Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Good morning to all: No need to have radiators on tomorrow - 25c here! Oh, dear! Where can I hide?

Perki: No parcel yet. probably come today.

Your garden looks very good. Love the dahlias. The cacti one I like more tha David Howard.

Ooops! i need to plant out my Astrantia Shaggy! £3.60. It was limp when I bought it.

Glorious garden. Stunning blooms! I don't understand it. Your Eupatorium is blooming and yet mine looks very sad. The buds are not flowering.

I didn't renew my TV licence and now know that I can catch up ITV, Ch4, 5 and others except BBC and iplayer. Watched All Creatures Great & Small. Was surprised Sam West was cast as Mr Farnon. His is Queen's Enlgish, not the warm Yorkshire accent. It was OK. When the man asked to be dropped off at Darrowby, not understanding that the bus was for Darrowby, not in Darrowby, the man got off and looked around, seeing not a house in all directions ... Of course, he was drenched in the rain which suddenly started and walked miles. This reminded me of our visit to Dibleys in North Wales. We had a long journey, diving up probably from Powis Castle. The car was going round and round in amidst the mountains/hills with NOT a house in sight. I asked myself: "How can a big nursery be possibly be sited here - middle of nowhere!?" Well, it was and it was quite big as well. I have given up on Stratocarpus as, as Monty said, I just never know how to keep this finickity little plant happy! Humidity, water level and light level and the ubiquitous bugs ...?

From the allotment:
a rose

Creme de Cassis

Mrytle 2 lovely blooms

Blue Bayou

Old camera:

What is this please, folks?

Start clearing area for base for greenhouse. Oh, dear! Probably another ghetto in the making!

I was on the point of removing one raised bed as all the lovely lettuces have died or bolted. I then wanted to pull out 2 cabbage like plants right at the corner. Turn out to be Brussels Sprouts and some are already forming. That ruins my plan of TIDYING UP.

 

[Perki]

Raining today again that why Eupatoriums and others do so well here . That eupatorium is causing havoc its leaning right over you can't tell from the pictures but its squashing loads of plants pushed the Heleniums right over .

Talking about streptocarpus I put mine in the GH earlier today cause it didn't look to happy. I always forget to water house plants.

 

[alp]

Just come in after a lot of work and replanting. No parcel yet. Boxes fell in the porch and I jumped up, thinking POSTMAN! No, once I was told off by a man selling me a salvia for daring to buy from ebay whilst knowing the local post office was a bit problematic. That man was a sadist. I told him that if he had a tracking number, I would ask the power-that-be to investigate. No, in the end, the plant was roasted in this plastic bottle packaging. Seeing all his hard workm I still gave me a good feedback. He complained that I didn't say I was refunded. Honest to whoever that be, there were character number limit in that tiny feedback box. Some people were just plain nasty.

You mustn't water stratocarpus too much. Only water when it wilts. I think they will do well your way - with the moisture and humidity. Just indirect sunlight and they should be happy. Here, there is no moisture in the air and they are buggy! Jim from Beechgrove asked a man whose greenhouse it featured on the show for some strepts for his wife. I think they will be happy in Scotland as well. They like it cool and bright indirect sunlight.

I begin to think we should plant in islands rather than on borders as the plants are always reaching out to the sun and that's why neighbour's ivy is coming my way. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Need to preserve and go out to work. I hold unparallled attraction to 1) foxes 2) mozzies! Both I want to despatch to meet their makers. I will have no mercy for rats either! Call me nasty!

Roasted chicken tonight. Little Emperor's favorite, apart from spaghetti!

 

[Perki]

Well that's disappointing might has well had it sent 2nd class instead of 1st .

 

[alp]

Well that's disappointing might has well had it sent 2nd class instead of 1st .

Yes. I should have told you. Sorry. Most of the parcels are not sent on time and Covid is a brilliant excuse. I had some snowdrops stuck in Romford for 10 days. Whenever I have to sent parcels, I have jitters.

The Uchiki Kuri squash has the toughest of skin. I promise myself that I would never grow pumpkins as I didn't want to kill myself cutting the stone open. Now this Uchiki Kuris have the toughest of skins. I cut it into 2 and roasted it with the chicken crown. Not so sweet as the first one we had. I think I will stick to butternut squash. Delicious and the skin is not so tough.

Stood here half an hour getting the bolotto beans out. Hard work. Now I am catching up with Raw Terror - very sad stories in which loved ones are murdered. It beggared belief when a woman and her lover are praying to god???? for strength after they had conspired to murder the woman's husband. These two really deserved each other.

Relaxation time after all the hard work.

