Mid Summer Bits and Bobs.

[peter]

I wish!

Stuck in a north London officeblock.

[retropants]

i was just thinking how quiet it is, I am stuck at work (v. boring) so am checking in regularly!

[Monika]

The weather has been to good to sit at the computer - brilliant three days here! We went to RHS Harlow Carr where everything is just turning slightly autumnal with gorgeous rudbeckia, echinacea etc and the "allotments" were interesting to see, too. Some huge punpkins!

Our allotment needs attention now, too. We have, albeit slightly reluctantly, decided to give up half of our allotment from next spring. We are both around 80 (one over, one almost there), the ground is steep and rather demanding, so we are giving up the steeper bit and retaining the flatter part which is still perfectly large enough to grow food for (mostly) just the two of us. We'll just have to plan things more wisely and economically!

[robo]

None stop rain today, not much better over the last few days, ive loads to do and away a week on sunday for 3 weeks never seem to catch up latley

[Westi]

Been distracted with all the planes flying over. Been a bit of a mad woman running to windows (anyone's) at work & from front door to back door at home, not to mention some unusual postures on the bus home.

Managed a few glances but looking forward to Sun on lottie when most fly right over my head. Good thing really as getting a bit weary & my reputation as a mad woman is being enforced on my work colleagues!

Westi

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Westi, if you have made one or two people smile with your activities, that is a good thing.... I wouldn't have mind seeing the bus postures myself....

[Motherwoman]

Hi Monika,

Just got rid of 5 rod plot and have gone down to 10 rod. It's a bit of a relief really. I took on the extra 5 when all the boys still lived at home and with only 1 left in residence I don't need to grow as much, it is hard to get out of the habit! I'm going to have to discipline myself to cut down on quantities of seed sown this coming year.
I am making better use of what I've got though, started digging out some of the grass paths that I'd put in across the main plot and I'm getting inventive about where I grow the climbing fruit around the shed area.

MW

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've been doing the same, deciding how many veg. I actually need to grow now my sons have left home. One does live nearby and I also supply my friends, but I don't need to. The freezer is already full to bursting and there are still bags of things from last year that I haven't used. It is obvious that I am growing too much. Just remembered something my parents told me that I said when I was very small: when told that I had got too much I said "but I like too much".

The hens get a lot of the surplus greens, but I only have five hens now, so must try harder to plant less.

[alan refail]

It looks like summer is set to make a comeback to welcome in autumn

[oldherbaceous]

Thanks to our beautiful Country of many weathers.

[Elaine]

Oh I do hope so Alan! I could do with a bit of sun to top me up for the darker days to come.
Speaking of sun....I've been very surprised by the growth of my sunflowers this year. I grow the ones which have several flower heads and are supposed to be 4' tall...the name escapes me....they are 6' tall and have lots of beautiful flowers this year and I've had to stake them. I've got some at home as well as on the allotment and all of them are at least 6'.
The downside to that being, they are shading my "tomato" greenhouse a bit too much. Still, the tomatoes are ripening well, I love the sunflowers and the birds will benefit from the seeds.

[Elaine]

Good morning dear OH! I hope you and yours are well?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Elaine, all is fine here, so thank you for asking. Cook is at a horse riding event so, i'll be preparing my own lunch....now what shall i have, a haunch of venison, a freshly poached salmon, or even a cheese and tomato sandwich... i think the last is the most likely...

[Clive.]

Wow...just had a Wryneck sat on our front lawn eating up ants.

I have never seen one before and surprised myself that I knew what it was.

Camera batteries were flat....now changed for new..and it has flown off.

Clive.

[Clive.]

It came back, for afternoon tea of Ant, close enough for my snapshot camera to capture it.

Clive.