Hi everyone hope you are all ok. Had a long weekend away in the west, went to a 60th Birthday lunch in Somerset on Sunday & then went on down to Bovey Tracey in Devon. My parents retired there & we used to visit regularly both before & when they lived there. Good to go round some of the old haunts again, got back very late Tuesday night to water the parched garden in the dark. As I said on the weather thread it's not only the plants shrivelling in the heat!
No water pressure, so no hose pipe, we have our own pumping station but I don’t think they will switch it on in this drought, I have water in buts to do about one more watering of the patio tubs and baskets, and maybe some left fotmthe tomato plants😢
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
We have no water pressure either, cos there's no water coming out of the hill any more! The level in the tank is down so far I could only just reach it with finger tips this morning, so we are on a camping regime until we get a few decent rainfalls.
Bought some big containers of water from the SM for drinking, washing and washing up, the last two largely on a lick and a promise basis, loo flushing will have to be buckets carted from the pond. Lucky it's a good size as it has to water everything that's desperate as well. I have already totted up a mile or two going to and fro with watering cans!
Having to feed the sheep as well, as the grass has almost completely dried up. It's never that lush up here, but does usually benefit from dew, but with the air so dry doesn't even get that. Not really the best year to have re-activated my veg garden...
But I don't care, enjoy the challenge, if it's the price to pay for living in this lovely spot
As well as having to put up with Suburbia we have never had decent water pressure here. I bought one of those professional spray lances you see them use in GC's & nurseries, but our pressure is so low that it's useless most of the time when you really need it. My water buts are reserved for the the plants that can't cope with our hard water, but they are nearly exhausted.
Good morning. Feel it should be lunchtime! Woke early so have been out planting all the poor things that have been waiting patiently, can’t believe this heat. Am I really saying that? This is Scotland
Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” A A Milne
I have been inside most of the day. I can do the heat but not the sunburn and there's no-one here to do my back for me and I always get burned on the bit I can't quite reach........ I did go out just to call in to the local garden machines repair place and asked him to come and fetch our mower for repair and a service. What's the problem? Well, I couldn't tell him the name of the broken bit in English so no hope in French so I described it to him. Much laughter.
Then to a local SM for an avocado cos I fancy a prawn salad and something spicy and garlicky too so coconut milk and chillies too. Off out to pot up some babies and rescued hostas and then a spot of weeding. We have clouds moving in. Maybe I'll get a drop after all. Yesterday the forecast was for 4cms of stormy rain tomorrow night. Now it's 4mm but they don't think we're getting clouds till then either. Hopeless.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Much watering has been done and nearly 8 lbs of goosegogs have been topped, tailed, bagged and frozen. Heaven knows where I'm going to put the runner beans when they happen I maintained my sanity whilst topping and tailing by watching a Cagney & Lacey golden oldie ... took me back to when Wonky was a wee one ... Christine Cagney was my style icon ... swinging skirts, boots, lumberjack jackets the lot
Supper tonight is Waitrose's 'steak haché' with crusty rolls, homemade sweet cucumber pickle and cos lettuce so not a lot to do ... or for OH to wash up
Feet are going up and knitting is coming out ................
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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As I said on the weather thread it's not only the plants shrivelling in the heat!
One of those lovely dahlias you gave me:
Has thrown up a beautiful single flower:
Fingers crossed for the whole plant to be like that.
Thanks again.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A A Milne
Then to a local SM for an avocado cos I fancy a prawn salad and something spicy and garlicky too so coconut milk and chillies too. Off out to pot up some babies and rescued hostas and then a spot of weeding. We have clouds moving in. Maybe I'll get a drop after all. Yesterday the forecast was for 4cms of stormy rain tomorrow night. Now it's 4mm but they don't think we're getting clouds till then either. Hopeless.
Supper tonight is Waitrose's 'steak haché' with crusty rolls, homemade sweet cucumber pickle and cos lettuce so not a lot to do ... or for OH to wash up
Feet are going up and knitting is coming out ................
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.