Greetings Forkers. Bright and sunny here and another very cold start but not quite freezing. My usual morning pottering about waiting for it to warm up before I go out to play. OH is having a marathon ironing session while he catches up on hours of recorded golf.
Sounds like a very busy day @Pat E. Your OH needs a backup fire body. They need to take account of his age and health.
Have fun everyone, whatever you're doing - child minding, sowing, sewing, cooking.....
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)."
Morning everyone - grey and overcast here in Kent but things are looking bright in the borders. I'm willing the tips of my second sweet pea sowing to pop up through in those loo rolls, that and the sunflowers... The mange tout that I started off are looking strong so I am pleased with that!!
The bare roots that I heeled in are sprouting plants which are looking strong which is good - must resist the temptation to put them in too early as we have a lot of slugs here and need them to be robust so must wait until around May.
The chamomile, coriander and marjoram are looking good in their pots in the conservatory but no life from the basil... had to give it a talking to and then if no luck by the weekend i think a second sowing will be required!!
The outdoor tap has been turned on in anticipation, they are forecasting 18 degrees here next week so i am expecting a growth spurt with everything the following week.
2 weeks tomorrow until the shed/greenhouse is being built...cant wait... I can't picture what it is going to look like, the current shed is only being held up by the things in it as it is so rotten so to have that taken down and something shiny and new in its place i cant fathom...!! Exciting though!!!
Hello folks, I'm hanging around as well Obelixx, woke up at dawn with awful hip pain ad despite paracetamol couldn't get back to sleep so I feel washed out but not as bad as DD, hope you get better soon. We had heavy rain earlier so waiting for it to dry up before venturing out. I am very envious of all your new space Busy-Lizzie, it will look good when all done although I don't fancy all that painting you're planning on doing. @Pat E, your OH really needs to put his foot down and insist on somebody else being on call - but I bet he won't. I expect he likes to feel still useful. Hope his cough is nothing serious.
OH went to pick youngest up from hospital earlier this week (after finally having her knee op. done) and returned with 3 of these! Made by youngest's BF in about 2 mins, apparently If it looks wonky in the photo, it isn't in the real world Sturdy, deep and made to the exact measurements I asked for.
The bareroot blackcurrant bushes also arrived (finally!) this week, so I've got a job for the weekend. Paint, line and plant (x3).
New reader here! As a relative novice, it's great to drop into this thread and see what people are getting up to. Myself and wife bought our first house 4 years ago (new build) and 2 years ago I decided to try and do something with our very dull and lifeless garden! Still not fully comfortable with when I should be doing certain things, so this thread is invaluable
Very much a weekend gardener with work in the week and my other half now expecting I do have a small growhouse fall of potted up perennial plugs doing nicely and window sills full of trays of salvia, pelargoniums, petunias and gazanias, all of which have germinated nicely by the looks of it.
I had some (half hardy?) fuchsia (bushy types) which survived winter 2019 and looked fantastic last year in a shady bed. This year they still have no signs of life - should I be seeing buds yet? Not sure they'll have enjoyed the winter we've had
The major problem with our local volunteer bush fire brigade is that most people have other commitments. Our captain still works as a weed killer around the district so is mostly contracting to be out on his truck spraying along roadsides etc. Another fella still has a major sheep farm and is engaged in shearing, treating sheep etc. In the case of those two, they also have Prostate Cancer, so between the three of them they make a strange group. 🙄. There seems to be a reluctance with the next generation of 50-60 year olds to get involved. I’m not sure what will happen when our group is too old to keep going. Our local station might have to close. (Grumble grumble).
Danny, I don’t know about your growing conditions but it’s too cold for fuschia here
@dannyjlowe I grow al my half hardy fuchsias in pots and move them to the polytunnel for winter where they have lots of light and protection from the worst of the cold. I water them occasionally. This is the coldest winter we've had here so far and 2 lost all their leaves which is unusual here. I re-potted them all a fortnight agao and that, plus the warmer pms and brighter sunshine means they have started shooting out new foliage. They are still under shelter and won't come out till night time temps are safely above 6 to 8C.
You'll just have to wait and see with yours but, if they have survived, make sure you take cuttings in summer so you can protect some babies over winter and think about mulching and fleecing the parent plants in winter. They won't all be as mild as 2019.
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)."
Posts
Sounds like a very busy day @Pat E. Your OH needs a backup fire body. They need to take account of his age and health.
Have fun everyone, whatever you're doing - child minding, sowing, sewing, cooking.....
The bare roots that I heeled in are sprouting plants which are looking strong which is good - must resist the temptation to put them in too early as we have a lot of slugs here and need them to be robust so must wait until around May.
The chamomile, coriander and marjoram are looking good in their pots in the conservatory but no life from the basil... had to give it a talking to and then if no luck by the weekend i think a second sowing will be required!!
The outdoor tap has been turned on in anticipation, they are forecasting 18 degrees here next week so i am expecting a growth spurt with everything the following week.
2 weeks tomorrow until the shed/greenhouse is being built...cant wait... I can't picture what it is going to look like, the current shed is only being held up by the things in it as it is so rotten so to have that taken down and something shiny and new in its place i cant fathom...!! Exciting though!!!
Hope you are all safe and well x
I am very envious of all your new space Busy-Lizzie, it will look good when all done although I don't fancy all that painting you're planning on doing.
@Pat E, your OH really needs to put his foot down and insist on somebody else being on call - but I bet he won't. I expect he likes to feel still useful. Hope his cough is nothing serious.
OH went to pick youngest up from hospital earlier this week (after finally having her knee op. done) and returned with 3 of these! Made by youngest's BF in about 2 mins, apparently
The bareroot blackcurrant bushes also arrived (finally!) this week, so I've got a job for the weekend. Paint, line and plant (x3).
Very much a weekend gardener with work in the week and my other half now expecting
I had some (half hardy?) fuchsia (bushy types) which survived winter 2019 and looked fantastic last year in a shady bed. This year they still have no signs of life - should I be seeing buds yet? Not sure they'll have enjoyed the winter we've had
looking forward to sharing gardening news and ‘stuff’.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
You'll just have to wait and see with yours but, if they have survived, make sure you take cuttings in summer so you can protect some babies over winter and think about mulching and fleecing the parent plants in winter. They won't all be as mild as 2019.