Good Morning to all. Hope the sun is shining for you like it is here. Another promising day. Managed two hours yesterday weeding and tidying. Now that the weeds are disappearing there appears to be room for more plants! Gives me something to think about. @Purplerain Good job you remembered to pick the gentleman up for the discussion but as you say if you breakaway from what you are doing you can't get back into it the same. I keep finding plants that have been dormant over winter and still underground but hopefully will be showing signs of life soon. Have to be careful I don't mistake them for weeds. If they turn out to be like the nearby label they should be good but probably something entirely different! I have one Penstemon growing well and looking very healthy but doesn't look anything like your cuttings. Different varieties? @AnniD. How did you manage to curb your spending with your £5 voucher! At least you were able to buy a Clematis elsewhere. Found three more empty shells. They were near stone but the shells aren't cracked they are intact. Maybe it was the end of their life or just disappointed there was nothing for them to eat as yet and died of starvation. If Mr Hedgehog carried on persevering maybe you will see some baby hogs in the future. Hope the fact that they didn't dine last night means they have gone elsewhere but you may see them on the camera. @Valley Gardener. When I put your name in it always comes up in inverted commas. Don't know why. Hope your Penstemon cutting is successful. I wouldn't mind red geraniums as it would bring a bit of colour into the flower bed but then I don't have marigolds. How lovely to actually meet Morwenna. Hope she approved of herself in oils. I think you would be ideal for the artist to illustrate The Hedgehog and the Mouse. @nultyphilip224. Hope you don't ache too much today after all your hard work but then you have another day to go. Hope your snooze on the couch didn't interfere with your night's sleep. It would be strange for you as you go to bed so late but Foxy Molly had other ideas. Did you take a photo of her? You can get an app on your phone to watch what your dog is doing at home while you are out. Will be looking at my one and only Hellebore today to see if there are any seeds available. Very good photos for description.Wouldn't have known what to look for otherwise.
Definitely time now to get a move on. Hope you all have a productive day in the garden or otherwise. Enjoy.
Good afternoon everyone. I have just arrived home from my overnight visit to family and the sun is shining now. It was very cold and dull at the coast this morning though.
@Fran IOM now you have more room for plants, what are you thinking of planting? I know Penstemon have different leaves, some thinner than others so don't worry as I am sure yours will be lovely.
@nultyphilip224, I forgot to thank you for the lovely video of your hedgehogs, and the advice for the hellibore seeds is very helpful. I have just been out for a look at mine and they have small bright green pods. I will keep an eye on them turning brown and sow them as you suggest. I hope you are enjoying scrubbing the boats or whatever you boaty folk do to keep them afloat😀.
@Valley Gardener I also prefer to see flowers in the ground and I never pick any from my own garden. I have a request for another painting. The hedgehog and the mouse! I bet you would make a lovely job of it. All we need now is for @AnniD to write the book. I think it would be hilarious 😀.
@moragb1 good luck with your Hellibore seeds. If you follow Philips guide, you should be fine.
I have added a picture of the view from my sons front garden. They are so lucky to step out of the house to the sea. It is the Firth of Forth, I think. Geography is not my strong point. That hilly bit is over the road just incase you thought he should get the lawnmower out lol.
@Purplerain my first thought was that that must be a challenging place to garden. Loved the comment about the lawnmower ! @Fran IOM , l impressed myself with my lack of careless spending at the "£5 voucher " GC, that may also have been due to the fact that l had my husband with me. I needed his manly strength to carry the compost for me . Needless to say, he wasn't with me when l bought the clematis, just rolled his eyes when l produced it from the back of the car. @moragb1 l have been studying my hellebores to see if they are ready re: seeds. Don't think so quite yet. In previous years l have found little seedlings in the flower bed, but l must be honest and say l have removed them. Space is at a premium for me, but l will try and give it a go. @Valley Gardener l know what you mean about daffodils, it always makes me sad when I see them in the supermarket piled in boxes and tied up with elastic bands. I know they bring pleasure to a lot of people, but l prefer them in the ground as well. @nultyphilip224 thank you for the kind words about Sherry. There was a dog on Shakespeare and Hathaway the other week that was practically a dead ringer for her, l got quite emotional. I have spent most of the day doing exciting things like washing, going to the supermarket for Mother and Father in law, visiting them and my own parents. When we got back at lunchtime l was promptly hassled by Mr Blackbird, later in the afternoon he was "shouting" at me from the top of the greenhouse and followed me to the back door waiting for his suet pellets. My husband told our neighbour that l was training the blackbird - that is definitely the wrong way round !! Lastly l washed a load of plant labels. My life is non stop excitement. Anyway, enough of my waffle, apologies if l have missed anyone. Fingers crossed Mr Hedgehog turns up tonight, or even Mouse would do. I wonder if mice eat dog food?
