Awful weather - typical Brits talk

Farway

Dull & grey, again.

But at least it's dry, so being Feed Friday I was out early, giving the pots at the front a good Tomoriting. Missed it last week because it was the start of a week of pouring down.

If back & weather up to it, I'll do the same for the toms in the back garden this afternoon.

If I rev up the imagination, I think I can see some colouring up of the Bloody Butcher, paler green & maybe on the turn to red at last?

I have to say I'm very impressed so far with Veranda Red, forming trusses now and looks very healthy, hope it tastes good.

pink_poppy said:

Farway, I was going to snip the top off my indoor tomatoes, but they've already got flowers growing up there. Should I still give them the snip?? I've got loads of flowers on both plants and some tomatoes growing (at various stages) so could probably sacrifice a few flowers if necessary.

What I do is go past the flowers by one leaf, then snip the top off just past the leaf junction.

In UK the “normal” is allowing three or four trusses before snipping. The limit is due to how many will actually ripen at our latitude & climate.

If in heated greenhouse, with Grow lights & feeding, could be six or more trusses, which is what commercial growers do.

YoungBlueEyes said:

Bluddy 'ell, your beans are goers eh Farway. Pretty flowers too, not sure I've ever seen a bb flower in real life. Are they fragrant? Hurray for more lavenders in the world How are your carrotty carrots doing?

Oxalis - that's going on my list. That'll look well in the rockery I don't have by the wall that isn't built yet.

Oh and I'm doing swopsies with wm - pile of soil for a load of tiles :clapping: I can happily confirm that she isn't a mad axe murderer and that her handsome dog is indeed handsome. A really cheerful little chappy . I did tell him he could stop here with me if he liked but he wasn't having it  

Broad bean flowers, no scent AFAIK, that would be bonus if they smelt like sweet peas for instance. Only concern now is BB are well-known blackfly magnets, thankfully mine seem free for now, maybe it was the late sowing?

Oxalis, if you venture, watch out, it’s a spreader and gets ever where, OK in its place but can become a nightmare, like mint, enjoy but watch it.

I expect WM dog & His Holyness would make a handsome pair

twopenny said:

Farway I thought you'd sworn off BBs? I seem to remember it had your really wound up last summer. I haven't checked my beans but I think they and the poppies are covered in bugs. I'll leave it for another time.

You're right, I had, in fact this year was going to be bean free, but then decided a few runners would be a treat in summer I sowed some. They were all eaten by snails, the lot, not even stumps left.

Then an offer in not to be refused from T & M of broad bean seeds, so I got a packet and the rest is history

In the meantime, similar offer with runners, sowed more of them, and they are romping away, but no flowers yet

Now for something completely different, a wasp bum

Dustyevsky

twopenny said:

Dark, cloudy and very cool out there. Sheesh this is the time I'm on the beach swimming and picnicing usually and boy could I do with some fun. No sign of change all day.

No sign of my bees this year which is very strange. The honey bees could be from a hive that's been moved but the Bumbles? I had loads of them. Not a one, just the odd passer through.

Yes, more cloud and cool northerlies. Friend and I were supposed to be walking at Hartland today. Only a 3 miler, but she's not 100%, and apparently there's some men's tennis going on.... The weather's tipped the scales there!

I agree about the bees, and insects generally. After a decent start, they've not been about in normal numbers. We're keeping our SHTF supplies full for the coming winter.   

Bluey I should add some oxalis are notorious for 'getting around.' That isn't true of all, though, and certainly not for the pink one we have. I've not come across the white one I pictured, but I'd risk it!

Not sure if/when we will replace the 4x4. The roads around here are so awful, Mrs Dusty's little buzz box is barely adequate in winter. I'll stick with the big van for now ; it's not scared of potholes!

Back to sitooteries now. Here's a garden that had some, but in the wrong places. I would definitely have had one by the pontoon. I mean, if you have a duck house, you'll want to watch your ducks!

Dustyevsky

I distracted myself..... Forgot to post a picture of our 'volunteer' opium poppy, snapped after seeing 2p's more sophisticated one a few days ago. Ours is unashamedly 'in yer face,' and this example just popped up in the polytunnel.

twopenny

There's something lovely about poppies I couldn't bear to pull them up.

Lol mine aren't sophisticated. Don't know how they became doubles, just time and perseverance on their part I guess.

Raining now and cold wind. It's notthe weather to be hoiking heavy stuff and challenges in the badger run for sure.

More patchy rain predicted. I think it's a day for relaxing and getting odd stuff done inside as tomorrow is supposed to be half decent.

Love the Crocosmia and the wasp bum. Seems a bit early for the flowers but I guess it is July though seems more like March.

-taff

Seed sown lavender? That's dedication Farway! I just checked my benas, [stuggling beans] and yes, one of them is ocmpletely covered in blackfly..All the lady birds were out the front munching on the angelica ones and have now flown away so aren't eating it. You remind me, must get some field beans...Your wasp bum is indeed pretty...Any crocosmia tips?

Sorry you've had bad news PP..

2P, wort is going back to work, not me...I nearly had a heart attack reading that, i thought, what have I said now?

Loving the bird bath and swinging pigeons too,, they just waddle round my garden doing nothing interesting except teasing the cats...I've got a dearth of bees too, just seeing the odd ones. They only came out in force when the comfrey was flowering. I did a chelsea chop and it's just started flowering again, I'll say if they come back again..

