Overnight rain, not sure how much but not many puddles so guess not a lot, supposed to be getting colder this week, I may pick the ripening tom at the front to finish off on the window sill, hate to lose it just as it's nearly ripe. Not a day for gardening or even walking, by the looks of it
My neighbour asked me yesterday about the "mushrooms" growing, she has some escapees as well. Between us, we decide we don't know enough and will leave them alone, even if though they maybe field mushrooms
Here's a pic of them, not in the photo but some are as large as dinner plates
I've not seen any of our mushrooms anywhere near the size of a plate Farway. If they get large the slugs have them. Yours don't seem to have slug damage, so I'd take that as a 'sign,' but the gills underneath would give other clues. A fresh mushroom's gills are almost pink in colour.
Love the Erigeron karvinskianus in your last picture GF, but love the melting pink and yellow ice cream fungus even more!
Yesterday was quite pleasant and we clad the lower part of the new polytunnel with wood where we must place soil to level the floor. That's probably one of the worst jobs out of the way. Now we've cleared out and re-arranged the workshop, woodworking will become easier. SiL has all the tools I don't have, and more importantly, the skills I lack too.
The van finally passed its MoT, so I'll be putting it up for sale in a month or so as a winter project. Potentially, it could last another 7 or 8 years without serious mechanical outlay, but the tin worm needs input before it's too late. I'm not inclined towards doing that crawling around undrneath stuff any more.
Definitely breezy and chilly out there and some useful rain overnight. I shall have to go for a short walk today, as it's tyres and tracking on the car. Current tyres aren't worn out, but the potholes here have knocked the tracking to blazes. Yeah, I know, third world problems!
The first picture hows one of the Kousa trees with a heavy load of ripe fruit.
Much of the fruit on the 'Milky Way' was unripe
And heading north but west at the weekend I got a little treat.
The event got a bit crowded, so I walked down by the river along the track that leads to the riverside fields. I wanted somewhere off the track to eat my sarnie and turned towards the river. There was that very distinctive call, as one kingfisher flew up-stream to replace the one sitting on a rock just by the little "beach" to which I was headed. No hope of getting a photo as any movement would have scared it off. The plumage was so bright from three angles but face-on the bird's breast merged with the dry grasses next to the path.
Watched it fish a bit and then it flew further upstream. Saw its mate further down later.
The person who has not made a mistake, has made nothing
Had rain overnight again. It filled a bucket under my dripping guttering so must have been quite a bit. Certainly we've had enough that the lawn needs mowing again a week later.
Some surprises in the garden. My tomatoes have grown like crazy but whether they will ripen is another matter. And my Lemon Verbena shrub has gone from poor to huge and healthy in the last couple of weeks! I'm going to have to use the leaves as it's too good to waste.
I have a really good Kale plant growing from a cut down stem but with the roots left in the ground. It's ready to eat now. Can this be a way to the future for me? Successional growing.
My re seeded ones are pathetic and the slugs have got at the ones they got at before but the heat got at them. Only time will tell.
The Magnolia that is suffering I sprayed with cinnamon, hoping that all the tender care will work. I sprayed something less organic on the Box hedging, still something nibbling at the leaves. Like a leaf miner on steroids and a few chunks out. Wonder if it's the same bug the Magnolia has.
Today bought 2 pots and loads of spring bulbs. I just think that come spring we are going to need to see some cheer after the interminable bad news this winter so like all good gardeners, looking ahead with optimism.
Feeling a bit smug that I didn't come away from the garden centre with a lot of random plants. I think I'm nearly cured
The only normal people you know are the
ones you don’t know very well
Raining now, started dry so went up the volunteer border to do a spot of hoeing, the fresh rain will settle the weed's roots back in nicely.
On the plus side, my volunteer sidekick gave me some rooted cuttings of fuchsia Remembrance, the cunning plan was to plant them in our memorial garden but with the hot dry summer we decided not to due to watering difficulties, so I'll overwinter in my conservatory & see what the Spring brings
Our volunteer compost heap has a tunneller, big hole in the side of it, probably a fox but not doing any harm so will leave it be for the moment, should it start carping in the car park then steps will have to be taken
We have a wasp nest somewhere, or actually think it's next door in the Health Centre bit and the wasps just like hanging around a nearby willow, again no harm to us, just be wary if parking nearby
Love those Kousa trees RAS, I've noted them for my rebirth with a silver trowel in hand
Good idea about the slugs avoiding the "mushrooms" Woolsery, but they also have nice pink gills underneath
I took this rather nice photo of the Old English Cattle in the Meadow this afternoon, they don't seem to be a particularly convenient shape for lying down to me but perhaps they're more comfortable than they look.
