What did you do in your garden today?

[Oliver Buckle]

I've done nothing today other than a bit of watering. I was going to do a bit more path and patio repointing but it's far too hot.

Me neither, I was going to change the innertube on the sack barrow and move some pots, but I stuck to watering and running a bit of water into the pond, too hot.

 

[Sean Regan]

Me neither, I was going to change the innertube on the sack barrow and move some pots, but I stuck to watering and running a bit of water into the pond, too hot.

Exactly!
To do the repointing i'd have to mix up some mortar, that'd be tiring in the heat and then I'd be on my hands and knees with the sun beating down on me and the heat reflected up from the path and patio I would have been re-pointing.

So I recorded and part watched two Bette Davis films on BBC2 "Dark Victory" and "Now Voyager."
Not strictly "film noir" but they'll end up in that file in my Humax recorder.

 

[Black_Thumb]

Went to the nursery and bought some weed killer for my yard. The crab grass and clover are just driving me nuts. Also bought some more potting soil for my wife. Picked a few more cucumbers. That's about it. Brought several cucumbers to a picnic with friends and offered them to any who would want some. LOL They are delicious, but with only three of us living in the house, what in the world are we going to do with 12 cucumbers per day while the plant continues to bloom? I think my lovely bride wants to make some homemade pickles, and so I need to figure out how to do that. Fun times!!

 

[Meadowlark]

what in the world are we going to do with 12 cucumbers per day while the plant continues to bloom? I think my lovely bride wants to make some homemade pickles, and so I need to figure out how to do that. Fun times!!

Bread and butter pickles...easy, delicious.

 

[Sean Regan]

Watered everything first thing...Well... around 10.30 am. That's it until after the athletics recording and the golf, then more watering.

 

[Sean Regan]

Did some more watering at 8.00pm, even 'arry's house to cool it down a bit.

Did a bit of wisteria pruning, filled a bucket of unwanted strands.

Gave both my vinyl jukeboxes a turn over. I like top play a few tracks whilst I'm gardening, not just for the choice of music, but they like regular use, it's the best form of preventative maintenance. I also took a note of the counters. They have a mechanical counter that records the number of plays. It was for "accounting purposes." I only do it every couple of years. I worked out that, given the number of old 10ps I've put in (and taken out again), I've actually paid for them over the near fifteen years I've had them.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Not much more than yesterday. Re-staked some tomatoes and tied them up, watered greenhouses, picked some tomatoes. I grew a small one called 'Tigerella' this year, it is supposed to be striped. Mine aren't, they are a beautiful even orange colour, but they tasted good in a nicoise salad. Also had a good moneymaker and the first two cherry tomatoes.

Looking at the number of cucumbers I have coming I looked up 'bread and butter pickle' that I keep seeing people talking about. I think it must be a different recipe, it says it will keep for about a fortnight. Someone was saying he made nine gallons of it. So that would be about five pints a day he is going to eat? Soon there will be runner beans. I love them, but I have never found a satisfactory way to keep them. They won't freeze like most beans, someone said salt them, I tried, but it used a heck of a lot of salt, and they were still not very good. Plums are my favourite surplus, the missus makes lovely plum jam. I expect she could make equally good jam with strawberries, but it doesn't matter how many I grow, we never seem to have a surplus

 

[Black_Thumb]

Bread and butter pickles...easy, delicious.

That's what I'm thinking! Today I went out to water and check on things and I had to pick NINETEEN MORE cucumbers. LOL Yes, 19; since yesterday. They are out of control. We have already given away probably 100 of them, and there is no sign of them slowing down. Note to self: only plant TWO cucumber plants next year.

We planted the Hibiscus plant, along with another twenty or so plants that my wife bought. I have NO IDEA what she bought, but they are either in the ground somewhere in the yard now, or they have been moved to larger pots until we figure out where to plant them.

 

[Meadowlark]

.....
Looking at the number of cucumbers I have coming I looked up 'bread and butter pickle' that I keep seeing people talking about. I think it must be a different recipe, it says it will keep for about a fortnight. Someone was saying he made nine gallons of it.

Bread and butter pickles...one of the very easiest, most rewarding of garden foods to preserve. Water bath works just fine for them as most all recipes have vinegar in them as ingredient.

Green beans are arguably the best tasting canned veggie from the garden. Prepared properly in pressure cooker, they retain fresh flavor almost indefinitely. We put up about 15 quarts of B&B and 30 quarts of green beans each year. They never last past expiration.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Those look like what I would call 'French beans'. Google tells me you would call runners 'Oregon lima beans', the commonest variety I know is 'Scarlet Emperor'.
"Two countries separated by a common language."

 

[Sophie1990]

It's so great to see what you all did!! After a long time of overthinking I actually tried something new in my garden today. I was a bit scared, but it actually worked out great. For a long time I really was not able to get inspo for a new wood project, but now I found the most amazing website with over 16.000 designs. Really heaven for me hahah! So I started making a fantastic treehouse with carved out animals on the walls. This was the website https://b288fpxbjhd9tlfpn4xgw-1c7j.hop.clickbank.net/?cbpage=vt

I'll keep you guys updated

 

[Meadowlark]

Those look like what I would call 'French beans'. Google tells me you would call runners 'Oregon lima beans', the commonest variety I know is 'Scarlet Emperor'.
"Two countries separated by a common language."

Nope, that's Kentucky Wonder pole beans in any language. I never use "Runners" to describe beans and limas don't do well here in East Texas.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I beg to differ Sir, not in any language. I grow 'Cobra' myself, but I am pretty sure English English calls them 'French beans'. Look here, I googled 'French beans', https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...CAAaYBiAHZDpIBBDE1LjaYAQCgAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

 

[Oliver Buckle]

In fact I just Googled "kentucky wonder climbing french beans", and yes, the terms French and Pole are used interchangeably. Mind you I had never heard the term 'Pole' applied to beans before I came into contact with Americans using it.
I am so tempted to Google Phaseolus vulgaris, (that's Latin) translated into German, French, Greek, Urdu, Hindi etc.

 

[Sean Regan]

Eleven of us played golf this morning, starting at 9.00am, in two four-balls and one three-ball. I was with the three ball out first.
I had a 50 factor sunscreen spray. I had my anti-UV umbrella up on my electric trolley, had plenty of cold water in two flasks and as always wore, a golf cap. But took that off whenever I was walking along the fairway under my umbrella. The heat wasn't much of a problem, there was a very slight breeze. We were held up a bit by slow play by a two-ball in front of us, but still got round in three and a half hours. Otherwise, just a normal Monday.
We had to wait in the bar after a shower and change for the best part of an hour until the second four-ball came in.
Went to the post office shopping on the way home, the heat coming off Sainsbury's car park was tremendous as I walked across it.
Had lunch then gave the acer palmatums a mist spray and 'arry's house a bit of a cooling spray. Cleaned up his food station, fed the birds and put fresh water in the bird baths.

I'll do some more watering around 8.00pm tonight.

I'm now watching the cricket on TV. Lots of "dire warnings," about the heat on the TV for the snowflakes. If people are just sensible about it, then it shouldn't be a problem. But it would seem many haven't the sense, or assumed unable, to take responsibilty for themselves.