Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Yesterday was much warmer and I did 2 hours spraying the hellebores with systemic Rose Clear! To my annoyance, the foxes had got my fritillaria Raddeana or a Fritillaria Lutea (I think, there was a big hole near them yesterday). They also had my Erythronium Snowflake. Bought another one online yesterday. I think Adam Frost fox-proofed his raised beds. All of them had meshes framing them.

Have been soaking chicken / human feeds

Cress of which I bought a lot when they were cheap. 2nd day of soaking - expect turnover within 6 days.

This one is microgreen (i.e. beetroot light version and flexseeds which is supposedly a source of omega 3 . I will add this to chicken feed, so my eggs will have omega 3. Wonder how to add omega 6

Here is the bird feed from Enfield GC £5 for 12.75kg and I'm gong to grow them in summer

I had some sweetcorn cob left in the summer. Last month I sowed some to see if they will germinate. They all did - 3 of them. I then couldn't find the cob itself. Last week, I saw the remnant of it, all the corns removed by mice in the lean to. Now all rooms have a blue cube. Hate the intruders!

My original purpose was to soak alfalfa, but of course, when I needed it, it was not to be found. I'd better find it before anything happens.

 

[Perki]

Its been a damp but otherwise fine day , its raining now and probably tomorrow. No gardening at home but done a few jobs today their lawn was soaked not really suitable to walk on but the garden needed tidying before winter so needs must.

I've ordered some begonia seeds the other day I am going to get them going early they take forever to grow after they have germinated.

I've been making a custom made wardrobe out of plywood for the past couple of days , I've got a very small cubby hole / inbuilt storage space in my bedroom which need shelfing out etc to make a wardrobe . I made the structure of the wardrobe outside to be pushed in after because its to small otherwise to work in there . Any way I measured everything to the millimetre which was a huge mistake should of made it smaller than I wanted due to a pillar passing through the cubby hole. I've had loads of teething problems, ended up having to knock plaster of the wall and cut into the door frame cut bits and pieces off here and there to make it fit in. I nearly had it so were hitting on of the corners with a claw hammer but it didn't budge, by this time I were getting very frustrated with it not fitting so went and got one of the sledge hammers, Wacked it a few time for it to barely moved so whined a big one up to only miss a hit my thumb , splattered blood everywhere across my wall and bed down the stairs wall and kitchen floor and cabinets . Fortunately I caught just the side of my thumb otherwise I would of broke it , got a nice cut / gash in my thumb now which has been a problem to stop bleeding but at least it not as sore now . I did mange to get the wardrobe frame into the cubby hole after pulling it back out and cutting a little bit more off . To be honest I wish it didn't even bother with the dam thing now.

 

[DrCase]

I would say go for a good mobile. I've been toying with the idea as I want to use instagram. Before that:

It was frigging freezing! I went out to pour some woodchips in between 2 raised beds. Turned out to be too narrow to walk on. Any way that was done. Fed the birds who always bully one another. It was like 1pm when I went out. At this rate, I need to wear sheepskin boots to do gardening. Came back at 2.40pm to put on another pair of wellies and feeling the terrible cold, I fed the birds again. It's not nice to starve them when it's so cold. By 4pm, my toes were frozen again. I beat a retreat at 4.15pm and am now watching Till Death do we part on discovery.

Talk talk phoned me asking me if I wanted to upgrade. I asked him when my contract would be up for renewal. He said 7th July 2021 and it would be £28 instead of the £22 I'm paying. I said to him that he wouldm't teach his daughter to change contracts midway when the price would be UP! Now, whilst watching programmes on laptop apps and on TV catch ups, I have quite a few loading circles in perpetual motion! Any way, I am not touching this until the tariff expires. Change suppliers is very stressful. A lot of calculations and comparisons involved. You know 100% that these websites are paid by suppliers and they ALWAYS try to flog up the same company. At the moment, EON is pushing hards, followed by Shell. Ah, same tricks. Very tiresome and also only 12 months' contract and then the headache comes back to haunt you again.

