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Reasons to be cheerful 2019 - the antidote to Curmudgeons' Corner

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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Great news, Hosta.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I went to the garden centre a week or so ago for some essentials and managed to resist buying a plant I liked. I went back yesterday with a weaker resolve and found they'd sold them all. I walked around for a bit then came back to the bench in case I'd missed one by accident and found one had been stuffed into a tray of other plants and left under the bench. I had to buy it to save it from a life in the dark under there o:)
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    It's pouring with rain, everything is sodden, yet the blackbird is perched on the topmost tip of our tallest larch, singing his heart out .
    Just beautiful - I opened the door to hear him better!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Lovely isn't it B'cupdays? I was out the other day after the relentless rain had gone off a bit, and there was a pair of mallards wandering through the nearby farm, a little pied wagtail round the next corner, and a wren doing it's best Placido Domingo impression in the hedge along the neighbouring lane. What's not to like eh? 
    A few weeks ago I noticed a couple of stems in one of my borders that didn't look familiar. I left them, thinking it was a bit of germinated bird food, and I could pull them out later. Last week I could see that the stems weren't right, and there was four obvious specimens with a bud which wasn't 'seedy'. Couldn't think what they could be, but they had a look of Liriope or something similar. A waiting game.
    Been racking my brain trying to think what they were, and then I looked again today. The first flower has opened.
    The white Camassias I bought from Peter Nyssen last autumn ... :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Brilliant news @Hostafan1 .

    The first stage of our new fencing has been completed, now to save up for the next lot.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Not a lot to be cheerful about this weather ... but this is very definitely a reason to be cheerful
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-48594162

    🥂 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Not quite sure if this should be in Curmudgeons or here in Antidote, but I started planting up some big pots which had been left half full of compost over winter.  Digging out some of the old compost and disturbed a massive ants nest and they were not impressed.  Despite gloves I got my fair share of bites on my arms and hands.  Got my own back though.  Tipped the compost and ants nest into a wheelbarrow and dumped it at the bottom of the garden.  Last time I looked the birds were having a picnic. :D
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Good for you @KT53 - is it just my imagination or does there seem to be lot more ants about this year.  We're quite excited as we were told last night that swifts have been seen around our house - we've been asked to see if we can find where they are nesting. Apparently the RSPB want to know.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • BrexiteerBrexiteer Posts: 955
    Lizzie27 said:
    Good for you @KT53 - is it just my imagination or does there seem to be lot more ants about this year.  We're quite excited as we were told last night that swifts have been seen around our house - we've been asked to see if we can find where they are nesting. Apparently the RSPB want to know.
    That is good to know mate. We've had them in our area every year but none this year but they did say on springwatch that numbers are well down
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I wasn't sure I could tell the difference between a swallow and a swift but have had it explained to me, so will keep a lookout at dusk.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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