3: Gardening Diaries ...

[Perki]

You learn something new everyday Wind died down now but dahlia's in the barrel round the front are flattened and lots of leaves and branches down else where, could be worse that poor lady on holiday from Switzerland in her caravan blown off a cliff think a tree has fell on a young man in NI as well.

 

[alp]

Amazing! Well done! Such as fast learner! Impressed! My Frank Karfka was snapped and I had to take cuttings, too. Yes, you would think they would remove the caravan knowing the winds were reported to head right there! Must be horrendous in Ireland. Where I live, I have never had 95% of rain in so many grids. Wish I had 3 of those. I am not greedy!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Sounds like you've been very busy @alp !
Sorry to hear that your knees are playing up again, do you wear knee supports in the garden or do they make it difficult to kneel?

Our winds down here have been pretty scary with all the trees around us so I dread to think what it is like in the worse hit places

Haven't really done much to day as I'm feeling a bit unwell, just pottering around doing indoor jobs.

Hubs has finished extending the cold frame, it's now ready and waiting! Next job to tackle is preparing the greenhouse for winter use.

Started this post at 7:45, then a friend phoned and we chatted for an hour. They live in Norfolk and have had quite a bad weather day!!

Right !!...now I will finally post!!

 

[alp]

Right knee can't really kneel. Had leg support, but it kept slipping below the knee. Are you any better now, @Upsy Daisy ?

7.45pm?? You're a really windbag! Apparently, the winds are going to get worse for the south! Sad that you and I have and will miss most of the rain!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Oh dear that must make aspects of gardening painful and difficult you @alp
Yes I'm a windbag alright.....can chat till the cows come home!!

No, thanks for asking, still feeling crook. Might end up seeing my Dr tomorrow if things don't improve. Like to see if things can sort themselves out first before resorting to meds. We'll wait and see how things are in the morning

Not sure if that really tall Cosmos can take much more!!, so surprised that it's coped as well as it has!

Well one good thing about this weather is that it's doing what I find hard to do....pulling up plants that have ALMOST but NOT QUITE finished blooming!!! Can never bring myself to that!

 

[alp]

Well one good thing about this weather is that it's doing what I find hard to do....pulling up plants that have ALMOST but NOT QUITE finished blooming!!! Can never bring myself to that!

Sad, but true!

Very quiet this morning and very dark as well. I found out yesterday that I had killed my Wild Swan anemone. Very sad. I had lots of them in pots and now I have only two. The airs blowing into the garden has been so dry and I had so many plants in pots that they ended up being dehydrated and died.

The soil in the raised border is bone dry and very powdery and very easy to weed. Dug trenches around the edges just to retain a bit of water. Will continue today to do as much as I can. Hope it will rain as I need water to water the garden.

Go to the doctor if the ailment is persistent please, @Upsy Daisy .

 

[alp]

Terrifying weather yesterday!

Source : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...d-Britain-leaving-two-dead-without-power.html

Wrath of Ali: Travel chaos with trains cancelled, flights re-routed and trees down as 60mph gusts and four-inches of rain batter Britain in the wake of storm that left two dead

• Ryanair pilot pictured trying to land plane at Dublin Airport before sharply pulling up due to the high winds
• Tourist Elvira Ferraii, in her 50s, from Switzerland died when caravan fell off cliff in County Galway
• A man in his 20s died when a tree fell on him as he worked in a country park near Newry in Northern Ireland
• University football team had lucky escape after falling tree crushed team bus while it was on way to game
• Tug boats were called to help rescue a cruise ship with 504 people on board after it broke free of its moorings
• Met Office warns 'chance' of injuries and danger to life as high winds threaten to blow off tiles and fell trees
  
  
  The unsettled weather continues .. Even we living in the south won't be spared. I need to block the gaps in my garage door. The last thing I want is to have the garage root lifted up by wind.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Morning @alp and all who drop by.
Hope everyone is safe and well and are unscathed by the storm.

It's a lot calmer here now, just a gust blowing the trees every now and then.

Yes thanks @alp I will if things don't improve, will wait until mid morning to see.

 

[alp]

Yes, it is much calmer now and the sun is out. Supposed to be a good day. I think you're in for a bit of useful rain. I'm can only pine after that and Perki and Zenj are probably very sick of it!

Yesterday's winds were something. Amazing how this little island can be battered by autumn storms so easily. RIP to the tourist and the man in Ireland! All very sad!

 

[alp]

What I did yesterday

Nearest to you: scented pink rose left by previous owner

A clump of lavender which needs to be watered to rejuvenate or breathe life into it. Been out for a while. Poor thing. I might take it to the front where it is even drier!

The brick like thing is to peg down a stem of the variegated euonymus. Will find a peg later.

Salvia Greggii Ultra Violet, also with stems pegged down for more substantial body in the future!

This is Salvia uglinosa and there could be 3 of them. Statuesque, but not as robust as Amistad!

There are 4 types of lavender here. Traditional English Hidcote, White Ballerinda, purple Balleriinda and an even bigger purple ballerina. The size of the flowers is twice to 3 times of the smaller ones. Very impressive. Bought for £2.

Lavenders need to be tidied up, but as it has been windy and it shelters the weak Salvai uglinosa, so for the time being, they are not trimmed or moved.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Yes ,my condolences to their family and friends.
Very sad.

We were once caught up in a very scary storm in Cornwall. Our children were all very young. The campsite was high up on cliff overlooking a bay , our caravan was rocking and swaying to and fro all day. We were advised to stay put and not leave it as the rain and winds were too strong to even walk,especially with tiny children.
With hindsight we now wonder if we were given the right advice ..but at least we all survived ,that all that counts

 

[alp]

Official advice sometimes has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Digby Jones said that his friend was involved in the Twin Tours fire and they were told to stay put. He ran down the stairs and when confronted by firemen telling him to go back up, he punched them and lived to tell his tale!

Also, yesterday, it was reported that an officer disagreed with the Chief's advice to tell Grenfell residents to stay put gave evidence. Of course, he failed to convince the top dogs and the rest is a very tragic piece of history.

That sounds dangerous, @Upsy Daisy ! Just love Cornwall. but next time, be very careful. I would go home as soon as storm was reported. SW has also been battered by storm.

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Looking good @alp

I've taken more Lavender cuttings this year again, this time from my white one as well. Still pondering whether or not to dig up the 3 large ones as they are a tad woody now.....but then I've been saying this for the last couple of years now

 

[alp]

ut then I've been saying this for the last couple of years now

Every time we take out a plant, it is a sad story. Don't you think? I have to say, I trimmed it to the bones or it just doesn't look nice. Tired and messy. Draping rosemary, on the other hand, has no such problem. It looks better and is ideal for roasting. In fact, have to get some today for a big roast. We eat like kings and queens! Yesterday, got 4 bagged chicken for £2 each! Whoa! Panic over for a few weeks! Just need to watch the waistline! If there is one, that is!

 

[alp]

Shocking flood in North Carolina - ravaged by Florence!



Just so sad