Another horrible thing is that Yorkshire Energy has gone bust and we are herded to Scottish Power. Google everywhere for the new tariff and all I had was Exclusive tariff just for Yorkshire customers. Any way, I read that there would be a rise and I had to google for another supplier fast. Got a facebook message that there would be no penalty if I want to leave Yorkshire and I would be able to move to another supplier after I have moved to Scottish Power. I think I will move away from Zog as the standing charge is ludicrously high. I think I will stay away from small suppliers. It was good that Yorkshire would give me instant correct billing after I complained that they shouldn't give me estimated bills when I gave them actual readings. Ever after that, I got an accurate bill every time I submitted my readings. I reckon a lot of companies eat away your money by using estimated bills. More trouble as I have to hunt for new suppliers. Shame, just when I started to like this billing method, they went bust!

To warm myself up, I made a cocoa drink. One sachet of sugar and a bit of milk. It tasted like foul tasteless tea. Never again. Wonder how they make the chocolate drink so silky and sweet. How much sugar is there, I wonder? Can't be healthy! I'm a tea drinker. Bought 2 packs of 240 bags of PG teabags from Farm Shops. They tasted much worse then Lidl's ones. I will pounce when Lidl reduces their teabag price! So many things one need to keep tabs on.

Despite the cold, I am very happy to see buds from hellebores. Because of the greenhouse, a lot of hellebores had been trodden to death and I saw quite a few virus striken leaves. Seeing the buds really has made my day!

If your phone is redundant, sell it asap and make sure you make a bit of money. I practically gave away my mirrorless. Don't go for another mirrorless or D??? as extra lens are costly. When you buy a mobile - Samsung or iphone, you can buy a cheap macro lens to add to your camera and you can upload photos instantly. Good cameras are good for business. One drawback for Samsung is that they are not good at providing updates, but they guarantee they will provide 3 year updates for the latest one which should have 64mpx. 8k rather than 4k or 12mpx. A lot to think about. Some people are still using iphone 5! Updates are important.

What is a good cheep macro lens for a iPhone? Alp

 

[alp]

What is a good cheep macro lens for a iPhone? Alp

That I haven't done any research on. But you can use your magnification on your phone. I used my son's iphones and to me, it's only got 12mpx and I read that a woman photographer actually got very good macro photography just by clipping a simple thin macro lens. There are loads on sale on ebay, but I need to do more research.

Samsung has now got phones which boasts 64mpx and 8k, but they cost a bit. I am not happy with the rendering of colours of my compact cameras - orange and red are troubles for my samsungs. Samsung is famous for not issuing support but now they are saying they will give 3 years' support. You blink your eyes, 3 years is up.

Go around and ask about these macro thin lens which is like a clip on. Very simple to use, apparently. The reason I got rid of my Samsung NX was because it couldn't take photo close up and there were very few compatible macro lens. When they are compatible and new, the price can be £499. The cheapest was £150, but I didn't go to London to get it. Once you get into mirrorless or DLSR, it would be costly, restrictive (compatibility) and you have to lug this and that in a bag. That's why I always use my new 2nd hand compact rather that the bulkier WB1100F.

This page is for macro-photography. You can google for panoramic view lens as well, but I am not sure if they are cliip ons.

Here is a case with Samsung

Iphone compatible from Amazon. I would research more as this is a bit old.

 

[alp]

Oh, dear! Perki! You've got to be very careful when you use tools. A man chopped off his hand when doing DIY using chainsaw. Why didn't you just make the door to fit the hole and fit a sliding door. That way, when it opens, it won't take up room. You could also use mobile rails. Didn't you say you had bought your house? And then you said you lived with your dad? Is it just to stay there to help out?

I hope you treated your wound with antiseptic spray or cream. It sounds horrifying. Got to be very careful, Perki. Hope it doesn't hurt now.

Son has now made 4 planters and today, we are going to move the big pots out. Trouble is the pots are much shorter than the planters and they sort of disppear inside the planters. Going to take more cuttings of the penstemons. I took cuttings of Mother of Pearls, Arabesque F1. I will take some for Fireworks, Garnets and a pensham series one. I love Apple Blossom, but am not sure if I still have it.

Before I go, I have been watching Sarah Beeny's country life. Nice houses she has and a lovely family. Building a house in Somerset in areas with so much water is not a good idea. I hope her house didn't get flooded. No laughing matter, but the episodes have been really well scripted and packed with idea. I love having a dog to go truffle hunting or even mushroom hunting and even fishing. I fished for mackerels in Looe, Cornwall nearly 25 years ago. Happy memories. His toy's pet is a cutie hedgehog! Awwwwwww!

