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Post by Tig on Aug 19, 2020 9:04:14 GMT
Plenty of wasps here too, and bees, hoverflies, greenbottles. I was thinking yesterday I've not seen many birds around (apart from starlings, lots of starlings).
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Post by Barbara on Aug 19, 2020 9:05:37 GMT
Earwigs, dozens of them, the compost bay is alive, we had lots of ants till they flew then not many, and I haven't seen a single bat this year, we have plenty of bees, lots of different birds too.
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Post by Tig on Aug 19, 2020 15:37:18 GMT
Our regular bats are about, there were two flying round the house & garden the other evening, hopefully scooping up zillions of mozzies!
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 21, 2020 8:19:12 GMT
I love to see bats Tig. We have a few here and at home I see them coming and going into the disused factory opposite.
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 8, 2020 9:45:37 GMT
We've had a few nights at different times over the past month or so with frost. Most of the Dahlia are now starting to look sad but we do still have pops of colour here and there. I always think Heuchera really come into their own from october through to april or so, they have so much lovely colour. It has been a wonderful autumn here with Jenny, the colours of all the trees and shrubs and some of the plants really has been outstanding and thankfully it's not over yet.
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Post by Dutchy on Nov 13, 2020 9:19:38 GMT
Still no frost but it will come soon enough.
We have bats too and they are still hunting. I am thinking of building a bat box but where is one to put this? I haven't got a sunny spot for it or any good bat tree. They need a free flight path for when they get out. No chance of that in my contorted willow and all else are too flimsy or short.
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Post by Rosefriend on Dec 5, 2020 11:23:28 GMT
I was watching Breakfast TV in the week (I don't half look at a load of crap since Hand died!!) and there was this bloke that they have been following that enters all these giant veggie competitions etc. Does very well actually. Anyway the last one was that he got his plot sorted - cleared it etc etc...
One thing really bemused me and I still can't work out why he does it as I see problems and not that it can help.
He insists that all rest veg that is only plants, - chillies, marrows, anything in the garden should be left to rot there for the winter - makes for good soil...water it very well etc.
So - what about all the seeds - isn't he going to inundated with "volunteer" plants coming through?? Why should leaving all the veg to rot be beneficially - wouldn't there be bacteria??
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Post by Barbara on Dec 5, 2020 12:27:23 GMT
I don't think it's any different to composting Rosefriend, the lad next to me does the same thing, he always has, when he rakes and hoes in the spring it look like a fine tilth.
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 6, 2020 8:16:15 GMT
Rosefriend, Barbara, that's interesting. I've dug a trench for sweetpea in the past and put loads of kitchen waste along with some plant waste and it really did work a treat, I did'nt need to water as much for the sp and they had a super year. I guess if you don't have an actual compost bin or space for one, it might be worth doing.
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 22, 2021 9:17:17 GMT
Has anyone started off their Begonia yet or is it a bit too early...
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Post by Barbara on Feb 25, 2021 18:23:23 GMT
The biggest bee in the world was in the garden this evening, and the tree at the top of the garden had lots and lots of nuthatches and blue tits, it was lovely to see them all enjoying the sunshine
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Post by Jasmine on Feb 25, 2021 18:46:07 GMT
It really was spring with you today Barbara!
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Post by Barbara on Feb 25, 2021 18:56:57 GMT
It was Jasmine, but we are going to pay for the clear blue skies as a frost is forecast.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 6, 2021 7:32:23 GMT
Finally read the gardening bit of Saturday's paper this morning and Helen Yemm is giving up her column after 20 years. To be honest I am surprised it has gone on this long as Google has the answer to everything.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 11, 2021 8:40:17 GMT
Does anyone know what happens to the pots of miniature roses you can get in the supermarket. I have 2 pots which I had in my little flat but they did their thing and now they are in the garden looking far healthier than they did indoors. Will they always be small or is something done to them to make them like that and they will revert to normal outdoors over time?
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Post by Ladygardener on Apr 12, 2021 9:21:36 GMT
Jenny has one which grew to around 60cm but this will be it's 2nd year outside and it's now in one of the new beds Jasmine. It bloomed it's head off last year.
