Well the two "courgette" plants Mr Primrose bought at a plant swap fund raising event have turned out to be butternut squashes! He,s mortified but I,'m not sure there,s any way he could have identified one small seedling from another. At least we,ve been spared doing secret surplus courgette drops on neighbours' doorsteps for several weeks!
A while since I last grew butternut squash. Is it better to pick unripe ones at a convenient size and let them ripen indoors or just leave on the plants to grow & ripen outdoors naturally?
Currently battling another menace. Local flock of green parakeets suddenly twking a fancy to the remaining yellow and red tumbling tomatoes in our patio pots. Don't normally venture this close to the house. They must be hungry. Not a particularly good growing year for wildlife, let alone humans!
Summer Bits and Bobs.
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter, Chief Spud
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Clive.
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Bit of a sad day...as I have had my old radio aerials taken down from my amateur radio hobby days...but really very pleased to see it all down ok as it was getting to un nerve me a great deal, when we had high winds. It was a hobby I had a lot of fun with from late 1970s up to early 90s. I put up the aerials in 1981/82 via a scaffold platform as my work back then was with a company that hired out such equipment. In the absence of such now, they were removed by an arborist up aloft on his mewp...'cherry picker'.. next to be brought down was a Japanese cedar that had become a three headed monster higher than my house guttering...planted in 2000-ish, it filled the gap between house and boundary fence..and a bit more...and a dead ceanothus was also removed and met with the chipper..followed by a light shaping of the two front garden holly trees.
Maybe room now for a bit of 'old herbaceous' border....after much digging/forking and cleansing of the area, on my to do list.!...an area which in the 'old days' my mum would have filled with summer bedding and then wallflowers with appledoorn tulips between....
I sort of envisage some taller herbaceous to include some aster prairie purple, telekia speciosa, aster Barr's pink in front of the low paling fence..indeed they will be just taller than the fence but a little more controlled than the former cryptomeria japonica..!! lovely as it was..when small...
C.
Maybe room now for a bit of 'old herbaceous' border....after much digging/forking and cleansing of the area, on my to do list.!...an area which in the 'old days' my mum would have filled with summer bedding and then wallflowers with appledoorn tulips between....
I sort of envisage some taller herbaceous to include some aster prairie purple, telekia speciosa, aster Barr's pink in front of the low paling fence..indeed they will be just taller than the fence but a little more controlled than the former cryptomeria japonica..!! lovely as it was..when small...
C.
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oldherbaceous
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Sounds like some good jobs out of the way, Clive!
You can’t beat an “old herbaceous” border….will make you smile on the dullest of days….
You can’t beat an “old herbaceous” border….will make you smile on the dullest of days….
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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Clive.
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I've already now chopped out a berberis shrub stump...that I had reduced the other week...but going to work around the cryptomeria stump.!
It forecast rain a little earlier so quickly went out and added a little growmore to the area where the hungry conifer stood. Anyway, that stopped it raining.! just a heavy drizzle, meanwhile 5 miles East of here there was an absolute cloudburst deluge this afternoon, I understand.
It was certainly cloud to the floor looking out from here over the fens.
..and I'll add to the list three helenium 'Gunby bronze' and three unknown name tall well behaved clump forming deep blue aster...and that's the fence side back sorted....only 'on paper' at the moment...
Just got to get the lily of the valley to behave at the east end and an area of a particularly large keen Spanish bluebell to stay under control at the western end...
C.
It forecast rain a little earlier so quickly went out and added a little growmore to the area where the hungry conifer stood. Anyway, that stopped it raining.! just a heavy drizzle, meanwhile 5 miles East of here there was an absolute cloudburst deluge this afternoon, I understand.
It was certainly cloud to the floor looking out from here over the fens.
..and I'll add to the list three helenium 'Gunby bronze' and three unknown name tall well behaved clump forming deep blue aster...and that's the fence side back sorted....only 'on paper' at the moment...
Just got to get the lily of the valley to behave at the east end and an area of a particularly large keen Spanish bluebell to stay under control at the western end...
C.
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Westi
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Home day today so focused on the front garden which has been a bit neglected. Today was only it's second mow, which was needed but lucky to get away with it for so long, but the ornamental pear Wimpy put in is huge & sucking up all the water & only the edges of the lawn is growing. I can't get rid of it as it is actually in my house deeds, but I'd dearly like to as blocks loads of light. I've tried a few gardening sites for giving it a good chop but pretty disinterested...but noted someone down the road has moved in driving a garden van! It comes down to turn in the close so I should be able to hijack this guy!
All the bulbs dug out & sorted & pushing up together & only returned some big ones to under the tree that do OK there & will plant the wall flowers in the outer edge where the neighbour is trying to sort his box blight & not successfully; so they will hide the anaemic hedge. Apparently big rain coming & we are on a yellow heavy rain & thunderstorm warning until Friday evening, but spotted a few hours gap tomorrow so will see, but if not the tarmac guys are coming to re-lay the path between mine & the neighbours so can still keep the dog happy!