Before that I was enjoying Longwood in Pennsylvania until the speaker wa low in charge. Too labour intensive, but the lily pond was lovely. Watch it if you have time.

Today is going to be gray and miserable. Ideal for taking cuttings.

 

[alp]

Anybody knows where to buy reasonable quality 3-6mm perlite 100L plus cheaply?

 

[Perki]

Wet day again . I rarely buy perlite I would image 100L would be quite expensive .

I took some penstemon Garnet cutting the other day, I've got them in a jam jar on the windowsill .

I didn't really explain it well but a picture can say more, the frame its self is bigger than the hole I thought I would get it in on a angle but the pillar ( left side ) just wasn't going to let that happen . I haven't finished it yet going to make a separate shoe rack and a little set of drawers to fit in and more shelfs on the right and a cloths rail . I am going with black and walnut so will dye the plywood and repaint / plaster the rear wall . I am going to plaster / redecorating all of my bedroom over the winter months.

I do live with my dad it my childhood home which I've grown up in , it were a council house then a housing association house which my dad rented. I paid for majority ( about 85% ) of the house this year with my saving, my dad doesn't have to worry now about paying rent when he eventually retires . Only problem is its used most of my saving which will make it harder for me to move out / start a life for myself else where if thats what I want to do in future. Couldn't image trying to dig all them allium bulbs up if I did move out it would be a massacre.

 

[alp]

Hehe! Of all the plants, you thought about alliums! Are they your favorite top plants? You know how to plaster? Do you have a professional finish? That's a lot in that wardrobe. I need to have something tall like that to house all my hoovers. With the lean to full of condensation and I want to move the kitchen to the lean to, the outside needs to be paved (that's why I shifted the pavers to the back to facilitate the paving job).

Penstemon garnet cuttings that you took: Are they hardwood or bits near the root or have they got air rooots as well? Please take a close up pic to show the size and the cuttings please? Friend told me that the best way to take Mimulus cuttings was to use WATER! Blast! I still haven't got that! And yet I want to buy perlite!

Really enjoyed watching Sarah Beeny's Country life. It has everything I want: pond, fishing, metal detecting, truffle hunting. Amazing! I grew up in 2 farms of about 1/3 to half an acre and my dad had loads of fields. One of our next door neighbours was a big orchid enthusiast and he had tons of orchids. Later, he moved to Taiwan, I think, to further his interest. I hope my son has the luxury of having a piece of land. But the jump from having a steady job which pays peanut but brings happiness to an uncertain future in this uncertain time is difficult; but seeing the happy life people lead on screen is very tempting. Wish I had bought a lottery ticket last night! LOL!

A man told me 2 years ago that he bought a house with 360 feet long garden at the back. Amazing! There are houses with big gardens like these and helper said the owners kept being asked if they would sell them by property developers. Down the road, there was a minicab office which formed part of a derelict site. The site has now been turned into 2 detached houses in a very short period of time. Why is it private developers can turn over projects so quickly and yet government projects often overrun in time and money?

Need to look around in this borough if I want to move. It's half rural and yet has all the facilities.

 

[alp]

Drizzled most of the day. Went to buy chicken feeds.

Another Alstroemeria flowering

Penstemon Etna or Vesuvius

Omega turns ghostery

collarette - not bad for mid December

e

Our borough is now infamous for being top of the Covid cases!

Going to try taking cuttings using water with my Fireworks and Garnet Penstemons. Garnet is lovely.

 

[alp]

Good morning to all: Very grey and it has been raining, but wonderfully mild with a gentle breeze!

Bagged 100L compost for seedlings next year for £1 and then paid £4.17 for a tiny bag (probably 10L) of orchid compost. Might have a refund on that. I'm not particularly deft at encouraging orchids to flower! They just stare at me and sulk and l feel a total failure looking at them. I planted the terrestrial orchids outside and a stray cat keeps using that as his path to my elderly neighbour who spoils him with treats. Orchids beat me hands down!

Bought some Serek wiejski yesterday. I'm telling you: quite a lot of our supermarket foods are labelled in Polish right at the top and then if you turn the pot around, you see cottage cheese. I only bought it because it was reduced to 19p. Had it yesterday and it filled me with dread. In a way, it's good as now I know that serek wiejski is and my xenophobia is reduced. I really shouldn't be as I am not even indigenous. About 5 years ago, I had a delivery of a wrong product all in Polish packaging. I can't even remember what it was. There are a lot of Poles here as they are good builders, and they BREED, being Catholic! You might laugh, but the world need young people to carry on. Ask Angela Merkel. No offence to those who can't or who don't want to. We bring happiness and usefulness to the world in different ways and the world needs diversity, too.

