Model Engine Maker
General Category => Chatterbox => Topic started by: Flyboy Jim on March 12, 2017, 05:44:42 PM
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There seems to be an interest in gardening showing up in one of the build threads. I did a search for a gardening thread, but didn't find one. I did see lots of mention about gardening in lots of other threads, so thought it might be fun to have a thread just for gardening, Kind of like the one we have for food. :LickLips:
So I'll get it started. Here's my garden.............. as it looks today. Not much to see :shrug: ............so you'll have to use your imagination! ;)
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu17/FlyBoyJim/Gardening/P1030343_zpsbyimhb2u.jpg) (http://s629.photobucket.com/user/FlyBoyJim/media/Gardening/P1030343_zpsbyimhb2u.jpg.html)
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu17/FlyBoyJim/Gardening/P1030342_zpsx5iadndb.jpg) (http://s629.photobucket.com/user/FlyBoyJim/media/Gardening/P1030342_zpsx5iadndb.jpg.html)
However there is life starting to show up around here.
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu17/FlyBoyJim/Gardening/P1030340_zpsbrn2verf.jpg) (http://s629.photobucket.com/user/FlyBoyJim/media/Gardening/P1030340_zpsbrn2verf.jpg.html)
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu17/FlyBoyJim/Gardening/P1030341_zpsevdasrp9.jpg) (http://s629.photobucket.com/user/FlyBoyJim/media/Gardening/P1030341_zpsevdasrp9.jpg.html)
So lets see those gardens!
Jim
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Gardening is fun :cartwheel: At this time of the year the snow drops have gone over and the lawn is being taken over by the Daffs.
I might have mentioned the veggie patch on another thread ;) I feed four families from this little patch.
Then there is the formal kitchen garden, with the seat under the wisteria for those hot summer days when you need somewhere to sit and eat a choc ice :naughty:
More flower beds.. and the bonk: Thankfully there are no Toad balls to be seen at the moment :embarassed: I have had a few days of them whimpering of late, so they are in season
Jo
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Thanks for posting Jo. You have a nice yard. I'll post some more pics, myself, as this thread and Spring moves along.
It is amazing how much a small plot of garden can produce. We have lots of extra ourselves. The sidewalk, that winds through the Airpark here, goes right by the side of our house and hanger. When we have extra produce, which is often, I just leave it on a little stand by the hanger, next to the sidewalk, and it disappears in short order. :LickLips:
Jim
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Nice idea Jim. Thanks.
I've been to the U.K. many times and have always admired their gardens and plots.
Lots of brick and tile too which I enjoy.
I have nothing to show. For one thing...it's not my garden.
I'll be happy to show T's once we have something going.
Right now we have nothing but mud in a lot of areas.
The fence along one side is against part of the garden and is going to be replaced.
This year we're (I mean, she) is going to raised beds. The beds have arrived but still boxed.
BTW...one of the things I made for her a few years ago...
I took electrical conduit and made frames out of them.
Then strung string across about 6" apart.
She has/had a couple of beds that are about waist high and on legs.
Stuck the frames in there and she grows beans.
Lovely beans.
Keeps the critters away.
I'll try to remember to get a shot.
Oh..another idea. You can get flexible tubing at the DIY store. About 1/2" OD.
The boxes she has/had are about 2 1/2 feet across. Bent the tubing over it (like a conestoga wagon) and she can put plastic or netting over.
Uh oh. This is model engine making isn't it?
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:lolb: :lolb: :lolb: :lolb:
We're about to get a storm that they are now predicting will be in FEET of snow....
Enjoy the flowers Jo....My wife is jealous that she can't garden just yet....
Dave
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So now you need to build a steam powered tiller...
Hmmm, I do recall seeing a model baler here recently...
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So now you need to build a steam powered tiller...
Hmmm, I do recall seeing a model baler here recently...
And I know just the person who could design it. :naughty:
Jim
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'tis what you need :)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-So9-rONe7x8/TkBmrUuJRVI/AAAAAAAAADk/2RAnXvCennQ/s1600/img101.jpg)
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Not much happening in mine yet, few Daffs and quiet a lot of Helibores. Another few weeks before the Maples and Bonsai look their best.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Pond/DSC01818_zpsoqknf1wm.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Pond/DSC01817_zpsojsznqet.jpg)
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'tis what you need :)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-So9-rONe7x8/TkBmrUuJRVI/AAAAAAAAADk/2RAnXvCennQ/s1600/img101.jpg)
Oh yeah, now your talking! Scare the bunny beans right out of those groundhogs!
What is that by the way? Don't think I've seen one of them before.
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Darby Savage Digger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-8aPQnnRU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzIAOCJzdpM
Not sure whether there are any originals left working ... :headscratch: maybe not.
Dave
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Darby Savage Digger.
[youtube1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-8aPQnnRU[/youtube1]
[youtube1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzIAOCJzdpM[/youtube1]
Not sure whether there are any originals left working ... :headscratch: maybe not.
Dave
Wow - that looks like a traction engine crossed with Freddy Kreuger!
Looked them up, found some interesting info here:
http://darbysavage.blogspot.com/p/darby-savage-broadside-digger.html
I'd vote for this to be Zee's first project in his new shop!!!
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I'd second that vote!
Not much going on in our garden at the moment as it is still frozen and mostly snow covered (more coming tonight). We do, however, have a resident hawk that from time to time will help keep down the pigeon population. This was from yesterday ...
Tom
Tom
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http://darbysavage.blogspot.com/p/darby-savage-broadside-digger.html
Wow, CASTINGS .... :whoohoo: :cartwheel: :cartwheel: :cartwheel:
Maybe someone we know will be all over this like a rash.
Looks like a 'must have' accessory for the enthusiastic onion grower.
;D
( Except me, I'll stick with my Mantis Cultivator. Prefer my worms sliced 'n diced ).
Dave
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I'm going to have my own set of problems....needless to say groundhogs won't be one of them!
See the 18-24" just above Worcester? That's my house right under the "2" ....... >:( :zap: :toilet_claw:
Come on! Spring is a week away! The good thing is ....this won't last long...but they are expecting 50 mph winds tomorrow and blizzard conditions
We'll see if Samantha bell will run on the Generator!
Dave
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As far as ground hogs...you need one of these bad boys....
http://www.goodnature.co.nz/
I have a friend using one right now to rid his property of rats, but they have them for stoat's and Possum as well.
Very Humane....instant.
Dave
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Lovely garden Jason.
I wish you enjoyed it more. ;D Given the amount of time you spend in the shop...I don't see how you can. :Lol:
Weather is a bit more unpredictable here. Calling for 18 to 24 as well but I doubt it. Winds in the upper 40's.
Should start in a couple three hours.
Either way...I'm home tomorrow.
And the house has given me the excuse to be out Wednesday.
Can't really clear the driveway. Got no walkway.
Okay. It's an age thing. I will go out, clear a foot or two, then go in for a toddy. Repeat until done. I might get a week out of this.
Oh...and as to the suggestion of my first project. :lolb: ah :lolb: ah :lolb:
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Hi Dave,
The Greenies prefer those to the 1080 poison drop!
This side of the Tasman sea possums are a PEST, a friend reckons a shotgun is best, instant fertilizer!
Mean time our Aussie friend have them protected!
Love the Darby, the guy use to advertise on the Model Engineer site for the casting for it & other desirable items!
Cheers Kerrin
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Yeah I'd prefer some number 8 bird.... but the neighbors and local constabulary get kinda cranky with that option.... 8)
I DON"T like poison as there are too many kids around, and other critters I'm not interested in removing...so the Good Nature is on the list for the chipmunks....
Dave
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I'm going to have my own set of problems....needless to say groundhogs won't be one of them!
See the 18-24" just above Worcester? That's my house right under the "2" ....... >:( :zap: :toilet_claw:
Come on! Spring is a week away! The good thing is ....this won't last long...but they are expecting 50 mph winds tomorrow and blizzard conditions
We'll see if Samantha bell will run on the Generator!
Dave
My house is in the upper right hand corner of this picture. Two weeks ago in the 70's and now this.
The way the weather has been going it will probably be 70 in a week.
John
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It will be awhile yet here before gardening time. I usually start pepper and tomato plants in the sun room 2nd week in April. Here is a pick of last fall Susan (my wife) helping pick some goodies out of the garden to get ready for canning.
(https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/11903905_10201138175093744_6596213797136936194_n.jpg?oh=e0a800f882a81b94e77412a19d39f714&oe=5926630B)
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Garden fresh. Always the best.
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It will be awhile yet here before gardening time. I usually start pepper and tomato plants in the sun room 2nd week in April. Here is a pick of last fall Susan (my wife) helping pick some goodies out of the garden to get ready for canning.
Great picture Doc...........nice bountiful harvest and a lovely wife. Others have posted some nice pictures as well. I'm pretty amazed how much the machining folks are into gardening and cooking! :LickLips: There's some kind of common denominator there...........just haven't figured out what it is! :shrug:
Even if they don't get posted right now, I hope folks will take some pictures of their garden, so we can have some "before and after" pictures later. I intend to take some more the next nice day we have. It'll be fun to see the contrast later in the summer. Of course our friends from down under could do the "after" pictures right now. :naughty:
I hunted around and came up with a picture of last years canteloupe harvest. In my usual 20/20 hindsight..........I wish I had taken some of other produce.
(http://i629.photobucket.com/albums/uu17/FlyBoyJim/Gardening/Canteloupe_zpsnvos36pk.jpg) (http://s629.photobucket.com/user/FlyBoyJim/media/Gardening/Canteloupe_zpsnvos36pk.jpg.html)
Jim
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The only 'garden' pic I could find was this one from last fall. The very last of the apples..the ones that we had to strip, or lose, before the first freeze. All nicely installed in the freezer ready for pies and such. We usually don't sort this last pick so there is a mix of Gravenstein and a few 'unknown' varieties grafted from old homestead trees around here that are so good I just had to take scion wood from them.
Pete
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Hosed.....
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Dave that sounds like global warming to me :lolb:
Jo
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Our garden does not lend itself to food production, mainly due to walls limiting sunshine. We do have a few daffs, crocusses etc. plus this rather nice Camelia growing outside my workshop. I'm impressed by all the green fingers within this forum.
I hope our friends in the "nasty" weather area at present are not too badly affected.
Terry
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I left the 2nd. Burrell crankshaft on the windowsill for the casting fondlers in our midst :naughty: Terry
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I left the 2nd. Burrell crankshaft on the windowsill for the casting fondlers in our midst :naughty: Terry
:naughty:
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Our garden does not lend itself to food production, mainly due to walls limiting sunshine. We do have a few daffs, crocusses etc. plus this rather nice Camelia growing outside my workshop. I'm impressed by all the green fingers within this forum.
I hope our friends in the "nasty" weather area at present are not too badly affected.
Terry
We're used to it Terry. I was more concerned about the wind and the heavy snow taking down power lines leaving us in the dark and cold ( -5C ) but to our luck, it blew to beat the band, and nothing happened. The rest is now just annoying.... Nice looking shop! I love all the greenery .....it warms up the place.
Dave
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Dave that sounds like global warming to me :lolb:
Jo
"Global Warming"..........what a terrible name for the phenomena that we have going on right now! I bet the scientific community regrets that one.
Jim
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Since the topic of "Global Warming" came up and a friend sent this to me this evening, I just couldn't resist posting it. I hope it's not too over the top! I thought it was cute, but I'm not sure quite yet, just what is appropriate for "Chatterbox".
Anyway, look what happens when we cut down too many trees. Global warming is one thing, but check out the site below to see what is happening if we continue to clear our forests! We have to stop cutting down trees! This is getting really serious!
Click here: http://www.geekfill.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Look-what-happens-when-we-cut-down-too-many-trees-.jpg
Jim
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:lolb: :lolb: :lolb: :lolb:
Pete
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Agree with Pete! :lolb: :lolb: :lolb:
Cheers Kerrin
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There goes yet another keyboard :lolb: :lolb: :ROFL: :lolb:
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Our garden does not lend itself to food production, mainly due to walls limiting sunshine. We do have a few daffs, crocusses etc. plus this rather nice Camelia growing outside my workshop. I'm impressed by all the green fingers within this forum.
I hope our friends in the "nasty" weather area at present are not too badly affected.
Terry
By the way...Terry is just letting that casting get ripe before he uses is...
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You guys up north seem to have dodged the bullet for the most part and that is good. No snow down south but temps in the 20's at night. The bad part of that is that it will really hurt the peach crop this year, so you'll have to find something else to put on your cheerios :)
Bill
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Well, so, um like, we probably won't be getting any from Mexico either :lolb: :Jester:
Eric
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Only if you want inferior peaches there Cletus :lolb: Nothin like good ol' SC or Georgia peaches :)
Bill
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Ain't gonna argue with that Professor, ain't nothing like Southern peaches and pecans.
Eric
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I agree about the peaches ^-^ Had the pleasure of visiting Peachtree City GA in 2004....they do taste good :ThumbsUp: Terry
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Yeah, but those crazy secessionists go overboard with naming everything "peachtree". There are 71 streets in Atlanta with a variant of "Peachtree" in their name. With that kind of proliferation, there must be someplace where two of them intersect.
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Ain't nothing sweeter than a Southern peach ( especially their freshman and senior years :lolb: :lolb: :. Seriously, I onced loved the garden, now however, using as much and as many, produce and veggies as we do in a day, I've lost me desire. Do miss the feel of freshly tilled soil between my toes though: Zee, sounds like something you can weigh on in though :thinking:.
Cletus
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We used to live in southern Missouri. Well known for growing tomatoes. Turn a rock over, plant a seed, and wait.
T's the gardener though.
When we moved to Illinois...not a rock anywhere and the ground was soft loam. Best stuff for gardening.
Then we moved to Pennsylvania. Clay for the most part.
T has spent years bringing in mulch, mushroom soil, horse manure and now has great growing soil.
A priority in this remodel project (of course) was to make sure the gardens didn't get destroyed.
I'll say again...I just love the gardens you can find in the UK. I also like the use of brick and roof tile in the houses. Those things last.
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Wasn't allowed to post these until after I had mowed the lawn. For those of you under snow, no apologies for the blue sky!
Pic 1 the back yard,
Pic 2 behind the wall above, the veg patch, the summer crops coming to an end & first planting of the winter veg.
Nice to see so many here into growing your own.....as has been said what is it with machining & growing stuff
Cheers Kerrin
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Wasn't allowed to post these until after I had mowed the lawn. For those of you under snow, no apologies for the blue sky!
Pic 1 the back yard,
Pic 2 behind the wall above, the veg patch, the summer crops coming to an end & first planting of the winter veg.
Nice to see so many here into growing your own.....as has been said what is it with machining & growing stuff
Cheers Kerrin
Looks great! And not just because it looks warm!
I vote we go visit you while waiting for Zee to get our new rooms ready.... :Lol:
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I'll second the motion!!
Pete
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Very nice Kerrin!
My place looks pretty ratty after the long winter; maybe when things start looking better I will post a pic or two, I don't grow food though. :lolb:
Dave
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Wasn't allowed to post these until after I had mowed the lawn. For those of you under snow, no apologies for the blue sky!
Pic 1 the back yard,
Pic 2 behind the wall above, the veg patch, the summer crops coming to an end & first planting of the winter veg.
Nice to see so many here into growing your own.....as has been said what is it with machining & growing stuff
Cheers Kerrin
Beautiful garden Kerrin..........on both sides of the fence!
What kind of winter vegetables can you grow down there?
Jim
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Only if you want inferior peaches there Cletus :lolb: Nothin like good ol' SC or Georgia peaches :)
Bill
Uh-oh Bill..........we're in for it now. Our friends from across the pond, just like "metric" fasteners vs "inferior" fasteners will be extolling the benefits of "metric" peaches vs "inferior" peaches! :lolb:
Jim
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:lolb: :lolb: :lolb: :lolb:
I like free stone peaches, warm from the sun....
Pete
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Hi Guys,
R would like to thank you all for your kind comments on her garden, I'm just the lackey that gets to build the raised garden, planter boxes & fill same with the required earth & compost, & fences. Oh and help with any spraying, digging....or anything that requires boys toys!
Jim,
As to what to plant in winter, we think it's cold her if we get down to +5 C! We only live about 500 meters from the coast & have only had a couple of frost days in the last 8 years! Ok so plants are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, broad beans, parsnips, celeriac, that's about all we do but it should be possible to do other winter veg as well.
Cheers Kerrin
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Hi Guys,
R would like to thank you all for your kind comments on her garden, I'm just the lackey that gets to build the raised garden, planter boxes & fill same with the required earth & compost, & fences. Oh and help with any spraying, digging....or anything that requires boys toys!
Jim,
As to what to plant in winter, we think it's cold her if we get down to +5 C! We only live about 500 meters from the coast & have only had a couple of frost days in the last 8 years! Ok so plants are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, broad beans, parsnips, celeriac, that's about all we do but it should be possible to do other winter veg as well.
Cheers Kerrin
It looks like your winter vegetables are our summer vegetables Kerrin. :shrug: It would be nice to be able to grow vegetables year around.
Jim
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Not much happening in mine yet, few Daffs and quiet a lot of Helibores. Another few weeks before the Maples and Bonsai look their best.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Pond/DSC01818_zpsoqknf1wm.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Pond/DSC01817_zpsojsznqet.jpg)
Did you create that backyard? That is beautiful and what I'd like to implement on my property.
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Kim's just reminded me that I have not posted any gardening pictures for a few days :naughty:
The triffids (courgettes) are growing in the Conservatory. Another month and they will have taken over and be ready to go out.
As Asparagus is supposed to be an aphrodisiac I decided I might need to grow some again, just in case :mischief:
And of course the rest of the greenhouse is growing well.... and :o someone has Pea'd in the far corner ::)
Jo
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Kim's just reminded me that I have not posted any gardening pictures for a few days :naughty:
The triffids (courgettes) are growing in the Conservatory. Another month and they will have taken over and be ready to go out.
As Asparagus is supposed to be an aphrodisiac I decided I might need to grow some again, just in case :mischief:
And of course the rest of the greenhouse is growing well.... and :o someone has Pea'd in the far corner ::)
Jo
Well...........you certainly have been the busy one haven't you! :ThumbsUp:
Still rainy and dreary here............although I guess I could start some plants. Too lazy I guess.
Jim
PS: Have I mentioned that I love Asparagus? :Love: :LittleDevil:
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Gardening hasn't started here either.
House reno, new fence to be installed, and weather are delaying us (I mean T).
Since all the landscaping is going to be redone and one side (near the garden) is being moved out 3' feet, T has bought several raised beds to redo the garden.
I'm going to like that primarily because it makes mowing easier. I won't get the "what'd you cut down now" question.
I do think a conservatory / green house would be nice. :thinking: Maybe next year.
She does have seedlings going in the house. :ThumbsUp:
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For those in my age bracket, the first rule of gardening is:
THE NUMBER OF "GET-UPs" MUST EQUAL THE NUMBER OF "GET-DOWNs".
I thought I had violated this rule yesterday while building a new retaining wall.Wall will be finished today.
Days in upper 70's to low 80's for last couple of weeks. Cooled down to upper 60's now. Lots of green. Of course no moisture for last 2 months, but that is typical in the high desert of New Mexico. I have faith. It will rain again sometime.
Gail in NM
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Gardening hasn't started here either.
House reno, new fence to be installed, and weather are delaying us (I mean T).
Since all the landscaping is going to be redone and one side (near the garden) is being moved out 3' feet, T has bought several raised beds to redo the garden.
I'm going to like that primarily because it makes mowing easier. I won't get the "what'd you cut down now" question.
I do think a conservatory / green house would be nice. :thinking: Maybe next year.
She does have seedlings going in the house. :ThumbsUp:
Zee.........I'm looking forward to seeing how the raised beds work out. I've been giving them some thought myself. I've got a book called "Square Foot Gardening": https://www.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490580549&sr=1-1&keywords=square+foot+gardening that makes me want to have a go at the concept.
Jim
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I've built four raised beds around here and we just love them. I don't have pics tonight but if there is interest I will get some tomorrow. I built them from pressure treat 2x and sized them so there was no waste of materials. I've got a sketch somewhere....
Wife love 'em 'cause the beds are just the right height for sitting.. :whoohoo:
Pete
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I've built four raised beds around here and we just love them. I don't have pics tonight but if there is interest I will get some tomorrow. I built them from pressure treat 2x and sized them so there was no waste of materials. I've got a sketch somewhere....
Wife love 'em 'cause the beds are just the right height for sitting.. :whoohoo:
Pete
Pictures would be great. :ThumbsUp:
Jim
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OK, I'll make an attempt at pics and try to find that sketch.
Pete
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I just love this time of year with all the Spring flowers and bulbs coming into bloom and our beautiful Magnolia tree at its glorious best. I have even been inspired to mow the lawns for the first time this year!
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Magnolia trees are one of my favorites! Spring has certainly arrived in your yard, Ray. Beautiful....
Pete
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Beautiful pics Ray!
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Beautiful yard/garden Ray, while it is getting to be pretty nice here in the NW US I think that you are a little ahead of us; although a couple of my neighbors have already fired up their lawn mowers for the first time this year.
Dave
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Definitely ahead of us in Wisconsin. I think I'll worry about starting the lawn mower when the grass finishes turning green. I by the way am not the one with the green thumb in the house. I can manage to not kill the house plants if the wife is away but that's a long way from having a green thumb.
Art
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I just love this time of year with all the Spring flowers and bulbs coming into bloom and our beautiful Magnolia tree at its glorious best. I have even been inspired to mow the lawns for the first time this year!
Beautiful garden you have there Ray. :praise2: I really like that pond and the Magnolia tree is just stellar!
Jim
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Nice garden Ray. Those magnolias look like a nice spot for a :DrinkPint: in summer
Cheers Kerrin
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I'm not a gardener but...
John
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OK, I promised some pics and sketch of my raised beds, I'll give this a try.
The sketch is kinda old but I think you can make out the important information. The box sits on the surface with the 2x4s pocketed into the ground to keep it from moving when Herself hits it with the mower..
When the box is placed I put a wire mesh in the bottom to keep the moles out, then 2-3 inches of round drain rock, then cover that with landscape fabric to keep the dirt out of the drain.
While the "new" pressure treated (ACQ) is not a problem with this use, the sides and ends of the box can be lined with heavy plastic sheet.
Hope this helps,
Pete
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The sketch is kinda old but I think you can make out the important information. The box sits on the surface with the 2x4s pocketed into the ground to keep it from moving when Herself hits it with the mower..
Ah. Interesting idea. T is getting ready to plant boxes...I should/need to give some thought to preventing the boxes from moving.
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My Grandpa Reid would take three old tires stacked on top of each other and fill with nutrient rich soil and plant tomatoes, peppers, and such in them. Easy peasy to weed around and super easy to regulate water and nutrients.
Eric
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Easy! 'cetpt Herself doesn't like the junkyard look....
:rant: :slap:
Pete
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Easy! 'cetpt Herself doesn't like the junkyard look....
:rant: :slap:
Pete
Well Pete...........you could always use whitewall tires for a more classy look! :naughty:
Thanks for the pics and drawing. The only thing I'd be concerned about pressure treated wood is with the pressure treatment leaching into the soil. The plastic lining you mentioned would mitigate that.
Jim
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Here is some info I sent to another member:
Not too long ago, like 10 years or more, pressure treated wood was bad news. It contained arsenic, chromated copper, and other compounds listed by the EPA as toxic.
For the last approx. 10 years the old treatment, Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) has been banned for treating wood and a new much, much safer material has been used. The new material (Aqueous Copper Quat) is considered quite safe for gardening purposes.
Here are two links:
http://www.finegardening.com/are-pressure-treated-woods-safe-garden-beds
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/question-of-the-week/raised-bed-lumber-pressure-treated-safe
While there are extremely low traces of copper that can leach into the soil, the amounts are very small and less than what anyone considers approaching toxic. In fact, the leachates aren't even listed as toxic by the EPA.
Hope this helps,
Pete
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Here is some info I sent to another member:
Not too long ago, like 10 years or more, pressure treated wood was bad news. It contained arsenic, chromated copper, and other compounds listed by the EPA as toxic.
For the last approx. 10 years the old treatment, Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) has been banned for treating wood and a new much, much safer material has been used. The new material (Aqueous Copper Quat) is considered quite safe for gardening purposes.
Here are two links:
http://www.finegardening.com/are-pressure-treated-woods-safe-garden-beds
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/question-of-the-week/raised-bed-lumber-pressure-treated-safe
While there are extremely low traces of copper that can leach into the soil, the amounts are very small and less than what anyone considers approaching toxic. In fact, the leachates aren't even listed as toxic by the EPA.
Hope this helps,
Pete
Thanks Pete........that's some good info.
Jim
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Hang Pete,
You made a drawing for the raised garden.....oh yes wait you had to approval from management before construction could start! Been there!
For my raised garden I use macrocarpa, ( google tells me it common name is Monterey Cypress) 100 x 200 mm came straight from the mill, to the point I had to wait for it to be cut! Mac has natural resins in it that resist rot for quite awhile, 12 mm galv coachbolts down the corners to pull it altogether, cut over laps at the corners. Lined it with plastic as well to hopefully reduce water loss thru the timber
The stand alone ones are are made from left over decking, plastic lines with holes in the bottom, as they are on concrete raised by the thinkness of the decking
With all the care hopefully I won't need to waste workshop time, err go back & sort issues
Cheers Kerrin
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Well, Herself like to see the costing on her projects and I don't like to waste material so..... optimum design for both factors!
Raised beds, with a "sitting" edge are sooo much easier on old backs. Just sit there in the sun... pull a few weeds... sip of brew... pull a few weeds... soak up a few rays... scratch the dog behind the ears... sip of brew... aaaahhhh!
Pete
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gorgeous wheather this afternoon, after a frosty winter.
most of the petals of the magnolia are already on the lawn...
How come spring is so short lasting !
this wheather invites to not stay locked in the workshop, which looks so dark with this beaming sun.
I took this opportunity to get out some engines and clean them !
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The Primroses are now taking over. I have never known Primroses self seed like they do in this garden: Everywhere you look more and more primroses....