Soon afterwards the rain came down again so I scurried toward home and spotted a jay perched on the railings by the river. I was just sneaking up on it to get a better photo when someone came round the corner toward me and it flew up into the maple branches so this was the best I managed.
Scallops. A host of legends surround this, one of the loveliest of seafoods, except when overcooked. My favourite true story concerns the young lady scallop preparation worker, interviewed by the 'New Yorker' Magazine. When asked for her honest opinion of the shellfish she said "They don't have much personality". From Patrick Anthony's International MENU Dictionary.
I was away yesterday at a funeral, the first of two this week, and believe it or not, in bloomin' Slough again! The crematorium has a great collection of trees and the celebrant did a wonderful job, so it wasn't as dour an event as we'd feared. The weather did a repeat performance too, with some fierce motorway rain and dazzling sunshine taking centre stage in turns.
As it was a bit of a stretch, we stopped off in Somerset last night and I nipped round MiL's garden this morning looking for plants to snap for this thread....
Not bad is it for a couple nearer 90 than 80 now and still managing everything unaided? They're actually 250' higher than we are, but sheltered by trees and walls. Wish I could say ours looks so well cared-for!
Those cornus are amazing RAS. Another tree to add to the list, though I fear I might not get to see a display like that if I start with one in a 5 litre pot!
Shame about the jay-walker GF, but just getting a snap of one round here would be very hard. They do exist nearby but appear to be quite fussy about location. I see one on the land maybe once in a blue moon...Too many magpie cousins?
Moving in posh circle Woolsery, Princess Margaret was cremated in Slough, obviously one of the posher crems
The problem is, so many friends/relatives are now around as old as PM would have been! Obviously, they stayed off the fags and drank alcohol in modest amounts, or not at all. Most are/were gardeners too.
Abstinence wasn't a feature of the other life I'll be celebrating this week. The event will be very different, but more about that at the weekend, I expect!
Sorry to hear you've got a run of funerals, Woolsery 😪 Your MiL's garden looks amazing 😊 - wish ours was looking as good right now!
Yesterday the hoped for - and forecast - dry, sunny day didn't materialise but it was too late for DH who'd made plans for a day off, working on the old extension frontage....so now we're all tarped up ahead of tomorrow's threatened stormy weather. We'll probably get a heatwave instead, lol!
I've been making the most of today's sunshine by clearing the runner bean remnants away and prepping to plant a few retrieved bulbs...if only I could recall what they are 🙄
Our virginia creeper in the walled courtyard is looking fab - something cheering to look at whilst I'm taking a break from my labours in the recently completed covered seating area....
Replies
The first picture hows one of the Kousa trees with a heavy load of ripe fruit.
Much of the fruit on the 'Milky Way' was unripe
And heading north but west at the weekend I got a little treat.
The event got a bit crowded, so I walked down by the river along the track that leads to the riverside fields. I wanted somewhere off the track to eat my sarnie and turned towards the river. There was that very distinctive call, as one kingfisher flew up-stream to replace the one sitting on a rock just by the little "beach" to which I was headed. No hope of getting a photo as any movement would have scared it off. The plumage was so bright from three angles but face-on the bird's breast merged with the dry grasses next to the path.
Watched it fish a bit and then it flew further upstream. Saw its mate further down later.
The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well
Soon afterwards the rain came down again so I scurried toward home and spotted a jay perched on the railings by the river. I was just sneaking up on it to get a better photo when someone came round the corner toward me and it flew up into the maple branches so this was the best I managed.
Scallops. A host of legends surround this, one of the loveliest of seafoods, except when overcooked. My favourite true story concerns the young lady scallop preparation worker, interviewed by the 'New Yorker' Magazine. When asked for her honest opinion of the shellfish she said "They don't have much personality".
From Patrick Anthony's International MENU Dictionary.
Your MiL's garden looks amazing 😊 - wish ours was looking as good right now!
Yesterday the hoped for - and forecast - dry, sunny day didn't materialise but it was too late for DH who'd made plans for a day off, working on the old extension frontage....so now we're all tarped up ahead of tomorrow's threatened stormy weather. We'll probably get a heatwave instead, lol!
I've been making the most of today's sunshine by clearing the runner bean remnants away and prepping to plant a few retrieved bulbs...if only I could recall what they are 🙄
Our virginia creeper in the walled courtyard is looking fab - something cheering to look at whilst I'm taking a break from my labours in the recently completed covered seating area....