Thanks Purplerain. I find it hard to follow this sometimes when I haven't been on for a day and wasn't aware that Phillip had given hellebores seed instructions. Numpty!!!! Thanks Phillip will follow them xx
@AnniD,..congrats on your new Cematis 'Koreana Broughton Bride',..a beautiful white bloom with long petal blooms,..it will be awesome when in bloom.
Soo your Hedgehog didn't turn up for his food,..i hope all is well and you spot him when you check your camera,..i have not seen mine but i spotted some Hedgehog Poo close up to my shed door,..so some Hedgehog was there?.
@Valley Gardener,..if your Hellebore produces seeds it would be well worth sowing them,..they really don't need any attention once you sow them and less bother than dividing.
@moragb1,..not to worry about missing the seed instructions we all miss out from time to time,..including me of course,..so people in this Thread are very understanding and don't shout at each other,..they just give friendly nudges lol.
@Fran IOM,..looks like everyone is having good weather these days,..hope it keeps up and everyone gets all those chores completed,..yes i agree with you when you remove those weeds you start thinking of what to do with the space you made lol.
All the scrubbing was finished today thankfully,...deck scrubbing,..scrubbing with an abrasive sponge,..scrubbing with a hand scrubbing brush,..throwing buckets of water over things,..bailing out dirty mossy water,..banging ones head on low doorways,..trying not to fall overboard,.. OR have ones glasses fall off,..i bought one of those safety laces you wear with glasses.
When i arrived home,..after Foxy Molly greeted me as if i was away for weeks,..i applied some 'Voltarol' to my lower back,..it was a lifesaver but i still had to lie down for a spell,..1 hour and i was fine,..oh yes i would love to see what Foxy Molly gets up to when i am not there,..no damage done to anything,..i did check thinking there might be,..she did chew part of my back seat belt when i left her for too long while i was in the Supermarket last year.
I didn't think of taking a picture of her asleep in my position on the bed,..my brain was over tired,..fell asleep very quickly but awoke early at 0600 or so aching all over,..limbered up quick enough on the early morning doggy walk.
@Purplerain ,..i hope you enjoyed your visit to your Sons house,..its in an ideal location,..i bet he has got used to the nice fresh smell of the sea,..ah so that hilly piece of land with the unruly grass is on the other side of the road lol,..amazing how gardeners think,..i would be the same.
Still waiting for that fifth bloom to open on the Amaryllis 'Royal Red',..it really lights up when the sun is behind it.
Hellebore 'Double Ellen Picotee',..also enjoying the sun.
Good Morning to all. Bit cloudy today but no rain forecast so no doubt will be gardening this afternoon if all goes well. @Purplerain. I will have to do some thinking about what is going into the spaces I have created. I have to remember that I have plants still to go out and also have quite a few on order which I am inclined to forget about. Got an email this morning to say my clematis are on the way (!) which I had forgotten about as they were free with just postage to pay. It must have been a mad moment as I have no idea where they are going. Still have a bit of room against the shed wall and do have an apple tree... any ideas welcome. My Penstemon flowered last year and I should really have taken cuttings but too late now. A lovely place where your son lives. Looks very similar to places over here. Could be quite rough in the winter. @AnniD. Know what you mean about having the manly strength to lift bags of compost etc. My OH never comes outside with me at B&Q but fortunately there was a very helpful chap there who lifted the bag of bark on to the trolley (not in) as he said it can then just be pushed into the car. I am very familiar with the "rolling of eyes"! Your blackbird has certainly made his presence known. @Valley Gardener. Do hope you enjoy your week in Dorset. Are you going on your own? You will probably be amazed what has grown in your garden when you return home. Maybe you will bring some plants home with you.. @moragb1 Hi Morag. I often miss things on the forum and have to ask again. Looking at my Hellebore it would appear that I have missed some seeds on one but the other looks promising so I shall keep an eye on it. Hope you manage to get some even if they are from your neighbour's garden... @nultyphilip224. I imagine that you will be having a restful day after all your hard work and Foxy Molly will be pleased to have your company. Had to smile at her photo as it looks as though she is smiling herself and plotting something. Maybe she is going back to your bed. Bought some Voltarol yesterday so will be trying that out in due course. Also I made up my Neem oil and feel that it is going to last a long time and won't ever need to buy any more. A litre from such a small amount goes a long way.