All seedlings are growing ;D The first batch of pea seedling went out yesterday and the Triffids have had to be moved out as they were taking over the conservatory ::)
Hopefully put some more seeds in in the week :)
Jo
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Never grown courgettes ... :headscratch:
So what happens? Do they grow like tomatoes as a vine or all over the shop like cucumbers / marrows ?
Once grew some peppers, inedible .... you could nearly weld with the things. I couldn't eat 'em but my then neighbour said they were the best he'd ever had. :insane:
Primroses are nice ... :-* I can't get rid of those damn Iberian so-called bluebells ... :cussing: miserable pale blue things with virtually no scent ...
Seem to thrive on Round-up, I'd treat 'em to a dose of Chlorate but they are near a shrub ... :(
Happy growing
Dave
PS Saw a Dommie 99 at Matlock today. Not yours escaped I trust :) Nah .... it was ???MRB so an old Derby regn. ( And an old Indian last week, can't remember the last time I saw one in UK... )
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Yesterday I have got the Oleander back from the winter storage.
It was time to spent him a new flowerpot.
It toke me nearly 45 minutes to get it solved in the old pot.
A saw blade, some leather gloves and some more patience was necessary to get it out.
Now it is in its new home and my back will remind me for the next couple of days at this action.
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Never grown courgettes ... :headscratch:
So what happens? Do they grow like tomatoes as a vine or all over the shop like cucumbers / marrows ?
Courgettes are a type of small marrow ;) How much they grow depends on how much you water them. This year I have 18 large plants with another 7 in back up - in case the first lot gets hit by a late frost ;).
Trick I learnt last year was to interplant potatoes with the Courgette plants. The courgettes romp all over the place but the potatoes grow well in between. The crop would have been excellent except that my father discovered them and was digging up two plants every time he visited :slap: He used them all up before the end of the season :'(
Same here: the first of the blue and white bells are appearing :)
Jo
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Make sure they're the real bluebells. Mine are these things: EU crap ... mutter mutter mutter ...
http://www.essexbiodiversity.org.uk/invasive-species/invasive-species-plants
Otherwise ... :Director: EXTERMINATE
I though I'd got rid of them a couple of years ago but any tiny bulb left in and they return with a vengeance.
I think I might give them a touch of the Sievert torch ... bet they'd appreciate a warm Spring.... ;D
Ah well, back to wood-butchering ... :(
PS Got a heap of off-cuts, any good 2U ?? Contemplating a trip to Yately with Jill last Sunday this month ..
Dave.
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Got a heap of off-cuts, any good 2U ?? Contemplating a trip to Yately with Jill last Sunday this month ..
Always happy to give a home to fire wood and might be able to find a few spare Primroses.... :)
Jo
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Never grown courgettes ... :headscratch:
So what happens? Do they grow like tomatoes as a vine or all over the shop like cucumbers / marrows ?
Courgettes are a type of small marrow ;) How much they grow depends on how much you water them. This year I have 18 large plants with another 7 in back up - in case the first lot gets hit by a late frost ;).
Trick I learnt last year was to interplant potatoes with the Courgette plants. The courgettes romp all over the place but the potatoes grow well in between. The crop would have been excellent except that my father discovered them and was digging up two plants every time he visited :slap: He used them all up before the end of the season :'(
Same here: the first of the blue and white bells are appearing :)
Jo
It looks like Courgettes are what we call Zucchini over here. It seems like I can feed the whole neighborhood off of one plant.............can't imagine how much you get off of 18! :shrug: I'm not sure why your father was digging the plants up, unless Courgette plants aren't what I think they are? :headscratch:
Jim
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It looks like Courgettes are what we call Zucchini over here. It seems like I can feed the whole neighborhood off of one plant.............can't imagine how much you get off of 18! :shrug: I'm not sure why your father was digging the plants up, unless Courgette plants aren't what I think they are? :headscratch:
Jim
Yes, Zucchini is a courgette. If we get plenty of rain then each plant will provide one courgette every other day (or a marrow the next :facepalm: ). They are best if picked small and not over watered hence I grow lots so that I can have the best little ones :P
My Dad was stealing the potatoes I had planted in between the courgette plants :disappointed:
Jo
P.S. In Italian Zucchina is a marrow, so a 'little' marrow is a Zucchini.
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My Dad was stealing the potatoes I had planted in between the courgette plants :disappointed:
Jo
I just re-read your earlier post. I SHOULD OF been able to figure out that this is what you were talking about! :Doh:
Got my sugar snap peas planted today.
Jim
PS: I showed my P & W build status to a friend today.............does that count as machining? Naw..............probably not! :shrug:
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Bit nippy here ... down to 2.2oC in the greenhouse overnight.
Good job I brought my tomato seedlings inside :ThumbsUp:
Got one plot done yesterday, all cultivated and 3 rows of Rooster tatties planted in just over an hour. ( About 35 sq. yds. )
Thanks largely to my heroic Mantis cultivator ... job done in 1% of the time and 0.01% of the pain of manual digging. :whoohoo:
Only a little Honda 22cc OHC engine, certainly has a lot more go than me ... :old:
Wonder if it should have a name ????? We have Mr. Sexy, Mr. Silky etc. etc. :headscratch:
Maybe Mr. Slicy ... Sure the worms would approve ..... or possibly not .. :ShakeHead:
Dave
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There will be no gardening for a while here. This is the state of the garden as of 15 minutes ago and it supposed to snow for another few hours yet. (The deck was bone dry and clear yesterday at 4pm.)
We did Zucchini a few years ago and by the end, whenever a neighbor or friend saw me coming, they would run. Mind you, I did find an excellent Zucchini Chutney recipe and made many cases. It is much easier to give away when it is in jars.
Tom
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We are a bit better off in St Catharines but I am reconsidering the bbq tonight :-)
Gerrit
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We are a bit better off in St Catharines but I am reconsidering the bbq tonight :-)
Gerrit
Ya, the BBQ ribs are off the menu here as well! I was wondering how you were doing over there Gerrit. You usually get hit worse than us with these storms.
Tom
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There will be no gardening for a while here. This is the state of the garden as of 15 minutes ago and it supposed to snow for another few hours yet. (The deck was bone dry and clear yesterday at 4pm.)
We did Zucchini a few years ago and by the end, whenever a neighbor or friend saw me coming, they would run. Mind you, I did find an excellent Zucchini Chutney recipe and made many cases. It is much easier to give away when it is in jars.
Tom
Big weather change here today as well. Really nice yesterday. Got the string up for my newly planted Sugar Snap Peas. Today windy and rainy.......although not too cold.
Our favorite recipe, using Zucchini is for Zucchini Quiche. :LickLips:
Jim
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I'm rather fond of Courgette pizza :P
Jo
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Turned off chilly again here today. We've had record breaking temps accompanied with severe storms and then back to chilly normal spring weather. Still warm enough to cook the ribs today though :ThumbsUp:
Eric
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I'm rather fond of Courgette pizza :P
:facepalm2:
I like raw zucchini, particularly in a good dip. Cooked zucchini not so much.
T always grows zuccs and somehow manages to be away when they come in.
If I don't get out there every day (sometimes twice), especially when raining...you get some huge logs.
You can always see them grow.
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Try thinly slicing the zucchini with onions and carrots and then marinating them in apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and fresh cracked peppercorns; great salad topping
Eric
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Had my first pick of the Asparagus yesterday :P
Meant to take a picture but by the time I had remembered it was already cooked and eaten, it is another of those veggies that is best eaten less than 5 mins from first picking :shrug:
Jo
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Had my first pick of the Asparagus yesterday :P
Meant to take a picture but by the time I had remembered it was already cooked and eaten, it is another of those veggies that is best eaten less than 5 mins from first picking :shrug:
Jo
Fresh Asparagus.................yum! :LickLips: We like it lightly cooked, chilled, and then dipped in ranch dressing.
I've never tried growing it myself, but I remember, as a little tyke, following my Grandpa around (he used to call me his "shadow") and he would get his pocket knife out and cut a handful for dinner.
Jim
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Some white bells under my Maple tree, some grape Hyacinths... Some more Asparagus busy growing to go with my piece of Sirloin on Saturday :P
and a good sign that my resident Fairies 1 survived the winter :cartwheel:
Jo
P.S. For any townies who don't understand the way of the Fairies :facepalm: maybe I should explain....
Every morning the Fairies come out to dance in the garden in the first rays of the new sun this brings the house good luck :). But at this time of the year there is morning dew and it builds up slowly as they are dancing...making their shoes soaking wet and they know if they go home with wet shoes they will be told off by their parents. So what they do is they take off their shoes and hang them under the leaves of the Dead Nettle to dry so they can collect them later and not get in trouble ;)
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Ah! Nice ... Used to have a lot of Grape Hyacinths at my first house. Got destroyed by STWA a couple of years after I sold it. :shrug:
And the Pushkinias that I liked ... :Mad:
Is that a lonely little Dog Violet trying to eke out an existence bottom of Pic 1??
No fairies though, but then it wasn't a particularly up-market area.
No Sirloin for me, not keen on bits of dead cow .. ;) Bacon & Mushrooms favourite at the mo. :P ... and sawdust probably .... :facepalm2:
That's it. Elevenses over, back to the DeWalt Radial Arm Saw and :censored: chipboard ... Am I sick of this DIY pantomime :cussing:
Dave
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Yes, Violets are another feature that keep popping up all over the place :ThumbsUp:
Keep eating the Bacon, its people like you who help to keep my roast pork and with best crackling for Sunday dinner so cheap :P
Did I mention I have WOOD working machine tools arriving tomorrow :facepalm2:
Jo
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Did I mention I have WOOD working machine tools arriving tomorrow :facepalm2:
Jo
So Jo...........does this mean we're going to be seeing a "woodworking" thread soon? :naughty:
Jim
PS: Lovely pictures of your yard. :)
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Did I mention I have WOOD working machine tools arriving tomorrow :facepalm2:
Jo
So Jo...........does this mean we're going to be seeing a "woodworking" thread soon? :naughty:
Jim
PS: Lovely pictures of your yard. :)
How long to wait for the trees to grow into the moulds to form the wood castings?! :Lol:
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Did I mention I have WOOD working machine tools arriving tomorrow :facepalm2:
Jo
Electric pencil-sharpener ???
I used to have a Coronet CMB500. Untold hours of fun dodging flying skew-chisels .... ;D
Best bit was the slot mortiser att. Could do with that now ... :headscratch:
D.
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Thanks Guys
The offending items include a Coronet Planer, a slightly more substantial than your standard hobby wood lathe and a Ajax pillar drill which will all be looking for a new home once they have had all that saw dust removed from them :disappointed:
The only reason I was interested in any of this tat was the Startrite 352 Bandsaw that is included in the lot, which they were mean and would not let me have on its own. Hopefully I will be able to slow the saw down to cut metal, if nothing else it will be very useful for cutting fire wood :naughty:
Jo
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Thanks Guys
The offending items include a Coronet Planer, a slightly more substantial than your standard hobby wood lathe and a Ajax pillar drill which will all be looking for a new home once they have had all that saw dust removed from them :disappointed:
The only reason I was interested in any of this tat was the Startrite 352 Bandsaw that is included in the lot, which they were mean and would not let me have on its own. Hopefully I will be able to slow the saw down to cut metal, if nothing else it will be very useful for cutting fire wood :naughty:
Jo
Oh sure...............you say that now................but................the next thing we know someone will say................"whatever happened to Jo"................."Oh she spends all her on-line time over on one of the woodworking forums now"! :LittleDevil:
Jim
PS: I googled the Startrite 352 bandsaw. Looks like a nice one. :)
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Just before the knife cut through them they posed for one last photograph :P
Which means it must be dinner time :drinking-41:
Jo
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Any time Teresa makes up a dish of asparagus...she makes a batch of brussel sprouts for me.
In fact, that's happening tonight.
I will not show her your pictures. :ShakeHead:
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Any time Teresa makes up a dish of asparagus...she makes a batch of brussel sprouts for me.
:headscratch:
I am not sure Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts have quiet the same intended effect. :noidea:
Jo
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Hi All,
Well with friends staying & the sun shining on a lovely autumn day, what better to do than sit in the sun for lunch & a cold one!
Cheers Kerrin
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Hi All,
Well with friends staying & the sun shining on a lovely autumn day, what better to do than sit in the sun for lunch & a cold one!
Cheers Kerrin
Wow............blue sky.............I've been wondering what that looked like! :shrug: Beautiful yard.
Jim
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Garden boxes are finally in.
T seems pretty happy but I'm not as much.
You'd think a landscaper would know to level the boxes.
Even when reminded to do so!
But so long as she is happy...I'm happy.
1st shot are two raised boxes on the newly paved area. (The pool is undergoing renovation.)
2nd shot are two raised beds by the new deck.
3rd shot are 6 raised beds going down along the strip that was part of the original garden.
I'm not sure what all is planted (she's out of town right now).
Tomatoes for one.
I thought this was going to save me but I was just texted to go out and weed the boxes. Sigh.
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I built a wall today. To keep things in, not out.
Gerrit
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Not a lot happening out this way the water is running through the ravine into the still frozen lake.
Mike
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Garden boxes are finally in.
T seems pretty happy but I'm not as much.
You'd think a landscaper would know to level the boxes.
Even when reminded to do so!
But so long as she is happy...I'm happy.
1st shot are two raised boxes on the newly paved area. (The pool is undergoing renovation.)
2nd shot are two raised beds by the new deck.
3rd shot are 6 raised beds going down along the strip that was part of the original garden.
I'm not sure what all is planted (she's out of town right now).
Tomatoes for one.
I thought this was going to save me but I was just texted to go out and weed the boxes. Sigh.
Zee..........maybe your landscaper installed sewer systems or hung gutters in a former life! :lolb:
Jim
PS: Yard and house is looking good. :)
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You'd think a landscaper would know to level the boxes.
Some settling will occur :-) Maybe they calculated how they would settle after the first rain storm, after which they will be level.
Gerrit
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All gone a bit quiet in here.... :smokin2:
One is wondering if a certain young lady's courgettes and tatties have recovered from the recent frost :headscratch:
Dave
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:'(
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Looks like she had been to Iceland for her veg to me when I visited today :disappointed:
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Well, the last flowers have just about fallen from the Magnolia, and it's the turn of the Wisteria to put on a show. The perfume, particularly in the evenings, is absolutely beautiful, especially when it is warm enough to leave the back door open.
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Oh, that's a beautiful big Wisteria!! Such a lovely aroma...
Pete
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That's beautiful Ray.
I know it's a lot of upkeep to ensure it doesn't damage the house...but it sure looks worth it.
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However good we think we are as gardeners, Mother Nature always manages to outdo us with her annual display of gorgeous bluebells. These pictures were taken in the local woods just a few minutes walk from my front door.
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Hard to beat Mom Nature ... she has a knack for getting things just right. What a lovely spot for a walk.
Tom
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As if the bluebells are not spectacular enough, the Wild Garlic is also at its best.
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Very nice Ray, spring is my favorite season and we get all four of them here.
Dave
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Hi Ray,
The house look good under that wisteria, now all you need is a train track from there out to the blue blue wood, on to the wild garlic & home again! Would make a wonderful trip!
Cheers Kerrin
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Hi Team,
Stopped & grab this photo on the way home from night shift. It's not the first snow of the year but with a clear morning it looks nice! Gardening will now be pretty low key for us. Just keeping thing tidy & cleanup.
Cheers Kerrin
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That's a nice shot of the mountain Kerrin! Reminds me of the mountains here in the Northwest corner of the US.
Kim
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Its warming up here but sadly I am still waiting for my first courgette after that late frost :-\
The runners are doing well. But only because we had the netting up before the first of the deer found them.
The young Asparagus are in place. It will be another 2 years before I can crop those...
And lets not talk plums or cabbages >:( I have my gun ready and there is going to be blood (https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/sportlich/g100.gif) Hopefully enough to fill a two slice of bread sandwich... Personally I prefer cabbage with my roasted pigeon.
Jo
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I have just checked my guns... mine is ok it should still hit the vermin on the compost heap (100+ ft away :naughty: ) and then there is the Chinese one :toilet_claw:
I was given this gun to permanently look after, after my 14 year old second cousin arrived back in the country and his Dad suggested that he could go shooting tree rats in the local wood :o Not only is it illegal for a 14 year old to have one of these unsupervised but the local wood is a public common which is even worse :Director:
What can I say telescope site screwed on and never sited in :ShakeHead: the trigger has no feel, the stock is huge, how do you reach the safety and the hole in the barrel only fits one brand of pellet :headscratch: I can just see the young lad getting frustrated with it and pulling the trigger with it cocked and loosing his finger.. I think it is going back in its bag. Its brand new :censored:
In the meantime, I remember an old song that goes ... "Here, Pige, Pige, Pigeon" :mischief:
Jo
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Hi Jo,
Boy have you been a busy girl! Looks like you are all set to feed all of Hampshire!
Now you just need to get that plowing engine done, with gun mount, & you can plow & patrol at the same time!
Cheers Kerrin
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Hi Jo,
Boy have you been a busy girl! Looks like you are all set to feed all of Hampshire!
Now you just need to get that plowing engine done, with gun mount, & you can plow & patrol at the same time!
Cheers Kerrin
Some of the Arduino gurus around here should be able to rig up an automatic tracking and firing mount for your garden hose, or pellet gun if there are no neighbors over the fence! :hellno:
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Hi Jo
Onions seem to have perked up :ThumbsUp:
Just transplanted the last 94 of mine yesterday. Think it's 94. Got pi55ed off towards the end and stopped counting.
Looking a bit sorry for themselves, but they always do for a week or so. ( Poor buggers. They'll have to learn to take the rough with the dog rough like the rest of us ).
Are those beetroot ? Can't cope with those. Have a venturi effect on my alimentary tract. :embarassed: Always come out one hell of a lot faster than they went in. :facepalm:
Tree lupins are now well away after a bit of a check when re-potted. :ThumbsUp:
Wilfred behaving himself ???
Dave.
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Is/was there a law about cocked guns and 60 yards of a public highway ? so ,one yard per house =60 houses !!
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Are those beetroot ? Can't cope with those. Have a venturi effect on my alimentary tract. :embarassed: Always come out one hell of a lot faster than they went in. :facepalm:
Which is why beetroot have zero calories in them :ThumbsUp:
Tree lupins are now well away after a bit of a check when re-potted. :ThumbsUp:
They like to get their roots deep, remember they are a biannual, first year they attract the greenfly, second year lots of flowers and attract greenfly, that autumn burn the remains with the greenfly :cartwheel:
Wilfred behaving himself ???
Yes he has dropped a couple of leaves but looks ok :)
Don't worry Willy I have half an Acre so more than enough space to shoot any cocks (Pheasants) or Pigeons. I have noticed that since I put my target out to sight in the gun the vermin have vanished :-\
Olie and I had a play with the guns just now and the consensus is the Chinese thingy is a pile of :censored: Then he started coming up with a load of excuses when he tried my gun and was not as close to the centre of the target as I was ::) He is promising to bring me over a laser sight to try tomorrow - I think he thinks it will help him prove (to himself) he is really a better shot than me
Jo
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A 28ga. stack barrel Browning takes care of the unwanted around my 22 acres
Cletus
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Some photos of my veg patch garden now that growing at full speed..
It is interesting how different types of tomatoes grow at different rates in the greenhouse. All of them went in on the same day but my Yellow Pears and the mini Plums are getting long and skinny while the Sandwich toms plants are short and plump. The first of the Toms are forming
The two batches of beetroot are also showing vastly different growth rates: The lot that went in first are rather stunted in comparison with the lot (admittedly the larger ones) that were transplanted out of them into the second patch. The Courgettes are off and romping around and have already joined me for dinner :naughty: Finally after a poor showing the Asparagus is growing - maybe it knows that there is only another week of picking left
Onions :facepalm: somehow they have got white rot and I have already lost half of them. There will have to be a bit of re-planning where to grow them in the future.
and the Kenyan beans are off to a good start but have had to be protected as the local deer have taken a shine to them >:(
And now for an engineering challenge for you.. I have been told that in the not too distant future that I will not be allowed to lift a watering can for the rest of the season :( So as a minimum I need a way of watering my Toms, preferably not using tap water from the hose (Tap water has to be at least 2 days out of the tap to make sure the stuff they add has gone - I won't drink it so why should they ;) ) They tell me initially I will only be able to lift about a pint to arms length - it will increase over time :noidea:
Jo
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Assuming you have a water butt why not put a hose on the tap of that and let it trickle onto the ground in the greenhouse, may just need to move it about a bit. You would then only need to turn on a tap. Or small submersible pump in your butt! you must have a spare suds pump kicking about on one of those machines
Did I say the first two toms were picked & eaten at the weekend :)
More of a worry is how will you survive not being able to lift castings and tooling for so long :disappointed:
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The Toms are in grow bags..... not the ground....
Edit: Just found an old micro irrigation system in the stable, the plastic has hardened off a bit :thinking:
Jo
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Provided the top of the bags is below the water level in the tank you will still get water to flow, just means the you will have to lift the end of the hose, could fit something to theend so you don't need to bend down.
Only problem with some of the drip type irrigation setups is they don't like dirty water as it soon blocks the drip valves on the end and butt water often has bugs and debris in it
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Yes it was the rubbish that comes down my water mains that blocked this up last time. I've found a possible header tank which can be used to fill from the hose pipe. I was thinking open little tubes down to the plants rather than the sprinklers :noidea:
More of a worry is how will you survive not being able to lift castings and tooling for so long :disappointed:
I am trying not to think about that :paranoia: I am just trying to think that I am going back to University except this time Surus :pinkelephant: and I are the research subject... I used to like research :headscratch:
Jo
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We used to have a system that worked a bit like the Cisterns you find flushing gents urinals. Slow drip/trickle into the tank then there is a pivoting float which is open at the top, as the water level get stowards the top the float fills and sinks which then allows the contents of the tank to flow out through the hollow arm of the tube.
You will have to sort out one of your very small sets of aero engine castings and make that using just the Cowells and Sixis, that would be more exciting that catching up on your backlog of studs.
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We have a header tank, I kept the shut off tap inline and they feed down to open ended pipes going down to each grow bag. Flow rate can be modified by bringing the tops of the drop pipes up and down :).
The studs are well underway, its 2BA's next all 66 of them :facepalm:
Jo
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As someone who moans at the size of photos couild you try and post yours the right way up as they are probably harder to look at than big ones :rant:
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This is supposed to be the gardening thread... feel lucky I posted them ::)
Jo
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They are right side up for me ... or have they been rotated?
Tom
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Been rotated now :)
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Hi Jo,
The garden is looking good! Tuff about the onions, had black aphids go thru our spring onions...... :Mad:
Now about those deer........I get R to hunt out a recipe or two for you!
Looks like you have the water sorted. Stud central seeems in full swing as well!
Cheers Kerrin
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Your garden is looking great Jo!
I was going to post a picture of my one zucchini that is about ready to harvest, but after your pictures I think I'll wait a while. :shrug:
Jim
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Your garden is looking great Jo!
I was going to post a picture of my one zucchini that is about ready to harvest, but after your pictures I think I'll wait a while. :shrug:
Jim
Thanks Jim,
Be care what you do with that zucchini, you know what gardeners say:- "Is that a Zucchini in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me" :naughty:
Jo
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Onions ready.....raised beds....saskatoons....Norwich Gothic.....!!! and Fathers day at Forncett st Mary..........
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Onions are looking good, much more advanced than mine ...
Can I ask what they are? Seed or sets. I have some Robinsons from seed but mine were only planted out at the mid May IIRC.
Been too dry here. The red barons ( seed ) ain't doing too well at all ... :'(
Taters, ( Rooster ) are thriving and no sign of blight .... err ... yet .... :thinking:
Had to look up Saskatoons. New one on me ..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/3613753/We-banned-a-berry-and-it-took-Brussels-to-stop-us-being-so-silly.html
Dave
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I didn't know that one of the tower bridge engines had been moved, nice to see it is being so well cared for in Forncett. I saw the remaining engines at the bridge about 20 years ago, very impressive machine!
And I like the pose for the Norwich Gothic! Just like the painting...
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Hi Willy,
The garden is looking good! Love the fork! Looks like it has done some serious work!
Would love to go to Forncett! Saw the engines at Tower Bridge when we were over in 2013, would be really neat to see one working. Maybe next time we come over
Cheers Kerrin
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Having had Dave (Bluechip) down to visit again this morning :cheers: he mentioned that you might like to see my Yucca which is just coming into bloom.
Jo
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Onions are looking good, much more advanced than mine ...
Can I ask what they are? Seed or sets. I have some Robinsons from seed but mine were only planted out at the mid May IIRC.
Been too dry here. The red barons ( seed ) ain't doing too well at all ... :'(
Taters, ( Rooster ) are thriving and no sign of blight .... err ... yet .... :thinking:
Had to look up Saskatoons. New one on me ........................
This year the saskatoons have really taken off........cuttings available by post........but don't know exactly what,when ,how, why ,who....my 5 friends !!Interesting stuff about these berries ... temperature today in the green house 119 Degrees imperial !!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/3613753/We-banned-a-berry-and-it-took-Brussels-to-stop-us-being-so-silly.html
Dave
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Second batch of Beetroot picked and heading for the pressure cooker :whoohoo: They never seem to last as long as dinner time to go on the plate :ShakeHead:
Jo
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Second batch of Beetroot picked and heading for the pressure cooker :whoohoo: They never seem to last as long as dinner time to go on the plate :ShakeHead:
Jo
May the Force be with you .... rather you than me :ShakeHead:
Water butts topped up now ?
Nice bit of rain overnight and today :ThumbsUp:
Have the flower spikes on your Yucca all gone now or were the ones at the back just coming on ?
Dave
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I learnt today that beetroot can be considered to be a necessity for what is in front of me ::) I think one of the batch made it to dinner :naughty:
The two garage butts are, the two greenhouse ones are nearly there all good news because one doesn't want to pay to use the hose pipe on the veg patch :hellno: I have arranged for someone to water the Toms while I am skiving off next week :ThumbsUp: Not sure if I trust her to remember :-\ I can remember her poor horse having to wait until midnight to be fed...
The Yuccies are still going and I noticed another further down the garden is also in bloom.
It has rained so I still need to go courgette picking.. :)
Jo
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Darned home grown tomatoes aren't coming in until after the Fourth of July here and the "hot house" ones we're forced to serve are narsty.
