Idle chat

Last post 24-05-2013 12:06 PM by Valerian. 6921 replies.

• 23/06/2011 07:40 PM

  In reply to

  Anthony Location: Preesall Joined on: 24 Mar 2010 Posts: 194

  Reply | Contact Hi everyone, MAJOR DRIVEL ALERT Well a big hi (again) to everybody, still not completly 'right' but regaining energy slowly and should be finally be able to get back to the allotment. I've had my first harvest of potatoes. I would reccommend Shetland Black as I got around 40 potatoes per plant!!!!! I bought a helenium, salvia and fushia from gardeners world live, it was soooo busy! I'm not going again unless its in a car, 2 hours to birmingham in a car or 9 hours in a coach ( decide what you would do!!!) Also my work experience starts on the 4th july, I'm going to robinsons mammoth onion really excited. It propted me to look around at future courses and may have found that I can go to Edinburgh Botanical gardens: very posh!! No I love the city and would love to be there! Anyway enough about me Hi JG, I have a 6 by 8 greenhouse which I just right for me, I would get a greenhouse if I was you as you open up a world of possiblites within your garden. I used to have a plastic one but I broke it. I fell backwards into it and so fell through it but I doubt you are as stupid as me! Susiq my baby chicks keep escaping at the moment and they are soooo greedy Interesting petunia lillyrose, mine are the bog standard colours pink and purple and have noticed that is your next post your 2,000? If it is CONGRATULATIONS!!! See you all later Visit my blog anthonysgarden.wordpress.com

• 23/06/2011 09:15 PM

  In reply to

  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973

  Reply | Contact  Hi Anthony and welcome back, we miss your chats. I didn't notice my post, thankyou for picking up on it. Goes to show how much I waffle on eh. Sue, that Petunia is called black velvet, it says on the ticket that it is the worlds first black petunia. Have you ever saved seeds from petunias, I haven't but if I can get this one to set seed I will save them for next year as I will be growing it again. It looks stunning next to the new Dahlia. I like your idea of black and white in a hanging basket. Talking of baskets, that's a shame about your stand breaking. I hope your OH can fix it as they look so good in your garden. Thanks for the liver Richard, it was lovely, I liked the way you added the potatoes. Any chance of a pic of your baby chicks Anthony

• 23/06/2011 10:10 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,474

  Reply | Contact  Thanks for the liver, onions and taters Richard went down a treat I'm sure you will enjoy your work experience there Anthony and after that, you won't have too long back at school before you're off for the holidays. Congrats lillyrose with your 2000th post  I tried saving seeds from Petunias once but I think they were the Surfinia variety and then read after the seeds never germinated, that those ones are sterile.  I haven't tried saving any since as the ones I've been growing this year and last year have been from the same packets and I still have enough of those for next year too, although I do have a gorgeous pink one with a yellow and white centre that I love the look of and I might save a few seeds from that one.  Yes, it is a shame with the basket stand breaking, I spoke to OH earlier and he said he will have a look at it tomorrow and see if he can do anything - apparently he's got some metal tubing in his shed and has a welder that he hasn't used yet, I'm thinking if he's got enough tubing then he might as well have a go at making four feet instead of one and it should last longer sue1002

• 24/06/2011 08:01 AM

  In reply to

  EvaInNL Location: Holland Joined on: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 1,758

  Reply | Contact  Morning all! Nice sunny start to the day here - hope it continues through the weekend so I can sort things out at the allotment! I've not been around much, it's been a bit hectic with work and a lot of hospital appointments (nothing major, don't worry). Which also means I don't have much news really... Congrats on the 2000th post Sis when's the party? And also congrats to you Susiq, finally the chooks have arrived! Where they all still there this morning? I like your garden JG, I bet that was a major job getting to what it looks like now! Grrr.. people at the door, have to go, sorry will catch up with all of you later!

• 24/06/2011 08:22 AM	In reply to
  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973	Reply | Contact Morning all, sunny warm and a lovely blue sky here. Hope you have the same Sue since you are not at work today. I hope your OH manages to make you some new feet for the basket stand today. I am popping into town shortly then will be spending the rest of the day in the garden. Hi Sis, nice to see you. Hope you all have a good day and hope the sun is out where you are too. x

• 24/06/2011 08:31 AM	In reply to
  JG Location: Scotland Joined on: 03 Jan 2011 Posts: 67	Reply | Contact Morning everyone...quick pop in for me as a busy day ahead. Sunny here this mornign too, but the forecast isn't looking too good for the weekend. So I am going to get cracking with the weeding and get my neighbours lawn cut today.  Right must dash catch you later JG

• 24/06/2011 11:26 AM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicestershire Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 3,498

  Reply | Contact  Good Morning all. Sun and patchy cloud here today in Leicesteershire. Good luck with the weeding JG and cutting the neighbours lawn. I got rid of our lawn here it was quite small anyway and we have decking and small coloured stones down now. Lovely to see you Eva hope all goes well for you at the hospital. I think of you every time I look at 'Eva's pot in the garden which is full of plants from the seeds that you sent me. Your OH has his uses then Sue  if he is going to do some repair work in the garden. I have a welder too, it used to belong to my father. We need to use up some fish fingers today from the freezer so I will keep you and lillyrose a few for your tea. Congrats on your 2000th post lillyrose. Hi Anthony my potatoes are nowhere near ready yet. No doubt you are looking forward to your work experience starting on July 4th. I am having my arm plaster off the day after on the 5th so that can't come around quick enough for me. -Richard