Good morning all, on here slightly late as I had to do housework (shudder). The plumber is coming to fix the boiler (hopefully). I couldn't have him thinking I am a complete slut (in the housework sense you understand). @nultyphilip224, hope you enjoyed being a scrubber yesterday (I sense a bit of a theme going on here). Love Foxy Molly's pose in that photo, she really is a handsome girl. @Fran IOM, I can't complain too much about OH (well I can according to him), he is very good really. He dreads me uttering the words "I've been thinking" for some reason though...... @Valley Gardener have a good holiday, there are some nice gardens to visit in Dorset if you have the time, and I'm sure they have nice plant sales areas........ Hope everyone has a lovely day and makes the most of this weather while it lasts. As you can see below Mr Hedgehog turned up last night, accompanied by his curious friend.
Love the hedgehogs AnniD. I have been a member of the BHPS for about 40 years and adore them, however saw one near the beach last year but not in the garden. My neighbour says he visits but not seen it. I can't feed them as there are rat(s) in my shed.
Bliss caught it yesterday and I had a screaming fit as I got a real shock. I came around the corner carrying bushes that I had cut down and she was standing all proud of herself with the poor thing in her mouth showing it to Mum!!!! I have been trying unsuccessfully for nearly a year to get rid of it but sure there may be more. I have a woodstore and scared to put my hands in incase they run at me or bite in fear. When I screamed my 87 year old neighbour ran round and the dog dropped it, we thought it was dead but must have been stunned and then it got up and ran so Bliss got it again. Sadly Jim had to finish it off. Hate killing anything but she was obsessed with it. Only time will tell if more. I put some Milky way down and will check if gone and then I'll know . What a day!!!! Lots of digging and clearing done again. It's like the Forth Road bridge but starting to finally see improvements xx
I need to look at the instructions on how to highlight your names xxx
Fabulous@AnniD, all kinds of interesting stuff going on at night,i think a hog would be hard pushed to get into our garden. Yes there are some lovely places in Dorset,i'm Dorset born and bred so will be revisiting some special places,and hopefully coming back with a slim Buddha,or a Moon gazing Hare.......maybe both if I still have some painting cash!! @Fran IOM Yes going alone,our meeting point is services on the M5,OH takes me half way,and daughter comes half way,it's a good system! We only have one car now,so I can't leave him without one! @nultyphilip224. Beautiful Amarylis with the sun shining through it,Foxy Molly looks very expectant..... "What are we going to do now Dad?" Can she go boating with you? I think those Hellebores are some of the prettiest,nice to still have them blooming. I have found some photos of the garden taken when the decking was half down,also the wall!! It's horrendous! But I would ask your permission to put them on here,that's if anyone would like to see? I cannot believe how hard we worked,no help from anyone!! Have a good day folks.😊
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@Purplerain Good job you remembered to pick the gentleman up for the discussion but as you say if you breakaway from what you are doing you can't get back into it the same. I keep finding plants that have been dormant over winter and still underground but hopefully will be showing signs of life soon. Have to be careful I don't mistake them for weeds. If they turn out to be like the nearby label they should be good but probably something entirely different! I have one Penstemon growing well and looking very healthy but doesn't look anything like your cuttings. Different varieties?
@AnniD. How did you manage to curb your spending with your £5 voucher! At least you were able to buy a Clematis elsewhere. Found three more empty shells. They were near stone but the shells aren't cracked they are intact. Maybe it was the end of their life or just disappointed there was nothing for them to eat as yet and died of starvation.
If Mr Hedgehog carried on persevering maybe you will see some baby hogs in the future. Hope the fact that they didn't dine last night means they have gone elsewhere but you may see them on the camera.
@Valley Gardener. When I put your name in it always comes up in inverted commas. Don't know why. Hope your Penstemon cutting is successful. I wouldn't mind red geraniums as it would bring a bit of colour into the flower bed but then I don't have marigolds. How lovely to actually meet Morwenna. Hope she approved of herself in oils. I think you would be ideal for the artist to illustrate The Hedgehog and the Mouse. @nultyphilip224. Hope you don't ache too much today after all your hard work but then you have another day to go. Hope your snooze on the couch didn't interfere with your night's sleep. It would be strange for you as you go to bed so late but Foxy Molly had other ideas. Did you take a photo of her? You can get an app on your phone to watch what your dog is doing at home while you are out. Will be looking at my one and only Hellebore today to see if there are any seeds available. Very good photos for description.Wouldn't have known what to look for otherwise.