Cletus
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My first Tomatoes,Saskatoons and quite big onions.........if anyone in Blighty wants some Saskatoon cutting then they are free gratis !!
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Saskatoons - had to Google what those are, been looking for some fruit trees to plant in the front garden and they sound just the ticket so thanks Willy!
Simon.
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Thought I'd have an experimental poke at me 'taters ...
Still some way to go to harvest but better than I thought considering the dry season.
One plant sacrificed .... 1.1 kg ...
Dave
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Saskatoons - had to Google what those are, been looking for some fruit trees to plant in the front garden and they sound just the ticket so thanks Willy!
Simon.
Hi Simon , The saskatoons are more of a bushy shrub than a tree but mine are now 6 feet tall after 5 years from 1 year cuttings. See you in October ..........
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Hi Willy,
Had my first task of the Saskatoon berries yesterday, all be it as a juice, its good! We are on hoilday in Alberta & they told me the arent fresh until late August. But the jam is real good! Ill have to have a hunt at home to see if i can find any
Cheers Kerrin
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:( The onion crop was not good this year. It must be half what it normally is due to that nasty infection they got earlier in the year.
Decisions time: What do I want to go with my courgettes for dinner :wine1:
Jo
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They look pretty nice to me! ;)
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:( The onion crop was not good this year. It must be half what it normally is due to that nasty infection they got earlier in the year.
Decisions time: What do I want to go with my courgettes for dinner :wine1:
Jo
You got the idea................a nice red wine! :wine1:
Jim
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:( The onion crop was not good this year. It must be half what it normally is due to that nasty infection they got earlier in the year.
Jo
They don't look all that grim, seen a lot worse. Reds look really nice ... :)
Mine doing better after the recent rain ... :)
Biggest is just shy of 130mm dia. , still growing .... :ThumbsUp: , tops not falling over yet.
Red Barons not too chipper though, they never really got over the dry spell .... :(
Dave
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So does anyone cultivate horseradish?
Cletus
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Yes, I have some that make your nose burn and eyes water. Great with roast beef
Mike
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Don't grow it, bit too damned invasive if you're not careful.
As I don't eat chunks of dead cows, ( though I do occasionally scoff minced beef ), I like mashed potato with horseradish and soft cheese.
I used to go to a pub that did rabbit pie and they gave the option of it with the pie.
Alas, boozer extinct .... :'( :'( now a private house.
Those happy days, now long gone, pottering around the Peak District on my Honda 400/4 or it's successor the 550/4 dropping into any pub that took my fancy. :cartwheel:
Very few Rozzers and NO :censored: speed cameras ....
Dave
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Yes, I have some that make your nose burn and eyes water. Great with roast beef
Mike
As it should :ThumbsUp:
Dave
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Hi Jo
Yours, will lay reds out properly tomorrow to finish drying off, though some have thick necks so I don't hold out much hope for those you'll need to use them first ... happy peeling :'( :lolb:
Last Pic. Sorry, don't have any semi-obligatory US coins for comparison, had to use a 500ml Becky can .. :cheers:
Dave
( Biggest I ever grew was 3 lb 11 oz, 1670g, in 1992-ish, a long way short of the UK record )
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203295/Worlds-largest-onion-weighing-18lb-smashes-records-Now-thats-eye-watering.html
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Here in Norridge horseradish is pretty prolific in the wild and on some allotment sites. It is also growing in abundance along railway lines as the cheffs used to chuck all their kitchen waste out the windows of the kitchens in the C19 !!
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:o What do you do to get them that big. Mine are somewhat smaller than that.
Jo
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I would like to claim it is genius on my part :headscratch: but it's just the variety:
http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_ONP1
Those were planted out about 2 weeks before the reds and they got some rain and established reasonably well. The reds were not not so lucky, dry for 2-3 weeks and they never got going. :( ( Even though I watered them ).
On that same site are Rijnsburger (?) onions. Grew some of those once and they are pretty damned hot ... didn't grow them again.
http://www.mammothonion.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_ONH3
Dave
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Hun-yuns tidied up a bit ... :D
65 left after sorting out the doubtfuls and those that some ham-fisted oaf had skewered with the garden fork .... :embarassed:
Too many for my needs, I wonder where I can dump the rest .... :thinking: Hmmmmmmm
Dave
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65 left after sorting out the doubtfuls and those that some ham-fisted oaf had skewered with the garden fork .... :embarassed:
:o That's more than one a week. I don't think you will (safely) get through one of those in a week.
I was planning on spreading the joy of them around :naughty:
Jo
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It's definitely more than one a week. If it's a warm winter, despite being in frost-free but unheated storage they will start to grow around end of Jan, or early Feb. :thinking:
And after that unfortunate episode a few years ago with my home-made brown onion soup ... well, I don't want to say too much ..... they are scape-goating folk for Noxious Emissions and I have no wish to be included. :embarassed:
We shall have to come to some arrangement ... :D
Greenhouse is about ready to be put to it's proper use, ie. storing junk ... :ThumbsUp: While I was at your house yesterday the illustrious Mozz had called and stripped off all the remaining tomatoes. She also left a note to remind her that I'm entitled to pots of chutney if I haven't been supplied by Nov. She forgot me last year and by some labyrinthine process of female reasoning I forgot to remind her so it was MY fault ... as, indeed, it was of course. :shrug:
Dave
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I've just used up the last of your Tomatoes Dave, Thank you :cheers:
Can't say the same about the onions: we are about half way through the monsters ::)
Sadly the year is turning round :-\ I may be lucky and get another one or two courgettes to go with the Steaks. The beetroot is still good and we have just started on the fresh sweetcorn :LickLips:
Jo
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Surprised you are eating them in a salad .. They don't ripen very well at all at the end of the season. I usually fry them with onions & sausages.
You need to get a grip of the onion situation ... :ThumbsUp:
Ready to be loaded in the Fozzy on Sunday ... ;D
Appears to be 42.3 kg ... total.
Kept about 25, including the ones I stabbed. Those will keep me going until about the end of February ... :stir:
Still got my leeks ... :)
Dave
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Surprised you are eating them in a salad ..
:facepalm: that's not a salad, that's a Mediterranean dish - Roasted chicken with peppers, lemon, tomatoes, basil and Chilli :)... and it has only just this min come out of the oven :LickLips:
Leeks :thinking:
Jo
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Looks yummy too Jo! So how do you good people on that side of the pond like to use onions? Other than sliced like for burgers or diced and cooked up in a meat sauce? Are battered and fried onion rings popular at all? How about baked or otherwise cooked whole? Are the ones shown in the pictures considered as white or yellow onions or more of the sweet variety like the Vidalia's over here?
Bill
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:facepalm: that's not a salad, that's a Mediterranean dish - Roasted chicken with peppers, lemon, tomatoes, basil and Chilli :)... and it has only just this min come out of the oven :LickLips:
Leeks :thinking:
Jo
Oops, sorry ... :-[
Being a higgernant Northerner I'm not well versed in things Mediterranean ,apart from my long departed Ducati Sebring :'( ... Anything red and green is usually a salad. ( Or a frog that's been run over ) Such exotic nosh is peripheral to our culture and not readily recognised ... :thinking:
Now such delights as pork pies, ditto scratchings, black pudding, fried onion rings, tripe, trotters etc. are a different matter ... ;D
Dave
EDIT That's flamin' cheating ... slipping in a different pic. :hammerbash:
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Hi Bill,
Onions are an important part of cooked meals like curries (and onion Bhaji's :P ) , casseroles, stews, mince dishes (Shepherds pie, cottage pie, Chilli con carne), Chinese dishes etc. Raw onions are good in salads and for the all important onion chutney to go with your poppadums' (a necessary indulgence before any curry :naughty: )
Roasted onions have a bad reputation, same as onion soup :facepalm2:
EDIT That's flamin' cheating ... slipping in a different pic. :hammerbash: :P
sorry Dave, I showed the one before I cooked it so that you would recognise your tomatoes ::)
I have now eaten half of it and have to remember to drink the wine now ;)
Jo
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Roasted onions have a bad reputation, same as onion soup :facepalm2:
:ShakeHead:
Then they haven't been served right.
Onion soup? Or French onion soup? I will eat T's French onion soup any day.
It's sort of the same with Brussels Sprouts. Most people don't seem to like them. And quite often I don't either. But when they are done right... :ThumbsUp: it's worth it.
So I'll eat them every time in hopes it's the one out of ten that's out of this world.
Onions! Yes. Garlic! Yes. I only stink to those who don't like them. And those who don't like them are no friends of mine anyway. ;D (A small like by the way.)
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Roasted onions have a bad reputation, same as onion soup :facepalm2:
:ShakeHead:
Then they haven't been served right.
Onion soup? Or French onion soup? I will eat T's French onion soup any day.
Any chance of her recipe :naughty: we seem to have buckets of onions to eat ;)
Brussels sprouts complete with the black peppery bits :vomit: They are one of those memories from when I was a kid up there with stringy runner beans = won't eat either any more :hellno:
Jo
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Jo, here's one I do often as a side dish... easy, tasty, and no ill side effects :)
Peel one or more sweet onions down to the edible layer and core our a cone about half the depth of the onion. Put about a tablespoon of butter and a bullion cube in the cored out part and place in a small microwave dish with a lid and nuke for 5-6 minutes on high. Add bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese and nuke for another two minutes. The onion will be well cooked but still with some firmness. Cut it into wedges and eat right from the baking dish. The butter, bullion, cheese and juices from the onion make a great dipping sauce for whatever meat you serve it with as well.
Bill
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Thanks for the visit Dave 8)
I'm going to have to set to and go on a full time diet of onions :help: :lolb:
Bill that sounds tasty :LickLips: I think first up will be a sausage casserole as my freezer is suffering from too many bargain price nice sausages again ::)
Jo
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Thanks for the visit Dave 8)
I'm going to have to set to and go on a full time diet of onions :help: :lolb:
Bill that sounds tasty :LickLips: I think first up will be a sausage casserole as my freezer is suffering from too many bargain price nice sausages again ::)
Jo
Thank you for taking a further consignment of junk ... ;D
Probably as well to go easy on the onion diet. Climate is unstable enough as it is. Best not to provoke it any further eh.??? :ROFL:
Robby's bike problem turned out to be a stuffed relay. Turned on neutral lamp but no power to ignition module or starter button. Now have to rake about to find suitable automotive relay ... know I have some but where . :headscratch: probably quicker to buy one.
Error of judgement going back. :facepalm2: Decided to go over the Hogsback ... Gordon Bennett .... What sadistic creature did the M25 from the A3 to the M3 junctions in concrete ... thud, thud thud, thud for miles .... :insane: How people commute on that surface day after day I just don't know ... I was half way up the M1 before I'd managed to push my eyeballs back in ... :paranoia:
Just finished my medicinal Becky, time for a serious bit of kip ....
Dave
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Thank you for taking a further consignment of junk ... ;D
Probably as well to go easy on the onion diet. Climate is unstable enough as it is. Best not to provoke it any further eh.??? :ROFL:
No problem Dave, I have no problem passing the stuff off to unsuspecting individuals when they visit ;)
I had a very nice young man visit after you left who I asked if I could use and abuse his body :mischief:, I am not sure what he thought he was going to get but he found himself on my house roof putting the cowl back on the chimney and cleaning out my gutters for me. I was very kind to him I only gave him three onions to take home to his wife. Hopefully I have not frightened him off and he will be back for some more next weekend :naughty:.
Lets not talk about concrete motorways :ShakeHead: Just imagine what it is like for the poor people with a house nearby.
Jo
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That's it then for this year .... rather parky this AM.
5.2oC overnight. :( Nice day though. Clear blue sky and sunshine.
Tried to do a bit of DIY but the Snottite has gone all stiff in the cartridges. They're now in a bucket of hot water. Did think of a quick squirt through the microwave but decided against it. :headscratch:
All is not lost. Must be the 'Rum in Coffee' season has come around again. :cheers:
Dave
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Yes, frozen courgettes this morning :toilet_claw: the beetroot will be woody from now onwards :disappointed:
At least the last few tomatoes are still ripening in the greenhouse. Sadly I lost one grow bag of my sandwich tomatoes to some sort of infection but I seem to have managed to restrain it to only that bag :)
:wallbang: I knew there was something else I should have picked up at my supplier yesterday - 40% proof cold cure :facepalm:
Jo
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Those toms look nice. What sort are they?
I think I will give those things I grew a miss next year. Too big :)
Had a laugh yesterday. I gave Mozz about a dozen leek plants earlier this year. Plonk 'em in your borders as dot plants.
She said they did look quite impressive, and nice blue-green leaves. :)
Followed by "Are they proper 'eating leeks' and when are they ripe?" :lolb: :lolb:
"They're ripe any time you dig 'em up" ..... :headscratch:
Dave
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Those toms look nice. What sort are they?
The sort they sell in Waitrose and I kept some seeds from ::)
The onions are going down well. I am now having to restrict people on how many they can have ;)
Ripe leeks :Lol: that is almost as good as non edible leeks :lolb:
Jo
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Jo and Dave
Try this stuff for a cold cure
Glenfarclas 105. Be careful it’s full cask strength not cut at the distillery about 70% proof
Needs a little water to enjoy but even then it can stop you talking but by ek it’s smooooth
Alas now I cannot drink alcohol due to my meds. :facepalm:
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Jo and Dave
Try this stuff for a cold cure
Glenfarclas 105. Be careful it’s full cask strength not cut at the distillery about 70% proof
Aah, but does it work for more serious afflictions like Man-Flu ??
EDIT Ooops .. a cure for cold temperatures ??? Got it wrong ... AGAIN .....
Dave
( :Doh: moment. The last thing I did before I packed in for the day was to do a bit of gloss painting in the garage, on the grounds that it would dry overnight and I wouldn't forget and get it mucked up. Guess what silly bugger's just been in there and plonked his paw on it? )
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Hi all green fingered engineers,
Reading all of your exploits in gardening prompted me to attach the two pics showing my line and only chilli plant which is a "Big Sun Habanero" chilli apparently between 250,000 and 350,000 on the heat scale.
If you like them Jo, I can bring some for you to the Midlands show and they should cure any cold.
Mike
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Hi Mike,
Cure the a cold, they're probably what's causing global warming!
Nothing to post here from the garden, the most excitement was emptying the compost bins onto the veg patch in readiness for R to start planting in a week or two. Mind you the new strawberry plants keep wanting to flower, they get picked off, soon they will be allowed to go for it.
Cheers Kerrin
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If you like them Jo, I can bring some for you to the Midlands show and they should cure any cold.
:naughty: Yes please, I might have to save them for my next volcanic Chilli Con Carne ... that is another good cold cure :)
Jo
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Linda has just harvested the last of the chilli’s don’t know the scoville rating is but they are small and very hot , just nice for Chinese meals ( note I am the head cook ) :old:
As a side note they do freeze well , to use do not let them thaw but chop up when frozen else they go squishy they may be a little less hot but not that much
I use seeds as well :mischief:
Hope your trip goes well Jo
Just got in from the vets having had the shingles jab another quid bonus for the vet :Mad:
Stuart
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:whoohoo:
Spring is just around the corner ... Must be, my snowdrops are coming up :headscratch:
Yours poking through yet Jo ???
Dave
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:o I had a quick check but not so far :(
There are a few little noses here and there :) but not snowdrops
Jo
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Alas the vegetable year is coming to the end :(
My father generously has been helping :) by digging out the potatoes that I had interspersed with the now dead courgette plants so no more courgettes with every meal :-\ But it is odd he has dug over a bit 15ft by 6ft and got as many potatoes out of it as I got in an area 6ft by 3ft :noidea:
Based on the poor potato return where my father has dug out my potatoes it might be safer if I finish digging them out myself :thinking: Its either he is not picking them all up or :o he is living up to his other name of the phantom potato thief :ShakeHead:
The runners are cleared out and the dreaded beetroot eater has eaten all the tops off my beetroot has moved on to trying out the Asparagus: It seems anything green is fair game as this time of the year :rant:
Jo
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Jo:
The potato yield looks a bit sparse :thinking: ... how many plants was that ???
I reckon the ancestor is legging it with about 75% of the crop ... :Lol:
That's about one and a bit potato plants worth ... or just one on a good year .. :)
They are easy to miss though. When I got mine up I went down the rows a second time and turned up some corkers.
Wondered how I missed them :headscratch: I probably still left some in there, they'll appear in spring no doubt.
Dave
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That was two plants. I was quiet pleased with them being that I ignored them and never fed or watered them. I normally aim to get just enough from each plant for one meal, so I can dig them fresh for the pot and those two went well beyond requirements :)
We have decided that growing potatoes as a filler crop between the courgettes is a good idea and will be doing it in future years. Of course where you have grown potatoes you will always get potatoes :Lol:
Dad legged it with well over 75% of my potatoes last year :-\
Jo
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Here is a classic case of global warming for you.... Every year this Maple tree (on the right) is the first to drop all its leaves. Thankfully by the end of September it has dropped all of them and the mower has disposed of them. This year and we are past bonfire night when we normally do the last burn of the leaves etc and it still has a good half of its leaves still up there :noidea:
And the weeds are still growing :rant: all those beds that I have cleared need re-clearing :wallbang:
Jo
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Yes its getting warmer
we still have hedgehogs about ( don't see them but they still leave their droppings around the rock garden ).
yet our trees have dropped there leaves in double quick time must have been the wind :stir:
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yet our trees have dropped there leaves in double quick time must have been the wind :stir:
As long as the wind dumps them else where :ThumbsUp:
You can probably see that monster Oak tree in my neighbours front garden (15ft from their house :o ) Come boxing day it finally remembers to drop its leaves and my kitchen garden can be 6" deep with them in places :Doh: I normally try to catch them and dump them in the compost heap. I tried digging them into the veg patch but the :censored: things keep rising to the surface :ShakeHead:
Best on the compost heap and try not to throw hot embers from the house fire on them ::)
Jo
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Here in good old Springbucket Tennessee we’ve had a really strange weather year. The summer wasn’t as hot as normal and was much wetter than usual. The fall started out with below normal temps and then thing started warming up. Lou and I attended the local Titans NFL game Sunday and it was over 80 degrees F. According to my customer base, everyone’s garden this year yielded below normal yields. The poor tomato crop was pitiful :smokin2:. Thanks to the hurricanes, I just spoke with a friend of mine in Florida and he couldn’t find locally grown oranges to incorporate into his menu . This old world is a changing and why should we not expect it to: remember the ice age :lolb:.
Cletus
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It's the heat from all those foundries trying to keep up with Jo's never ending demand for castings :LittleDevil:
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Maybe Jo should try some of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrL_8D5jpDk
Cletus
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I think Jo will be much better off with the older cure of either Mackeson or Guinness, and certainly more fun than Geritol.
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Given the amount of cast iron dust Jo has no doubt breathed in while turning her castings into swarf I would have thought that she has plenty of iron in her blood and it is probably rust coloured :mischief:
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I think I would prefer Mike suggestion of Mackie :LickLips: rather than the 200mg of Ferrous Sulphate that is currently in my set of "shake rattle and roll" tablets every day :facepalm:
My favourite are the Opioid tablets :slap: but I have to avoid the :wine1: :DrinkPint: if I need one of those :-\
Jo
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Good gosh Cletus....that is one OLD commercial but maybe the stuff works....she is in her 90's now I think and still looks 20 years younger.
Bill
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I'd go with Guinness rather than Geritol anyday of the week, but the dose would be in pints not tablespoons!
Chris
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Good gosh Cletus....that is one OLD commercial but maybe the stuff works....she is in her 90's now I think and still looks 20 years younger.
Bill
Hey Bill..............instead of G & T's (gin and tonic)..................maybe we should start drinking G & G's (gin and geritol)! :DrinkPint:
Jim
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I'll let you give it a try Jim. You can tell me how it tastes :lolb:
Bill
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I couldn’t help myself. I thought it was a great way for Jo to satisfy her need for “iron” . Watch those opiods girl. They are the next best thing to sex and that’s the reason we have a terrible addiction problem here in the states. I’ve know a few good, successful business people, that after for whatever reason, opiods were prescribed and they damn near lost the “farm” . As an employer of the “working force “, opiods are the greatest downfall of our workforce in the States at the present. However, I can’t say that a Percocet or two is any worse than a bottle of wine. I guess one just has to have their convictions and be careful.
Cletus
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Watch those opiods girl. They are the next best thing to sex and that’s the reason we have a terrible addiction problem here in the states.
Thanks Big E,
I am being careful with them I have only taken one dose so far and I was floating on the clouds. Not sure about the sex bit, I can think of better things to do and of course it is Thursday which means it is casting fondling night :cartwheel:
:pinkelephant: (for both of us ::) )
Jo
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First snowdrop .... :D
Spring is around the corner ... hopefully :cartwheel:
Don't look like the ones you showed me Jo. :headscratch: Foliage is quite different. I reckon father has made off with them ... :lolb:
Dave
Ooops ... camera still on BST :shrug:
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I sure hope that spring is just around the corner, because, Monday it was 73F and today it’s 39F with nighttime lows in the teens. Did I ever tell y’all how much that I hate winter :lolb:
Cletus
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I sure hope that spring is just around the corner, because, Monday it was 73F and today it’s 39F with nighttime lows in the teens. Did I ever tell y’all how much that I hate winter :lolb:
Cletus
Sounds like you need to embrace winter more. We can send you a couple tons of snow to hug...!
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R is just about to start pulling her hair out, water restrictions hit this week, had a wet year until November. Temperatures not that hi....25 26 err C but the humidity is up there, problem is we get wInd with the sun. The garden is looking good, the lawn well it still mostly green, just! Hopefully we can keep the garden growing.
Cheers Kerrin
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But the popcorn, Kerrin, what about the popcorn?
:popcorn: :popcorn:
Pete
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Hi Pete,
Seems to be thriving! I’ll keep a close eye on it!
Cheers Kerrin
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Don't look like the ones you showed me Jo. :headscratch: Foliage is quite different. I reckon father has made off with them ... :lolb:
8) I found more of those big-uns around the garden. I will have to stop strimming the grass as there are lots of bulbs in there ::) You are right he might have pinched the older snowdrops :ShakeHead:
Thanks for the Xmas card Dave :)
Jo
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First Snowdrops, now Crocus in bloom in December :headscratch:
This global warming is getting very odd... I even saw a couple of daffs thinking about coming out ::)
Jo
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First Snowdrops, now Crocus in bloom in December :headscratch:
This global warming is getting very odd... I even saw a couple of daffs thinking about coming out ::)
Jo
Can you send some of that warming over this way? It's 7 (F) this morning, going to be even colder the rest of the week. About 6" of snow too... :(
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Can you send some of that warming over this way? It's 7 (F) this morning, going to be even colder the rest of the week. About 6" of snow too... :(
I gave it a go... actually I might have got it wrong as we seem to have some of your snow over here :facepalm:
Hopefully it will stop soon :paranoia:
Jo
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Aaaaaaaargh .... !!!!! 'Orrible wet snow ..... :rant:
Just rain here. Temp. is 2.2oC
Radiator fondling day I think.
Got a bit of glossing to finish off in the shop but it can wait. Won't dry anyway :headscratch:
Dave
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Talked to youngest son on his Christmas day......taking wind chill in Calgary & here..... 55 degrees C difference !! :insane:
Had to have a :DrinkPint: when I got home from W..K to help get over that!
Wife is currently doing battle with an Aussie import who has decided to visit the lettuce patch, he seems to like trimming the them with square tops!! The guy across the road dropped over a trap, if the grand monsters hadn't been here for an early Xmas the little blighter would be buried already!! So made do with netting which is keeping him a bay for the time being!!
Cheers Kerrin
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Nippy here .. :( Already down to 2.3oC in the greenhouse.
Rescued my onion seedlings :ThumbsUp: The big variety is on the left. Still germinating slowly, most up now though.
Dave
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Huions are all in, potatoes are appearing all over and we have beetroot sign :cartwheel:
Greenhouse has those first four toms in (Thank you Dave :-* ). The other Toms are a long way behind but at least I have managed to acquire the necessary grow bags for them. And there are lots of seedlings busy growing for when they are big and strong enough to come out :whoohoo:
The courgettes are coming along and have taken over the conservatory :naughty: And Surus is looking after that lovely bunch of flowers I was given :-X
Don't you love this time of year in the garden 8)
Jo
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Err .. Are those tomatoes under the staging ???? :headscratch:
What happens when they start growing??
Doing well there Jo. Nothing much going on here. All happens in about 2 weeks. Hopefully ... :thinking:
Been doing the part of the garden where the Roosters were last year. Tiller fetched up two huge spuds ... dunno how I missed them ... :old:
Chopped up by the cultivator otherwise I could have scoffed them. :facepalm2:
Did have some Alpine Pinks delivered from Whetmans. Nice healthy little rooted cuttings.
At my first house I had a lot. Always liked them ... :D
Dave
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Err .. Are those tomatoes under the staging ???? :headscratch: What happens when they start growing??
I lift out the removable staging panels along by the glass as by that time the seedlings in the trays will be transplanted out. If you look carefully at the photo you will see the second panel along is already out ::)
Alpine Pinks... Dianthus? I grew a few the other year and they seemed to have done well :D Last job for today: I installed the irrigation system for the Toms. It proved to be very effective last year when I was recovering from the elephant extraction so I have decided to install it again this year, much easier to top up pots on the staging rather than bending down trying to find watering points under the foliage :ThumbsUp:
Jo
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Ah, removable staging. Clever stuff ... :thinking: Your technology is obviously far in front of mine.
Yup, Dianthus .. these things:
http://www.whetmanpinks.com/alpine-pinks/
Not much to do with gardens but ... Would you believe I've found YET ANOTHER box of 200 assorted springs :facepalm: Same contents, same box, Hilka this time.
Does it ever end ??
Dave
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You have been busy Jo! It all looks very nice.
Dave
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Have been busy in the allotment...planting out peas I always put plastic tubs around them ..stops slugs/snails/pigeons etc etc etc ....also i have lots of these water containers to use as mini greenhouses .. also I have a few Sasskatoon shrubs growing Also part of the allotment last year Sweetcorn ..Beans Jerusalem artichokes and green manure.....
