Mid Summer Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

I went away with just a few blackfly on my Broad and Runner beans, i have now returned to all the plants covered in blackfly and really do look a mess.....now where are the ladybirds!!!!

Sorry for a gloomy start to a new topic.

[Ricard with an H]

Not a gloomy start for me OH, I have been very cautious about this though after three years I have never had green fly or black fly. Is this a coastal thing I wonder ?

Also this is the first year I've grown petunias for the clay-display, I remember this plant being a magnet for green fly so we'll see.

I have a juvenile thrush following me in the garden probably because I'm turning soil over. I named him Road-Runner because he hasn't learnt to hop. Or maybe the thrush doesn't hop ? Very brave and friendly like a robin.

I made a mistake planting my leeks, I didn't make the hole big enough and the soil has consolidated itself around each plant. What are the consequences I wonder ?

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, i would say the constant coastal breeze will make a huge difference to the amount of aphids present, so a real bonus for you.

We have had a pair of adult thrushes in the field behind us, but no sign of youngsters about.....but there are several cats about and these are the most prolific hunters that i have known for years, their owners drive is often scattered with all sorts of corpses....a real shame for the song bird population.

Leeks are tough old things, Richard, there's not many times they won't push the soil to keep expanding, as long as there is plenty of food in the soil for them.

[Monika]

Richard, lots of my leek holes have filled in, too, because of hpeing around them in the dry soil. It has happened before and the leeks have always grown on quite happily!

[Clive.]

Broad beans at home here are suddenly a mass of blackfly too...and there seems to be more aphid on Roses than I've seen for a year or two too...

Busy setting up this collection of Rose blooms yesterday for display today.. https://instagram.com/p/4eGARPIqCV/?tak ... tgunbyhall https://instagram.com/p/4ecUx7oqNw/?tak ... tgunbyhall

I spotted a passing B17 Flying Fortress today in between talking Roses.

Clive.

[Primrose]

Lots of blackfly on my climbing beans too. Have sprayed off with hose snd also a bio bug killer but they seem to return within 24 hours. Think some humid days we've had have made the situation worse. I find thst once they start to arrive they're very difficult to shift. Have hardly seen any ladybirds this yesr. Where have they all gone?

[Geoff]

Didn't you get the Vulcan today Clive? It went West of us yesterday but I couldn't spot it - pity they didn't fit a transponder for it to show on Flightradar24. http://www.vulcantothesky.org/salute-to ... -tour.html

[Clive.]

Hello Geoff,
I was hoping to see the Vulcan as it was doing Marham then Waddington which could have put them passing us...but didn't get to see it as the route was planned South of the Wash, rather than cut across it as in the old days.

I think flight level may affect the pick up of the radar, as the Vulcan does sometimes show, it did briefly when I tried to watch the playback. I was watching its track the other weekend when it popped up on screen near Chesterfield, routing from Cosford show heading for Finningley then made a right turn to come over Lincoln and on to Coningsby...a weather diversion that was not accepted. It then descended West of Coningsby and went off screen as it routed under the weather back to base.

The B17 was a bonus though.

Clive.

[Shallot Man]

Took my first picking of calabrese on Sat. On washing, noticed very small [and I do mean small] black dots swimming for dear life. Can't say I have ever seen same before. Any idea's ?

[Ricard with an H]

I just picked some, the whole plant was massive with very few pickings. I don't think I'll bother again though they were clean, also, look what else I dug up today.

My first-ever.

[retropants]

the blackfly is shocking this year, runners are covered, dahlias are covered (very unusual) and my neighbours broad beans were uncereminiously pulled up and dumped yesterday, they were beyond help.

[oldherbaceous]

Lovely pictures of the roses, Clive, your talents seem to be never ending.

[Blackbob]

Desperate for some heavy rain here,plants are struggling and I only have 100 gallon left on site.

[Pa Snip]

20:00 hours tonight visited plot, temperature in shed when I opened the door
= 39 degrees.

Potatoes need watering, beginning to collapse.

[Geoff]

Just the right temperature for tennis.