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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 18:50:18 GMT
It's going to be a cold night (below zero) tonight for most of us so don't forget to protect your tender plants! Check the weather forecast if you aren't sure.
I've put my verbena bonariensis cuttings, pelargoniuim cuttings, clematis cuttings and fire-vine in the cold frame and closed it, and my Pennisetum is indoors.
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 1, 2006 19:07:33 GMT
I spent a happy hour this morning clearing out the GH and moving my tender plants in. I made some good discoveries as well - my avocado plant which was on its last legs in the summer has lots of new shoots all up its main stem so that's now back in the conservatory. Several of the seeds I sowed last month have started so they're in the cold frame and the Sedum ussurience seeds which have been stubbornly doing nothing at all since last Spring have come up finally! And found a little tray of Sempervivums I'd forgotten about , well and healthy. It was such a nice morning I also had another hack at the monster Rosa rugosa thicket (very big bonfire now waiting for Sunday), weeded smallest daughter's flower garden and pulled out MILES of yet more nettles. Then went to work for 2 hours and finished off the day by putting some nice fresh straw down for the goats (they don't like the cold) and then stood in the rain for 20 minutes with the airgun poised watching for rats (missed the b*****d though!). I do like a constructive day, don't you? S'very chilly outside now though - winter's acoming!
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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 19:16:29 GMT
I'm really excited that it's going to be cold for the next few days! Ok so autumn has only been with us for a few minutes but I like cold nights, and it helps kill off bugs!!! I can't wait for tomorrow's crisp morning - hopefully it will be sunny - and the walk to school.
I don't envy you the rat problem 4P - but I had a nasty job too today: I had to do was finishing hemming the sitting room curtains, by hand! They are done now though - phew! Three questions though - where do the rats come from, why do you have to shoot them, and what do you do with them when they are dead? (Sorry, I'm a townie!)
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 1, 2006 19:38:12 GMT
The rats come from Hell (or maybe the farm next door), I shoot them as they are disgusting disease filled vile creatures (from Hell) and when they are dead (not often I actually hit them) - I shriek for OH in my best pathetic female voice, he then disposes of them in a mysterious manly way (chucks them in the dyke for other rats to rip up). I told you they were vile!
PS Curtain hemming, eh? It's a tough job but someone's got to do it!
PPS I love the cold too - big jumpers, woolly mittens and wellies - hurray!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2006 19:42:39 GMT
Having spent the entire Summer moaning about the heat, I'm hardly going to whinge now it's freezing !!!! I love it !
Thank you Plocket for reminding me - got a few cuttings and such like that need to go in the GH. I'll go and do it now.
FA x
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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 19:44:33 GMT
Erm, dim question here 4P, but if OH chucks the rats in the dyke doesn't that just encourage the other rats? I'm so glad we don't get them though!
And that leads me on to another thought - you mentioned hedge trimming on your "contention" thread - does the local farmer do the tops of your hedges? If not, why not?
My dad has just phoned from NZ where he and mum are visiting fambly at the moment, and I've told them it's going to be below zero tonight. He's upset that he's going to miss it!!! I did remind him that it won't be summer when they return, just nearly Christmas!!! I'm going to have to remember to put the fleece in my coat tomorrow coz it was chilly collecting LP from school this afternoon. I hope we get frost in the night!!!
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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 19:49:03 GMT
Thank you Plocket for reminding me - got a few cuttings and such like that need to go in the GH. I'll go and do it now. FA x What about Freckles though FA??? <cheekygrinsmiley!!!> I've already done a bit of leaf kicking but can't wait to do more - oooh I love this time of year - HURRAH!!!!! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2006 19:51:43 GMT
Freckles is still in the pot.  I'll go and put her in the GH as well. FA xx |
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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 19:51:58 GMT
YEAK!!!! I've just checked the weather - it's going to be MINUS 4 DEGREES in the night here apparently!!! I'll just have to snuggle OH in the night I guess - he's like a hot-water-bottle!!!!!  |
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Post by Plocket on Nov 1, 2006 19:54:52 GMT
Freckles is still in the pot. I'll go and put her in the GH as well. FA xx Ooooooooooh you are SOOOOOOOOO naughty! Bend over FA..... 
AND PLANT FRECKLES!!!!! |
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 1, 2006 21:22:19 GMT
Poor Freckles....let's hope she doesn't curl up and die in the cold FA. Imagine your guilt!
Our farmer hasn't lifted a finger to help me do anything in 15 years Plocket. His method for his own hedge trimming is to rip them all out whenever possible. I wouldn't ask him to help unless I was desperate! And it doesn't really make any difference to the ratty numbers where their horrid little furry bodies are thrown as there are MILLIONS of them. No one in this country is ever more than 8 ft away from a rat - that means you too sadly.......we have a plague of them at the moment with our wonderful rubbish dumping, fast food society. The only thing between us and a return of the Black Death is a few bottles of bleach. (I may be a tad paranoid here). I may have to form a death squad of crack FATBAGS to combat the quiet menace amongst us.......