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I thought that snails could climb any kind of plastic .... :thinking: .... so that leaves the question :
Any particular plastic type Willy ...?
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I don't know ...however i think it works because the can't see or smell the seedlings ? also i use beer traps...I collect beer from the local pub and put it in small containers and put a tub with narrow legs over them ... this keeps the rain out and during the day they like to hide out of sight of birds etc...they then get drunk on the beer and drown or some thing.....!!
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Know how they feel: I do that with beer from the local pub myself occasionally :lolb: :lolb:
Cletus
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..they then get drunk on the beer and drown or some thing.....!!
Sounds much like my holiday on the Broads ... :embarassed: ... except I got pulled out :D
Dave
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Willy,
What do the birds think of those little dunked delight?
Cheers Kerrin
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Always it seems something keeps me out of the workshop at this time of the year :Doh: This is Day 2 after I had a chestnut tree delivered by my good friend Olie and it is not the whole tree :( he gave some back to the original owner for their fire :disappointed:
The second "warm of wood" is underway, weather permitting... It does nothing for the grass :ShakeHead:
Jo
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Nice load of tootsie toasting wood there ... :D
And a fair heap of mulch if you stick all the twiggy bits through the shredder.
Nowt happening here. Too cold. 5.8oC overnight in the g/house.
Got the C.H. on at the mo. :old:
Why 18th April on the pics ???
Dave
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Great idea but I go off mulching this stuff after about an hour there is a couple of day's worth of mulching there :Doh:
Why 18th April on the pics ???
I file photos as "year month date" to make them easier to search for.
Jo
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Great idea but I go off mulching this stuff after about an hour there is a couple of day's worth of mulching there :Doh:
Why 18th April on the pics ???
I file photos as "year month date" to make them easier to search for.
Jo
YY MM DD ??? Ah! So .... Never thought of that ... :headscratch:
I find poking twiggy bits through the shredder very therapeutic ...... chomp-chomp-chomp-chomp .. reminds me of my rabbits .. before they went in the pot ;D
Sun's trying to come out. Not very successfully, still a damn cold NE wind ... :(
Dave
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Poor old electric chainsaw seemed to be having temperature cut out problems this morning due to too much use ... So I decided to venture in and participate in a cuppa and 3 :naughty: Jaffas cakes.
After the Jaffa break the saw only seemed to work if given a quick shake first :noidea: Then there was a massive spark at the end of the saw :o and I found a damaged cable ... Having cut the end off the wire and reattached it to the saw I was even more concerned to find that while the spark had melted through the cable all of the fuses were still intact that bare cable had been live :paranoia:
There are a couple of walking ways through the tree remains now...time to go and safely play woodsman again :)
Jo
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Funny things, fuses & circuit breakers.
About a year ago I managed to 'plane' the cable on the scratty Silverline planer I had.
Not a nice tool but handy for jobs where a nail or similar might be present.
Saves the Makita for posh stuff :)
The 13A plug fuse didn't let go. ( Why do these things ALWAYS seem to come with a 13A fuse?? Only 400W, my old Bosch planer was more than that and it ran for years with a 5A :headscratch: Never popped on load )
A B16 breaker feeding the garage sockets didn't trip.
A B20 in the house Consumer Unit that feeds the garage & shed did trip.
Don't forget a fuse takes time to let go. If there is a long cable from the fuse to the short that adds some ohms and it would delay the fuse popping.
Bet Stuart knows all about this stuff, more his province than mine ... :zap:
Dave
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Could it have just been sparking across a broken live or neutral, that would explain why you needed to jiggle the cables and would not be a short so fuse would stay intact.
The bonsai have kept me out of the workshop over the last few weekends but I have now got all the ones that needed repotting done. I like them best at this time of year just as the leaves have opened and larch needles come out. Last pic shows Jo why it is hard for me to get some of the trees into the greenhouse to repot when the weather is bad, as the soil is 75% granite grit it must weight over 50kg and another 15 or so for the pot.
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Could it have just been sparking across a broken live or neutral, that would explain why you needed to jiggle the cables and would not be a short so fuse would stay intact
Piccy looks as if there is molten copper so more likely a s / cct.
Cables often rupture just after the strain relief because they are wound up too tight after use ... Yes. I do too :embarassed: I noticed a split in the insulation on my 4" angle grinder cable a few weeks ago and had to re-do the connection.
I SHOULD KNOW BETTER !!!!!
But then I'm but a poor sinner .... :D
Dave
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Hi Jason,
Very nice looking trees! Whats the average age?
Cheers Kerrin
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I've had most of what's there for 28-30 years and they would have been 10-15 years old when bought so 40-45 years old.
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Thanks Jason,
I tried a couple of times......killed them with kindness! Luckily, or not for the trees, they were only very young
Cheers Kerrin
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Let me preface: I'm not a gardener. Too many years spent growing up on a small family farm, where if you weren't working on some other chore (Dad, can I help you in the shop?), you were on hands and knees weeding the garden. Bleah. When the missus is gardening, I'd rather be in the garage, working on the latest spinny thing...
:stickpoke: But SWMBO complained that her hanging pot hooks, i.e. bent "shepherd's crooks" from 1/2" iron rod, were too flimsy to hold her new strawberry pots. She wants them off the ground, so the slugs can't get at them. But the pots weigh too much, and the rod wants to buckle and tip, and the soil is too soft from the April rains, to keep the things standing.
Well, that sounded like an engineering challenge, and what red-blooded metalsmith would ignore same?
Pics below:
#1 shows the before (well, the un-modified one, left alone to continue holding up a lightweight windchime)
#2 shows the double-hooked variety, modified by welding it inside a bit of 3/4" steel pipe to stiffen up the vertical rod, and a foot leg welded on the tippy axis to help it prop against the soft soil, and the whole kit shoved into the ground alongside the patio which supports in the off-axis.
#3 shows the weakest one (thinner rod, maybe 3/8"?), modified to stand alone with a double-cross base of 1.5x3/4 in. rectangular tube leftover from the milling machine base, and the remainder of the 3/4" pipe to stiffen the vertical standard.
So, a honey-do "gardening" task completed, but I got to spend time with the TIG welder :whoohoo:. Pretty cool 8)
We'll see if any lasting brownie points were tallied up. Astute observers will note a post-welding beverage aside the freshly painted hook in the last photo, shout out to Mr. Jameson and Co. :wine1:
Now the slate is cleared, maybe I'll get back to my latest engine project.
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I bet she appreciated those :cheers:
Between my trusty bandsaw and the electric chain saw the Pear tree has been rescued from under the heap of branches. The branches are now in the wood store which is already three layers deep in the bay :cartwheel:
So the choice: :wine1: or play with the chopper :naughty: or both ::)
Jo
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Pear wood - ever use those chunks to make a slab for model/craft work? Supposedly a pretty good wood, with fine pores and reasonably tight grain.
Reminds me, I need to figure out a good mallet for knocking the drawbar down on the mini mill (my deadblow hammer is too big, and the other hammers might ding the drawbar nut), so maybe I'll whip out a light bronze/brass hammer head and whittle an alder tree branch for a handle. Or go buy a smaller deadblow...
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Reminds me, I need to figure out a good mallet for knocking the drawbar down on the mini mill (my deadblow hammer is too big, and the other hammers might ding the drawbar nut), so maybe I'll whip out a light bronze/brass hammer head and whittle an alder tree branch for a handle. Or go buy a smaller deadblow...
I made one from the "Home Machinist's Handbook". Brass head with knurled aluminum handle. Might have been my 1st if not 2nd ever project. Worked well for the mini and works well for my new mill.
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Pear wood - ever use those chunks to make a slab for model/craft work? Supposedly a pretty good wood, with fine pores and reasonably tight grain.
Reminds me, I need to figure out a good mallet for knocking the drawbar down on the mini mill (my deadblow hammer is too big, and the other hammers might ding the drawbar nut), so maybe I'll whip out a light bronze/brass hammer head and whittle an alder tree branch for a handle. Or go buy a smaller deadblow...
Pear and lemon are both great for ship models, my favorite picks. Very tight grain, crisp edges.
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What a woose :-\ I hardly tickled it and thirst :wine1: has won out :disappointed:
Jo
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Is it just me or has everybody got Michael Palin singing 'I'm a Lumberjack and I'm O.K.' running through their head ..... ??? :headscratch:
Dave
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Had I your shed and wood...it'd probably be destroyed within a year by termites.
I was doing a little reading about termites and the UK. Sounds like a rare problem but has started increasing since the 90's?
When we renovated our house last year...we discovered them in the garage as well as in part of the basement. Thankfully, insufficient damage to force repairs but still costly to take of.
Is it just me or has everybody got Michael Palin singing 'I'm a Lumberjack and I'm O.K.' running through their head ..... ??? :headscratch:
Dave :cussing: It was just you. Now it's not.
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Don't you mean a Lumberjill?
Isn't it about time you treated yourself to a small hydraulic splitter Jo before you split yourself?
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Isn't it about time you treated yourself to a small hydraulic splitter Jo before you split yourself?
I was told they are not a lot of good ::)
And I enjoy taking my frustrations from work out with an Axe >:D
Jo
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I’ve just popped in on this one again. Chestnut wood: it brings an absorbent price on this side of the pond. Back before whatever blight , in whatever year, killed all the chestnuts over here, it was a popular choice for woodwork and trim for the wealthy. Now that a lot of those homes are being restored and the “new wealthy” want to recreate; the price of chestnut is off the chart. Jo, over here, the smaller splitters that would be any good for you would be in the $1500-1800US range. I also use an electric chainsaw for all the wood in our BBQ business. We use the Stihl commercial series, and find that with the lower RPM, less heat is generated, meaning longer chain life, and we cut a lotta wood. Sunny and 82F here today and Lou has invited me for a drink and a swim after dinner :cheers:
Cletus
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Don't forget peeps this is on next week ,so lets hope it is warm !!!
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Hm. Might be something that would get me interested in gardening. Wonder if the missus would be game... :mischief: :LittleDevil:
Jo, is that a Fiskar axe leaning on the shed? How d'ya like it?
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Jo, is that a Fiskar axe leaning on the shed? How d'ya like it?
So that isn't a Fiskar :disagree: It is a Bacho, I have been very pleased with it, especially the fast splitting head. I have some of the cheaper single angle splitting head axes before and I am now convinced that really they are nothing better than wedges on a handle for someone to hold it in place when it is hit with the sledge hammer.
Thanks Big E, I would like to try out one of those cheap electric splitter to see if they are better than I suspect but most claim they cut up to 12" and that size is a total non event with the hand splitter. It is things like those massive base rings that are the challenge and there is no way I could even lift those up to get them on an electric splitter :hellno:
Once the easy ones are over I will be able to get at the grenade and then comes the long haul with the chainsaw of splitting the horrible bits. At least the chainsaw is not finding any problems with this stuff... Ever tried doing anything with 2 month old Eucalyptus :toilet_claw:
Jo
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Chainsaw and grenade from now onwards :wine1:
And then hope for good weather for a HUGE bonfire of the frith at the weekend >:D
Jo
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Being in the BBQ business, we use predominantly hickory and oak. The “foo foo, new generation “ uses apple, cherry , and such. I’m kinda curious as to how a chestnut wood smoked meat would taste :shrug:
Cletus
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Sorry no idea all of that will be going in my log burner. It is a very soft wood almost as bad as Leylandi
Just found this: https://hotsmoked.co.uk/smoking-woods/chestnut-wood-chips.html :o And I was going to put all the saw dust on the flowerbeds as mulch ::)
Jo
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Looks like you need to be chipping and bagging. At those prices; you could increase the casting holding with jus “chips from your property “ :stir:: no moths would be harmed :lolb:
Big E
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Hi Jo,
Round this part of the globe you can hire log splitters.......elf & safety haven’t got them banded yet! They aren’t the sort of item you use a lot, might be worth a look.
Looking like spring has arrived big time in your garden.
Cheers Kerrin
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Maybe when I get older I will think about hiring one, thanks Kerrin :ThumbsUp: I'll try to remember to post a couple of pics of the flowerbeds once I have mowed the lawn ::)
So on with the clearing I started with the bits that needed to be chain sawed rather than split then started thinking about the huge rings that I can't move :toilet_claw:
At this point I could hear a certain someone humming his happy casting fondling tune :thinking: Then I realised :o it is Thursday and Surus isn't sitting on the Dinning room table, he has skadoodled off to the library and as it is Thursday is helping himself to my castings :hellno: Time to call it an early night and make sure I know what he is up to :wine1:
Jo
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:thinking: Still not convinced that shredding all of this is a good idea... 30 mins and one wheelbarrow load to show for it :noidea:
Just found my ear defenders - I bet my neighbours are going to love this :Lol:
Jo
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Ye Gods !!!! Half an hour for that bit :headscratch:
Mine would take about 5 mins. and it's quiet. Doubt if MY neighbours would hear it.
Do you have to push the stuff into the blade?
Mine has one of the 'slab-mill' chopper-uppers, like this:
www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/bosch-axt-25-d-quiet-garden-shredder
Lower left piccy. :ThumbsUp:
Mine is a predecessor of that model but the principle is the same. Once it grabs the material it pulls it in. It's done for.
Those bitty things you have would be no problem.
Flog some castings and buy a proper one ..... :stir: ;)
Dave
White Bells look nice .. :)
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Yes you have to hand push the stuff in :( The blade is a disc with two side blades that does the damage, plastic box is designed to improve the sound output :Lol: Two hours three barrow loads :facepalm:
That looks a better design... Are you sure you don't need a replacement Dave ::)
I promise some pics of the blue, pink and white bells later ;)
Jo
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The slab blade ones work very well. I bought an Aldi special (£99 IIRC) about 4 years ago and it is quiet, adjustable, feeds back out if required to clear a ja. Works a dream.
Colin
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That looks a better design... Are you sure you don't need a replacement Dave ::)
Jo
Nope, I don't need a replacement. As I no longer have any use for the one I have I was going to offer it to you the last time I came down but Tojo-2 was stuffed full so it stayed here. :headscratch: It is in the way
Yours if you want it :ThumbsUp:
It's a AXT 2200HP .... which I presume is 2.2kW or 2.2 HP ... I doubt very much if it's 2200 Horsepower ... :Lol:
PS Get a pair of croccy clips and attach it to the 400kV grid. You might get 2200HP :zap: Try it and report back. We're all agog .... :lolb:
Piccy Att.
Dave
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That looks a better design... Are you sure you don't need a replacement Dave ::)
Jo
Nope, I don't need a replacement. As I no longer have any use for the one I have I was going to offer it to you the last time I came down but Tojo-2 was stuffed full so it stayed here. :headscratch: It is in the way
Yours if you want it :ThumbsUp:
Yes please :whoohoo:
One mound down :ThumbsUp: two to go.... weather is awful down here just had to have a choc ice :facepalm:
I still have not had any of the neighbours come round to find out what I am up to ::)
Jo
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You lucky Young girl :pinkelephant:
Just had the fence company here I had identified the internet cable for them , guess what first shovel clang steel pipe :facepalm2: it’s not the current gas it’s mellow yellow plastic,not the watta
Must be the old town gas supply not connected as the gas is all plastic.
They got out the cat ( I dislike them things JCB’s find cables ) had a swipe round it did not detect the live gas plastic pipe :facepalm:
No danger of sparks as the service is HSOS
Take care that brown stuff is nasty stuff
88’s Stuart
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Thanks Stuart :) you missed the fun with the mains cable on my chainsaw last weekend :zap:
As promised a few pics of the garden:
1, Approach to house every where wild primroses or English bluebells :facepalm:
2 & 3, View from Conservatory... Blues bells, White bells and a few pink bells :-\.
4, Other side of that bed with Rodies coming out - more bluebells, white bells and pink bells ::)
5, Site of old Apple tree... Bluebells, white bells
If you want some White bells Dave I have a small spare clump in the holding bed ;)
The apple tree is in bloom.
and the Courgettes are busy out in the vegetable patch deciding who wants to go where.
Jo
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I think I would have heard a cheer go up in the next village when I finished shredding this afternoon if I had not been wearing my ear plugs ::)
Having got that behind me I decided to celebrate and ordered myself a new chainsaw as I think I might have already damaged the guide bar too much :ShakeHead: and I know I am going to do nasty things with it splitting the last remaining little rings >:D
Jo
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You might want to think about getting a rip blade for when you are cutting bits like that along the grain, they cut far better than trying to do it with a standard crosscut blade. I have one for my large Husky.
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Don't forget 'naked gardening day' !! and who is it that always says "pictures please" ;D :-\ :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsDown: :ROFL:
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Hi Jo,
A couple of years back w...k got in a bunch of tree feelers to remove some old pines & others that had been planted 30 years before & not looked after, anything small than 12 " went thru there shedder!! She was some toy, hardly slowed down when the logs hit the blades!!
Garden looks to be growing at a good rate!!
Cheers Kerrin
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You might want to think about getting a rip blade for when you are cutting bits like that along the grain, they cut far better than trying to do it with a standard crosscut blade. I have one for my large Husky.
I will be using my carbide tipped circular saw for the next phase... not for a couple of hours yet as too many townies have moved out here and they don't seem to understand that Sunday morning starts in the country at the same time as every other morning in the week :disappointed:
Rip blade = kick back blade :paranoia:
I have some blades that are like rip blades, they are jumpy :paranoia:
Don't forget 'naked gardening day' !! and who is it that always says "pictures please" ;D :-\ :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsDown: :ROFL:
We wouldn't want to jump the gun so we were going to let you post your pictures first Willy ::)
Thanks Kerrin :)
Edit: Damaged guide bar :o stops play I've ordered a new one... and that new chainsaw :naughty: Circulair saw is a no, no on this stuff
Jo
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Hope you have a rip blade in the circular saw too, all my rip blades of this type are AKB = Anti kick back :ThumbsUp: I would not be going near round green wood with a circ saw though.
http://www.awsaws.uk/anti_kick_back_rip_saw_blades.html
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May Fayre stopped play ::)
As is traditional the beer tent attracted the usual side of Morris dancers :facepalm:
The May Queen arrived in true country style :ThumbsUp: Even if getting them out of the waggon remains a bit of a challenge. And the company rounding things off with a bit of maypole dancing.... and no doubt the Morris Dancers will be back for another fling once the beer tent is dry ;)
Jo
P.S. My neighbour Dave (who scratch built Onward) says he can get my Tee rings done and any other laser/water jetting I need :cartwheel:
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Good Lord . The Morris Dancers look a bit outlandish ... :headscratch:
So where's the pics. of you and the rest of the Hampshire Unisex Nude Leapfrog Display Team ??? :LittleDevil:
Too damned hot here. Over 30oC in the garage. Couldn't be bothered with lunch. Took to slurping 'Speckled Hen' and chomping Pork Scratchings ...
Dave
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So where's the pics. of you and the rest of the Hampshire Unisex Nude Leapfrog Display Team ??? :LittleDevil:
We do sports at the Summer Fete ::) Three nude (male) cyclists got it wrong one year and turned up to the May Fayre instead :Doh: Lots of the ladies found it necessary to go and explain this to them to make sure they came back again later in the year :embarassed:
All I can say is I am pleased we went over to use real wheelbarrows for the wheelbarrow race these days - used to get some nasty grass burns doing it :(
Jo
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So At the allotment fondling my fruit bushes and also a pic of my Sascatoon bush !! Oh and i hold my hands up....that isn't me ...you can tell because i don't have a six pack !!! ;D :ROFL: :facepalm: :facepalm:
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Nothing growing that you can eat...............finally remade the shed door frame that was cut in half to extract the Burrell ::) just using scrap offcuts. Also wasted a bit of time making a "window frame" around an old mirror. Fixed to the garden wall it adds a bit of interest and has totally confused the dog. Terry
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Like the mirrors :ThumbsUp:
My neighbour has a rotten wall on his wood conservatory (green/mould etc :( ) so I put three huge mirror wardrobe doors up on my side just behind my climbing rose to cover it up. It improved the look no end and made it look like there was doubled the number of rose blooms ;D
Jo
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Special garden pics for you Dave as you have had to delay your visit :(
The ground is a bit wet so I am going to be forced to spend the morning in the workshop :-\
Jo
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Hi Jo
Ah yes, all beginning to look nice and summery. :) What breed are those potatoes between the courgettes? Roosters ? My Mayan Gold are doing reasonably well now but the Sarpo Mira are still only just poking through .... :headscratch: Yours growing ?? Maybe just a slow variety ?? Damned annoying for all that.
Just put 18 red cabbage plants under a fleece cover .... :rant: :cussing: :rant: :cussing: What a flamin' crackpot performance. You cannot say there is any appreciable wind but the wretched stuff goes anywhere . Got some timber coming tomorrow, Might just get some plastic netting and make a frame :thinking:
Have a nice slurp :wine1: I've seen enough for today, not sure whether to have a :DrinkPint: before my shower or after. Might do both, bound to be right then ;D
Dave
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Hi Dave,
Potatoes: Round the outer edge = Whites/Anyas. First two rows between the courgettes are roosters then next two are the Sarpo Mira :ThumbsUp: Last row before the path and the other side of the path are more anyas (now with a couple of rogue pots caught running round the onion patch :Doh: )
Fleece covers :facepalm: they are a pain.
The weeds are growing :ShakeHead: I've started transplanting out the flower seedlings before someone takes a shine to them and decides I have too many and that they would look better in his garden than mine ::)
You are right it is time for a :DrinkPint: and settle down to watch the F1 :cartwheel:
Jo
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Its that time of the year again...Twice today I went into the workshop to find a Monster Hornet flying round :paranoia:
Don't know what happened to the first one, might have been the same one twice over :noidea: The second time I showed it the window so its out now :) but they have friends and once you see one....
Sorry no photos - I was too busy keeping out if its way :paranoia:
Jo
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Harry and Megan are coming to the plot tomorrow......something about some royal weeding ??!!!!
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Sad they missed the “nude gardening day” Willie :lolb: Jo, those damned hornets are terrible. They feel like being hit by an electrically charged rock.
Cletus
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Hi Jo ,i'm glad the frost didn't get your courgettes a few days ago...seems quite a lot of them or are they something else ??
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I do companion planting Willie, the courgettes are inter sown with my potatoes. Both are bullies ::) and at least you can move the courgettes if they head off for a shade fight with their neighbours. The pots are normally just loosing their foliage when the courgettes move into attempting
world veggie patch domination ;)
That queen European Hornet is still hunting for a new nest site :paranoia: Last seen heading into my Porkiebin so between her and the horrible weather I have been forced into the workshop :facepalm:
Jo
P.S. I found out what is attracting her ladyship :paranoia: its the Elderflowers behind the PorkieBin, European Hornets like the bugs that are on Elderflowers :toilet_claw:
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Seems some of us do engines and gardens. I thought I'd post mine too. Ass veggies and fruit. The flowers are what we call wildflowers, some call them weeds. They seem to help keep the bees around.
Green beans, okra, several varieties of each, tomatoes, peppers, and squash.
maury
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How I like to spend time in the garden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTew71Axs4A
Andy
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Andy, very nice model. Is that a hot tube ignition?
BTW, that word should have been "assorted", I got a little too much soup on my keyboard a while back.
maury
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Yes Maury it's hot tube ignition using a miniature gas ring that surrounds the hot tube and operates at approximately 1-2 psi. It doesn't cope with outdoor breeze, the crude copper windshield helps.
Andy
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How I like to spend time in the garden.
Andy
Hi Andy.
Now't like having a Gardner to do the garden?
Cheers Graham.
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That's the only reason I cut the lawn, you can loose your engines otherwise ;)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/Hit%20n%20Miss/Half%20Scale%20Gade/PICT0506_zpszvya2al8.jpg)
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Very nice looking engine, Andy!
Kim
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No gardening today :ShakeHead: Someone brought round a set of Jowitt castings for me to fondle, then took them away again :cussing:
I had to make do with a set of Magnesium Microdyne Atom castings and Surus acquired his birthday present a month early :pinkelephant: Not sure where they are going :noidea:
Jo & :pinkelephant:
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You have got a lot of fondling on the table there Jo, should keep you out of mischief for a while, suppose it compensated for not having any new castings over the last few months. Looks like one of those parts is in need of some JBWeld ;)
Was that the engine Eric had at one of the Stratfield meetings?
Any idea what was in the empty Jowitt compartment, bearing caps maybe? Nice to see an almost untouched set and quite well packed too.
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The Jowitt castings were only acquired yesterday so Eric immediately brought them over to tease me :disappointed: The missing part is the bearing caps.
Looks like I need to make a new storage area for Surus' present which means working in the brown stuff :facepalm:
Jo
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So many castings, so little time :) :) :)
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The beetroot eater is back :rant: :wallbang: Thankfully the beetroot are residing under netting to prevent the little toe rag from getting at them ;)
For some reason he is not fond of the onions or potatoes but is showing a lot of interest in the Peas and beans :ShakeHead:
I've nearly finished putting in the flowers only another 3 trays to go :toilet_claw: Garden inspection by Dave tomorrow :) But someone has forgotten to dig up the White bell bulbs for him ... tomorrow, tomorrow :facepalm:
Jo
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I know I’ll get all sorts of nasty comments on this, but, one well placed shot, and that’s a nice young tender venison treat, what for stews, sausage, and such. Sorry, we only kill what we’ll eat here; and if they are eating what we eat, seems a waste for me to plant it and them eat it, so, they need to give back also. Just my thoughts
Big E
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Sadly it is not legal to shoot the :censored: however tempting a target he is.
The only legal way is for someone else to run them over in a car and you pick up the carcass after they killed it ::)
Jo
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Sadly it is not legal to shoot the :censored: however tempting it is.
The only legal way is for someone else to run them over in a car and you pick up the carcass after they killed it ::)
Jo
Are you allowed to drive around the back yard chasing it? :LittleDevil:
I almost ran into a turkey in my kayak once - fortunately it did not go for the 'rocket assist' as it flew across the creek in front of me...!
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I have run down the garden with a fork in my hands and thrown it at him :-X
When he first appeared this year I could get within 15 ft of him before he turned to run away. But he lost one antler when I chased him the other day and he turned and head butted a tree :lolb:
Jo
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Is that deer as small as it looks in the photo? Over here that would still be a fawn.