Thats a very pretty oxalis too...Reading Reading And that's a beautifully blousy poppy [had one out the front, now it's seed head it drying out hopefully]

YBE, look at you and WM making friends and influencing people tut tut though, stealing dogs is wrong innit...[maybe, she says, having stolen two cats, but they're different aren't they? are they?]

I'm doing the do today, definitely potting up, on and out. the medlar shot up and needs a bigger pot already, there's some unknowns to put out the front, some stuff to collect for the nice neighbour, and some tomoriting to do too [ thanks farway]

So I've done that stuff and taken down a fence. The gate had those old flat screw heads that are made for the thinnest sliver screwdriver...My hands are hurting so now it's rest time...But at least I can walk in the greenhouse now but unfortunatey while I was de armpitting, I snapped the top off one of them, ah well, it'll grow again I suppose....

pink_poppy

Thanks for the tomato plant advice, Farway, I'll see what I can do with them tomorrow.

These are the two triffids - one of them is almost reaching the ceiling...


I'm feeling tired and achy this evening after doing a couple of hours of mass ivy destruction (no birds were harmed) it's been lovely, warm and sunny. Same again forecast for tomorrow (weather and ivy) so a quiet night tonight watching Rebus and testing the Mint Choc Baileys that my DD bought for me. Hoping it's yum...

Dustyevsky

Farway said:

If I rev up the imagination, I think I can see some colouring up of the Bloody Butcher, paler green & maybe on the turn to red at last?

I have to say I'm very impressed so far with Veranda Red, forming trusses now and looks very healthy, hope it tastes good.

Err.....No Bloody Butcher, but.....

And...

I agree with Farway about 'stopping'pot grown toms at a sensible height. It's different for ones grown in a deep bed, in a tunnel, where they have strong support. Mine sometimes go  to 10' and I do get some ripe toms at that height before the mould and winter temperatures finish them off.

YoungBlueEyes

I've got a bit of tom envy now. Mine are all leafed up and a few have flowers (the ones in the grobags) but the ones in my Hanging Baskets Of Barbylon haven't a flower between them and are all in full sargeant major mode. I'm sure one of you heathens told me toms love a lay down....  The heat next week should see some progress, hopefully.

Thanks for the heads-up about Oxalis 2p + Farway + Dusty, I'll keep it all in mind. I've time enough to plan that bit yet, I'm still finding pages of good ideas to trawl through. Too much choice is stopping me making a decision. I might have to leave it up to himself (ha ha ha ha haaaaa!) 

I can see why you call it a triffid pp, look at the height of it How was the mint choc Baileys? As yummy as it sounds..?

I hadn't realised it tbh but I've a lack of bees etc here too. Not a lack of ants though, I've plenty of them I'm getting one or two passing-through bees but I've no ladybirds or those hornet-y wosnames. I don't know what happened my lacewing either...  I did take a pic of something queer the other day, I'll find it and put it up.

That's a beautiful crocosmia Farway, I don't know what I was thinking of when you were saying crocosmia but it wasn't that. That'll be good if late sowing of beans means they'll miss the black-fly. Wouldn't that make things easier!

That's a cracking pond Dusty, and I agree re sitooterie placement. I wonder if you could get ducks on a pigeon swing...  

Posh Friend loves poppies too. She bought one of those tumbling-out-of-the-tower ceramic ones. She gave me some seeds yesterday - a couple of stalks from her aqualegia and a couple of poppy heads. The heads need to dry out yet but it was now or never cos she's away on holiday next week.

Stealing cats isn't the same as dogs imo taff. Cats will go with whoever they fancy this week (disdainful disloyal little ratbags) but dogs are a different ball game. Mind there's been a couple of times when I've thought "oh just give that dog to me now, you're doing it wrong" but I don't think that's right. Officially. Possibly. Wm's Handsome was given the choice but decided he was alright where he was. Sadly Btw what's de armpitting...?

Raining here now and has been since last night I think. Cool still and a bit breezy. Good forecast for next week though, hopefully it's the same down your way 2p so you can get out swimming and picnicking etc 

YoungBlueEyes

Queer bug. It would’ve fit on a 5p piece - 

Also this from Posh Friend’s town yesterday - 

Isn’t that lovely  

And I forgot to say - Beechgrove last night (on catchup but not on telly still) was a good one. George and Carole talking about strawbs and lettuces and things. Not informative really but it was a nice gentle watch One of the 'member's of the public' slots was a woman who'd bought a lovely house and transformed the garden. Next week is that awful Kiwi piece and Calum. 

pink_poppy

The mint choc Baileys was nice, but not sure I'd buy it myself. DH was freaked out by the fact that it was green   

Aye, those triffids are at least a foot taller than the one plant I had last year. Lots of fruit forming on the tallest one, but only one fruit on the slightly shorter one, that I could see anyway.

I'm still aching like mad this morning, but the forecast is for sunny spells and quite warm at 18 degrees, so more ivy annihilation later. I found some growing inside one of the house vent things eek, so it's an emergency.

No idea what the bug is, but looks a bit shield like?? We still have a fair few bees buzzing around - they love the purple clover that's out at the moment. Distinct lack of wasps though, not that I'm complaining about that...