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Post by lottielady on Nov 1, 2006 21:25:59 GMT
:o4P you didn't have a ricochet last night and kill a deer did you??? LLx |
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Post by Margi on Nov 1, 2006 21:30:47 GMT
Thanks for the heads up, Plocket! My nice grass is in the dining room overnight, but otherwise I wouldn't have done anything this evening, and I'd just have ended up with Pennisetum envy in a few days...
Margi x
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 1, 2006 21:32:00 GMT
Crunchie, I hope not...I'm more likely to find lots of little shot holes in my PT - eventually it will tear along the dotted line!!
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Post by Juliet on Nov 1, 2006 23:40:26 GMT
PS Curtain hemming, eh? It's a tough job but someone's got to do it! Nah ... I have curtains hanging in my bedroom which have been waiting for me to hem them for 6 years - they are a bit ragged at the bottom, but life's too short ... Don't worry about the black death 4P - chances are the rats you have are these: www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/273.shtml - they may carry some other nasty diseases, but it's these ones which carry the plague: www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/272.shtml - & they are very rare now. |
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Post by Plocket on Nov 2, 2006 8:27:09 GMT
4P your farmer neighbour sounds like the sort of famer we DON'T need in this country! As for the rats - I don't even want to think about them I'm afraid - sorry!
Margi you know you don't need to have pennisetum envy - if anything did happen to yours we could split a bit off mine, which would be an incredible wrench for me as you know!!!
PML Juliet you sound like me - it's taken me 5 years to get around to doing these curtains, and I've still got LP's to do. Mind you she's only had these curtains for a year!!!
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Nov 2, 2006 8:32:41 GMT
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Post by Plocket on Nov 2, 2006 9:06:43 GMT
PML Susie!!! I'm glad your plants are wrapped up nice and warm - I don't bother with my bay trees, but they are close to the house.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2006 9:07:56 GMT
Susie - do you live on the north east coast of England or Scotland?  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2006 18:45:42 GMT
What's Frost? I've never seen it in my garden. And what's this talk about minus tepmperatures? Surely 0 is the lowest temp you can get!! |
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Post by Plocket on Nov 3, 2006 18:49:29 GMT
PML! Does it really never get frosty in Guernsey?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2006 18:55:05 GMT
Not in the places I've lived - it occaisionally does in the higher parishes, so I'm told. They get the snow as well.
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Post by Plocket on Nov 3, 2006 18:59:42 GMT
WOW!!! Snow??? Sorry I didn't mean to sound sarcastic, it's just I've never lived anywhere that DOESN'T get frost and snow! My brother lives in Oz and misses frost and snow dreadfully - bless!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2006 21:02:44 GMT
I'm from Wolvo originally so had a fair share of snow and ice then - don't miss it at all!!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2006 22:34:48 GMT
When they say we have snow over here it means that its about an inch and it sticks for more than half an hour - we don't have snow that sticks in St Sampsons (SS) where I am. St Martins (SM) does get some, but they just can't cope with it over here. Last winter was worse than 2 years ago - schools shut and the buses stopped running - but nothing in SS, mainly SM, and I've NEVER had a frost at any place I'VE lived over here (not to say some places don't).
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Post by torontotrini on Nov 4, 2006 11:38:14 GMT
stood in the rain for 20 minutes with the airgun poised watching for rats (missed the b*****d though!) You know 4P, if you were to get a double barrelled shotgun or a bazooka you wouldn't miss the little b++++++s. ;D |
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 4, 2006 15:03:10 GMT
Good Afternoon TT, Well, I'd LOVE a double barrelled shotgun but I don't think anyone else would enjoy it......the chooks would be in terror of their lives, the goats would have a nervous breakdown with the noise and my OH would hide all the ammunition (particularly after an argument....)! Really what I need is a gatling gun and a tank! My garden would end up like a war zone with huge craters and dug outs everywhere. The king rats would be hiding in trenches plotting how to send their minions over the top and I would become a crazed gungho lunatic...sounds like fun! (And might get rid of some of the nettles.....)
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Post by sweetleaf on Nov 4, 2006 16:15:20 GMT
With all those craters you might find the garden overrun with poppies next year 4P ( perhaps its not the greatest Idea to play with tanks after a couple of ciders...hmmm?)
BTW your bean seeds are on the way.
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Post by torontotrini on Nov 4, 2006 20:33:11 GMT
;D ;D ;D ;D Well, look at it another way 4P, if you were walking around with a loaded double barrelled shotgun there probably wouldn't be any arguments. I know I wouldn't argue with my BH if she was walking around with a loaded shotgun. If she told me jump my only question would be, "how high". ;D
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Post by torontotrini on Nov 4, 2006 20:39:27 GMT
No snow here yet; other than that big un-seasonal snowstorm that went through a few weeks ago and just about missed us, but cold usually around -2C overnight, and frost almost every morning. My dahlias finally caved in so I'll be lifting the bulbs for over-wintering before the end of the weekend. The end is here.  |
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