In Texas, it would be a house cat...
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We had a deer problem, Cut up a couple of bars of Irish Spring bath soap and place around the garden. They don't like the smell.
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Is that deer as small as it looks in the photo? Over here that would still be a fawn.
In Texas, it would be a house cat...
Yes that's a native Roe Deer. They are everywhere, they eat everything especially my Beetroot :rant:
Jo
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Is that deer as small as it looks in the photo? Over here that would still be a fawn.
In Texas, it would be a house cat...
Yes that's a native Roe Deer. They are everywhere, they eat everything especially my Beetroot :rant:
Jo
Gotta train your shop elves in shooting a longbow!
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We had a deer problem, Cut up a couple of bars of Irish Spring bath soap and place around the garden. They don't like the smell.
We just did that for T's folks. I need to check with them and see if that helped.
T's problem is a squirrel. Or squirrels.
The ones in the garden...and me.
So I'm told.
(I don't care about the ones in the garden.)
'folks'...that reminds me. A colleague from work, who immigrated from China, once asked me if what I meant by 'folks'...was meaning parents.
Yes. I refer to my parents as 'the folks'. Or T's parents as 'her folks'.
I don't know if that's an Ozark thing.
Who else would I call 'the folks'?
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T's problem is a squirrel. Or squirrels.
The ones in the garden...
Tree rats >:( they steal my nuts :hammerbash:
Now they are legal to shoot - 410's work really well on them >:D
Jo
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'folks'...that reminds me. A colleague from work, who immigrated from China, once asked me if what I meant by 'folks'...was meaning parents.
Yes. I refer to my parents as 'the folks'. Or T's parents as 'her folks'.
I don't know if that's an Ozark thing.
Who else would I call 'the folks'?
Regarding the term 'folks' I've lived in the NW my whole life and it's not uncommon to hear people refer to their parents as their folks. It is rather context specific though, because folks can also refer to a general group of people.
Kim
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Same here in Ontario, and also when I lived in Alberta and British Columbia.... Folks were either Mom and Dad, or a group.
Tom
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Interesting. I can't say I've heard it out here in Pennsylvania. But it may be that I just never noticed.
The term is so natural to me.
Bags versus sacks, or soda versus pop is something else. ;D
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Same here. We say: “spent Sunday at the folks house” and then you hear a speaker address a crowd with: “ folks, now I’m hear to tell you”. But that’s Springbucket
Cletus
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Interesting. I can't say I've heard it out here in Pennsylvania. But it may be that I just never noticed.
The term is so natural to me.
Bags versus sacks, or soda versus pop is something else. ;D
Zee - surprised to hear that you don't know it from the german 'volks', which is where it apparently derived from. :shrug:
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Snake :paranoia:
Big SNAKE and she has laid her eggs in my compost heap again :cussing:
Thankfully I have just finished weeding the flower beds so I'll be hiding in the workshop for a while (https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/konfus/c025.gif)
Jo
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I've not seen the grass snakes around the pond this year, they have usually appeared by now in previous years.
Did have this little chap stop by yesterday
Aren't you watching Le Mans? More overtaking in one lap of that than a whole F1 race :LittleDevil: I like the look of that retro Rothmans Porsche
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/05/porsche-pink-pig-rothmans-livery-le-mans/#slide-7347528
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Arn't you watching Le Mans? More overtaking in one lap of that than a whole F1 race :LittleDevil: I like the look of that retro Rothmans Porsche
:cussing: all I have on the goggle box is :censored: Football, in another couple of weeks they will "improve" that with Tennis (https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/muede/c015.gif) .
TV is so dreary it drives a woman to fondling casting sets with her :wine1:
Jo
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Arn't you watching Le Mans? More overtaking in one lap of that than a whole F1 race
We should have been there, live at Le Mans.
We have been to Le mans 23 times in a row but this year we missed going. It would have been the our 24th 24 hour.
Mike
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Jo you will have to divert a bit of that casting budget to Sky or Virgin :LittleDevil:
Looks like someone is streaming it live on Youtube, I take it you have your smart TV set up to show you-tube or are you still watching a B&W set :mischief:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kdXLrCHQyU
Or the Rock Bouncers are at it again state side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6HqxLno78g
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Jo you will have to divert a bit of that casting budget to Sky or Virgin :LittleDevil:
:lolb:
I have better things to spend my money on as you should see around my Birthday :-X but it would be nice to go to a couple of live races once again what I need is a :embarassed:
Jo
Actually mine are B&O sets ::)
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I thought you ladies were supposed to be able to multi-task, you could watch while you fondle :)
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I thought you ladies were supposed to be able to multi-task, you could watch while you fondle :)
I can fondle castings at the same time as :wine1:
That does not mean I am :censored: enough to fund the :censored: the sooner all of the sport goes to pay only Tv the better, stop wasting my license fee payer money on it :ThumbsUp:
Jo
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Yesterday we had the first of the beetroot :P Thanks to still having the netting up the beetroot eater has not got in there to wreak havoc instead he has eaten everything around the garden that was green and tender, what he hasn't eaten has shrivelled up and died due to the current heat wave :disappointed:
The onion numbers are dwindling as it has been confirmed I have white rot in the beds :toilet_claw: Beyond them is the battle for the beds where the potatoes and the courgettes are still fighting it out for world domination ::) Sadly the pots along the side of the greenhouse have shrivelled up and I am not expecting much :ShakeHead: But I have had two very nice meals of new potatoes so far and hope to do the same this evening along with picking the first of my beans
Dave thanks for the Lettuce finally after you told me to repot them they are picking up :ThumbsUp: As for the tomatoes they are getting bigger and bigger I just need them to start turning red :)
Did I mention: Its a bad year for horse flies :rant:
Jo
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Hi Jo,
Looking good! I’ll send you some of the cool wet weather to help out! As to your “friend” sounds like a diagram hung up in the garden with all the best cuts hi lighted to drop the hit that he’s next might help :ROFL:
Cheers Kerrin
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OK some pics. from my somewhat less than impressive plot .... :(
Onions so-so, but there's time ... perhaps ... :headscratch:
Sarpo Mira spuds.. we'll have to see. Don't hold out much hope.
The salad spuds are pretty much done for. ( Mayan Gold )
Tomatoes as ever produce funny-looking fruits early in the crop. I don't know why. The later ones are fairly normal.
Need some rain ..... lots of it ....
Dave
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Here he is .... ;D
Dave
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That's an early tom, Dave mine are still to set in some and still very green where they have - Need that rain though ::)
That's a nice raised area you have there :ThumbsUp:
Regards - Tug
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Been ay the Royal Norfolk Show all week with the Norfolk Organic Group Quite hard work in the glorious sunshine ...also lots of Sasskatoons.....
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Oh they're nice, Saskatoons that is :ThumbsUp: Foliage has that pleasant blue-green almost like juvenile eucalyptus.
Intrigued by that spade .... I very vaguely remember something called a 'Terrafork' ?? or similar.
Mine's called 'Mantis' with a Honda engine. :ROFL:
Dave.
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That's an early tom, Dave mine are still to set in some and still very green where they have - Need that rain though ::)
That's a nice raised area you have there :ThumbsUp:
Regards - Tug
Yeah. I reckon they're early here. Usually 3rd week July
Dave
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A couple of things regarding topics in this thread. For Jo, and anybody else who has deer in their garden, be very aware of their ticks as they carry the agent for developing Lymes disease. I was unfortunate to contract this disease a couple of years ago through a deer tick that locked on, unbeknownst, when I was gardening (Hampshire UK). There is a particularly high count of the little blighters this summer so keep checking and check your pets as well. I also have to agree with Jo about the seemingly vast number of horseflies this year. They seem to find me particularly attractive, even if nobody else does!
Finally, these Saskatoon berries have received a few mentions which stimulated me to look at their availability. That in turn leads to the question, which variety do you all favour? I hope it's not a secret reserved just for the model engine fraternity as I tend to concentrate on full scale stuff. You can generate more swarf at full scale!
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Thanks :ThumbsUp:
Rule of thumb is ticks like cool damp shady places and there isn't any of that in my garden :ShakeHead:
As for the horse files :Mad: one bit me behind the knee yesterday causing it to swell up, so no Swarf making today :disappointed: I had to watch Mad Max do his thing :whoohoo:
Jo
P.S. Did you ever introduce yourself Swarf Maker :noidea:
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Yes I too was inspired by Willy's Saskatoons and have planted a couple of bushes in the front garden - no sign of any fruit yet here though :-(
Simon.
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Y’all do have some lovely gardens. Maybe when I (Jo and I) get to retire, I’ll get into it again. Being in the restaurant business and having to buy in bulk, has taken a bit of the enjoyment out of it for me. For those with “fly” problems: I can highly recommended this product. Harmless to humans and more fun than the law allows :lolb:.
https://www.bugasalt.com/
Cletus
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Cletus,
LOVE that! Tried to convince R that I get a fly shooter, you remember the gun that shoots the sucker cup thing, just a bigger, got shot down! Now getting one that splatters salt all over the walls may be just a bit harder!
Can see Jo packing one on each hip to go after the horse flys!
Cheers Kerrin
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Tomato Gloat .... :D
Apart from that horrible Frankentom which has been scoffed, these are the first 3 toms of this year ...
500ml ale can for scale.
Should have nicely ripened by tomorrow. Alas, the ale has not survived .. :DrinkPint:
Dave
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Along with Blaster - that's three things we have in common Dave - love a can (or two) of Bass and nice big heritage toms :ThumbsUp:
Mine are on their way but still well behind - the really cold spring we had here didn't help.
Hope they taste as good as they look ;) What are they BTW?
Tug
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Along with Blaster - that's three things we have in common Dave - love a can (or two) of Bass and nice big heritage toms :ThumbsUp:
Mine are on their way but still well behind - the really cold spring we had here didn't help.
Hope they taste as good as they look ;) What are they BTW?
Tug
I think :headscratch: it's Marglobe. Not sure.
https://tomato-plants-direct.co.uk/product/marglobe/
If you look for images of Marglobe you get some pics. like mine ie. 'lobed shoulders' or whatever to the fruit. Not like the pics. on the packet ... :thinking:
The late season ones are 'unlobed' or whatever. Gave some to Jo last year. I seem to remember they were sorta normalish.
Dave
PS A variety I grew a few years ago, similar sort, was this:
http://www.simplyseed.co.uk/tomato-seeds/super-marmande.html
Would recommend those too.
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... Sarpo Mira spuds.. we'll have to see. Don't hold out much hope ...
If you've not tried them before don't be in too much hurry to dig them, weather permitting. I grew some last year for the first time and was quite disappointed with the first root, so I left them to grow on. Being blight resistant they just kept growing and the tops were enormous and stayed green until past the end of November down here in Essex. I dug the last root just before Christmas and got a bucketful of spuds.
Mike.
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That's a new one for me Dave but have grown Super Marmande before.
Only grow them under glass and usually just two each of changing varieties year on year. A small greenhouse, this year its Roma, Brandywine, Pomodoro, San Marzano and Indigo Rose. No green ones this year - have you grown Green Zebra - lovely taste to that one ;)
Regards - Tug
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Jo, you were lucky with the horsefly bite that it did so relatively little damage.
One bite me on the ankle, gave me blood poisoning, 2days later ended up in hossie for over 10days whilst the docs struggled to stop the spread of the poison, on double the max dose of whatever they were giving me at 4 times the maximum frequency before the treatment started taking effect, if the hadn't managed to stop it (the poison) spreading they were going to chop off my leg to save it from killing me, really thrilled by that that news, luckily they headed it off by the time it had reached much above my knee but my leg looked like it had plum jam spread all over it 1/4 inch deep by that time, had wound dressings on my leg for weeks. Never even saw the little b*****d, but she was certainly evil.
So watch out for horseflies y'all! They ARE nasty creatures.
Chris
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:o That is even worse than the one that got me on the back of the knee last Saturday: I made the mistake of trying to stand up in the workshop Sunday morning and ended up spending the afternoon laid up with cooling pads on it for two days :ShakeHead: I can still feel the bruising from all of the swelling so I am avoiding going out in the garden now except first thing in the morning :(
Dave I have one Tomato ripening on the vine :)
Jo
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:o That is even worse than the one that got me on the back of the knee last Saturday: I made the mistake of trying to stand up in the workshop Sunday morning and ended up spending the afternoon laid up with cooling pads on it for two days :ShakeHead: I can still feel the bruising from all of the swelling so I am avoiding going out in the garden now except first thing in the morning :(
Dave I have one Tomato ripening on the vine :)
Jo
Cute little thing. Is it on one of the plants I gave you or some other variety?
Hotter than ever today. :(
Garage was up to 32oC just after 9:15 AM
Dunno what it is in there now. It can amuse itself without me. :D
Dave
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Having problems with your tomatoes ......it could be Bushy Stunt !!!
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They have all got it in for my veggie patch this year :rant: Yesterday morning just before 5am I trotted down to the patch to do a bit of watering only to see a Blackbird imitating a humming bird flying in my greenhouse :o I told it to "come on get out of there" and it clearly heard me and realised which direction the door was in and headed out. Only after watering the outside did I head in to find the little :censored: had been pecking at number two tomato :Mad:
Both are now in for consumption :)
Jo
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Hi Jo
Strewth. Had a good go at that!
I wonder if it is the water content they're after?
Revenge for filling the pond in. :)
Offer to take them to the pub. :noidea:
Dave
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Slightly off topic but perhaps not so far off when you mention water content :noidea: I was fishing Friday and watched wood pigeons actually land in the middle of lake, have a drink and then manage to fly off again. First time I have seen this in ?? years. :old:
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I am blaming the lack of water content on my onions :(
All the red ones from onion sets have gone over and are now in for drying. The first bed from onion sets (those that survived the white rot attack :cussing: ) have nearly had it but for some strange reason most of the ones I grew myself from seed are going great guns :noidea:
Jo
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Yeah. Far too dry :'(
Reds don't look too bad considering the the lack of Sky Lube ....
Mine are still going. :ThumbsUp: Still a few weeks to go. I hope with some rain ...
Toms are getting to the stage where they overrun my ability to scoff the things ... :help: and Moggs the Merciless has decamped so can't dump them on her ... :headscratch:
Dave
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Following on from the threat of someone offering me more firewood I felt the need to make yet another log store :embarassed: All made from scrap-bin-ium so zero cost :ThumbsUp:
Like so much of the UK the weather has now been bone dry for over 2 months :rant: The beetroot is having to be watered every day and is cropping well even if I keep finding the beetroot eater giving them a long hard sniff most mornings :ShakeHead: Onion bed trenching is well underway but I don't have a lot of spare green stuff to dig in :(
Unlike Dave my Toms are just picking up their ripening rate. They do smell & taste so much nicer that those hard red things they sell in the shops :)
Jo
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Hi Jo, Scrapbinium did i here that on the Tom Lehrer song !!! funny things happening with the gooseberry ...On my red bush there are about 12 green gooseberrys on one of the branches ?? These are fully formed and very sweet ...nobody can give a proper explanation ?!! still no rain ...about 7 weeks now...there was supposed to be some but it evaporated before it reached the ground !!
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After trying a few methods that didn't work, this year we 'tented' the little cherry tree to keep out the birds and deer. Finally we were able to harvest some cherries! :whoohoo:
Not many but it's still a 7' tree. Wonderful, sweet, juicy.... ummmmm.
Pete
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Hi Pete,
YUM!
Always look forward to cherry season! For us that’s around Christmas, so as you would expect price climbs a bit.
Cheers Kerrin
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:ThumbsUp:
Over the years I had 3 cherry trees and less than 3 cherries from the lot :ShakeHead: As you know the birds sit there watching the green cherries change the slightest shade from green to yellow and they steal them :facepalm:
I had my first Fig from my tree yesterday :cartwheel: Looks like a good year for Figs.
Jo
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Did I mention Figs :LickLips: I have eaten two ::) and I have counted at least another three ready to eat :cartwheel:
I really need to do some work on my flower beds :slap:
Jo
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Hi Jo,
Good looking crop coming on there! Must be your heat wave.......
Cheers Kerrin
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Thanks Kerrin :)
I have been eating at least one fig every day since the last photo :LickLips:
Latest crop to be picked is the pears. To give some idea how heavy the crop was this year this is the top most branches that I have decided not to bother picking as I already have three boxes full already from this one tree.
Warning any one visiting as well as being offered Jaffas will be expected to bring spare carriers for their pears to take home with them :)
Jo
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Hi Jo,
You'll be in to export at that rate!
I'll send you a family of a local bird.....these guys take a vote on who gets to get up the tree & rip the fruit off, while the rest stand underneath, waiting & then consuming the fruit!!! In our last place I spotted them in the orchard & was wondering what the guys on the ground were up to......DESTROYING my pear crop!! Maybe you can train them to just pick the hi ones........
Cheers Kerrin
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Hi Jo,
You'll feel so much better with SR9009 (https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/sr9009-stenabolic-results-i-tried-it-for-1-month-heres-what-happened/) and be in to export at that rate!
I'll send you a family of a local bird.....these guys take a vote on who gets to get up the tree & rip the fruit off, while the rest stand underneath, waiting & then consuming the fruit!!! In our last place I spotted them in the orchard & was wondering what the guys on the ground were up to......DESTROYING my pear crop!! Maybe you can train them to just pick the hi ones........
Cheers Kerrin
I'm so jealous, Jo! I just love figs. My fig just didn't produce any fruit for the third year now, sadly.
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Hi Jo
Piccy of candidates for the 2018 Great Hun-Yun Run ...... ;D
Dave .. stinking of onions .... :facepalm:
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They look good Dave :ThumbsUp: The 2018 Great Hun-Yun Run is tomorrow and I have space ready and waiting for them :) This year I am under instruction not to go giving them away as last year I dared to give a couple of my work colleagues some which caused a few comment :Lol:
1st September and the first day of Autumn :-\ As you can see the temperature has dropped over night and the courgettes are showing that grey colour to their leaves. The beetroot has finally been uncovered to find a massive hole in the middle of the patch, this is due to the best beetroot having grown in the middle where I did some "trenching" last year. This year I have already managed to trench over the entire beetroot bed planned for next year.
For interest two views of the green house tomatoes: the south where there is better light and the Toms are grown in grow bags and the second the north where they were grown in 10" pots of home produced compost. As you can see the toms grown in the growbags are rather lacking in foliage and Tomatoes in comparison to the crop on the North. The South ones also suffered with Greenback while this could be due to heat I suspect it is down to the in ability of the new grow bags to retain the potassium from the tomato food. Over all I am blaming all the problems on the :censored: they put in grow bags these days rather than good quality peat which they used to include in grow bags.. growing in compost seems to be the way to go in the future.
Jo
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I've been busy canning. Garden went crazy this year peppers especially. Not sure what I'm going to do with all of them. I had a bell pepper plant with 6 peppers all huge.
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Nice peppers Doc :ThumbsUp: I have never had much success with them over here :(
I've just taken delivery of over 40Kgs of onions that safely completed the 2018 great Hun-yun run ;D Thanks Dave. Did I ever mention how big your Hun-yuns are ::)
Jo
P.S. Best we don't mention to anyone if I am doing onion soup it might put them off visiting :lolb:
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The last of the courgettes have been eaten . Which leaves a few beetroot in the vegetable plot, grapes in the stable and one of the biggest crops of sweet chestnuts I have ever had.
This is 30 mins collecting under one of my trees. Looking up at the tree it is still covered with full husks :cartwheel:
Jo
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I HOPE I've just cut my grass for the last time this year. It's been a strange summer here. Drought like conditions thru June and first half of July, hardly had to cut the grass at all. Mega rain thru September, grass must think it's still spring. My oak leaves are falling and generally by the time the oaks begin to shed leaves then grass cutting is thru for the summer. Today I was cutting as much oak leaves as I was grass.
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Yes brian ,here in the uk ,its been the same mowing yesterday but rain today ,but the werather is going to warm up again next week so more dam mowing,like you its been a strange weather setup this year,still its better than being snowed in. :rant:
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I have a new garden toy and have a target in mind :mischief:
I would show you some pics of it in use but I was enjoying myself so much playing with it that I forgot :shrug:
Jo
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That seems a little over the top to crack those two walnuts you showed in your other thread ::)
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I don't like to be beaten ;)
For those who missed them a pic of my first two Wallnuts from my garden. I can report that just like fresh hazelnuts and chestnuts they taste much better than anything you can buy in the shops :)
Jo
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Any chance of any walnut cake ??? :thinking:
That is a fairly big tree isn't it? Never really looked at it much but now you've posted the pic. :headscratch: Hmmmm.
Best of luck with it. :ThumbsUp:
Dave
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It would be a very small walnut cake with this years crop Dave ::)
Its a lovely big tree except that it has branches over my neighbour's roof, over the mains power cables - which it regularly takes down :zap: and over the communication lines which means I loose contact with the forum >:( so its day's are numbered.
I have generously offered to share the spoils by providing log storage until he gets his new log store up and make use of his number one son to help split the Oak rings with my new toy and I might teach the lad how to use a splitting axe :mischief:
Jo
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Hi Jo,
Nice toy! That tree will be quaking at its roots!
On the walnut front, if you don’t already know, keep them dry leave in there shells & they stay fresh for along time! I brought a cup type nut cracker & if you are carefull you can get the nut out whole.... :P
Cheers Kerrin
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Its started getting worried Kerrin :ThumbsUp:
I don't think the Walnuts will last that long :LickLips:
Jo
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It's the scene from the Hampshire chainsaw zombie apocalypse Oak tree massacre movie
Should get a good price for those logs, but such a shame to burn them in a log fire.
Mike
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That's a
weed Oak tree not a Walnut tree Mike ::)
The main trunk is going to a wood caver to carve a massive Bear out of and a couple of the bends in the limbs are providing a mane for an existing sculpture :)
The rings are going to be pressure tested in my new garden toy :naughty:
Jo
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My mate Tom has two large walnut trees and he has had a phenomenal crop this year.
There are thousands of the things.
Already sampled his others halfs Walnut cake and also the Courgette and Walnut cake.
Colin
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Maybe you could bring a few spare Walnuts along on Thursday Colin, I have run out :facepalm:
Is it not a bit late for the courgettes to go with the walnuts :headscratch:
Jo
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They are almost out of courgettes now. But the cake was fantastic.
We will bring you a bag of walnuts ;D
Colin
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Thanks Colin :LickLips:
Jo
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The Walnuts are very nice Colin :ThumbsUp:
I got back from the show yesterday to find the boys had cut a few more branches off without me :( today they continued a pace ;D
The log splitter proved to be slower chopping the easy split rings than I am with an Axe, it was very good at the nasty knotted bits. HOWEVER when I brought it I thought the 50mm braked castors at the front which were only held on with a single 8mm bolt looked feeble and so it proved :disappointed: Thankfully I had already ordered a pair of 100mm braked castors to replace them with which arrived earlier a job for the weekend.
I mentioned to the boys I had run out of logs to split so they dropped me off a few more :naughty: And they decided to show Fred the Shred that he has competition.
I wonder how many more days of this we have to go :thinking: I have been told the stump grinder is very loud, will throw chippings up to 25m and should finish off the stump in about an hour :noidea:
Jo
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No gardening over this way any more, had first snow yesterday...
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Yesterday was deck cleaning day, scrubbed with cleaner then used the deck power washer on the water blaster. As it was blue sky & gentle breeze it dried in no time, so got half of it first coated with stain. Have just finished the rest of the deck! Now just have to wait for it to dry for the second coat, past experience shows this will take a day or two.
Was going to sneak off to the club as it’s our open weekend to see who was here & what locos they had brought........ got informed that I have to put up the bird netting over the berry fruit........ah well maybe latter.
Cheers Kerrin
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The small braked castors on my new toy proved to be as useless as I expected and they bent on the first trip over the grass :disappointed:
Mk2 are made from some very expensive (<£7 each) 100mm braked castors mounted using some scrap bin-ium supplied by Bluechip :)
Initial testing has proven that the splitter is now much easier to transport over soft wet grass. So now it is back to splitting the second batch.. tomorrow should see the third and possibly the fourth truck load delivered :paranoia:
Jo
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Mk2 are made from some very expensive (<£7 each) 100mm braked castors mounted using some scrap bin-ium supplied by Bluechip :)
Jo
Just goes to show what happens when one's chuck-outs are in the hands of someone with vision and artistry ... 8) :ThumbsUp:
Talents somewhat lacking in myself I might add ... :noidea:
Happy cleaving ..
Quick lunch then back to stinky Creoseal sloshing for me ... :(
Dave
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Thanks Dave,
By special request a pic of how it is now looking. I now need the next delivery of rings so it must be time for a relax and some :wine1:
Jo
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Yesterday morning saw the last of the branches come off. Leaving a Tall stump, which fell over this morning :shrug: I had been told that the stump weighed about 3 tons :noidea: In the end the little lifter (weight lift limit = 3 1/2 tons) needed it cut into three bits to get rid of it. Leaving a stump for grinding next week.
In the meantime I have finished splitting the rings with an axe/log splitter. The Log splitter is now sporting a new set of pneumatic rear tyres and has had its electrics upgraded as the cable where it came out of the gland already had a bend in it so was looking like it was suffering from stress :disappointed: It now has a nice new cable grommet fitted :ThumbsUp:
That bit of gardening done it must be workshop time :whoohoo: I think someone mentioned there being a new set of Robinson castings to look at :)
Jo
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Wow! That was quite a tree, Jo. No wonder it has kept you busy for a few days!
You ought to have fire wood for a few weeks now :)
Kim
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Yes............you're definitely going to be fondling castings in comfort this winter! Well.......as long as you have plenty of :wine1: to go with all that firewood. :)
Jim
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That tree was big enough to hollow out and make a shop inside!
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Looks like the Hampshire chainsaw massacre is going to keep you warm for a day or six!
Can I make one suggestion, I happened to work with a guy who had in a previous job done research into the best way to stack, store & dry firewood, go figure that! ( Note that dry in this sense is to remove the internal moisture, NOT to get the water off the outside) so the best way they found was in a stack no more than 6 feet wide by 6 feet high, as long as you like but NO cover on it, this allows wind etc to pass thru & remove the moisture in the stack.
A previous neighbor wrapped her wood pile to keep the rain off, when unwrapped it had some interesting looking fungus growing on it!