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Post by Tig on Apr 12, 2021 10:19:19 GMT
It seems to depend on the variety Jasmine. The very tiny 'button' flowered ones stay miniature, the ones with slightly larger, more normal flowers grow into medium sized plants over time.
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 12, 2021 15:03:18 GMT
Thank you Ladygardener and Tig, i think I'll keep both of them and see what happens. One is pale pink and one is a brighter pink colour and the pale pink one had quite big flowers.
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Post by Barbara on May 2, 2021 8:40:21 GMT
I need to get these tomato and dahlia plants to the GH soon, I just need it to warm up a bit.
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Post by Ladygardener on May 6, 2021 5:55:10 GMT
We've had frost damage to some of our Dahlia in the poly tunnel. Strange 'tho, the Dahlia young plants we grew from seed are fine but some of the growth on some of the tubers is ruined. I would have thought it would be the other way around. Still, there's nothing more we can do.
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Post by Barbara on May 6, 2021 9:16:54 GMT
Strange Ladygardener, can you cut out the blackened parts, they might be OK as it's early, a bit like the Chelsea chop maybe ?
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Post by Tig on May 6, 2021 10:37:59 GMT
What a shame LG, it's so disappointing when things start to grow then get knocked back. Are you sure it is frost damage and not sun scorch? I know how hot it can get in the WIG on a sunny day despite the outside temperatures. As Barbara says it is still early so they may recover and send up more shoots from the base of the damage.
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Post by Ladygardener on May 6, 2021 11:37:49 GMT
Thanks guys, no it's frost for sure, the poly they were in is green and while not shady it does stop things getting scorched, also there is no door on it because it ripped so it's all a bit of a make shift thing. We do have a smaller plastic walk in gh but it's chock a block with seedlings and young plants and gets opened every morning and closed up every night. There would'nt be room for the Dahlia there 'tho. I won't give up on them 'tho, and am hopeful they will put up other growth, I'll likely do as you suggest and cut off the wilted stuff.
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Post by Barbara on Jun 3, 2021 8:43:31 GMT
The garden is full of birds this morning, coal tits and goldfinches on the feeder, and the sparrows are cleaning the lupins and rose of green fly, the blackbirds are having a bath, it's like a Disney film
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 3, 2021 13:57:22 GMT
Funny you should say that Barbara, I was just saying the same thing earlier.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 7, 2021 8:38:08 GMT
Tig, Barbara, Dutchy, Rosefriend, Jasmine, maggy, some of our rosebuds have failed to open and turned sandy brown colour, would this be due to the weather? Others on the same bush are opening as normal.
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Post by Rosefriend on Jul 7, 2021 9:05:50 GMT
Tig, Barbara, Dutchy, Rosefriend, Jasmine, maggy, some of our rosebuds have failed to open and turned sandy brown colour, would this be due to the weather? Others on the same bush are opening as normal. Think this is called something called Flower Balling Ladygardener - it happens in cool wet weather and that we have all had as well as the heat. The buds get wet from the rain and the sun dries them, the outer leaves tighten up and dry stopping them from opening. The others will have got wet but probably the sun wasn't there or strong enough to dry them to a crisp. I have a few in the garden as well..
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Post by Dutchy on Jul 7, 2021 9:27:10 GMT
Yup I have it too in one rose that gets the brunt of the weather and is very double of its own. ( Queen Elizabeth Golden jubilee rose.) Just remove them.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 9, 2021 8:41:17 GMT
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Post by Jasmine on Aug 7, 2021 13:07:47 GMT
Good old T&M...they sent me an email on 21/07/21 to say my Amelanchier lamarckii tree had been dispatched and then I forgot about it until this morning when they sent me another email asking if I wanted to order something or other. I checked the tracking link and it shows my parcel being delivered on 26/07/21. I've just emailed them and now I am waiting on another order to come into them and they will send me another one. If that doesn't work I'm going to go for a refund. To give them their due, they answered my Messenger message very quickly.
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