All the bulbs dug out & sorted & pushing up together & only returned some big ones to under the tree that do OK there & will plant the wall flowers in the outer edge where the neighbour is trying to sort his box blight & not successfully; so they will hide the anaemic hedge. Apparently big rain coming & we are on a yellow heavy rain & thunderstorm warning until Friday evening, but spotted a few hours gap tomorrow so will see, but if not the tarmac guys are coming to re-lay the path between mine & the neighbours so can still keep the dog happy!
Westi
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Clive.
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I was lucky with the weather for my tree work yesterday...today was blowing half a gale..with curtains of low cloud/mist blowing across from the coast, drizzle at times.
Did a few mins deep digging around the tree stump after coming in from work...but rather on the tired side...and more so now after a large plate of cod and chips....
C.
Did a few mins deep digging around the tree stump after coming in from work...but rather on the tired side...and more so now after a large plate of cod and chips....
C.
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Westi
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Today I got wet...very wet! They changed the report this morning to indicate we would get the rain overnight then a break until this afternoon, they just forgot to tell mother nature! It was cloudy but not raining when I went down so tackled some wee annoying chores that have just been sitting & glaring at me! The cloud built up but did not look dark or menacing so I kept going, then it decided to rain, not heavy but persistent but I was protected a bit as under the trees which are still in full leaf. All was fine until it decided to rain proper while I was stuck in the raspberry bed cutting down the spent canes, oh well I was pretty wet anyway & it was not too cold so did a few other things as I keep a change of clothes down there.
I stayed to my normal time & decided to change to get the bus. I did not change.....there was a huge spider living in the sleeve of my dry top! So stayed wet but did have my fold up pretend raincoat with no hood so on that went for the trip home! Dog was soaked & I was soaked but no-one paid too much attention as most were as wet as me. It is still raining & predicted all day tomorrow as well. The tarmac guys who are going to re-lay the path visited...just to tell me too wet today....just a curtesy drop by on their way home!
I stayed to my normal time & decided to change to get the bus. I did not change.....there was a huge spider living in the sleeve of my dry top! So stayed wet but did have my fold up pretend raincoat with no hood so on that went for the trip home! Dog was soaked & I was soaked but no-one paid too much attention as most were as wet as me. It is still raining & predicted all day tomorrow as well. The tarmac guys who are going to re-lay the path visited...just to tell me too wet today....just a curtesy drop by on their way home!
Westi
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oldherbaceous
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We keep missing all this rain….all it managed yesterday was a little drizzle, the water-table is very low now, so the plants that don’t get watered are really struggling….I am keeping my runner beans watered, as I don’t want them finishing yet…
Is really hot out there now and the sun feels like it would soon burn you!
Is really hot out there now and the sun feels like it would soon burn you!
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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Westi
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Well the rain has stopped & no more predicted until tomorrow night. I started the day doing some chores & sorting out our collection of clothes hardly ever worn for the next charity - all 3 bags! There are mostly Mr's as he been just about every size since we met & since they were hardly worn & good quality I initially kept them, but thought it is their time to go, along with the whole rainbow of his cycling gear & stuff.
More to go but got a bit bored so thought I'd buy a few seeds as I dropped some on the plot right into a big puddle but only noted it when I went down that end to lock up, some probs saveable but of course those were the ones without any printing on the inner packets! Of course I succumbed & a few others accidentally fell in my check out basket!
Also threw in some shallot bulbs that were too good to refuse even though I said I wasn't going to bother with them anymore as poor results over the last few years but I'm sure I will squeeze them in somewhere & give them another chance!
I hope those that need it will get some of the rain we got, it will certainly help as about 2"; but it looks like it is heading west ... sorry!
More to go but got a bit bored so thought I'd buy a few seeds as I dropped some on the plot right into a big puddle but only noted it when I went down that end to lock up, some probs saveable but of course those were the ones without any printing on the inner packets! Of course I succumbed & a few others accidentally fell in my check out basket!
Also threw in some shallot bulbs that were too good to refuse even though I said I wasn't going to bother with them anymore as poor results over the last few years but I'm sure I will squeeze them in somewhere & give them another chance! I hope those that need it will get some of the rain we got, it will certainly help as about 2"; but it looks like it is heading west ... sorry!
Westi
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oldherbaceous
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Well we got the rain in the early hours and also as the morning went on….quite a deluge too….
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
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peter
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And there I was Friday evening in Homebase looking in disgust at an inflatable life-size diorama of USA Halloween characters clustered round a cauldron in aisle one.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
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Westi
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Hi OH!
Isn't it time for Autumn Bits & Bob's? 9th September already!
Isn't it time for Autumn Bits & Bob's? 9th September already!
Westi
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Clive.
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By the amount of leaves on the drive at work..it's certainly a little Autumnal...and throw in some winds this week and low over night temps too....
Although I'm still trying to get some August jobs done......
C.
Although I'm still trying to get some August jobs done......
C.