My Garden

Idle chat

Last post 22-11-2009 3:34 PM by miranda. 4427 replies.

• 02/07/2009 09:53 AM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743	Reply | Contact Hi all, Richard that's a funny story about school in the olden days I didn't sleep much last night either but at least it's another grand day today digger

• 02/07/2009 11:21 AM

  In reply to

  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,977

  Reply | Contact Sounds like it's year of the slug at your place, Sue. When I grew Cleomes, from the seed that you sent, all but a couple were slugged. I thought they'd be put off by the sharp bristles but the plants were rasped down to the ground. With your sweetcorn, it must have been the light in the picture because it did look like a flower from here.  Well done on walking to your lottie, digger. Think it's going to be regular thing? Hope your son enjoys his day at the college! Hello Richard - liked your school story but have to ask, could you not hide? Or was it too open on the hillside? Our school had a tuck shop as well - I can still see it quite clearly in my mind's eye. I bought a kitkat from there that was all chocolate  Flaming hot again here - I've been closing the windows and drawing the blinds during the day and opening it all up again once the sun has gone down and that helps.There will probably be some thunderstorms soon, which will be nice.

• 02/07/2009 11:22 AM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact  Hope you slept well in the end Richard, I slept like a log and it helps having a silent ceiling fan right above the bed I think it's going to take a while in replacing my car digger, I'm much too fussy in what I want.  I only want a little one where the boot is small enough to hold a week's shopping without it rolling all over the boot, and small cars are easier for parking (for me anyway).  Most of the ones around here are only 3 door and I need 5 (easier for Sasha) and any 5 door ones that are around are either green or red, I detest the dark green colour and red seems to fade and go blotchy as it gets older unless it's a metallic paint. It's another hot one today and it's due to bucket down tomorrow  sue1002

• 02/07/2009 11:25 AM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200	Reply | Contact Our posts crossed Miranda.  Yes, I thought with the spines on the Cleomes that they wouldn't suffer with slugs/snails but they must love the taste of them to have eaten every one of mine this year.   sue1002

• 02/07/2009 03:32 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact Hi again all. Yes Digger it is a sunny day here in the East Midlands also. I have just been in the car to town -it is like an oven in there!. It is also 39deg C in my shed. I slept OK afterwards thanks Sue although woke up again at 7am. We didn't have time to hide from the teacher Miranda as he spotted us before we saw him coming! I have been growing a lot of pansies from seed this year, and have planted them in my shed windowboxes, here they are if you would like to see them:- http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww132/richardpeeej/garden2/IMAG0003.jpg?t=1246545059 http://s713.photobucket.com/albums/ww132/richardpeeej/garden2/th_IMAG0005.jpg http://s713.photobucket.com/albums/ww132/richardpeeej/garden2/th_purplepansies.jpg Cheers Richard Richard

• 02/07/2009 03:34 PM	In reply to
  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809	Reply | Contact not sure how to paste as images instead of links yet -still learning Richard

• 02/07/2009 06:01 PM

  In reply to

  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5,200

  Reply | Contact The pansies look lovely Richard, there's a lot of satisfaction in growing from seed when you can than buying in already grown plants. To make the pictures appear directly on your posts, hovver your mouse over the picture in Photobucket and a box will appear underneath, right-click on the bottom line (the one that begins with IMG), copy it and then paste it into the message box when you are typing and it will appear automatically.  sue1002

• 02/07/2009 06:31 PM	In reply to
  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809	Reply | Contact Thanks for that Sue I will try that method next time. I enjoy growing from seed, some of the marigolds I planted this year were from seed saved from last years flowers. Hope you are having a nice day in the sunshine. Cheers Rich :-) Richard

• 02/07/2009 08:14 PM

  In reply to

  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 2,977

  Reply | Contact What pretty flowers, Richard, and how satisfying to have grown them from seed. I grew all our ornamental bedding from seed this year and feel well chuffed with it.  We've been harvesting our onions and garlic today and are feeling a bit cooked from the heat. The garlic had rust so the bulbs were smaller than we had hoped for, but there are plenty of them. The onions look gorgeous, especially the red ones.  I suddenly remembered today that I have a perfectly good sun hat for gardening - it's a bamboo peasant hat, like the ones worn in Asia and it's been hanging on the wall for ages. It was brilliant for keeping the sun off. After wearing it for a while, I thought about pith helmets and how the soldiers used to wet the inside to help keep their heads cool, so I did that with my hat and it worked really well. It will be a regular part of my summer 'look' from now on; in the garden, anyway