Definitely time now to get a move on. Hope you all have a productive day in the garden or otherwise. Enjoy.
@Fran IOM now you have more room for plants, what are you thinking of planting? I know Penstemon have different leaves, some thinner than others so don't worry as I am sure yours will be lovely.
@nultyphilip224, I forgot to thank you for the lovely video of your hedgehogs, and the advice for the hellibore seeds is very helpful. I have just been out for a look at mine and they have small bright green pods. I will keep an eye on them turning brown and sow them as you suggest. I hope you are enjoying scrubbing the boats or whatever you boaty folk do to keep them afloat😀.
@Valley Gardener I also prefer to see flowers in the ground and I never pick any from my own garden. I have a request for another painting. The hedgehog and the mouse! I bet you would make a lovely job of it. All we need now is for @AnniD to write the book. I think it would be hilarious 😀.
@moragb1 good luck with your Hellibore seeds. If you follow Philips guide, you should be fine.
I have added a picture of the view from my sons front garden. They are so lucky to step out of the house to the sea. It is the Firth of Forth, I think. Geography is not my strong point. That hilly bit is over the road just incase you thought he should get the lawnmower out lol.
@Fran IOM , l impressed myself with my lack of careless spending at the "£5 voucher " GC, that may also have been due to the fact that l had my husband with me. I needed his manly strength to carry the compost for me
@moragb1 l have been studying my hellebores to see if they are ready re: seeds. Don't think so quite yet. In previous years l have found little seedlings in the flower bed, but l must be honest and say l have removed them. Space is at a premium for me, but l will try and give it a go.
@Valley Gardener l know what you mean about daffodils, it always makes me sad when I see them in the supermarket piled in boxes and tied up with elastic bands. I know they bring pleasure to a lot of people, but l prefer them in the ground as well.
@nultyphilip224 thank you for the kind words about Sherry. There was a dog on Shakespeare and Hathaway the other week that was practically a dead ringer for her, l got quite emotional.
I have spent most of the day doing exciting things like washing, going to the supermarket for Mother and Father in law, visiting them and my own parents. When we got back at lunchtime l was promptly hassled by Mr Blackbird, later in the afternoon he was "shouting" at me from the top of the greenhouse and followed me to the back door waiting for his suet pellets. My husband told our neighbour that l was training the blackbird - that is definitely the wrong way round !! Lastly l washed a load of plant labels. My life is non stop excitement.
Anyway, enough of my waffle, apologies if l have missed anyone. Fingers crossed Mr Hedgehog turns up tonight, or even Mouse would do. I wonder if mice eat dog food?
Thanks Phillip will follow them xx
Soo your Hedgehog didn't turn up for his food,..i hope all is well and you spot him when you check your camera,..i have not seen mine but i spotted some Hedgehog Poo close up to my shed door,..so some Hedgehog was there?.
@Valley Gardener,..if your Hellebore produces seeds it would be well worth sowing them,..they really don't need any attention once you sow them and less bother than dividing.
@moragb1,..not to worry about missing the seed instructions we all miss out from time to time,..including me of course,..so people in this Thread are very understanding and don't shout at each other,..they just give friendly nudges lol.
@Fran IOM,..looks like everyone is having good weather these days,..hope it keeps up and everyone gets all those chores completed,..yes i agree with you when you remove those weeds you start thinking of what to do with the space you made lol.
All the scrubbing was finished today thankfully,...deck scrubbing,..scrubbing with an abrasive sponge,..scrubbing with a hand scrubbing brush,..throwing buckets of water over things,..bailing out dirty mossy water,..banging ones head on low doorways,..trying not to fall overboard,.. OR have ones glasses fall off,..i bought one of those safety laces you wear with glasses.
When i arrived home,..after Foxy Molly greeted me as if i was away for weeks,..i applied some 'Voltarol' to my lower back,..it was a lifesaver but i still had to lie down for a spell,..1 hour and i was fine,..oh yes i would love to see what Foxy Molly gets up to when i am not there,..no damage done to anything,..i did check thinking there might be,..she did chew part of my back seat belt when i left her for too long while i was in the Supermarket last year.
