3: Gardening Diaries ...

[alp]

Oh, good heavens! That's a real beauty. Stunning Iris! You need to ask the War Department to plant it in the hottest and sunniest place, west facing and preferably with the longest hour of sunshine. Also , remove the earth and expose the rhizomes so that they are baked by the sun. Where your peony is is where your irises should be - hot, baking and peony tuber or crown a bit high up and exposed. They will flower every year. I have bought a lot of iris rhizomes last year, but the quality was poor, so some are still struggling now. I don't understand why iris rhizomes are so dry and shrivelled - same for those sold by Wilko and other stockists. I wonder if I can swap some hellebores with your iris?! Really beautiful and if I haven't got one, I will swap something with you. Let's wait and see.

I used to chuck my Indian Chief rhizomes as my front garden is west facing and they spread like mad. I chucked and chucked. Then I asked myself: Why not sell them? So I sold some on fleabay and of course, knowing me, bought tons. They were disappointing in quality. I sold mine to an Indian gentleman living in London and he gave me "First class" feedback! Awwww....

These 3 flowering irises (one blue and 2 purple) are grown next to slabs in a dry and hot area, but not so hot as my west facing border where there are about 20 buds.

 

[BigC]

Thanks for the concise Iris info @alp must remember all that.

Ok here's a wee project you may or may not be interested in.. @Logan and all.
How to transfer photographs to wood or any other media.
I made this for a small menu sign on my Garden Bar Blackboard (menu)
First I cut my shape from wood, sealed and painted this to a colour beffitting the situation and gave it a light coat of flat matt varnish
I then took an image, reversed this image and printed it off. (best to use a laser printer if poss)
I then painted the wood and the image paper with a light coat of Matt Media. Once this had dried I painted a liberal coat of Matt Media unto the wood and stuck down the image on to it, making sure it was flat and was in full contact with the material I was sticking it to.
Leave this to dry for 24 hours.
Once the time has passed take a lightly wet sponge and begin to soak and rub at the paper, it should start to come away, keep rubbing carefully so as not to disturb the image.....Take your time, no rush and the image will eventually reveal its self transposed unto the wood. You can distress the paintwork like I have done and and remove any paper edges with a fine grade sandpaper...You can use this method for family photos or whatever...
Hope you like the results (still to apply the family name)

Yes @alp I really should get out more

 

[Logan]

Lovely flowers @alp as always.

@BigC that looks great what you've done.

I haven't done anything outside, it's too hot and that bright thing up in the sky is too bright and given me a headache.

 

[BigC]

I haven't done anything outside, it's too hot and that bright thing up in the sky is too bright and given me a headache.

Thanks @lLogan
Yesterday was our hottest day, not doing much myself..The missus wanted me to paint the front fence but its too hot yet maybe later but I want to keep a little paint for my next project (yeah green)...otherwise she can buy another tin.
I hear lawnmowers everywhere lol

 

[Logan]

Thanks @lLogan
Yesterday was our hottest day, not doing much myself..The missus wanted me to paint the front fence but its too hot yet maybe later but I want to keep a little paint for my next project (yeah green)...otherwise she can buy another tin.
I hear lawnmowers everywhere lol

Yes lawnmowers here too, hubby won't do ours until it's cooled down a bit.

 

[Mark56]

Agree too hot, 28c out there now but mustn't complain I guess, may have over done it with the sun

 

[alp]

Agree too hot, 28c out there now but mustn't complain I guess, may have over done it with the sun

Agree! I have 4 curtains overlapping one another! It's like winter again, but this time to keep out the heat. I'm sweating .. sitting next to the window.

Do you feel a bit better in the heat, Mark56? I certainly can walk with a bit more agility with the heat. I haven't exercised lately. Not that much, but the knee problems don't seem to bother me that much.

The heat has brought out the Californian Poppies and the peony

 

[BigC]

We need Milk ...but I aint getting up

 

[alp]

We need Milk ...but I aint getting up

View attachment 36631

Thought you need matches! Are the shops sponsoring? You've got everything there! Pure bliss for a day like this!

 

[BigC]

Thought you need matches! Are the shops sponsoring? You've got everything there! Pure bliss for a day like this!

Cheers @alp no fires today I'm afraid..
Fish, Chips n Mushy Peas with mint sauce and 2 rounds of bread..now I need a cuppa tea....no milk...somebody will hadda go for it

 

[alp]

Yes, I need a cup of tea as well. Have just cooled down. sowed several trays and pots of salad leaves, Pak choi and some microgreen. Mostly salad leaves. Really love them. Planted out one osteospermum yellow and one salvia. I have also sown Salvia Cambridge blue and amazingly, the heat actually has made what I sowed 2 days ago germinate. Fennels are coming up ..

 

[BigC]

Pak Choy...shade loving...sounds like a plant for me..is it easy to grow @alp???
I suppose its another Slug and Snail magnet..Shade to me means damp...

 

[Logan]

I certainly can walk with a bit more agility with the heat. I haven't exercised lately. Not that much, but the knee problems don't seem to bother me that much.

Glad that your knee problems aren't too bad.
With this heat don't have windows open, they only let in more heat. Have the curtains closed, I don't like it that much but the dining room gets all the sun. Pics are lovely.

 

[alp]

Pak Choy...shade loving...sounds like a plant for me..is it easy to grow @alp???
I suppose its another Slug and Snail magnet..Shade to me means damp...

I don't know if Pak Choi is shade loving. I just sowed the seeds and leave them in my lean to now as planting them out would be an open invitation to the SS to feast. Besides, with them in controlled environment, I don't have to keep washing them. I am sure you can grow them in your greenhouse.

I am sure you can do a better job than I, @BigC ! even with your biere eyes!

 

[Perki]

I did get a plant yesterday ( meconopsis ) from the plant fair what was on. The queue for betty tea place was huge so went to the much smaller one for ice cream instead £3.50 for three scoop tub, I weren't so bothered when I was scoffing it sat on this bench.

Yes it is a small wedding cake tree Alp they get much larger / wider, I had a similar opinion about the crown imperial fritilaria being all yellow, my sole yellow CrownIF opened today with my orange ones and it looks some much better in my opinion.