Had a quick hour trying to retrain a rose which I bought thinking it was a shrub and turned out to be a climber. Lots of long, whippy growth last summer. Decided to try pegging it into a dome shape like they do at Sissinghurst - only problem is mine is all laterals 'cos I've cut the leaders during shrub rose style pruning in previous years.
Looks more like a wonky crab now rather than a carefully trained mound Still, it wasn't working as it was before so nothing lost. If this doesn't work I'll cut it down to the ground and start again.
I'd love to have a bee hive in the garden. Have thought about having one of those top bar ones and just leaving it for the bees to do their own thing. ie just providing them with shelter and not really bothering with harvesting honey (don't like it that much).
I discussed doing that once on the Forum and was positively rounded on as being irresponsible. I was told I would be responsible for causing bee swarms and the spread of various viruses which kill the bee population. But bees have been making hives and sorting themselves out naturally for centuries...
Glad you enjoyed the exhibition Dove. Might have to join you for a nap...
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Glad you enjoyed the exhibition Dove. I've just measured my desk. Now if I can reinforce the legs I have the perfect bed. Well... not exactly perfect but it is at least warmer than the bed in the police cells!
Now "home alone" in the museum until a volunteer arrives at 18:00 to join me on tonights scout visit. I am definitely starting to feel a little scouted out. Still have Saturdays visit to a local museum (not mine) to get through with my group yet. I am hoping they are going to impress me. Or at least.... not break anything?
The traffic outside is awful. I did think about wandering up into town (I need a new pair of sturdy boots that I can wear all day) but the weather is grim and my little heater is doing its best so I best not act ungrateful for its efforts.
Still its not snowing yet so that's something.
Would it be wrong to try and order a take away? I'm not entirely sure what there is I can actually eat due to my delicate belly but there is a brilliant Chinese restaurant on the other side of Sheffield that caters for... oh wait. With the traffic this bad I'm not sure they'd make it here before things had started to do that dubious level of cold.
Positive things however! My aloe vera that lives in this office is starting to look much better now it has the radiator in here at least keeping the frost off. Still very spindly but being an aloe I don't know how you give it any TLC. Don't they dislike feeding? Perhaps a jumper might work?
Also... AND HERE IS THE EXCITING BIT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE MANAGED TO HANG ON ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY NONSENSE
Been a busy day here. Spent the morning emptying the annex for chappies to come and do insulation then a small raid on the local supermarket for doings for a hot and sour chicken soup to clear Possum's sinuses and then getting her packed up for the train back to Namur. Then the electrician turned up, Bonzo got out and barked at everyone, Rasta ate the windfall birdy fat balls and has now been sick on the kitchen floor. Nice.
TB - ask a bee specialist about having a natural hive where you don't harvest the honey. Wild bees need homes and seem to manage without anyone harvesting their honey.
Clari - I dare say the museum wouldn't be colder than home so why not take in a sleeping bag and a camp bed? Snooze as and when you can.
What was the exhibition Dove?
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)."
Ob: I already have a sleeping bag and fold up bed in my office. Perhaps a quick nap wouldn't be so bad. Surely the scouts don't really need me once I've opened the door and let them in?
Dove: the plasterers biscuits have already been purchased and the tea caddy is well stocked! Hilariously they've better supplies than we have as I'm trying to drain the fridge and freezer so that it will be light enough to wiggle around as required.
.....Rasta ate the windfall birdy fat balls and has now been sick on the kitchen floor. Nice.
TB - ask a bee specialist about having a natural hive where you don't harvest the honey. Wild bees need homes and seem to manage without anyone harvesting their honey...
I will probably do that Obx. This year (at some stage...) I intend to plant another tree in the back garden with bulbs and wild flowers planted in the grass underneath. That area of grass would be left unmown for much of the year and I thought that might be a good location for a hive.
Unfortunately there seems to be a 'degree' of animosity between those who want to have natural hives (where the bees essentially look after themselves) and those who think bee hives should only be run as honey production factories complete with marked and wing-clipped queen bees and regular smokings and hive inspections. It was this 'discussion' which got things stirred up last time. I'll do the relevant research when I'm ready to do something about it.
Fortunately we have some bee keepers in the village who might be prepared to see an alternative point of view.
Nice one Rasta
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
When we had workmen in Belgium they would refuse to come and snack or take a break in our kitchen so I would set them up with a table and plastic garden chairs in the garage or barn, depending, and provide a coffee machine and fresh baked muffins or biscuits or a cake each day. They loved it and were always happy to come back.
Can't do that here as the oven is a no-no and, in any case, they take a 2 hour lunch break off site. Won't even accept coffee.
Good news about your plasterer Clari.
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
Bloomin' 'eck it's freezing out there today.
