2: Our gardening diaries - from latest toys, flowers to wildlife .. Please upload pics

[CanadianLori]

@alp those pictures are stunning. Love them!

It seems strange to hear about heating systems making noises. Most of our homes over here, including mine, are forced air systems. They run on natural gas- probably the same as used over there in gas cookers. My heater in the greenhouse is also hooked up to the gas piped in from the street/gas company.

I hope you can bleed the noise out of your system as that sounds not just annoying but must worry you too.

My capillary mat test is going really well. I've got the felt right in front of the forced air heat register which would speed up drying the cloth and so far it's staying nice and wet. Yippee! now to figure out a bladder with drain system...

Got my grandchildren coming today. We'll probably play games like Candyland or Monopoly or work on a jigsaw puzzle (kittens doing yoga) whilst listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate complete with snowman poo (mini marshmallows) We are at -9c and this week will be dropping much further. A good time to be inside

 

[Mark56]

Wonderful pics. Had a little catch up to see what you are all up to, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and hopefully lots of horticulture related gifts to unwrap for all. Snowdrops, January daffs & early Crocus starting to poke through with this mild weather, not forecast to last much longer I hear. All the best

 

[alp]

Hi, everybody:

I had one hellebores with loads of flowers, but I cut them off. Now I regret it as they are early here in Essex.

Did some shopping. Specially got the car to Lidl, thinking the teabags I liked were there. Then I realised that it was Aldi. I was so fhopelessly oggy!

Didn't know where to do and son suggested Summerhill. I thought it would be a wasted journey as I had already bought quite a few dahlias. I was amazed that I actually found Blue Bayou Dahlia there, and Bowl of Beauty peony, an Alstroemeria called Red Lion. I had ordered Blue Bayou 4 times and twice they turned out to me Mambo and one had its bud snapped by a snail or slug inside my lean-to. If this doesn't turn out to be Blue Bayou .. guess what I will do??!!!

Of course, I came home very happy. Son does know how to keep me in good mood.

Mark56: Nice to see you posted and hope to see your echinaceas in 2018. Zenji, I will talk to my son and see if we can get the mean gas engineer who installed it for us to have a look. Son told me that he had bled them, but the pipe clanged against each other. I have no idea! Should have stuck with big company for such an important fixture in the house. My downfall!

 

[alp]

Now that we are only 2 sleeps to Christmas Day, as @Upsy Daisy puts it, I wish everybody

A fantastic Christmas and an even more fabulous New Year!

May you and your flowers
bloooooooooooom
in 2018!​

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Thank you @alp and the same to you and your lovely helpful son


Wish I knew how to do big colourful writing......mmmmmm I feel a New Year Resolution list coming on

 

[alp]

Thank you @alp and the same to you and your lovely helpful son


Wish I knew how to do big colourful writing......mmmmmm I feel a New Year Resolution list coming on

Ah, pull another one. Just fiddle with B I U A .. and you're there. I wish I were as good with your alliterative Satisfying Saturday!.. Hehe!

Shopping wasn't that bad. Didn't go to the big supermarket though. Son says thank you and he sometimes laughs at I type or what someone else has posted.

Just planted up some irises. I must stay away from Summerhill or get a commission from them! ..

 

[Logan]

Some of my wallflowers are starting to flower, supposed to be next may. A lot of houses over here, start off with warm air heating. Then have gas central heating. Some have oil central heating.

 

[Logan]

Now that we are only 2 sleeps to Christmas Day, as @Upsy Daisy puts it, I wish everybody

A fantastic Christmas and an even more fabulous New Year!

May you and your flowers
bloooooooooooom
in 2018!​

Thanks Alp,Merry Christmas and Happy new Year

 

[alp]

Yes, why is that, Logan? Not that I grumble.. Your wall flowers must know something that we don't. I went out and it was windy and a bit of a chill in the air. I have to say my wallflowers flowered early than in May. In fact, it was one of the earliest to flower.. I can't wait to see how many of my snowdrops have made it to the new year..

A lot of people here use multi fuel burners and they stink, not to mention neighbour's toxic invisibles. I watched The Papers today and they mentioned that people have petitioned Gove, the Environment Secretary, to stop the use of burner to heat houses in London. The two commentators were joking that he might be starting to use his wood burner.. I have to say using wood burners is OK if you live in a big farm or ranch and you've tons of materials to burn with and no neighbours to disturb, but in heavily built up areas, it's a torture for some. I used to have a burner and cleaning the burner in the morning has nothing romantic about it.

 

[Logan]

Went to see Keith this afternoon, when we had the snow, his carers didn't turn up. It's a good thing that he has another carer in the day time who lives close by.

 

[alp]

You had snow???? No wonder I felt a terrible chill in the air. Yesterday was so warm.. Such lovely weather that it melted my heart .. Loved yesterday.. But today was really downhill. Keith is lucky to have you as a friend.

 

[Logan]

M

You had snow???? No wonder I felt a terrible chill in the air. Yesterday was so warm.. Such lovely weather that it melted my heart .. Loved yesterday.. But today was really downhill. Keith is lucky to have you as a friend.

Thanks, no the other week when we had snow.

 

[CanadianLori]

My son was asking me today what was in my soil blocks. Told him I was going to grow romaine, or at least hoping my seeds germinate. His eyes got all round - does Mum have any spare seeds? So he left with zips with seeds... I only got him started on the gardening bug late in 2016 and he has been keen ever since. If this keeps up, I'll have to hide my seed stash!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

That's the letters above in the box that you write up your post in ? @alp
I haven't dared to click on them apart from the one that is obvious .....the smiley face one, Just get nervous about clicking on things I don't know about, some of them .... bold, ctrl+, font family, indent, media.....no idea at all,so don't touch

@Logan , I have buds on my Wallflowers, but not open yet, Very early though, fingers crossed that a hard frost doesn't get them

 

[Logan]

Morning all