Enjoy your workshop time, well deserved.......... besides we are all suffering update deprivation!
Cheers Kerrin
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Thanks Guys, I am pleased that is over and I can get back in the workshop. It will take at least a year for that stuff to dry out in the meantime I already have about 3 years worth of logs already stock piled :)
Hi Kerrin you are right - I had put a water proof cover on it the night before last and when I folded it back to add the next lot of logs there was more condensation under the cover than on top of it so I have left it open for now. I might find some more old fence panels and make a breathable roof for it ;)
Sorry but there will be no playing in the workshop this morning Minx is taking me out we are going to my Tai Chi class. Hopefully I can get back in there this afternoon as long as I don't find any more logs lying around :thinking:
Jo
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Ah, poor thing :( All that effort growing for donkeys years all gone .... :'(
How did the geezer get up the last branch? Pole climbing irons ? Looks a bit precarious.
Sooner him than me although I quite liked it the few times i did it at work all those decades ago when I was young and frisky ... :Lol:
Dave
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From a guy who's cured a lot of fire wood in a wet environment: put a water tight roof over the wood but keep the sides open enough to breathe. Here in the PNW (Pacific North West) our wood sheds have slatted walls....
And stack the wood sorta loose...
Poor tree...
Pete
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My log stores are all well ventilated Pete, this is a temporary storage until it can move into the main store in the spring
Poor tree...
It was over the top of the house, one lightening strike and the house would have been flattened :paranoia: It nearly flattened a BMW a couple of years ago :naughty: This last year it has tried dropping branches on a few dog walkers :ShakeHead: If it had been looked after over the years it probably could have stayed but it was left to go too long in the bough :disappointed:
We reckon that one was over 200 years old and the boys were off to do another tree over twice the diameter next so that probably is nearer 500 years ::)
Jo
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"...too long in the bough" :o
That sounds like me some days!
:lolb:
Pete
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And what about removing the stump ? something planed ?
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Next week the is going to be ground out :ThumbsUp:
I have been told the grinder makes an extremely loud noise and throws stuff over 25m :paranoia: I may not be photographing it in use :hellno:
Jo
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just got some giant Maize seeds from an African allotmenteer so will see what happens next year... a pic of last years plants , about 12 feet high !!! Also what is it about the number 18 when you use it to divide numbers ?? My next engine is 1/18th scale and when i started to calculate the scale numbers i kept getting these recurring numbers ??!!!!!!!!!!!
-
Ahh, the magic of the number nine!
If you want to impress kids with your magic skills try this 'trick' based on the arithmetic of the number nine.
Secret set-up.
On the reverse of a pad of paper write " 1089 - You are so predictable!"
Now get the kid to think of three numbers between 1 and 9.
Write them down highest to lowest to form a number, let's call them a b c
Subtract from this the number formed by writing the three chosen numbers lowest to highest c b a
abc - cba = efg
reverse the order of this result and add it to efg
efg + gfe = 1089 always, regardless of which three numbers were chosen.
Which I think is a surprising result and looks like magic when you turn the pad of paper over.
Steve
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Aliens ...................... :hellno:
Neat stuff, thanks!
Pete
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The end of the season :'( We had a frost of minus 5 in the week and on opening the greenhouse door I had a waft of damp rotting Tomatoes :( So today was clear the Greenhouse out day.
To make me feel a little better I had a delivery of a special side and face cutter :naughty: this is a special gardening side and face cutter which has its own motor attached. This is going to be fun >:D
Jo
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That looks a rather violent machine :o
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Smartened the greenhouse up :ThumbsUp: Always think they look so much nicer without the scruffy plants .. :facepalm2:
Firework night just getting going here. I think I might go outside and watch some other silly buggers money going 'pop' for a few minutes.
Then back in for a slurp. :DrinkPint:
Wonder how many will land up in casualty this year :thinking:
Dave
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We've started, it should take about an hour to complete >:D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DX7WaLq6EY
Jo
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That's a bit more effective than the ones from the hire shops which tend to bounce off anything more that a couple of inch thickness
Not sure if the machine will last an hour judging by all that smoke coming out of it :o
-
And that is just the roughing cut. Sometimes photos fail to convey the magnitude of the undertaking
All that contracted work must be costing someone a fortune. :Director: :Director:
Mike
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The machine is still happily running :ThumbsUp: The delays are due to having to keep clearing all the cut stuff out the way. It runs for about 15mins then it takes best part of an hour to clear the chippings/soil scooped up ready for the next cut. Hopefully these photos will give a better idea of the size of the stump and the depth of each cut
The tree removal, including stump grinding and landscaping after is working out at £6,500 :paranoia: And I have about £800 of logs hidden stored behind my garage ::)
Jo
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Wow - might have been cheaper to let your shop elves tunnel into the tree and make a house out of it.
That stump grinder machine is a beast - make a good model.... :thinking:
-
All gone 8) this is the last little bit being scooped out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtL8nEVo4nA
And they have taken it back home now :( The good news is that there is lots of spare topsoil that I have generously offered to re-home :ThumbsUp:
Jo
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That was quite an event ::) I hope that isn't your house without any windows in the background :stir:
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:hellno: That is my neighbour's house- its more than short of a couple of windows at present. For the last 20 years it has looked like a scrap yard :facepalm2: The inside was much worse :-X . Little did I know when he brought it the new owner is a builder and in the 7 weeks he has owned the property it has changed but I am not sure if the term is "improved". :noidea:
But one bit of good news for all of you who have ever got a builder in to do something and it takes twice as long as they said it would and the price keeps going up: He was supposed to be moving in for Xmas and he is now thinking it might be Easter, and he goes rather pale when he talks about the spiralling costs :stir:
That little toy has made me think about a powered cultivator for the garden
Jo
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I don't think that you will need the 100+ horse power that that beast had :)
-
That little toy has made me think about a powered cultivator for the garden
Jo
I thought that was what the BB1 was for :)
-
Don't you need a pair :stir: maybe one would work with lot's of return pulleys and ground anchors.
-
Jo,
I've had a couple of what I thought were large stumps removed with a stump grinder but they pale into insignificance compared to that beast. Both my trees were over 40ft tall.
One thing I have found though is that if any of the ground up stump is left in the ground when it rots down the ground sinks and a large quantity of mushroom/toadstools appear.
Colin
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Fingers and toes it rots naturally Colin but the latest I got them to help with won't rot it will try growing again :disappointed:
It was too good an opportunity to miss: After I cut off the tops, the offer of a sticky whotsit managed to get the boys to pull out the nasty green bamboo roots :cartwheel: but they generously left me with the Laurel to dig out by hand :Doh:
A lot of forking through later and the bits of bamboo roots are out of the bed and I now have the heap of lumps of bamboo roots to try to sweet talk the boys into moving somewhere were I can burn them :)
Its nearly workshop time :whoohoo:
Jo
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Hello Jo
That's not gardening. That's landscaping. It's going to open up the front aspect of the house very nicely
I think we will have to rename you "Capability Jo" in deference to "Capability Brown" the eminent victorian landscape gardener.
Dont' overdo it
Mike
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Hi Mike,
That's not gardening. That's landscaping. It's going to open up the front aspect of the house very nicely
Sadly that is my neighbour's house and I would prefer not to see it at all :ShakeHead:. The plan is to put gravel boards with a 6ft high close boarded oak fence along the boundary, with Japanese Acers around beds along fence with the beds mulched with the bamboo tops.
While I had my back turned the mole has been busy :rant:
Jo
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That's not a mole!
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fiction-taxonomy/images/e/e2/Graboid2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20161125102735)
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Is that really a mole? That looks WAY bigger than any mole hill I've ever seen. Unless those are really small little shrubs there?
Kim
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Hello Kim,
Don't you have Giant European Moles on your side of the pond?
I think the Latin name for this particular variety is Hoaxus Giganticus.
Mike :mischief:
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Its the same variety that are used in this country to make moleskin coats ::)
I suspect its got a friend into help after I tried to encourage it to move out by putting central heating oil down its runs :-X
Jo
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Its the same variety that are used in this country to make moleskin coats ::)
Going by the size of those hills you may be getting mixed up with Donkey Jackets ;)
-
Have you noticed you don't see them bounty hunters and mole skinners around so much these days?
Mike
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Have you noticed you don't see them bounty hunters and mole skinners around so much these days?
Mike
Mike, you're not watching the right channel... LOL, couldn't resist...
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Hi all,
Not really gardening but hey it’s nice to have it within 10 minutes walk......
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That certainly is beautiful Kerrin!
Kim
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Last/First snow-drops of the year :cartwheel: Which reminds me of my favourite Xmas Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiQD56eWDk
Which of course means it is time to start working on the seed list for the new gardening year :whoohoo:
Jo
P.S. For those of you who don't know 4 days after the winter solstice is the first day when there is a noticeable difference in the length of the day ;)
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P.S. For those of you who don't know 4 days after the winter solstice is the first day when there is a noticeable difference in the length of the day ;)
So how does that work under a duvet ??? :headscratch:
Dave
One of my favourite songs too .... :ThumbsUp: together with 'It don't come easy' . Both written by George Harrison ... :ThumbsUp:
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Winter is the time to check over our gardening tools. One of the things that annoys me is those horrible solid plastic wheels that they love fitting to our gardening gadgets, the ones which won't roll on the grass :disappointed:
Fred the shred had a pair of those horrible wheels and with his top heavy motor wobbled from side to side when you tried moving him. So from Flea bay 4 pneumatic wheels+tyres for just over £5 each, two for my gas bottle truck and two to fit Fred :ThumbsUp: They are never the right width but Mr Silky quickly turned the centres to the size, bushes turned for the Gas bottle wheels and another easy job that makes things easier. And here is them with the set I did for the log splitter the other week :)
It must be workshop time and the sun is out :whoohoo:
Jo
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hi Jo, This is a photo I took on the 2nd December ?? ....just saw your previous post with a snowdrop !!!
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8)
Jo
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You can tell it is nearly Easter as they seem to think that I will welcome them in :ShakeHead:
This little fella is going back the way he came and if I catch him in my veggie patch I won't be as lenient on him the next time :stickpoke:
Jo
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Did you show him your recipe for rabbit stew before sending him over to the neighbors garden?
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Did you show him your recipe for rabbit stew before sending him over to the neighbors garden?
You're not suggesting Jo is a Bunny Boiler are you :LittleDevil:
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Did you show him your recipe for rabbit stew before sending him over to the neighbors garden?
You're not suggesting Jo is a Bunny Boiler are you :LittleDevil:
Rabbit Roaster? Coney Cooker? :stir:
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You might should check with Surus: may be one of those “opposites attract” things :stir: :lolb: They may have a torrid romance going on :mischief:
Big E
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You might should check with Surus: may be one of those “opposites attract” things :stir: :lolb: They may have a torrid romance going on :mischief:
Big E
Thundering herds of hopping elephants... :o
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I am more worried about the casting sets :paranoia: That little fella was trying to get into the workshop when I picked him up, even Surus is kept out of the workshop in case he finds I have more casting sets hidden out there :-X
Jo
P.S. Don't worry I don't make a habit of picking up fellas :hellno: I have learnt from my mistakes and have the certificate to prove it :ThumbsUp:
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Back to culturing my horties ... :)
Spent a hour or so sprucing up some shallots destined for export to Hampshire.
Wouldn't do to supply sub-standard veggies to our Lady Administrator would it ?? :thinking:
Who knows what ghastly retribution would be heaped upon the head of any who would be so wanton. :zap:
Dave
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Nice Shallots Dave ;)
I'll have to show you my monster onion (yes singular) when you visit.
Jo
P.S. If anyone wants to impress said lady Administrator model engine castings, chocolate and/or wine are more effective than shallots :embarassed:
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How about engine parts cast in chocolate? :naughty:
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8)
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Hi Troops
I'm knackered .... :old:
Dug some five or six plants of spuds out and then got about half the onions sorted out for Hampshire Export ... :D
Still some onions left in, they will come out tomorrow together with some more tatties . Assuming I survive .. :headscratch:
Now for a curry, some slurp and a shower. In no particular order ... No, not true. Try .... slurp - curry - slurp - shower -slurp - kip ZZZZZZ ....... :thinking: Yep, seems about right ... :cheers:
Dave
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:o What have you been feeding those on Dave?
Pace yourself with that spade Dave, you don't want to do anyone an injury.
Jo
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:o What have you been feeding those on Dave?
Pace yourself with that spade Dave, you don't want to do anyone an injury.
Jo
Hi Jo
They got the odd sprinkle of that Wilko ersatz Growmore. Couple of times I think.Seems to work ....
Anyway, got the rest of 'em in today. So, after a quick chorus of "'All is Safely Gathered In" I shall reward myself with a modest libation. :) Then a shower and a good glug ,,, :DrinkPint: or two .... 'cos I'm worth it' .. ;D
Dave
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The only edible stuff we grow is eaten by birds, bugs and sqirrels! We are not gardeners. That big fuschia bush gets cut back almost to ground level during our "winter tidy up" but grows like mad all summer. We leave well alone and enjoy the wild look. Terry
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Especially for you Dave bonfire night Cacti :)
Jo
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Especially for you Dave bonfire night Cacti :)
Jo
Alas, mine own are but miserable and paltry specimens compared with yours. A lacklustre collection, notable only for their lack of merit :'(
Proof herewith:
Dave :shrug:
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Maybe you have managed to get the timing right Dave and yours will actually be Christmas Cacti rather than mine trying for Bonfire night. ::)
Jo
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my mother has one that is over 100yrs old,, over 5 feet in diameter(the cats kind of prune it for her),, it will have flowers in the many hundreds,, was in her local newspaper a few years back..
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my mother has one that is over 100yrs old,, over 5 feet in diameter(the cats kind of prune it for her),, it will have flowers in the many hundreds,, was in her local newspaper a few years back..
5 ft in USA :o In the UK it is, a rather smaller house plant :( does it still flower around Christmas time?
I am told that Spider plants grow rather well outside (if they survive the winter).
Jo
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flower buds started forming last week.. normally covered with blooms during Christmas..
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found an older photo of it
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Won't be too much gardening in my jungle for a while, just home from hospital after having a tumour removed from my top 2", and a bit of time needed to regain strenth again, might get into the workshop tomorrow, that will beat a hospital bed.
Ian S C.
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Ian
Here's wishing you a speedy recovery.
There's nothing better than some light metal therapy to help the recovery process
Mike
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Hi Ian,
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope you are soon back into making those wonderful engines.
MJM460
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Each time I went for an MRI scan I got asked abouit metal splinters. Don't know the effect on amalgam dental fillings, did get a slight murcuric taste in my mouth.
Ian S C
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I can only concour and add my wishes to the ones above, in hope of a speedy recovery + hope of so few as possible side effects :cheers:
Per
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Won't be too much gardening in my jungle for a while, just home from hospital after having a tumour removed from my top 2", and a bit of time needed to regain strenth again, might get into the workshop tomorrow, that will beat a hospital bed.
Ian S C.
Same garden jungle here Ian. :wallbang: Having had a recent hospital stay, I've come to the same conclusion about hospital beds. :ThumbsDown:
I hope you have a speedy recovery. Getting in your shop, if only to look around and plan, will be a huge help. :)
Jim
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Wishing you a speedy recovery Ian, Gardening here is under a blanket of that funny white stuff that forms into fantastic crystal hexagon shapes. no weeding till May :whoohoo:
Mike
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Might be off the forum for a while, start radio therapy on Monday, 10 rounds to go, wel'l just have to wait and see what happens for Christmas. Thank's for your thoughts guys.
Ian S C
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Ian
Hope everything goes well. We are thinking of you
Mike
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Good luck Ian.
Positive thinking: the sooner its over the sooner you are getting better.
Jo
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The treatment is bloody awfull - but I really hope that you discovered it early enough Ian -as this makes a big difference.
Get well soon and best wishes
Per
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All the best, I hope it all goes well :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
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Best Wishes Ian. Just get on with thinking about the next job once you are back in workshop.
All the best
Colin
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As above Ian, every good wish for a return to full health. Terry
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Best wishes Ian.
Each time I went for an MRI scan I got asked abouit metal splinters. Don't know the effect on amalgam dental fillings, did get a slight murcuric taste in my mouth.
Hm. I'm up for another MRI. Interesting question about amalgam dental fillings. I remember the taste in my mouth as well.
My next MRI doesn't include contrast though. (Is for my shoulder. Can't lift my arm.)
Best medicine is to stay positive. Always look for the silver lining.
-
Oh well, that's the radio, and chemo therapy over, see the doc in thhe new year, not feeling too bright yet. Thankks all for your interest and support. with Christmas coming up fast we need to look to brighter things.
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Pleased to hear you are through that Ian, now things will get better fast now :)
Jo
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Hope so Jo, rate I'm going I'll fade away. Good Kiwi saying, she'll be right :NewBrain:
Ian S C
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Hopefully, the worst part is behind you now and you will keep improving. Have a peaceful Christmas and, hopefully, a better New Year.Best Wishes.
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Hello Ian,
You sound really down in the dumps today. You've had the opp, you've had the radio and you've had the chemo. That's about as bad as it can get !!!
Time for some Kiwi fighting spirit. Starting tomorrow we'll begin to 'see you right' and sooner than you think you will be 'good as gold' again.
Straight up bro
Mike
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:whoohoo: :whoohoo: :whoohoo:
Sprung looks like it's springing ..... :cartwheel:
Snowdrops are coming into flower ..
Dave
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:whoohoo: :whoohoo: :whoohoo:
Sprung looks like it's springing ..... :cartwheel:
Snowdrops are coming into flower ..
Dave
Spring? Spring? Winter just started here, spring is about 15 months away (seems like anyway).
-
8) First signs of spring
Did you notice that Dave waited until after dark to post them to minimise snowdrop competition :stickpoke:
Jo
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There was no malicious intention ... was going to take piccy about 12 noon-ish but the damn camera battery was flat ... YET AGAIN ... :rant:
Put it on charge then forgot all about it until later :old:
Anyway, nothing to stop you nipping out into the garden, cracking off a quick flash or two and astounding us with the images .... :Lol:
I await the results with eager anticipation ... :popcorn: ....... all agog in fact ... ;D
Dave
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Last week they had a record breaking 19C in the middle of winter in mid Norway and the long term weather forecast there suggest NO snow this winter in Norway :o
+ I heard earlier this evening that they expect 15C in Germany the next days - not much winter either ....
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Last week they had a record breaking 19C in the middle of winter in mid Norway and the long term weather forecast there suggest NO snow this winter in Norway :o
+ I heard earlier this evening that they expect 15C in Germany the next days - not much winter either ....
No snow in Norway at all? Wow. Lots here, can send you a box...
-
Snow drop competition is met ;) and I will raise you a crocus, a primrose and a Periwinkle :naughty:
Jo
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No snow in Norway at all? Wow. Lots here, can send you a box....
In that case - please send it directly to Norway !!! - and NOT to me in Denmark ;)
Looks like your nice flowers are a bit premature Jo and Dave or is that normal in Southern England :thinking: I know that the West coast all the way up to Ulapool in Scotland can have Palmtrees etc. because off the Gulf Stream.
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Yes they are early. Snowdrops are normally the end of February/March. Periwinkles March.
If the flower competition goes on a few more days I should have a Daffodil out ;)
Jo
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Snow drop competition is met ;) and I will raise you a crocus, a primrose and a Periwinkle :naughty:
Jo
Yep. You have won for sure ... :ThumbsUp:
No crocuses ( croci ? ) here. Did have some a couple of years ago but they got infested with that 'orrible black clover stuff and hence got a serious annointing with Gallup .. :(
No primroses. Once had quite a few at a previous house but none here.
At <2oC this morning, no winkles worth boasting about. 'Peri' or otherwise ... :embarassed:
Dave
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In that case - please send it directly to Norway !!! - and NOT to me in Denmark ;)
Looks like your nice flowers are a bit premature Jo and Dave or is that normal in Southern England :thinking: I know that the West coast all the way up to Ulapool in Scotland can have Palmtrees etc. because off the Gulf Stream.
Admiral ... I'm a bit nearer to Santa Claus than Jo. I live almost exactly on 53oN
At one company I w****d for years ago I had to visit Stranraer on occasions. Could be quite balmy on the coast but I didn't have to venture far inland or a couple of hundred metres upwards to discover the Gulf Stream's influence does not extend very far ... :thinking:
Dave
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Snow drop competition is met ;) and I will raise you a crocus, a primrose and a Periwinkle :naughty:
Jo
Hi Jo,
I will raise you my Rhubarb, from cold Cumbria.
Mike.
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:ThumbsUp: Well done Mike,
Jo
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If i knew how to upload photos i could show you my broad beans!
Trevorc
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If i knew how to upload photos i could show you my broad beans!
Trevorc
When you post something Trevor, just below the text box it says "+ Attachments and other options" click there and it will let you attach your photos ;)
Jo
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Broad beans growing in SW England from a sowing in late Nov. Thanks Jo for help.
Trevorc
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:)
Another person who uses blue water pipe for his plant cloches ::)
Jo
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Slugs feasting on my carrots and a squished squash in the green house that should have been a cucumber ?!!! It is a mini Crown Prince ..the best.... Also I have an outbreak of Finger Grass... Digitaria Eriantha.
-
A very nice man brought me a wild life camera to find out who I share my garden with. It has been interesting seeing what I can get photographs of:
I had not realised I had a garden fox, the rat found my potato store and I have a mouse in my greenhouse that is eating my seeds as fast as I try to plant them :rant:
A couple of observations on using these cameras: I have found that more wildlife is attracted if I put some food down in front of the camera before I leave it out over night I am surprised how much moisture condensates on the lens :Doh:
Jo
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Jo, time to get your shop elves some little Elmer Fudd outfits and send them hunting...
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Strange you mention that Chris, tonight we are recording in the greenhouse a new movie that I am hoping to call "The demise of Sweet Pea Eater" :mischief:
It might be a bit of a horror movie but it should be better than the time I splattered one when I hit it with the soup ladle :-X
Jo
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Strange you mention that Chris, tonight we are recording in the greenhouse a new movie that I am hoping to call "The demise of Sweet Pea Eater" :mischief:
It might be a bit of a horror movie but it should be better than the time I splattered one when I hit it with the soup ladle :-X
Jo
Are you wearing a hockey mask in the movie, Jason... I mean Jo? :LittleDevil:
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It appears Spring has come Unsprung ... ::)
Ah well ......
Dave
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:headscratch: Glorious sun down here after that storm blew itself through.
Maybe someone heard you wanted to go out to play with a new lathe and wanted to discourage you ::)
Jo
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................... and wanted to discourage you ::)
Jo
They succeeded ... :( Was cleaning up the greenhouse, a bit of sunshine, had lunch, dozed off for about 30 mins. then that lot had appeared .... :o
Only wet stuff though, won't be here long.
Dave
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It appears Spring has come Unsprung ... ::)
Ah well ......
Dave
Mother Nature's shop gnomes stole the e-clip holding the spring on... :Lol:
-
Only wet stuff though, won't be here long.
So we expect to see swarf tomorrow then ;)
I can report that despite 70+ mph winds yesterday my crocus have survived and two onion paperclips have been seen :cartwheel:
Jo
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So we expect to see swarf tomorrow then ;)
I can report that despite 70+ mph winds yesterday my crocus have survived and two onion paperclips have been seen :cartwheel:
Jo
Nope, no swarf tomorrow. No swarf this week. Very small chance of swarf the week afterwards. But probably w/c Mon. 24th.
Too many other things to do. :shrug:
It won't run away. :)
[Your] mum's onions are proceeding splendidly. :ThumbsUp: Seems like being last years seed hasn't bothered them much.
Dave
Paper-clips ... :)
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No swarf yesterday, but produced 10 pounds of strawberry jam instead. Start on clipping hedges today.
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:whoohoo:
Nice little crop of Squeaky Clean Charlottes, greenhouse grown in a 12" pot until a couple of weeks ago when I chucked them outside. :)
Planted on 25 03 20. About 11 - 12 ( :headscratch: ) weeks. 1.45kg from 4 seed tubers.
And a couple more pots to go . :P
Dave
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Those look good Dave.
I've got about 16 tomato plants, 4 cucumber, 1 courgette plant and 1/2 doz lettuce. Used to have a 32ftx16ft veggie patch but replaced it 20 years ago with a swimming pool.
Colin
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Today's production, from the room next to the workshop. £2.75 a jar, next time we can have our stall. (I think the Severn Valley Railway is currently hoping to have an Autumn Gala of some kind.)
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I forgot to photograph the first batch of veggies :facepalm: We are now on week four of our cucumbers, we started with the ones in the conservatory and now are beginning to pick the ones in the greenhouse.
The tomatoes are going red and even the bigger beef hearts are a good size, I have so far been picking courgettes, new potatoes, peppers and the asparagus season has just finished :P Even the sweetcorn is in flower.
It is however a bit dry so the main courgette/potato bed is having to be irrigated :-\ and as for the onions this year :disappointed:
Jo
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And in case Dave does not believe it a few of the previously picked Cucumbers ;)
The Yellow ones in the front are also cucumbers: they taste like cucumbers and are about the right size for one meal for one :ThumbsUp: the negative is all the male flowers all over the plant and the flies they attract :ShakeHead: I probably won't grow those again it depends on how long the season is.
Jo
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And in case Dave does not believe it a few of the previously picked Cucumbers ;)
Jo
Of course I believed you. :o Only a Knave and a Charlatan wouldn't. .... and I no longer have the energy to be either ... :old: :'(
Why don't you show all of the commemorative mug I awarded you ? :LittleDevil:
Are those beefsteak tomatoes the seeds/ plants (?) I gave you. Better than mine .... :shrug:
Dave
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Why don't you show all of the commemorative mug I awarded you ? :LittleDevil:
:facepalm: Cucumber was in the way.
Yes those were some of the seeds ;)
Jo
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Jo you are not only a great Engineer but a very good horticulturist ,does it never end?
Your garden is a delight to behold.
I have been following your feats for years, they just keep getting better and better.
Three cheers for Jo.
Perhaps one day I will meet you at a show, that will be my pleasure! that is if there are shows again.
Thanks again for the hours of entertainment over the Many years at least since 2012 on this site.