 

[alp]

Really love Our Yorkshire Farm - such lovely parents and such lovely children - all mucked in and very few crossed words. Probably all expunged. But hey, such a tough life in such a remote area and it's amazing to see 4 year old lambing. Was watching Born to kill, and yet I kept falling asleep, so I changed tactics and watched Yorkshire Farm instead. Very nice programmes. These are what I call NORMAL PEOPLE! A great family home life docu.

Salvia Amante

This will have to go.

Gaillardia from seeds.

A lot of repurposing to do today. I hope the Foxes have left my garden arrangements alone!

 

[Perki]

well its raining again forecast fog but that means rain here , its that fine rain what flattens all the plants .

 

[alp]

Reversal of fortune here. At first, I was cursing the Met Office for saying it would be 25c. It was murky and looked like it was going to rain. Then an hour ago, suddenly, Mr Sun came out and I could no longer stay out. The baking, roasting, searing would be rather unpleasant. I wish I had rain, fine or otherwise. No parcel. I am going to complain.

I came in to sort out the Euphoria seeds. The plant was so skunky. Reminds me of foul armpit! In the end, I just removed the sheaths and gathered the seeds. There are so many of them.

 

[alp]

Whoa! 27c! And no rain!

I'm going to steam clean the carpet that day.

Well, as you can see, cloudy, cloudy and no rain! I nearly stopped watering now that my sweetcorns are done. Pretty useless this year for sweetcorns. My Brussels Sprouts are incredibly fast growing. Half the size of edibles ones!

Penstemon, probably Fireworks

Echinacea Smell me Diorissimo

Cosmo Xentho

Abutilon - this plant is simply amazing! Tons of flowers and flowering again and again!

Salvia Glutinosa which I had totally forgotten. I planted the poor thing and its cutting in the wrong place. Moved its cutting to the front and suddenly, I saw these flowers yesterday. So much detail in these flowers. The lips are frilly. Very pleasing to have

 

[alp]

Colours in the garden

Dahlia Fancy Pants - my favorite this year!

Cafe au lait

Petunia Cascade is growing mad

Coreopsis 2nd round happiness

Purple Delight Agapanthus

Teesbrooke Audrey - serene beauty

Omega - A real beauty and reminds me of the Dahlia man and his grand daughter talking about taking cuttings for better colours

A very expensive Alstroemeria from Langthorns

Isn't nature amazing!

Ace of Hearts have forgotten its collar!

Echinacea Eccentric

E

A very young Twister Echinacea!

It never ceases to amaze me how stunning Salvia Patens are!

Indian Summer is here!

 

[Perki]

Dahlias are looking very well alp especially cafe au lait .

 

[alp]

New washing machine is coming today and so are the hens for tomorrow and I have been busy getting rid of the old Mulberry tree stump. That stump has been more than 18 years old, and there was still some green in it. I whacked it so hard that I had blister in my left hand.

By the look of it, the greenhouses are too big for the plot and no relaxation for the wicked: I have to remove a wall. Knowing how well the previous owner CEMENTED everything, I am already feeling the weight of the formidable task!

No rain in sight and I am already 6 butts down. Such a futile game of collecting water butts. They are now everywhere but only half of them filled. Yesterday, I lost my Freedom pass again! It needs to be stitched to my skin, according to Little Emperor!

 

[alp]

No parcel again. And there another booklet from gardening supplier. Thank heavens someone sent in my pass! So relieved.

 

[alp]

Good morning, folks! Heat wave is coming

New machine is here and will do a lot of laundry in the next few days. Those temperatures are ideal for dying clothes. Washed all the curtains, apart from the door ones. Everything smells nice.

This dahlia will have to go

Blue Bayou doesn't seem to be so perfect. Well, at least, it shows its face for the party!

This Caribbean Fantasy has been flowering its socks off! I didn't dig it up as it has been hamped in by a Japanese acer pot and a twisted willow which looks more or less dead,but obviously the protection accorded to this plant has enabled it to survive winter and it has been flowering very early. Not my cujp of tea thougn. I have bought Edge of Joy, Ice and fire, Tartan and they are nowhere to be found. Or perhaps this is Ice and fire???

My lousy camera really struggles with red

It just can't capture the beauty of this dahlia!

Abutilon - a paler colour of red and yet it is so beautiful. At least, my little camera has not vandalised its beauty. This is the 2nd time it has flowered and there are now 4 buds. Raised the same year!

I never thought that I would be growing this beauty in my lean-to. Thought they belonged to the glass house of the garden facing Sheffield Crucible, the snooker venue!

This looks like a Tartan! Glad that it shows up for the party and this colour is just out of this world. Very pretty and different!

 

[Zenj]

Cool and breezy today but better forecast for tommorow