Early Summer Bits and Bobs.

[Geoff]

Not sure I can cope with 40 days of this. We had 26.7mm of rain on St Swithin's day yesterday. With the strong wind as well the runner beans look battered like they are at the end of the season not the beginning. Better skip Summer Bits and Bobs OH and go straight to Autumn.

[oldherbaceous]

I was thinking exactly the same thing, Geoff…..my Runner beans look quite sorry for themselves too…..

[Westi]

Went down to survey the wind damage today & consequently spent the time fixing things! Luckily the runner frames only went on a lean, but lost quite a few leeks which were hit by the stakes & the mesh blowing around; luckily have a few left over to re-plant, the net tunnel was on a severe lean & one of the metal poles bent, the usual getting the nets & stuff off the fences & fruit trees. The berries were mostly on the ground & the wasps were guarding them along with Plum Beauty dropping loads of beautiful ripe fruit to rake up without winding up the wasps too much.

My repairs might be a bit OTT with the number of canes, plastic wire & stakes used, but tomorrow I should be able to get on with the rest of the chores.

[Westi]

I had a really nice day today & was right in the zone so an extremely productive time with loads ticked off the list. Only got to put a new membrane down over the torn one in the sitting area & feed a few things & that is Lottie 1 completed. I even fought with the bindweed trying to strangle one of the roses without getting pricked.

Will start on Lottie 2 tomorrow which doesn't have as much to do, but heavier chores. I opened the front compost so want to top up the beds where I will be putting over wintered crops as it is so ready to be used as it's been about 5yrs in the making. The other big job is pulling out the 'Strawberry Rhubarb' which is basically inedible as so stringy. That is currently in a deep raised bed I fashioned together so something nice will enjoy that space, especially since it's one of the few things I have made that didn't fall down or blow away! I have given it 3yrs but if anything it getting more stringy with age. I'm so glad I kept the old unknown Rhubarb, as the plan was to dig & replace it but I'm too fond of it.

[Primrose]

Mr Primrose has just come up with a new idea for getting rid of our surplus cucumbers and courgettes.

It's called "Reverse Shoplifting"

He planning to sneak into cur village store and deposit them in their vegetable racks when nobody is looking !!

I think the neighbours have probably had an elegant sufficiency!

[Primrose]

Have just eaten a delious yellow skinned Pakistani mango. With climate change affecting the UK is there any chance they could be grown here? Do these trees need cross pollination? Has anybody experimented with trying to grow one?

I recall trying to grow avocados from the stones used to be all the rage years ago when they first started to gain popularity here but mine never survived the cold winters ad I didn't have a greenhouse and suspect they need several years before they start cropping anyway.

[Westi]

We had a mango tree in OZ, nice tree but I have an aversion to them as when the fruit was ripe & full of juice, all the neighbourhood kids where shoved into the bath to eat them as so messy. The perfume was overwhelming & loads of children in a confined space being sick as well was a sensory overload never forgotten!

We were outback & did get very hot days as the norm, but nights could be nippy & quite usual for water in the hose to be frozen. In the morning it was routine to run the tap & the iced bits would flush out with frozen lizards in it. They would just thaw out unharmed. I would expect with climate change there is a higher possibility of them growing in the UK, but they are really huge trees & not for the average back yard.

[Primrose]

That's interesting Westi. I had no idea of the size of the trees and presumably the time they take to mature, quite apart from climate and temperatures so I assume I'm highly unlikely to see a mango orchard anywhere in the UK in my lifetime!

[Westi]

I suspect Primrose if we ever get close to being able to grow them successfully they will come in all the grafted sizes available for other fruit trees. Wouldn't surprise me if this is already being trialed somewhere as they are very popular & expensive to buy so money to be made.

[Primrose]

And just think of the air miles which would be saved!

[oldherbaceous]

A bit dark here this morning…suppose i’ve got to get used to that again, now the year is ticking on!

[retropants]

I was just thinking the same thing earlier, then I went back to sleep! My only lie in for 2 weeks.

[Geoff]

Bit dark here too, this could have something to do with it.

Screenshot 2023-07-23 082348.jpg (20.98 KiB) Viewed 6059 times

[Primrose]

yes once we get into August we can feel the timing speeding up. But at least we should be thankful we,re not suffering the unbearably hot temperatures and wildfires they,re experiencing in parts of mainland Europe. No good for crops and a constant worry for those who own property and livestock in those areas.
I just wish we had invented a way of storing all that excess heat and being able to use it during the winter months!

[tigerburnie]

Blowing a hoolley here, Beans and Sweetcorn taking a right old bashing along with flowers like Roses and Japanese Amenemonemonemo nemonies....