I seem to recall you in some Model Engineering Mags, I will have to look them out.
Regards
Trevor
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Thank you Trevor,
Jo you are not only a great Engineer but a very good horticulturist ,does it never end?
Have you seen my Cross stitch :embarassed: just to prove I do have some more feminine hobbies ;)
Jo
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We've just got back into gardening due to being in iso since 20th March due to the rona and us being classified as "elderly adults with underlying health problems" and now only just coming out and venturing to shops for the first time since our iso started, provided the public are not too much in evidence!
I was OK going into iso, visions of never ending shed time flooded my mind, but what to occupy the time for Senior Management was the problem, so as she likes gardening we decided , like many others these past few months it seems, to grow a load of stuff and she could potter in the garden. But I ended up spending less time than anticipated in my shed as I also got involved in the growing and planting up process, as opposed to my usual job of just mowing that green stuff with weeds in it at irregular intervals. We spent a small fortune it seemed on seeds and over the iso a bigger one cornering the world market in compost, or so it felt. Our local version of the legendary John Innis Nos. 1, 2 and 3 were a bit rubbish - don't water for a day and it set like concrete. None of the plants liked it much, the seeds would reluctantly germinate, well, some of them did, and then the little seedlings would just sit there and do nothing.
However, we have enjoyed a lot of cress, assorted salad leaves, rocket, American Land Cress - a good watercress substitute - and now courgettes, beetroot, and spinach, with tomatoes, leeks, spring onions and runner beans on their way.
But the big talking point has been our bees. Not that we have a hive or anything, but rather last year some bees decided to set up home somewhere in a space between the roof and wall of my shed; my shed has 2ft or so thick walls build of mud and stones and pointing on the outside and rendered on the inside. Makes hanging stuff on the wall inside a bit of a lottery. I thought the bees would die out naturally during the winter but no, they are back again this year in numbers and, over the past month or so, have swarmed not once but three times.
The first time they swarmed on a Sunday and then hung off a tree in the wood behind us. A day later their scouts obviously had found a suitable new home and and the swarm flew off, across the fields towards some woods. A fortnight later on the Saturday - they like weekends - two mobs swarmed on the same day, one mob then hung in 3 groups off a branch before gradually becoming one group as the day wore on, the other mob went behind my shed and found an tree to hang from. After a day the first mob flew off over the woods behind us, while the other mob hung around for another day before disappearing whilst we were out.
The bees are a sensitive subject with me. I like them as they are great pollenators and I love the honey they make - the worlds longest shelf life food (like thousands of years!) and without them we're all brown bread. But, they are in my shed uninvited and possibly doing damage - I now have rainwater coming in where the roof meets the top of the wall, so I need to have a look-see when winter comes.
Chris
PS - If I could work out how to make my photos smaller I would post them, as they are all about 4 times tha max size allowed ......
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Yes a lot of people have been reminded of the joys of gardening during Lockdown 8)
But the big talking point has been our bees. Not that we have a hive or anything, but rather last year some bees decided to set up home somewhere in a space between the roof and wall of my shed
Bees are lovely to have in the garden :) I have two hives at the bottom of my garden hidden behind a "netting wall". The netting encourages them to fly up when they leave the nest rather than be lazy and fly low.
But, they are in my shed uninvited and possibly doing damage - I now have rainwater coming in where the roof meets the top of the wall, so I need to have a look-see when winter comes.
Yes if you need to do anything near to your bee nest then a nice cold day in February is best, after they have had a few months to slow down. Or find someone with a bee suit to do the repairs for you at any another time of the year.
One of my neighbours had a hornets nest in the roof of their summer house, she had no problem with them as she would open the door quietly and use the summer house, her husband was heavy handed and would bang the door when going in and out which agitated the Hornets so he got a few stings for his trouble. All Bees and surprisingly Hornets tend not to sting unless provoked. If you get a sting from either use vinegar on it to get rid of the pain and make sure you quickly remove the bee stinger by scratching the it out with your finger nail.
If you suffer from hay fever then a good cure is eating honey from your own hive as it is made from all the local pollen so will provide you with immunity to it ;)
Jo
P.S. In Windows "Paint" lets you resized photographs.
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Jo,
Is there any end to your talents,
Scientist
Engineer
Gardener
Crossstitcher
Bee Keeper
Hoarder of Castings
:wine1:
Colin
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except for fighting the mites, keeping bees is very relaxing,, been doing it for about 5years,, checked the hives on sunday and have a full box of honey to harvest on one hive,, my wife painted the hives when we first started,,I find the pollen color charts and be able to tell what plants the bees are working very cool.. bright yellow as my cucumbers are blooming like crazy now..
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Love the paintwork on the hives 8)
Jo
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I use Apple Jo, but have now found out how to resize photos on my MacBook. Hopefully, there will show the shed roof/wall containing the nest entrance - big stone on wall against the roof join at bottom of picture with first swarm hanging in the background, close-up of nest entrance, and the three swarms. Would love to have a hive but our garden is very small so where to put it would be a problem, and we are away for 2-3 months at a time, so that could be a problem too.
Chris
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PS - Thanks for hay fever tip Jo, I knew there was a very good reason I liked honey so much!
When I worked for a very large horticultural company the tomato plants in the huge greenhouses were all pollinated with bees specially supplied to the industry (from Holland I think) and fed by the growers. Workers had to be careful about bees stings though and records kept of bees stings per person because the toxin can build up inside you and become fatal - not heard the vinegar trick before, nice one.
Chris
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took some garden picks this morning,, prepped things to harvest honey Sat. morning..getting cukes , beans and tomatoes at this time,, have about 5 types of squash flowering.. also giving sweet potatoes a try this year..
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Ah yes, the honey bee's. Jo your photos of your bee hives remind me of my dear departed grandfather. We just used his last bottle of honey, he died in 1988.
Art
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not a bad morning, the hive had 5 very full frames, have about a gallon for us, gave pints to the three connected neighbors,, they are all careful about the bees, enjoy watching them (plus I think they really like the fresh honey twice a year)
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Something to do in lockdown... I made up this VEGUKO puzzle. a bit like soduko but for people that know their onions !!! :D also my Eshcer chair that I made earlier !!
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What an odd gardening year it has been so far: The long sunny days in March and April brought everything on early and I was eating Asparagus at the beginning of April over four weeks early. However as we reached May the weather turned and we had a month of rain, June was a little better and so far July has been more normal. As a consequence of the weather I found great difficulties getting any of my beans to grow. It took four plantings of runner bean seeds to get a reasonable covering of the frame. My onions suffered from mildew and consequently died off early and were a small fraction of their normal size. :( I hear up North Old blightly has been attacking Tomatoes and Potatoes, I am not sure if this is a consequence of the weather or refound UK Nationalism as a result of leaving the EU :noidea:
The good news is that we have been enjoying beetroot, courgettes, new potatoes and courgettes for three weeks now. Of course the cucumbers finish about the same time the tomatoes start which is not very useful for doing salads. One of the oddest growth of crops is the peppers: They are going red two months early than last year but the early heat caused some of the larger ones to not form correctly :-\
Round the remainder of the garden the flowers are also confused with the weather as a consequence I have left many of them to have that slightly unkempt look, which has been helped by the blackbirds flicking the wood chippings all over my paths and it doesn't matter how often you sweep it up they think you are trying to hide something and five minutes later are back tidying up again. I have a pair of Song Thrushes that have moved in and a cracking job they are doing on the snails :ThumbsUp:
The compost heap is once again populated with grass snake eggs, I know this because for nearly a week a huge female grass snake was sunning herself by the compost heap, this means I have had to move over to using a different bin to throw my waste in for the next three months and around the end of August I will have to be careful for little hatchlings which will be found all round the garden. I have no problem with grass snakes (as long as they don't eat the compost heaps resident slow worms >:( ) but where I live we also get smooth snakes and Adders - neither of these are egg layers so any eggs found in your compost heap are Grass Snake :ThumbsUp:
Once again this year I have been finding teeth marks all over my beetroot: I thought this might be rats but having put a couple of rat traps out (under that cardboard box in the pic) baited with peanut butter I found it was actually mice. Clearly the neighbours are feeding their cats too much and they are getting lazy. While I do not appreciate them digging up my beds to poop in, at least they used to keep the mice down :disappointed:
The apple trees are equally confused with the weather and while apple day is the second week in October you can see I have a good crop of apples which are nearly sweet enough to eat (the wasps already think so)
Looks like I need to do a bit more weeding :facepalm:
Jo
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Hi Jo, that sounds a lot of what has happened up here in Norfolk !! there was also a few nights of frost...everything seems to be ok now though
willy
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What an odd gardening year it has been so far: The long sunny days in March and April brought everything on early and I was eating Asparagus at the beginning of April over four weeks early. However as we reached May the weather turned and we had a month of rain, June was a little better and so far July has been more normal. As a consequence of the weather I found great difficulties getting any of my beans to grow. It took four plantings of runner bean seeds to get a reasonable covering of the frame. My onions suffered from mildew and consequently died off early and were a small fraction of their normal size. :( I hear up North Old blightly has been attacking Tomatoes and Potatoes, I am not sure if this is a consequence of the weather or refound UK Nationalism as a result of leaving the EU :noidea:
The good news is that we have been enjoying beetroot, courgettes, new potatoes and courgettes for three weeks now. Of course the cucumbers finish about the same time the tomatoes start which is not very useful for doing salads. One of the oddest growth of crops is the peppers: They are going red two months early than last year but the early heat caused some of the larger ones to not form correctly :-\
Round the remainder of the garden the flowers are also confused with the weather as a consequence I have left many of them to have that slightly unkempt look, which has been helped by the blackbirds flicking the wood chippings all over my paths and it doesn't matter how often you sweep it up they think you are trying to hide something and five minutes later are back tidying up again. I have a pair of Song Thrushes that have moved in and a cracking job they are doing on the snails :ThumbsUp:
The compost heap is once again populated with grass snake eggs, I know this because for nearly a week a huge female grass snake was sunning herself by the compost heap, this means I have had to move over to using a different bin to throw my waste in for the next three months and around the end of August I will have to be careful for little hatchlings which will be found all round the garden. I have no problem with grass snakes (as long as they don't eat the compost heaps resident slow worms >:( ) but where I live we also get smooth snakes and Adders - neither of these are egg layers so any eggs found in your compost heap are Grass Snake :ThumbsUp:
Once again this year I have been finding teeth marks all over my beetroot: I thought this might be rats but having put a couple of rat traps out (under that cardboard box in the pic) baited with peanut butter I found it was actually mice. Clearly the neighbours are feeding their cats too much and they are getting lazy. While I do not appreciate them digging up my beds to poop in, at least they used to keep the mice down :disappointed:
The apple trees are equally confused with the weather and while apple day is the second week in October you can see I have a good crop of apples which are nearly sweet enough to eat (the wasps already think so)
Looks like I need to do a bit more weeding :facepalm:
Jo
Alas, 'tis true. :'( There is some decent foliage left on the toms. We shall have to see :thinking: The 'Charlotte' tatties look a bit dishevelled but the 'Sarpo Mira' are pretty much untouched .... :cartwheel: see piccy
Anyway .......
Gardens have wildlife eh ??
OK. Some piccys of my newly designed and built Moth Trap ;D
All packs away back into it's box .. :)
Clever old bugger eh ??
OK No big deal ..... ::)
Dave
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That looks good :ThumbsUp: . Have you tested it and does it work :)
Jo
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Jo - you are not alone having problems getting beans to germinate this year. Widespread reports around our village in Somerset that beans have been hard to get going, one lady had no beans germinate from 3 packets and my beans have only a 50% germination rate. Even my gardener friend who saves his own seed has only had a 50% success rate this year.
Some plants have just sort of sat there, done nothing and just looked at you and then only very reluctantly decided to grow on a bit. Coriander and basil have been dire for that, then the slugs move in. Good news is that we have a song thrush local to us and visits our garden - first one I have seen since I was a lad and thats a long long time ago now, so really pleased about that.
But salad leaves have done very well, as has beetroot, spinach and courgettes, and as for the autumn fruiting raspberries, we'll be picking them by the end of the month easy. No apples this year, I think the frost did for them, came at the wrong time, but the pears survived, and one plum. Just the one. I haven't decided what name to give it yet
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I cannot compete with you guys and gal, but I have noticed my grapes are weeks ahead of normal. The black Gamay variety grapes are already stating to colour up and the white vines are also well advanced. At this rate the harvest will be in late August, early September instead of the usual early October
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/P1080338small.JPG)
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/P1080337small.JPG)
Stay safe
Mike
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Well, no need to think what name to call my one and only plum - it's gone. Some thief had it away during the night. Hope it choked it.
My early autumn fruiting raspberries are now beginning to ripen, a full two months or so early, we're had a couple already and they were delicious with loads more in process of finishing ripening, so not all bad. I love raspberries.
But what is the secret of growing basil and coriander outside? I've got some basil in pots sort of thinking about growing, but the coriander, well. Started them (several times in succession) indoors and transplanted into pots when able to get them outside, then the slugs/snails wiped them out one night, or they just die out or wilt. Now I have got some going outside which seems to get eaten by something, not all of it, just a bit of it, but even so, and they don't seem to want to grow either, just want to sit there. So much for sucession planting and having lots of home grown for the cooking and salads.
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Well, no need to think what name to call my one and only plum - it's gone. Some thief had it away during the night. Hope it choked it.
I had my entire Pear tree cleared over night last year >:( We still do not know who/what did it.
But what is the secret of growing basil and coriander outside? I've got some basil in pots sort of thinking about growing, but the coriander, well.
I grow Basil in pots inside my conservatory. If I attempted to put it outside it would be eaten by everyone :facepalm: The only trick is keeping it warm enough to germinate/ want to grow: I find it grows away happily over 20 degrees but if it goes colder over night it seems to stop growing. Early in the year because of the temperature requirement I cheat and buy Supermarket pot herbs take them out of their pots, spread the plants out and repot them in new compost. These two pots were started that way in March/April time and I now have a new pot of seedlings just starting out and that will be split out once they get a bit bigger.
I gave up growing coriander as I found the smell over whelming :paranoia:
Jo
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Your pot of basil looks like mine Jo, they germinated indoors then have spent over the last month on a table outside my shed in the sunshine doing very little.
In an earlier life I used to work for a horticultural company that grew all the varieties of pot herbs one buys in supermarkets, and they were one of the first to do so. The only problem with them as you have no doubt found is that the plants are very 'leggy', as they are grown in heated greenhouses under assimilation lighting to kid the plants the days are very long and so are a bit forced. :shrug:
Having said that, I have leggy coriander seedlings that have not been force grown but just germinated in my conservatory on top of the dog cage! Perhaps I kept them under cover a tad too long. The next batch are just sowing so the cover will come off tomorrow and we'll see.
Cant have too much coriander, like the smell and love the flavour in salads and spicy dishes. :stir:
Chris
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I have sown some butternut squashes but seem to have got Marrows ?/ they are very near to the courgettes but these are yellow ones ...strange things happening ?!!! also got the dreaded finger grass. Digitaria erinathea this is from North Africa and just grows everywhere about late June...
Willy
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Hear in Norwich we have had a virtual veg show .. I won the recycling part using radiators for raised beds !!! some pics.......we have had 6.4 inches of rain over the past 2 weeks ?!!!. and for people that know their onions a Soduko inspired puzzle ?? The pic with the sweetcorn has green manure growing in it !!!
Willy
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I won the recycling part using radiators for raised beds !!!
Nice!
I'd be looking to join them all together to capture rainwater.... then automatically irrigate the beds if they got too dry! :D
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Visited this site on my new iPad. No photos. Funny, sure this thread had photos. Checked with MacBook and yes, thread has photos. Then It dawned on me I wasn’t signed in but viewing as a guest - doh! Didn’t know you couldn’t see photos if just a guest - learn something new everyday.
Chris
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I had a request for a pic of my
Bonfire night Christmas Cacti, so here it is :wine1:
Jo
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Beautiful Jo
What is the secret to getting it to bloom? My wife has had one for a few years and it never blooms.
Dave
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Thank you Dave,
Its potted up in well draining compost with 1/3rd vermiculite and is only watered once a week just enough that the dampness shows in the dish at the bottom, the water has a little feed in it same concentration as I used for my Orchids ;)
I am trying to slow the next (different) coloured Xmas Cacti down a bit so this one goes over before it wants to pretend it too is a casting set ::)
Jo
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I had a request for a pic of my Bonfire night Christmas Cacti, so here it is :wine1:
Jo
Mine's just beginning to perform ... :)
Dave
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Looks like you will have a good show there Dave :)
My second lighter pink is now nearly there. And in Surus's room his Light Pink and the Orangey pink ones are beginning to come out as well ;)
Jo
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We have a gardener in the village who comes in once a fortnight and spends a couple of hours tending our garden - does far more in those two hours than SWMBO and I can do in a day between us, so well worth it.
His hobby is growing potatoes - has a large patch where he grows, I have forgotten how many, different varieties, loads and loads of them, plants thousands of seed potatoes a year.
Yesterday he rocked up with a crate containing a dozen bags containing about 15kg or so in total of different varieties; I'd heard of just one of them. Some were English varieties, some French and one a Canadian - the Canadian ones were huge (bakers) as one might have expected. Some are superb roasters, some salad, some bakers and some are general purpose and mashers.
Had Red Duke of York roasters last night, roasted in goose fat - superb!
So that's the Christmas potato supply sorted then, cross that off the supermarket list.
In this dismal season in the garden of short daylight hours and wet soggy garden no matter the weather is it seems it was a very cheery happening.
Chris
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Roast potatoes can make a lot of things better.
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the monster is blooming at my mother's house..
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Bits of fence paling off-cuts destined to be Jo's firewood got re-worked ... :)
Seemed a shame to cut them up. ........ So ........ here we are.
Solid timber and an original design. In fact I can genuinely claim ...
I made 'em out of me own 'edd. :lolb:
Dave
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Solid timber and an original design. In fact I can genuinely claim ...
I made 'em out of me own 'edd. :lolb:
Dave
Dave
Can we say, "A (Blue)chip off the old block"?
Mike
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:thinking: Wonder what the birdies are going to think about those. Thanks Dave :thinking:
Nearly summer down here: Courgettes are in and the Greenhouse is full :facepalm: And another 10 pots are ready for the peppers which do not seem to be showing much progress so far :-\
Jo
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NICE!!!
BC1
Jim
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The weather is getting hotter :toilet_claw: here in the UK. No longer do I have to open/close the greenhouse door with its tuneful "bonk bonk bonk" sound every morning and evening as in the future it will glide silently as I have replaced the second generation nylon wheels that had followed the original nylon ones by getting hard/crumbling and forming flats on the faces with a new go faster set:
The replacement are home turned aluminium wheels running on sealed ball races ;) I considered a number of alternative materials for the wheels including steel and bronze (someone mentioned oillite, I forgot :old: then once I had turned them up he reminded me about it again :facepalm: ) Ok the ali will oxidise but it has had a protective squirt of something :noidea: and a bit of oxidisation will not stop them doing their job so I decided get on with it and stop thinking about it.
Another chore down :cheers:
Jo
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I've been busy in the garden as well.
I've replaced most of the fencing around the garden and erected a new 8 x 7 shed outside the workshop (garage). As you can see I was constrained on three sides, so the shed had to be made to measure and erected entirely from the inside. I painted all the panels while they were flat on the ground; so much easier than when they are vertical. At least the paint does not run down your arms. :shrug:
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0168small.JPG)
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0167small.JPG)
Hopefully the new shed will soon be filled with some of the clutter from the workshop
Mike
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That is a great idea! Move the storage OUT of the workshop to make more room for tools! :)
Kim
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I've been busy in the garden as well.
I've replaced most of the fencing around the garden and erected a new 8 x 7 shed outside the workshop (garage). As you can see I was constrained on three sides, so the shed had to be made to measure and erected entirely from the inside. I painted all the panels while they were flat on the ground; so much easier than when they are vertical. At least the paint does not run down your arms. :shrug:
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0168small.JPG)
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0167small.JPG)
Hopefully the new shed will soon be filled with some of the clutter from the workshop
Mike
Don't let the shop elves hear you call them 'clutter' !!! :Lol:
Very nice shed!
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Nice work both of you :ThumbsUp:
I really like the figure (head ?) above the door Mike.
:cheers:
Per
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Nice shed Mike :)
Jo
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A combination of a very cold May - my unheated greenhouse had continuous night time temps of 0 +/-1 max all through - and utterly rubbish compost meant that whilst I got stuff to germinate in April in the heated propagator - tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, chillies, beans, flowers amongst them, once potted on they just sat there in the greenhouse sulking, refusing to grow and just moaning about the rubbish weather and the compost they were in, and turning pale (cucumbers/courgettes esp) - the toms turned a sort of blue, and lead me to in indignity of having to buy tomato plants in. Most stuff only now getting away, about 6 weeks late. I could loose all patience..... :hammerbash:
Chris
PS - like your shed Mike and esp the way the windows are protected by the so-called 'wrought iron' fencing, good security move that!
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A frog sitting sentinel in my allotment pond ..I don't know how he got there though ??
...and some Heritage Seed Library items Victorian Purple podded ..peas...and it has started to rain in Norridge !!
Willy
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A frog sitting sentinel in my allotment pond ..I don't know how he got there though ??
...and some Heritage Seed Library items Victorian Purple podded ..peas...and it has started to rain in Norridge !!
Willy
Thats not a normal frog, thats a rare amphibious shop elf, there to help on your turbine build!!
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Hi Chris , yes of course ...he/she/it is often there ? and quite tame ... perhaps he/she/it needs a name ??...any ideas??
Willy
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Hi Chris , yes of course ...he/she/it is often there ? and quite tame ... perhaps he/she/it needs a name ??...any ideas??
Willy
Give him/her a beer and name it Hoppy! :lolb:
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Been busy in the garden again.
Last month, you may recall, I finished my new storage shed, my new man cave.
Since then I have been busy building again. This time, a small corner summer house for the good lady. Her own 'girly cave', somewhere where to sit and relax and quietly do some needlework in the fresh air.
First an old rotten shed had to be demolished and removed to make way for the foundations for the new summer house in the sunny corner of the garden.
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0219small.JPG)
Then all hands to the pump to hold the panels upright to assemble the first corner. After that the walls were self supporting
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0223small.JPG)
All five five wall panels in place and the doors offered up for a trial fit. The roof will be next.
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0226small.JPG)
All finished, roofed, painted and glassed. It took a lot longer to do than I had anticipated.
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0232small.JPG)
But it was all worth the effort looking at Sonia's smile. I may have earned a few extra brownie points.
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0238small.JPG)
Next some time in the workshop........ with luck
Mike
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Jeez Mike, you do not do anything by halves. That's a heck of a nice construction.
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Mike
I trust you have not blocked the hedgehog hole in the fence.
AVTUR
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Mike
I trust you have not blocked the hedgehog hole in the fence.
AVTUR
Ha ha, the hedgehogs still have an unobstructed 18 inch wide race track all round the back and sides.
Mike
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Excellent :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :wine1:
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Very nice Mike!
Dave
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Looks like a very nice summer house to enjoy our English "Sunshine" in :)
Mike
I trust you have not blocked the hedgehog hole in the fence.
AVTUR
Ha ha, the hedgehogs still have an unobstructed 18 inch wide race track all round the back and sides.
Mike
Can't have too many Hedgehogs in the garden they do a grand job :ThumbsUp:
Jo
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Nice one Mike, and it's always good to earn a few extra brownie points from Senior Management - who's looking well pleased with her new
shed summer house
Chris
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:ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
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Very nice Mike - it looks like you put even more effort into hers than yours :praise2:
Always a good feeling when your work is appreciated by the person / persons that it was made for, and I too think that the smile says it all :ThumbsUp:
The butterfly is a nice touch too :cheers:
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Thank you Per,
And good luck with the football tonight.
Mike
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Don't know about anyone else but I'm melting in this heat, it's just so hot and airless. Did two easy hours in the garden yesterday morning, before the midday heat, nothing at all strenuous, and that wiped me out for the day. And today, all power from the legs gone!
It's a sad state of affairs when you actually enjoy having to take SWMBO shopping so you can cool down going around Waitrose.
Chris
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Yes it is horrible. All the insects in the garden seem to be short of fluid, especially the horse flies :paranoia: The workshop isn't much better :ShakeHead: It was 25 degrees in there first thing so I had to air it to try to cool it down and then could only cope with an hour or so before having to abandon it for the house.
As for the garden: The onions are useless this year (again), Beetroot is doing ok, Courgettes have been struggling with the damp weather for the last two months and the potatoes are small :Doh:
The nice man from Waitrose delivers for me ;)
Jo
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Don't talk to me about horse-flies, 20 years ago one put me in hossie with blood poisoning, nearly cost me my right leg, only by increasing the meds they were injecting into me to double max dose at 4 x max frequency, or vice versa, memories a bit hazy now, did they stop the spread. Still have scars to this day.
Stuff is growing now, or some of it is, but been a bit of a disappointment, most stuff way behind, but early new pots being lifted now, very sweet too.
Nice folk from Waitrose usually deliver to us too but having been away we lost a slot so had to manually do the Waitrose bit, but nice cold Snickers and Magnums made it through the checkout - I've NO idea how they got in the trolley, the little people from my shed must have helped when we weren't watching..........
Chris
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Hi Jo,
Surprised at your lack of success as I thought that you had green fingers.
On my allotment the onions are great and have just been lifted for drying, together with shallots and garlic, the spuds have huge hams and the potatoes are lovely, the only thing not successful so far this year is carrots and beans, but everything else is grand.
Will take some phots to post on here but agree that it is so hot in the shed and the greenhouse.
Mike
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Just found these on my allotment .!! I don't know who did them but it made me smile !!! :)
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shop-elf coccoons?
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Hi C , Possibly ...I am surrounded by so much creativivity here in Porridge city..oops Norwich city UK .. :lolb:they are on my sweetcorn !!
Willy
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My daughter has just moved to Norridge, I have asked her if she is responsible :)
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:thinking: Does she take after her father?