Bought a Kale like white flower for my hens to nibble at, some oregano and I will plant them near the compost dump.

wheat and sunflower sprouting - chicken feeds

Need to remove the mould

Rejman's Firecracker seeds: sown on 7 December and 7 days later, 4 sprouted and one with a bit of leaf! Amazing!

I only sowed about 6 seeds to see if they were viable as it was far too early! My kind of joy!

 

[Perki]

Another wet day . I've just been messing around with my wardrobe project for large spells today, I've run out of things to do with it now until more parts arrive and probably another trip to B&Q .

 

[alp]

People doing DIY are irate as they have had no parts from Ikea. I think a trip to B&Q will be a stitch in time. I did a bit of cuttings Rhapsody in Blue. It's branches were sticking out along the driveway.

We had a glorious morning, then at noon, rain and then sun came out again and then rain again. It was beautiful when the sun was out and it was warm, but the hen coop outside was muddy and gluey! Got 4 eggs again. Very pleased. Cleaned the hen coop main area where 6 of them congregated, but it's hard to do a total clean. After that, I put two piece of cardboard to let them sit on. No wonder it would be pooy this morning. I'm dreading the lack of cardboard. One freegler and her neighbour had massive renovation and tons of cardboards from Ikea. She even delivered. Such a good soul! Of course, I gave her eggs 2 x 10.

One snowdrop is flowering and I think it is a Snow Fox. Very difficult to photograph as I have now planted my drops in the ground. Everything grows better in the mother earth!#

Firecrackers ready to be replanted.

These are white cirsium seeds. I want to see if they can germinate like this. In soil, they will surely die. I only added the proper bits which looked like seeds yesterday!

For 4 days, it's not bad for the Rejman's Firecracker

Mellow Yellow only yellow in winter

Red Lion

Teesbrooke Audrey

Collarette dahlia in perfect form and colour!

Rhapsody in Blue

4 planters and the pots seem to be too low!

 

[alp]

A lovely day yesterday. Bright, warm and dry.

Repotted some hoyas which never flowers for me. They just stare at me, sulk and show their angry with their air roots. I have been keeping them for years and am on the verge of giving up.

Bigger camera

Cirsium

Daphne Bholua

Daphne Perfume Princess is also flowering.

Snowdrop either trod on by me or someone had a meal. Could be Snowfox.

Will try another one today.

Bought some Scadoxus multiflorus and waited for delivery and then got spammed with the nursery's adverts, so I emailed them and they told me they would be sent in February. Sometimes, you buy something and the highly anticipated items arrive half a year later and you can't even remember you have ordered the thing.

 

[Perki]

Its rained all morning so nothing doing today , I may go and try and tidy the spare bedroom ready for the up and coming sowing season, I haven't sown my begonia seeds yet I've ordered some more from king seeds so I'll probably wait until they turn up.

Been in the wars again I've hurt my arm this time I've dropped the long reach hedge trimmer on my arm after to give me a electric shock, it had a small pin hole where the spark plug is ( unknown till that day ) its started raining and must of arced across are something. So now I have another slice out of me and a bit swollen dead arm. I wonder what's next

 

[alp]

Oh, dear! You must have a look at all your electric tools. Thank heavens you will see the end of this awful 2020 soon. I hope your pain will wear off soon. It's so wet. I would be worried if I had to use an electric tool.

King's seeds are reasonably priced. Only one place stock them in Brentwood and when I went there, they said they had moved them to the back. I hate Christmas - so much junk in the shop. I might change my mind when I am a grandparent like Zenj!

I have washed about 100 plus pots. I washed them twice; and in anticipation of the rain today, I have 10 buckets of rain water. People like Zenj never have a waterbutt! And yet I have 10 of them and more than 10 buckets. My place is like a ghetto!

The whole day has been more or less dry until 3.30pm when I retired from washing. I had free ranged the hens and before you knew, Lanie jumped into the snowdrop stripe and I hope she hasn't eaten any slug pellets. That bird is a nuisance.