Had a quick hour trying to retrain a rose which I bought thinking it was a shrub and turned out to be a climber. Lots of long, whippy growth last summer. Decided to try pegging it into a dome shape like they do at Sissinghurst - only problem is mine is all laterals 'cos I've cut the leaders during shrub rose style pruning in previous years.
Looks more like a wonky crab now rather than a carefully trained mound
Still, it wasn't working as it was before so nothing lost. If this doesn't work I'll cut it down to the ground and start again.
I'd love to have a bee hive in the garden. Have thought about having one of those top bar ones and just leaving it for the bees to do their own thing. ie just providing them with shelter and not really bothering with harvesting honey (don't like it that much).
I discussed doing that once on the Forum and was positively rounded on as being irresponsible. I was told I would be responsible for causing bee swarms and the spread of various viruses which kill the bee population. But bees have been making hives and sorting themselves out naturally for centuries...
Glad you enjoyed the exhibition Dove. Might have to join you for a nap...
Glad you enjoyed the exhibition Dove. I've just measured my desk. Now if I can reinforce the legs I have the perfect bed. Well... not exactly perfect but it is at least warmer than the bed in the police cells!
Now "home alone" in the museum until a volunteer arrives at 18:00 to join me on tonights scout visit. I am definitely starting to feel a little scouted out. Still have Saturdays visit to a local museum (not mine) to get through with my group yet. I am hoping they are going to impress me. Or at least.... not break anything?
The traffic outside is awful. I did think about wandering up into town (I need a new pair of sturdy boots that I can wear all day) but the weather is grim and my little heater is doing its best so I best not act ungrateful for its efforts.
Still its not snowing yet so that's something.
Would it be wrong to try and order a take away? I'm not entirely sure what there is I can actually eat due to my delicate belly but there is a brilliant Chinese restaurant on the other side of Sheffield that caters for... oh wait. With the traffic this bad I'm not sure they'd make it here before things had started to do that dubious level of cold.
Positive things however! My aloe vera that lives in this office is starting to look much better now it has the radiator in here at least keeping the frost off. Still very spindly but being an aloe I don't know how you give it any TLC. Don't they dislike feeding? Perhaps a jumper might work?
Also... AND HERE IS THE EXCITING BIT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE MANAGED TO HANG ON ALL THE WAY THROUGH MY NONSENSE
The plasterer is starting on Saturday!!
Been a busy day here. Spent the morning emptying the annex for chappies to come and do insulation then a small raid on the local supermarket for doings for a hot and sour chicken soup to clear Possum's sinuses and then getting her packed up for the train back to Namur. Then the electrician turned up, Bonzo got out and barked at everyone, Rasta ate the windfall birdy fat balls and has now been sick on the kitchen floor. Nice.
TB - ask a bee specialist about having a natural hive where you don't harvest the honey. Wild bees need homes and seem to manage without anyone harvesting their honey.
Clari - I dare say the museum wouldn't be colder than home so why not take in a sleeping bag and a camp bed? Snooze as and when you can.
What was the exhibition Dove?
Progress Clari!!!!
Clari ... Hurrah!!! In my experience plasterers respond well to Chocolate Hobnobs.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
the exhibition was the work of three 'up and coming ' young British painters who were awarded two year Fellowships by the Jerwood Foundation.
Im posting on my phone and can't do a link.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ob: I already have a sleeping bag and fold up bed in my office. Perhaps a quick nap wouldn't be so bad. Surely the scouts don't really need me once I've opened the door and let them in?
Dove: the plasterers biscuits have already been purchased and the tea caddy is well stocked! Hilariously they've better supplies than we have as I'm trying to drain the fridge and freezer so that it will be light enough to wiggle around as required.
I will probably do that Obx. This year (at some stage...) I intend to plant another tree in the back garden with bulbs and wild flowers planted in the grass underneath. That area of grass would be left unmown for much of the year and I thought that might be a good location for a hive.
Unfortunately there seems to be a 'degree' of animosity between those who want to have natural hives (where the bees essentially look after themselves) and those who think bee hives should only be run as honey production factories complete with marked and wing-clipped queen bees and regular smokings and hive inspections. It was this 'discussion' which got things stirred up last time. I'll do the relevant research when I'm ready to do something about it.
Fortunately we have some bee keepers in the village who might be prepared to see an alternative point of view.
Nice one Rasta
When we had workmen in Belgium they would refuse to come and snack or take a break in our kitchen so I would set them up with a table and plastic garden chairs in the garage or barn, depending, and provide a coffee machine and fresh baked muffins or biscuits or a cake each day. They loved it and were always happy to come back.
Can't do that here as the oven is a no-no and, in any case, they take a 2 hour lunch break off site. Won't even accept coffee.
Good news about your plasterer Clari.
Topbird - isn't that the principle of theTop Bar hive Monty installed - have we had an update on that?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.