• 24/06/2011 12:39 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,474

  Reply | Contact  Afternoon all, sorry I'm a bit late for 'morning'.  It's a lovely sunny day here with a lovely breeze, the forecast is for rain overnight and then a scorcher of a weekend. Hope it quietens down a bit at work for you Eva, at least you will have the weekend off and be able to get out and about, it must feel strange for you working for a whole week these days I did my usual town visit this morning but had to fly round as I had a checkup appointment at the dentists, all is fine for this time and I don't have to go back for another 10 months My hanging basket stand has been fixed, the tubing that OH had was from an old trampoline that someone had given to him for scrap metal and he hadn't taken it to the scrap yard yet so he cut some bits off for the feet and has cable tied them around the base of the stand and it's all standing up quite nicely.  It looks like a dog's dinner but those bits are hidden by other pots and we might paint them black to match the rest of it at a later date.   I'm off outside now and see what needs doing. sue1002

• 24/06/2011 12:49 PM

  In reply to

  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973

  Reply | Contact Glad your stand is fixed Sue. Good news with the dentist too. I did a quick fly round the town too but bumped into DIL so ended up going back with her so only been in half an hour. every time I see Aidan now he beams at me and holds his little arms out to be picked up. Soon be your turn Sue. Thanks for the offer of the fish fingers Richard. Right I had better get out in the garden and tackle some of the weeds. I have just had a crusty roll with extra strong cheddar and pickle for my lunch

• 24/06/2011 01:08 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicestershire Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 3,498

  Reply | Contact  Haha that made me chuckle about the dog's dinner Sue. I go every six months to the dentist for a check up. The dentist said to Cheryl it would be good for her to go every three months so she does that now. He said the same to me and I thought 'not on your Nelly mate it would be better for you not for me hahahaha...lol ' so I still go every six months. He keeps asking me this every time I go now, he is very persistant I'll give him that I fancy some cheese and pickle now too for my lunch lillyrose after you said, so I am just going out in the kitchen to get some. Yum yum  -Richard

• 24/06/2011 01:41 PM

  In reply to

  Susiq Location: Northumberland Joined on: 16 Feb 2008 Posts: 3,125

  Reply | Contact Hi everyone Mixed bag of weather here today. Wow Lillyrose, that petunia is really black, very pretty. I'm on my 3rd year of saving petunia seeds, don't know what variety they are except to say they are purple and come back true every year So it will definately be worth giving it a go and saving some! Awhh, that must be lovely to get that reaction from GS Great that you got the stand fixed Sue, helps to have such a handyman around You had a great escape with the dentist too - I only ever go when it's absolutely critical Richard, if you get enough, I'd like to try some of your blue peas pretty please! Speaking of peas, that booklet still hasn't turned up, wonder if they ran out? Did everyone else that sent for it get theirs? Anthony, that place for your work experience looks great - hope they give you loads of free samples I'd love to see some pix of your chix too! I've managed to get a photo of 2 of our new ones, just waiting to 'snap' the 3rd one and I'll post them. Hey Eva, nice to see you around, you sound like you've been up to your eyes in it Thats nice of you JG offering to do your neighbours lawn - that's the one job I refuse to do! Our dishwasher has broken, we've only had it 17 months, thankfully it came with a 2 year guarantee, so they are coming out next Thursday to (hopefully) fix it. Kettle blew up yesterday, so OH has been for a new one one, am dreading to think what will be next

• 24/06/2011 02:21 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,474

  Reply | Contact  I love children the age that Aidan is now lillyrose, they seem so sweet and innocent and don't know what trouble is Things have changed at our dentists now Richard as when I went to make my next appointment, I asked for one in 6 months and was told it's 10 months now so I didn't argue  Your mention of fish fingers has got me fancying them and I've got some in the freezer, so they will go well with the mangetout peas that I picked a little while ago It sounds like you're having luck with your seed saving from Petunias Susiq  I had a look at the seed packet I have and found that mine are an F2 variety which means if I do save seed, they're not going to come out the same colour as one of the ones I really like, the others are nearly all striped ones and have some lovely fragrances coming from them. I looked up the black velvet ones and found Graham Rice's blog about them from last year, they're not available in seed form and are grown from cuttings, so you could try overwintering it in your greenhouse lillyrose and see if you can do some cuttings from it for next year.  As seeds are not available, I would imagine that they are probably sterile like the Surfinia seeds are. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you Susiq that you don't get a third electrical item go wrong! when we had our three of those (all in the same month) it was the washing machine, tv and fridge freezer. sue1002

• 24/06/2011 03:52 PM

  In reply to

  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973

  Reply | Contact  Thanks for that link Sue, an interesting read. I will certainly over winter it in the GH and if I do manage to get cuttings to root I will send you some if you want any. That is a shame that your seeds are F2, it's always the same when you get a plant you really want to keep. I am going to lift my Dahlias this year, I didn't last year and lost them all in that cold winter we had. Well I have finaly got the weeds under control, where on earth do they all come from. My snowdrop bulbs from Alex came in the post today so I got them all planted too. Oh dear Susiq, watch out for that third electrical thing going wrong, take heed of what happened to Sue. I am in two minds whether to do fish fingers too Sue or liver and onions, see what you have started Richard.

• 24/06/2011 04:24 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,474

  Reply | Contact  Thanks lillyrose and good luck with overwintering the petunia  I'm going to keep a lookout around here and see if I spot any of those ones and pick up a plant or two if they have them.  Well done on getting all your weeding done and the snowdrops planted. I lost half my Dahlias last winter and about three quarters the winter before.  This year I might try putting some straw or something like that over some of them with a bucket on top and see if that helps rather than lifting them. Have you made your mind up yet whether it's fish fingers or liver yet?  The fish fingers have been on my mind all afternoon and we are going to have those with new potatoes and mangetout. sue1002

• 24/06/2011 05:48 PM	In reply to
  lillyrose Location: kent Joined on: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 2,973	Reply | Contact It's liver and onions Sue, with mash and cabbage. Hope you enjoy your fish fingers.