3: Gardening Diaries ...

[Mark56]

Hi @Mark56 , how are things with you?
Yes we were said to have rain at 2pm and again at 4pm through to 9 pm ( with thunder) ...so far no sign and its been hot and muggy. Our forecast has now changed... rain is supposed to arrive at 10 tonight and last until 7 am tomorrow.....believe it when I see it!!

I had a good week last weekvand got quite a few jobs done. Having a flare up at the moment but have started on pregablin, which is said to be great for pain, fingers crossed.

One perks of the heatwave is that little is growing like the dust bath of grass less jobs to feel guilty about doing. Managing to water part of the garden and trying to increase slowly like Alp also suggested with sit down exercises. I hope all is well your end and you are taking time for yourself as well as the others you care for.

Apologises for the abscence, I do still lurk and admire all the wonderful pictures. Sometimes with the migraines and exhaustion I find technology a trigger.

33c here today and still no rain for over 2 months the beech hedge has even started to shed its leaves in panic!!!

 

[Mark56]

Trying to upload images directly with my iPhone, much easier than emailing them over and using the Mac. Hopefully they will be displayed ok.

Will get a snap of the Agastache Black Adder later, a plant I recommend to everyone. I counted 15 bees on a clump. Alp your echinacea collection is getting very impressive, I replaced my Sombrero Adobe Orange that I lost last Winter as I couldn’t do without it! Tomato Soup is another nice, tall variety. I like your red, rather unusual.

If you like Orange Dahlia Bishop Of Oxford is a great dark foliage, single flowered brother of Llandaff. Slightly shorter. I have York and Canterbury yet to flower

 

[Upsy Daisy]

You take care now @Mark56
My brother is on Pregablin, along with many others too.....it all helps

Lovely pics, so colourful

No need to apologise, although we love to hear from you, but lurk away !!

 

[alp]

@Mark56 Don't feel bad not posting or even the need to post pics. Your well-being is more important than anything else. The heat certainly helps a bit with my arthritis. I bet you'd wonder how the women on this thread can rattle on like this! We're terrible chatterboxes!

Love your oragne echinacea. I hope mine will show some showers. That's what will happen if you don't pay full price!

Will get a snap of the Agastache Black Adder later, a plant I recommend to everyone. I counted 15 bees on a clump.

I love your coral ones. I need to check the price and see what this Black Adder is like and see if I can get one or 2 at £2.75!

Your hanging basket is really beautiful. The heat is Essex makes hanging basket an impossibility.

 

[Zenj]

Very warm today now cloudy here’s a new yellow Lilly it as stacks of buds on

 

[alp]

Some stunning and perfect flowers you have, @Zenj ! That lily is perfection itself! And you still have so many buds. Do I still need to add epsom salt or shall I leave it to next year please?

I still have a brown and yellow liliy and 2 or 3 new buds. Otherwise, they have shut up shops. Very happy that my tree lilies have finally bloomed. I will always remember standing next to the perfume watering ..

25c is very summery in Newcastle. Thought there would be rain as I saw the weather report.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

My Lillies have been long gone, how come you all still have some......what does Epsom Salts do to them, apart from green up their leaves.
All advice will be great as I love Lillies in the garden, and if they can be made to last longer ....

 

[Logan]

Evening all, lovely pics everyone.
Chatterbox, not me.

Hope that you're ok @Mark56

I've got Agastache Kudos Coral, not very impressed. The bees don't seem to be bothered with it and it's not very tall.

Got a Veronica of some sort and the bees don't bother with that much, more interested in the lavender.

 

[alp]

Evening all, lovely pics everyone.
Chatterbox, not me.

Hope that you're ok @Mark56

I've got Agastache Kudos Coral, not very impressed. The bees don't seem to be bothered with it and it's not very tall.

Got a Veronica of some sort and the bees don't bother with that much, more interested in the lavender.

Echinaceas are magnets for them. Both @Upsy Daisy and I have pics with bees on them. Also eryngiums, knautias and scabious. They are all very good for bees. I love @Mark56 's coral Agastachte, smothered with blooms - it's quite a sight.

Just finished an hour of watering after half an hour of scratching. Put a bit of oil on the body and it seemed to be too hot even for the mossies. All the more better for me.

 

[alp]

Chatterbox, not me.

 

[Zenj]

I am a fan of Epsom salts and have used it for years on all plants water with it and folier feed I get mine from a company called elixir and it lasts for ages if you use on your lawns you will have lovely green grass
It helps speed up plant growth, increase a plants nutrient uptake, deter pests, increase flavor of fruit and veggies, plus increase the output of vegetation and improve overall plant health.

 

[alp]

I am a fan of Epsom salts and have used it for years on all plants water with it and folier feed I get mine from a company called elixir and it lasts for ages if you use on your lawns you will have lovely green grass
It helps speed up plant growth, increase a plants nutrient uptake, deter pests, increase flavor of fruit and veggies, plus increase the output of vegetation and improve overall plant health.

How often should I use it though? I bought a whole bag. Last time I used it was about 2 months ago. I now have tons of dahlia leaves, but no flowers or yet!

Off to bed before I scratch a hole in one of my fingers, such is the itch .. Look forward to your help, @Zenj ! Good night or good day everyone!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Thanks for the info @Zenj, I do use it regularly on some shrubs to green them up...and I must say, it does a great job
But to be honest, until I read your post I didn't know it was that beneficial.....will use it more often now

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Night night @alp.....and try not to scratch, it will only make it worse
( easier said than done )

 

[alp]

Watered just a bit of the front and straight away mossies came out and attacked my tight.

Good morning to all and good evening to others. Another sunny day! Will take a snap of my butterfly weeds later. Was trimming some tomato excess growth when the mossies wreaked havoc again. Will apply something and then go out again.