Jo
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She is certainly very creative :) :) :) :) however in different areas. She has her own food blog where she cooks and takes the pictures:
https://www.themarshsidepantry.co.uk/
She also works for Mashed:
https://www.mashed.com/416531/old-fashioned-blackberry-cake-recipe-is-a-light-dessert-youll-love/
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She said: It wasn’t me, but I’m tempted to hunt down his allotment now and carry on the plaiting of the corn :D I love how odd and slightly disturbing, yet completely innocent this is!
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Just to cheer Jo up a bit ... :)
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Thank you Dave, I will not be showing mine this year :-X
Jo
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She said: It wasn’t me, but I’m tempted to hunt down his allotment now and carry on the plaiting of the corn :D I love how odd and slightly disturbing, yet completely innocent this is!
Hi, thanks for the reply and my allotment is No 59B and 60 Bluebell South ...off the Avenues near the Varsity ( concrete block). not medieval/red brick ?!!! :)
Willy
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Marigold pics. for Jo
Most are like pic#1 but a few are like pic #2 & #3.
The pic. #1 are about 15" high but the other two sorts are about half that.
Dave
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Managed to get only two marigolds to that sort of size Dave, the rest the slugs and snails decimated.
Slug and snail damage has been very bad this year, have learnt that garlic wash puts them off, a hosta grower seemingly uses nothing else, so am just trying that, seems to be working so far.
What the slugs and snails haven't ruined the caterpillars have this year, and now loosing all outdoor tomatoes to blight. It's only runner beans that have done well this year, the rest has been a waste of time, mostly.
Chris
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Yes I recognise all three of those in my garden Dave :)
Veggie wise: Onions useless (powdery mildew), Beetroots poor, potatoes poor, courgettes picking up, Toms slow and both types of Beans trying for world domination :paranoia:
And as for the Apples :rant:
Jo
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White Buddleia ( ? ) Pansy and a Small Tortoiseshell [ As requested by Jo :) ]
Dave
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Nice, the one next door is not as big as that.
I've been working on my gardening knife. For the last 30 years I have been using a Seaman's knife for gardening, just like my father. A couple of years ago he abandoned his knife as it had worn down and was too short. Mine seems to be going the same way :(
I had been messing around with a broken machine hacksaw blade trying to make a new longer knife when I enquired to Father about what happened to his old knife? He duly found it and gave it to me :) So drill rivets out. Drill a new hole between the two originals. Make three brass rivets. Find a suitable bit of steel as a spacer and mount in handle, drill required hole and rivet back together. Finally seal round with some araldite to seal the sides.
Looks like I have a new gardening knife - unless father pinches it back ::)
Jo
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They look the business 8) We'll make an armourer out of you yet .. :ThumbsUp:
I reckon the gaffer will want his back. :)
Just given up here. 27oC in the shop. No thanks, not for me. Decided to launch myself at a can of Doombar :DrinkPint: ;D
Dave
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We have a fairly young columnar Victoria plum tree which for the first time has fruited well. Having eaten most of the fruit (delicious!) there were still some fruit left on the tree still to ripen to which we were looking forward to eating.
Now all has gone, but who was the thief?
I am inclined to blame the grey tree rats as we have some in the wood behind us, but we also have foxes around and badgers. Foxes could get in as could badgers but no evidence of badgers in our garden has been seen, neither do I know if they are partial to plums, so I'm back to suspecting grey tree rats or Mr.Fox.
Anyone able to suggest any other likely villains?
And how to stop it happening again?
I can only think of netting, or a piece of lead inserted robustly behind the ear of the offender but I have neither the means nor the ability for that, so was wondering if there were any other deterrents to the grey tree rats, like the garlic wash was to slugs and snails (which seems to be working really well!) that had worked for anyone else?
Chris. :stir:
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Yes tree rats or Crows/Jackdaws thief anything and everything :rant: round here they are second only to my Father :cussing:
Birds don't like nets, squiggles avoid them but it depends on how tempting the prize is. Both the Pigeon and the tree rat recognise my air rifle when I bring it out ::)
Jo
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Jo:
You need to brush up on your sniper skills, just stick the end of the barrel out the window. Or even better open the window, and shoot from the shadows. Eventually they'll llearn that at least one side of the tree is off limits.
Don
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Jo:
You need to brush up on your sniper skills, just stick the end of the barrel out the window. Or even better open the window, and shoot from the shadows. Eventually they'll llearn that at least one side of the tree is off limits.
Don
And the neighbors behind your house learn not to use thier dining room when your window is open.... :o
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And the neighbors behind your house learn not to use thier dining room when your window is open.... :o
The life expectancy of the vermin went up when the neighbour decided to put up a greenhouse the other side of my Laurel hedge :disappointed:
Jo
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I do have an air rifle, two in fact, a .22 and a ,177, in France. If we ever get back over there I will have to bring them back and then learn to shoot them! Trouble is I am a softie and don't want to just 'wing' a vermin, but perhaps Jo's tactic of just producing it for them to see will do the trick. Maybe.
Chris
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I have some old 5 gallon plastic oil drums that I put out when I get a pigeon problem. If, when the pigeons come visiting, they get near the drum it is relatively easy to hit it and of course it makes a very loud noise from a direction they were not expecting so it can be several days before they return :ThumbsUp:
I did tail feather one of the pigeon's and because of that I can recognise it :facepalm: Now I know it is the one that walks up and down the ramp in the garden playing peek-a-boo with me hoping to pinch some of the bird seed that has fallen off the bird feeder. It gets to the top, sees me and turns round and walks rapidly half way down and remembers there was food up there, turns round and back it comes for another peek round the bushes to see if I have gone. This repeats until I finally step outside - it gave me something to do during lockdown while trying to eat my breakfast ::)
I did vaporise one tree rat many years ago with my old .410 shot gun :naughty: Thanks to the licensing problems I don't have those any more :disappointed:
Jo
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I have some old 5 gallon plastic oil drums that I put out when I get a pigeon problem. If, when the pigeons come visiting, they get near the drum it is relatively easy to hit it and of course it makes a very loud noise from a direction they were not expecting so it can be several days before they return :ThumbsUp:
Jo
Jo, I think the oil drum trick is brilliant. I could not hit a barn door at ten paces.
Mike
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Toms for export tomorrow .... :D
( Two pics. of same lot ..... :ThumbsUp: ).
Ferline variety, supposedly 'Blight Tolerant' ... none on these. :whoohoo:
Dave
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They look impressive :P
Jo
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Jo's carnations .....
....... or would have been had I remembered to take them yesterday ...... ::) :old:
.............. so I shortened 'em up a bit and put them in a pint glass. :D
Yellow one is just about 60mm across :)
Dave
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Nice but they would look better in my Kitchen ::)
Jo
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I had lots of sweetcorn this year and also some Love tokens !!! did any one else get any ??
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I had lots of sweetcorn this year and also some Love tokens !!! did any one else get any ??
Nope. No Love Tokens hereabouts ...
Greenfly and Scale insects if you fancy some. ::)
Dave
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No, I can't even say that I ever have seen any besides in your pictures .... but I must say that they look very nicely done, so somebody put in an effort .... and that reminds me - did you ever discover who put them there ...?
:cheers: Per
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Hy-Per I know one of the persons but she copied the other one !!!!
Willy
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Santa's on his way. :whoohoo: Must be, my Crimbo Cactus, well one of them, is in flower. :)
Bought as WHITE but it ain't no such thing.
Nearly white but not quite.
I wonder who'll want some cuttings .... :thinking:
Dave
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I wonder who'll want some cuttings .... :thinking:
I think we better be careful how we respond to this in case someone wants a cutting of our not "pink" white Bonfire Cacti and it is not big enough yet :thinking:
Well done Dave first flower of the year :ThumbsUp:
Jo
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I have three not white Bonfire Night Cati
The yellow-ie not white one still looks unwell :(
Jo
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:whoohoo: :whoohoo: :whoohoo:
Spring is sprungling ... maybe.
Snowdrops, well, one and a bit snowdrops anyway, flowering. :ThumbsUp:
Dave
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:whoohoo: :whoohoo: :whoohoo:
Spring is sprungling ... maybe.
Snowdrops, well, one and a bit snowdrops anyway, flowering. :ThumbsUp:
Dave
That works for me Dave. If I looked closely in my garden here, I'm sure I'd see daffodills starting to come up.
Jim
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Well done :)
The only plant I can counter you with is a primrose. I have a few Daffs that are progressing well but no where near flowering :disappointed:
Jo
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I havn't noticed the daffodil heads poking through the grass yet but I did plant a Hawthorn tree just before Christmas.
AVTUR
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One of the pitfalls of gardening is finding injured birds :( this little fella had flown into a window so I had to recover it before a cat :hammerbash: became interested.
It was a bit cold so I made the mistake of warming it up in my hands. Did it want to go :ShakeHead: I tried enticing it to step off with a load of peanuts and sunflower hearts. I had a new friend, to underline the fact it pooped on me, twice :facepalm: I attempted to put it safely in a box to warm up so I could do something and :disappointed: it didn't like that, sitting in my warm hands was preferred. A blue tit sitting on your hand means you cannot do anything :-\
Two attempts to get it to recover in the bush resulted in me caving in when I saw it shivering and bringing it back in :Doh: the third time I managed to get it to sit in the bush and it finally re-joined the flock :whoohoo:
Did I mention how LOUD the flock of blue/great tits are ::)
And as for the pheasants, I have not even thought about planting anything out and they are there already waiting :rant:
Jo
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You’re just a softie at heart, Jo.
I’m comparing up your weather to ours here in Raleigh, NC. Two inches of snow; a rather rare event.
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A cross-stitch done from that picture of the bird-in-hand would be fantastic. :)
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lovely picture of this little tit, and an happy ending !
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A couple more pictures of my little friend. The second is me trying to get it to hold on to the twig and it gave me an indication of what it thought of that ::)
I think it survived as one of the Blue Tits that visit in the flock is remarkably braver than the others :)
Jo
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Glad to hear that the wee thing recovered and was able to rejoin the gang!
No gardening or even thoughts of gardening with a couple of feet of snow and -30c temps lately. Warmer today ... around the -16c mark.
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well some of my little free time has been taken up here lately,, rest of the mesh should go up sat. morning and then plants and seeds in the new raised beds..
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Nice beds :) and I like the look of that fence. I could do with something like that fence to keep the deer and the pigeons off my veggie patch.
Jo
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that's 8ft deer fence, we are expanding the yard fence so enough was ordered to replace the garden fence,, the original garden fence was 4x4s post and netting, it was the original first line of defense.. in the summer here the difference between inside the fence compared to outside is like jungle vs desert.. before the fence 6-18 deer in the the yard was the normal..
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Needs a sign on the fence:
Sorry DEER, the salad bar is closed!
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Last week I had to wear a sun hat with neck protection whilst gardening, today a heavy coat and thermal bobble hat. I am in Cornwall, UK.
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Needs a sign on the fence:
Sorry DEER, the salad bar is closed!
That reminds when I was late for lunch once there was a note saying .....sorry dear the salad bar is closed ... :ROFL:
Willy
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Around here (upstate New York State) its still alternating snow with a few hours of warm weather, trees are just starting to bud out and a couple wisps of grass are standing up and turning a less-brown shade of green...
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I guess the bear will be roaming around soon. Every year I have to repair and straighten the birdfeeders. But the birdies must be fed.
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fence and gate completed, raised beds topped off, plant and seeds added,, air rifle at the ready in case the rabbits show up..
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Sure enough. Spring time garden pests. Bless him.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-QvF8NGM/0/a54fb8f7/X2/IMG_7531-X2.jpg) (https://propforward.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-QvF8NGM/A)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-Qb6f9vt/0/978998a2/X2/IMG_7530-X2.jpg) (https://propforward.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-Qb6f9vt/A)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-GK9Wdxj/0/7f2f36ed/X2/IMG_7533-X2.jpg) (https://propforward.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-GK9Wdxj/A)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-chdbbW8/0/d5954166/X2/IMG_7532-X2.jpg) (https://propforward.smugmug.com/Stuff/Misc/i-chdbbW8/A)
Last weekend I got chased into my shed by a Tom Turkey that was out looking for his girlfriends. I didn't think I looked like a female turkey, but I guess his blood was running hot. ;D
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Nice. I have them on game camera, but not an "in person" siting yet this spring.
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Cagey fellows they are - this is the only time we have seen him in person. Usually it's just the results and claw marks from where he's climbed up on the deck. I might install some wireless cameras just to capture that.
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That Bear looks very thin :o
Thankfully the only pest that I get around my bird feeder is a Sparrow Hawk :Mad: Needless to say I have had to stop feeding my little friends :'(
However they still like joining me for breakfast. I think they have worked out that if I am sitting there then the Sparrow Hawk won't come down so they are safe ;) .
Thinking of them I have just picked up another 25Kg of Sunflower seeds for this coming winter as we are all expecting the War in Ukraine/Russia will put the price of these necessities up :rant:
Jo
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That’s how they look in spring, post hibernation. By autumn he’ll be a fatty again. :D
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Jo
Good point about sunflower hearts.
I try to feed the two local Sparrow Hawks with the collection of Gold Finches and House Sparrows on my feeders.
AVTUR
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Here in Norridge we get the full force of "the beast from the East". so ..bright and sunny but still cold and windy even for the resident scarecrow ....
Willy
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Also collected from local skips? :) :) :ThumbsUp:
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Also collected from local skips? :) :) :ThumbsUp:
Nah, thats what a telemarketer looks like if you skin them and hang them out in the yard.... Don't ask me how I know....! :mischief:
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Now it is slowly getting warmer and nature is becoming greener.
Greetings from the river "Elbe"
Michael
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The snow seems to finally be gone here and things are sprouting up. Today the woodpeckers were out feasting in the lawn, first three Flickers out front, then this big Piliated out back dismantling the rotted tree stumps out in the yard
(https://i.postimg.cc/nLLq2rKr/IMG-1324a.jpg)
Tough to get a good picture of, they move fast!
(https://i.postimg.cc/DyKsDBQt/IMG-1328a.jpg)
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Super pictures! We have a couple of Piliateds hanging around, but I'll be darned if I can get a picture of them.
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Super pictures! We have a couple of Piliateds hanging around, but I'll be darned if I can get a picture of them.
Had to take a whole bunch, she kept pecking at the stump with head down, would only look up for a second, had lots of pictures of the back! Fortunately she was there long enough and didn't mind movement so I could get the screen off the inside of the window and get clearer shots. Couple years ago in the winter a Sharp Shinned Hawk got a Mourning Dove off the gutter (big cloud of feathers) and spent the next hour having lunch under the tree that is now that stump.
This was a great day out - the local Raptor counting group up at Braddocks Bay, a huge stopover point in migrations, held a photo shoot day as a fundraiser. They had one of the bird handlers that does educational shows come in and had the birds out in trees and such, with just a limited number of photographers there. Got a LOT of great pictures, but this one is my favorite, had a chance to fly a Harris Hawk. Thats me on the left if you were wondering which of us was which... :Lol: I was feeding him a spare shop gnome....!
(https://i.postimg.cc/yxKdfrqj/DSC-7174.jpg)
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That's brilliant - I'd love to do something like that.
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Hello Chris,
The wife and I had the privilege of attending a bird handling day at Falco near Chichester, a while back.
It's amazing just how light weight the birds are. I think my Harris Hawk was only youngster compared to your monster
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/P1040171smal.JPG)
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_7921smal.JPG)
Mike
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Wow ...saw this strange creature in my pond today ...the frog was quite interested and looked as though it would make a tasty snack ??
willy. Not a valid vimeo URL. Not a valid vimeo URL. https://vimeo.com/user44309902/download/711361303/bc5936c551
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Willy - that thing at the bottom looks like a slug or snail with duckweed stuck all over it.
Possibly a telemarketer in its natural habitat? :Lol:
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Hi "C" yes a strange chap ..I have never seen anything like it before ...an alien perhaps ?!!! :o :ROFL:
"W"....
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Does it taste like chicken? :o :paranoia:
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Hi ":C" I meant to say the frog was looking for a tasty snack that might be the strange camouflaged creature / !!!
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Hi "C", Ok it is a caddis fly larvae and they make wonderful "Houses" to hide in ?!!! lots of pics on the web ?!!!!!
"W"
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Intermittently over the past few weeks / months I've bodged together a bird feeding table out of odd bits and scrap ends of wood .. :shrug:
Here's the top bit. It does have a post to stand on but I now need to dismantle it and put some more paint on it and cover the roof with some DPC membrane I have. Hopefully a better job than it is now.
Dave
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Another view:
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Nice work - but I'm sure the Birds are more interested in fact that there is some grub for them every day ;)
Per
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Its looks rather nice Dave, like a new luxury Bert Bath house :thinking: Is it correctly sized for his lordship ::)
Jo
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Its looks rather nice Dave, like a new luxury Bert Bath house :thinking: Is it correctly sized for his lordship ::)
Jo
Dunno :headscratch: No Podgkins or Berts around. Too hot I think.
Those pellets have been there for a couple of hours together with some on the garden but none have been touched as far as I can see.
They'll be back ...
Dave
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The long hot summer, together with a lot of hand watering, has produced a very early grape harvest at Chateaux Vixen. In normal years, I would expect to be picking the gapes at the end of September, early October. But this year the grapes were sweet, fully ripe and ready to pick in August.
I only have three vines, growing on the west wall of the machine shop. Never enough grapes to even consider wine making, instead they are pressed to produce some lovely fresh fruit juice (non fermented)
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0925smal.JPG)
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0926smal.JPG)
(https://listerengine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/IMG_0928smal.JPG)
Cheers
Mike :wine1: :wine1: :wine1:
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I can tell it is going to be cold this evening:
(https://i.postimg.cc/XqsLLSCy/IMG-5253.jpg)
That is a new record of 7 Long tailed tits at once on the feeder. I am sure it is supposed to be a Robin feeder block :headscratch:
Jo
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Jo,
Seven long tailed, plus one blue tit
Mike
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True, true. Normally it is a dozen Blue tits plus the Great Tit family.
The amount they can eat in a day :facepalm:
Jo
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I have just realised I did not post about the Great Tits first bath day...
Back in the height of summer in the UK it got up to 41 degrees C. One hot morning I looked out to see one of the parent Great tits standing in the middle of my bird bath with all the youngsters plus the other parent standing around the edge looking on. As I watched the second parent prodded each of the youngsters in turn into the bird bath in turn. There was a bit of resistance and once in they showed little enthusiasm to splash around in it even with their parent flicking water on them.
The following morning I topped up the bath with new cool water and looked out 5 minutes later to see the entire family all in the bird bath. It was a squabble and no one could splash around :ShakeHead: A little later I saw a Mistle thrush standing in the same bird bath, who with the water hardly covering her feet clearly found it too shallow to bath in so I took pity on it and found a square pyrex baking tray and put some cold water in it and put it out. I hardly turned my back and the thrush was in there splashing around :)
A few days later my neighbour visited and asked why I had Ice cubes in my bird bath ... it was still in the mid thirties (degrees C) :noidea:
Jo
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A few days later my neighbour visited and asked why I had Ice cubes in my bird bath ...
'Cos they'd drunk all the Bacardi' ;D
D.
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We can't have a bird feeder in our garden. Bears love them. :ShakeHead:
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As I see in my garden, tits dissect the food, peel off and shell the balls of seeds and fat, and spread lots of seeds around; robins simply peck at the seeds that have fallen to the ground, and very rarely touch the food balls, they are rather afraid of tits, it seems.
the amount of food used is impressive...
I regularly see 6 types of tits in my plot, only the long tailed one refuses to get photographed...
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The only thing that interests the local small birds are sunflower hearts. When they are available I get a flock of about 10 Gold Finches, one or two Blue Tits, visits from the roaming flock of Long Tailed Tits, the local Robin and House Sparrows. The seeds that fall to the ground are eaten by a neighbour's fancy pigeons and a few bold Blackbirds. The pigeons see off most small ground feeding birds.
Occassionally a local Sparrow Hawk takes advantage of the available food.
AVTUR
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A bird in the hand...
(https://i.postimg.cc/HxGzr0jd/P1220981.jpg)
is worth two in the bush ::)
Jo
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Wow! That's quite the tame birds you have over there, Jo! Our birds will fly away if you get too close to the window just looking at them.
Kim
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Hi Talking about birds over here in The UK there is the RSPB big garden birdwatch next weekend on the 27 - 29th January ?!!! and also a call about the greenfinch population under threat ...apparently people should regularly clean their birdtables and feeders and change the water very often to stop infections from the decomposing and rotting food affecting the health of the visiting birds that share the bird table ??!!
Willy
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If I may contribute an image that combines a bird with a snowscape appropriate to the other thread:
(https://i.postimg.cc/J0X7mmXx/IMG-1700.jpg)
This is from our time living in Maryland. The bright red male Cardinals were a favorite, especially when contrasted against a snowy background in an otherwise drab winter. They never sat in our hand though.
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The cardinals are a lovely :Love: bird. I can see why so many (seven?) American States have adopted it as their state bird.
Jo
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You are right Jo, it is seven. I didn't know that though, had to look it up: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia
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The grapes look beautiful Mike! Lovely colour. Have you got purple feet yet? :Lol: :cheers:
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the agave plant near the greenhouses at work decided this was the year to send up its flower spike..
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Wow! 8)
Jo
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Never knew they did that!
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it may take them 10 to 20 years and they only do it once. it's an end of life cycle thing..
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Wow , impressive ..I am spending lots of time at the allotment at the moment , now that summer has arrived.. and a photo at the allotment " Food for me and the Bishy-Banabee. " Norfolk for ladybirds ?!! feeding on the broad beans !!
Willy
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I thought ladybirds fed on the aphids that feed on the veg?
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yes, they do, but this large amount of black aphids here seems too much for the single ladybird...
I was told that the main cause of black aphid proliferation is excess nitrogen in the soil, but I don't have vegetables, only flowers and shrubs in my plot, and black aphids too, on the nasturtiums.
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Last week every twig and branch of a small young plum tree was densly covered in greenfly. This week they have all disappeared.
I also have a problem with the leaves all curled up on a couple of young damson trees caused by some other aphid. I was late putting sticky bands round the trunks, but I don't know how much use they are anyway. I am trying to be minimally pesticidal. Winter oil wash?
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I thought ladybirds fed on the aphids that feed on the veg?
Hi I shall have to ask my entomologist ?? to find out exactly what is going on !!! I eat the beans inside the bean cases that seam ok ??
Thanks
Willy
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I spray my runner bean plants with water with some washing up liquid in it to keep the aphids down. For some reason this process was banned for some time, now (I think), it is legal again. If it isn't, then I broke the law.
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My brothers wife found this book in a used book shop recently, somehow it seems to fit in with us! :Jester:
(https://i.postimg.cc/zv4MX9SY/birdbook.jpg)
Everything is growing like mad here now that the warm weather is back and its raining frequently, been having fun out on the porch watching the downy woodpeckers flitting from tree to tree.
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Yesterday I lay on a lounger in my parents' garden to rest. It was under the cherry tree. I was being watched from above.
Michael
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I gave the book to my bird watching wife about 5 Christmas back..
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Managed to get a Red Kite down to take food yesterday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0PhXA00o7s
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Oh nice!
Such proud birds do not come into my garden. A few ducks now and then.
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had this one hanging around the back of building at work for a half a week,, it most likely was on it's first few days on it's own. spent it's time preying on grasshoppers, lizards and other small stuff!!!
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out-sourcing the garden rodent control today,, this is a young one so only getting apprentice pay!!!(room and all you can eat)
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This year I have been growing Sunflowers for my birdies. The seeds are ready to eat so I am getting lots of new friends:
(https://i.postimg.cc/zGHhbnZf/P8171181.jpg)
This is a young Bullfinch :)
Jo
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I was thinking abut maybe planting a few sunflowers next year.
Do you have any tips on growing them?
Dave
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I was thinking abut maybe planting a few sunflowers next year.
Do you have any tips on growing them?
Don't buy any posh seeds, the bird food ones are just as good. 6" plus between them but plant them an inch down or the birdies will help themselves ::)
Jo
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Do you have to stake them or are they pretty much self supporting, how tall did your get?
Dave
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Do you have to stake them or are they pretty much self supporting, how tall did your get?
Dave
Individual Sunflowers would need staking but if you grow them in a block, like you would sweet corn, they are self supporting.
The tallest of mine are just over 6ft tall. I have never seen so many different types of bees on any one type of flower than I have seen on the sun flowers this year. I will be growing them again next year :)
Jo
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Hi Jo, Nice to see you have a good relationship with the local birds. We also have feathered friends, one of them, a cassowary, also appreciates handouts and can eat kilos at a time, oranges, lemons, mangos and all whole. If you look at his neck you can see the bulge of a mango going down the hatch. Regards, Paul Gough.
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If we had those I wouldn't be inviting them in the house for a snack :ShakeHead:. This May I had four Robins and a couple of female chaffinches who would charge up to me and take food from my fingers but no way would I do that with one of those :hellno:
Jo
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Pauline loves the bullfinch picture :) :) :)
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Sort of related to feathered friends .... :shrug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0jPxYcQW2I
Dave
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"Look out....incoming" A Kestrel can reach 200mph in a vertical dive (stoop).
(https://lister-engine.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10013/kestral.png)
Mike
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What a fabulous photo - and frightening too
Chris
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Brave cameraman. :thinking:
Mike
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Perhaps a very good telephoto lens too
Chris
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After 3d printing a bird feeder, I put it to the test of the experts. It proved quite popular!
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Very clever use of a 2 liter bottle and your 3D printer! Well done!
Kim
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Thanks Kim ... It was the first project on the printer and the first project since just before Covid for me. There are now three out there and they are full of birds all day long. Great entertainment!
Cheers
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Another few Morning Glory flowers out today ... :)
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Love the birdie feeders 8)
And you have more Morning Glories out Dave than I have ever achieved. I hope you will be keeping the seeds for next year they look to be a good variety :)
Jo
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I had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden yesterday. Not a good picture but first time I have had one.
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Jo ...
Only this last couple of days have they shown any real enthusiasm. Just the odd flower for the past two weeks or so ....
Yours not been err .... 'pruned' have they ???? :headscratch:
Jason ...
You Southern folk get all the posh moths ... must get my UV trap in action ... :thinking:
Not on a Sedum Herbstfreude (?) is it ??
Dave
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I've always thought it a bit of a weed, Google suggests it may be valerian