• 02/07/2009 08:40 PM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact Thanks for your comments Miranda, I was pleased with the flowers also. I didn't realise until last year just how many seeds there were inside of the pansy seed pods- there were hundreds of them! I dried out about 20 seed pods and saved them in a paper bag. The trouble was, I should have labelled them up as they were all different types and colours- I probably will never have to buy any more ever again. I'll take more care this year labelling them up. I'm glad you have been enjoying the sun - we have to make the most of it don't we, as it doesn't usually last that long! Hope it will be sunny for the hols! -Cheers Richard

• 02/07/2009 09:09 PM	In reply to
  Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 3,347	Reply | Contact  Good idea with the hat, Miranda. Wish I could do that at work! Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

• 03/07/2009 01:09 AM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact I was looking for somewhere to post this, but couldn't find a topic - so 'Idle chat' looks good! I have some trouble reaching down putting in seeds etc, so I have been using a length of metal pipe to drop my pea and bean seeds into the ground and it works well. I usually start off smaller seeds in a raised trough so there is no problem there.I thought this may be useful to anyone else out there with similar problems. I also have a telescopic device (like a car aerial) which closes to the size of a pen with a magnetic end that I bought in the 'pound shop' for picking up screws, nails etc which I find extremely useful. Richard

• 03/07/2009 09:24 AM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact Hi Richard I have almost zero spinal movement now a days, So it's been a while since I could bend to insert pea seeds etc.. I got myself a special labrador assistance dog called Sally, if I need anything that I can't reach she will get it for me, she picks up the telephone when I need it or when it rings,and she helps me get dressed in the mornings, I don't think she will plant seeds for me though, so I get OH to help with those tasks. If you get an assistance dog it will do jobs for you as well, Sally opens doors for me, gets the washing in and out of the machine etc...In winter if you get cold they come and lay next to you to keep you warm as well. Of course you have made an invention to accomadate your problem, i like making inventions but sometimes OH finds out and stops them whilst they are in the development stage, labradors are very clever dogs and do most of their own stuff, I have to clean Sally's eyes each day and keep her teeth clean, it's easy really I just use a teeth brush and she sits there, they have lots of hair and need brushing every day all year round, OH always find dogs hair on the floor, but it's a small price to pay for having such a wondeful friend. digger

• 03/07/2009 10:33 AM

  In reply to

  richardpeeej Location: Leicester Joined on: 22 May 2009 Posts: 809

  Reply | Contact Hi Digger, and everyone else. Your Labrador seems to be a good friend especially with all the things that she can do. I use a grabber stick for things like picking up letters from the front door and other things that fall on the floor. Apart from that I can usually manage most things although I can't walk very far, or fast, without stopping for a rest (arthritis in a few joints). My wife and son are very helpful with other things, eg cutting toe nails and lifting anything heavy. Its raining here today, even had some thunder earlier. I have been reading about the red lily beetle, I haven't heard of it before- I'll have to watch out for it as I am growing 3 lilies in pots. It seems to be spreading all over the UK. Cheers for now Richard

• 03/07/2009 11:59 AM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 4,743

  Reply | Contact Yep scarlet lily beetle will turn up eventually, forgot to answer your question earlier Miranda, I don't think I'll walk to the stables everyday but maybe once or twice a week. We've had an exciting morning here , first we've had the mother of all deluges and second, it's re cycle day today, the wagon for green wheelie bins was making it's way round the road below our house and it exploded into a ball of fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lucky the driver jumped out, the wagon set on big fire and even a car next to it set on fire as well!!!! the fire men came really quickly and they stayed squirting the fire even when there were bigger bangs and the car petrol tank exploded, the fire men just carried on!!!! OH got some pictures of it all so I will put them on here later after they've gone onto the computer. the rain is running down the avenue like a big river! but it going past our house because we live on the slope, somebody might get water in the house at the bottom of the hill digger