their year, a new one every 15 days, and grow things specifically in/for that season. How about that!

It's our Village Day today, and the Armed Forces Day day in Posh Town. Might give himself the choice as he worked hard to get the foundations done yesterday. Well if he ever gets his erse outta bed I mean. Sunny here now, showers before lunchtime, and thunder and lightening after lunch. And that's from Tusky so it's deffo-lutely happening :clapping: 

Farway

Raining & dark, not July at all. Hope it's better wherever Posh gardens or Armed Forces are doing “stuff”.

From looking out of the window I think it will be zero gardening today, maybe catch up on GW & Beechgrove on Youtube [no tv licence, I player verboten ]

YBE, at last the work is under way.

Regarding soil out of the hole, reminds me of a detective film years ago. The clue was all the soil. There's always more out of a hole than will go back in, especially if there's a body in the hole.

Perhaps have 'imself wear trousers like in Great Escape, where the soil is scuffed around your village area after release from trouser legs?

Or enormous rockery?

PP, good choice keeping older ones safe, and snoozing is a good cure for most things

I did manage to get out for a quick garden mooch yesterday before the skies opened again. 

Amazed at the speed my new batch of runners are going, I have had to pinch some tops out because they are near the top of the canes already. No flowers yet, but very impressed snails have left them alone this time.

All I need now are flowers & late beans.

Ta Ra, and even more impressed , the broad beans, sown to replace munched runners, have flowers on. Tried to get a pic but couldn't get a decent viewpoint without danger of me toppling into the foliage.

And, Toot Toot, the pièce de résistance, carroty carrots R Us

Amazing, only bought & sown on a whim from remark by DS, and free P & P seed offer from T & M.

These are Paris market Atlas, not tasted, but I have time to make another sowing in a pot to give to DS, maybe shame him into growing something

https://www.vanmeuwen.com/p/carrot-paris-market-atlas-seeds/gwc0473VM

YoungBlueEyes said:

How's the carrotty carrots doing Farway? Was it little tops you could see? I was thinking of you yesterday - on the Food Network channel John Torode was in Korea (good little series) and going round the street market with a local. They grow radishes and carrots and use them in cooking, but they go mad for the tops. A lot of the goodness is in there apparently. So there you go Another interesting fact - they have 24 seasons in their year, a new one every 15 days, and grow things specifically in/for that season. How about that!

Once grown a bit I'll try tops, now that would be a good all round crop I'll try & find that JT clip

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Oooo it's not good when people get aches, pains and the like in July

No, it's not, and many will probably blame the weather. However, SARS-Cov-2 is not now seasonal, the variants are arising at about one a month, and currently it doesn't look like we shall see it diminish. This was predicted well over 3 years ago; the scientist involved being regarded as not only wrong, but possibly a bit cranky. We'll see.

In other news, it is still tipping-down here after quite a pleasant start, so we're congratulating ourselves on choosing the right day to visit the posh village gardens. It was windy before lunch, but the weather gradually improved, and it didn't rain.

Looking for 'sitooteries,' I was not disappointed; the first being right in the village hall car park, with a very decent view:

Variations on this view continued with many gardens on the south side of the village road, but usually with wall, tree, and hedge protection on most aspects. Like us, they're high above the valleys.

We saw a few plants not encountered elsewhere, or in notable profusion. These alstroemerias were so stunning, I forgot to take a picture of the view, which was equally wonderful.

Those are Watsonias in the background, looking like crocosmias. Never seen those around here before! 

greenbee

YBE - I got some of the seedlings planted (not particularly thoughtfully, but in the ground!). Some are left to do but I may wait until later in the week. 

As for your soil - offer it on your local FB group. I took all the soil from my neighbours when they were digging out the base for their greenhouse, and I've used it all up!

Dustyevsky

Carrots in containers makes sense, Farway, especially if you can get them above the ceiling height of carrot flies: about 50cm if I remember correctly, or thereabouts. Yesterday I saw a number of people in the village using insect netting. As there are so many keen gardeners there, perhaps the problem of pests is more pronounced?

I was going to say Freecycle your soil, Bluey, but as greenbee suggests, FB is probably more popular now. They will come!

As wort knows her hydrangeas, I'm wondering if she knows a blue one with black stems we saw. Kicking myself now for not taking a photo. It was very striking.

Hoping pp signs in soon to say she's on the mend. Looks like the weather up there is improving. We have bright sunshine and blue sky now, but those 'blobs' on the radar are still around.

Yes taff, cardoons fall over, and you need something like a luggage strap and a tree stake to stop them. Not elegant. Every year we say 'Chelsea chop!" and every year, we forget.

pink_poppy

Thanks all, I'm feeling a bit better today, still sleeping for Scotland though   I'm so glad I'm at home.

Apparently elderly relative didn't want to come up here anyway because of the two and a half hour drive and their own health issues, so that's fine.

Lovely pics - I would love to have a wander around some gardens, or even a garden centre tbh. Hopefully once DH (still negative) and I are feeling better I'll persuade him.

It's a lovely day here, but shame I have zero energy to do anything outside (plus I look like death warmed up so wouldn't want anyone to see me haha). I've been watching Renovation Nation on catch-up - it's probably my favourite house programme, as period property renovation is something I would love to do. Maybe one day...

-taff

Only well enough for small gazebo putting up [to store contents of garage and put up in advance ot check for blowing away properties but seeing as I've lashed it to a big trunk, a raised bed and some heavy duty stoneage, it might stay put] not for traipsing round gardens which is a shame as I owuld have liked ot have gone. Sit down time again now. I looked in the greenhouse this morning and nearly despaired, all greek basil has either been eated completely [3 out of six gone and they were bigger than tennis ball size] or nibbled, the variegated sage has been eaten, the tips of my jalapenos, some tomatoes have gone yellow [ better feed toot sweet] and it's a general mess about to explode...So there's that to do after.

PP glad it all workd out to your advantage really, noneed of guilt when you're feeling rubbish anywy.

Dusty, I'm beginning to like those rounded bench seats, much more friendly looking.

Huzzah for carrot tops Farway!

YBE, glad you got your concreting done, can I borrow him now? Mine is prone to stropping at times, most annoying. But as I say, if this one goes, there won't be another one, I'll get a dog. a woflhound. With horns.

Greenbee, well, they're in, mine are still languishing, now in in an inch of water from the rain threatening to drown instead of die of thirst. Good job!