I didn't think of taking a picture of her asleep in my position on the bed,..my brain was over tired,..fell asleep very quickly but awoke early at 0600 or so aching all over,..limbered up quick enough on the early morning doggy walk.
@Purplerain ,..i hope you enjoyed your visit to your Sons house,..its in an ideal location,..i bet he has got used to the nice fresh smell of the sea,..ah so that hilly piece of land with the unruly grass is on the other side of the road lol,..amazing how gardeners think,..i would be the same.
Still waiting for that fifth bloom to open on the Amaryllis 'Royal Red',..it really lights up when the sun is behind it.
Hellebore 'Double Ellen Picotee',..also enjoying the sun.
Not forgetting Foxy Molly of course.
@Purplerain. I will have to do some thinking about what is going into the spaces I have created. I have to remember that I have plants still to go out and also have quite a few on order which I am inclined to forget about. Got an email this morning to say my clematis are on the way (!) which I had forgotten about as they were free with just postage to pay. It must have been a mad moment as I have no idea where they are going. Still have a bit of room against the shed wall and do have an apple tree... any ideas welcome. My Penstemon flowered last year and I should really have taken cuttings but too late now. A lovely place where your son lives. Looks very similar to places over here. Could be quite rough in the winter.
@AnniD. Know what you mean about having the manly strength to lift bags of compost etc. My OH never comes outside with me at B&Q but fortunately there was a very helpful chap there who lifted the bag of bark on to the trolley (not in) as he said it can then just be pushed into the car. I am very familiar with the "rolling of eyes"!
Your blackbird has certainly made his presence known.
@Valley Gardener. Do hope you enjoy your week in Dorset. Are you going on your own?
You will probably be amazed what has grown in your garden when you return home. Maybe you will bring some plants home with you..
@moragb1 Hi Morag. I often miss things on the forum and have to ask again. Looking at my Hellebore it would appear that I have missed some seeds on one but the other looks promising so I shall keep an eye on it. Hope you manage to get some even if they are from your neighbour's garden...
@nultyphilip224. I imagine that you will be having a restful day after all your hard work and Foxy Molly will be pleased to have your company. Had to smile at her photo as it looks as though she is smiling herself and plotting something. Maybe she is going back to your bed. Bought some Voltarol yesterday so will be trying that out in due course. Also I made up my Neem oil and feel that it is going to last a long time and won't ever need to buy any more. A litre from such a small amount goes a long way.
Have a lovely day one and all.
@nultyphilip224, hope you enjoyed being a scrubber yesterday (I sense a bit of a theme going on here). Love Foxy Molly's pose in that photo, she really is a handsome girl.
@Fran IOM, I can't complain too much about OH (well I can according to him), he is very good really. He dreads me uttering the words "I've been thinking" for some reason though......
@Valley Gardener have a good holiday, there are some nice gardens to visit in Dorset if you have the time, and I'm sure they have nice plant sales areas........
Hope everyone has a lovely day and makes the most of this weather while it lasts. As you can see below Mr Hedgehog turned up last night, accompanied by his curious friend.
Bliss caught it yesterday and I had a screaming fit as I got a real shock. I came around the corner carrying bushes that I had cut down and she was standing all proud of herself with the poor thing in her mouth showing it to Mum!!!! I have been trying unsuccessfully for nearly a year to get rid of it but sure there may be more. I have a woodstore and scared to put my hands in incase they run at me or bite in fear. When I screamed my 87 year old neighbour ran round and the dog dropped it, we thought it was dead but must have been stunned and then it got up and ran so Bliss got it again. Sadly Jim had to finish it off. Hate killing anything but she was obsessed with it. Only time will tell if more. I put some Milky way down and will check if gone and then I'll know .
What a day!!!! Lots of digging and clearing done again. It's like the Forth Road bridge but starting to finally see improvements xx
I need to look at the instructions on how to highlight your names xxx
@Fran IOM Yes going alone,our meeting point is services on the M5,OH takes me half way,and daughter comes half way,it's a good system! We only have one car now,so I can't leave him without one!
@nultyphilip224. Beautiful Amarylis with the sun shining through it,Foxy Molly looks very expectant..... "What are we going to do now Dad?" Can she go boating with you?
I think those Hellebores are some of the prettiest,nice to still have them blooming.
I have found some photos of the garden taken when the decking was half down,also the wall!! It's horrendous! But I would ask your permission to put them on here,that's if anyone would like to see? I cannot believe how hard we worked,no help from anyone!!
Have a good day folks.😊