In the Garden

[Ditto]

Eww that looks proper nasty, wonder what the heck that is? Those beautiful poppies.

I'm fed-up because of my black thumb, BusyLizzies and now the Thyme popping off, I should stick to stuff that thrives despite all. The roses are all coming out that gladdens the heart and the perfume is divine.


I hope I get strawberries this year too, I've put them in hanging baskets now. Let me know if I'm repeating myself, I feel I am lately, worried I'm taking after Mum.

 

[Robin]

Seems you are not alone @Robin

Not sure if you’ll be able to read the photo of the newspaper article in this ‘Gardeners World’ forum thread?

gardenersworld.com

Practical gardening advice from the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team on what to do in your garden and greenhouse.

forum.gardenersworld.com

Thank you for that link. There doesn’t seem to be the problem with the foliage on mine. The only other reference I could find online was someone asking a similar question, and not really getting a definitive answer. A moth larva was suggested, and the results looked the same, but it was a US site, and I've not been able to find any larva on my plants.

 

[Ditto]

and I've not been able to find any larva on my plants.

They might hide like them lily beetle buggers!

Mum's popped wheel wheelbarrow, waste not want not. My fave Osteos, two in here, one thrives one just hanging on!


Thank you Milkie (he comes at midnight!) 🙂

 

[Jodee]

No Percy Thrower, try pre soaking seeds before planting to help them sproat.

I've been doing that with larger seeds but never though to with the tiny lettuce seeds, so I will do that and try again, thanks

 

[Jodee]

Great @Ditto Jan - what a fab Milk man

Love that Petunia image, but I don't ever grow them as I find the deadheading gives sticky fingers. But a joy to behold 🙂 x

 

[Jodee]

I've noticed quite a few comments similar to this and wondered what was happening. When I came to process the photographs of our 'colourful corner' I found that my wife's image files were 14Mb to nearly 16Mb, while mine were around 5Mb to 6Mb. We discovered that my wife's images, photographed on her i-Phone 8, were taken using Apple's HDR process, which vastly increased the size of the image file. I used one of my image processing programs to reduce the file sizes, both hers and mine, and had absolutely no difficulty uploading them to an image hosting website.

My wife has decided to switch off the Apple HDR process in the smartphone's preferences so we can avoid the problem in future. I have no knowledge of Android phones, but imagine something similar may well be possible with them.

I hope this helps those of you who have been suffering this problem.

Images under 1MB makes for any easier upload most everywhere.

 

[eggyg]

@Ditto just for you. Bought my hanging basket the other day and if you look closely you’ll see a stripy petunia.
Also pictured, I was very excited to see our water iris flowering. Only one unfortunately. We bought it last year when we built the ponds and didn’t have high hopes for it. Water lilies haven’t done anything. Very disappointed.

 

[Ditto]

Lovely.

My waterlily is silted up, pond (if you can call it that) almost completely mud. The frog likes it.

Is this the same Iris? We have them in a very dry bed with blue ones. Maybe I should transplant?

 

[Jodee]

Wonderful Jan

I have a yellow and white one (finished now) which grows in a dry bed. There is a yellow water iris, could be that.

 

[brisr949]

My little project i started last year, took me most of the summer making as could only do an hour..ish at a time. Still got a fair amount to do but really enjoying doing it.

 

[Ditto]

That is gorgeous. So tidy and neat. I'd love to be that kind of gardener, mine's (well Mums) is a tip! It really got away from me this year, the last time I was out there was November and I was loathe to get out there before May as I just hate the cold. I'm all gungho now, running round like a crazy frog, trying to do everything at once. Doesn't help that the housing association stopped mowing the grass, it's a foot high at the back, I've been doing it with scissors!

edit/
Today I went to all 'my' shops, Tesco, Quality Save, PoundLand and Wilko, not a bag of compost to be had. I didn't have the energy to schlep round to Aldi and even if they'd had any I can't lift it, their 40ltrs weighs more than everybody else's, it's a phenomenon. Which weighs more a pound of lead or a pound of feathers!

 

[Robin]

Our rambling rose has surpasssed itself this year. It’s 'Wedding Day' and we treated ourselves to it for our silver wedding anniversary, to cover a particularly ugly but useful summerhouse at the bottom of our garden. When we first moved here, it was painted what I refer to as 'Beach Hut blue' and stood out like a sore thumb. Fine at the seaside, but not in the Cotswolds, about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK. I repainted it dark green, so it blended into the yew hedge behind it, but that wasn’t enough, it needed covering!
The flowers come out yellow first thing in the morning, and turn white by mid morning, then as they get a few weeks older, especially if they get wet, the petals get a pink tinge. This year, they’ve gone really dark pink, I’ve never seen them this dark before.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I've just been out to feed the birds and pick the raspberry's for lunch only to find my four legged friend (ex) with a waggy tail had beaten me to them this morning. I have to say she did look rather pleased with herself

 

[eggyg]

First potatoes yesterday, a small bowl of strawberries and lettuce all picked yesterday. Veg coming on very well after all the rain we have had and still
having.

 

[Jodee]

Wow looking good everyone. I think raised beds are the way to go but mostly I am growing my veg in pots - some in the ground, some in a veg trug.

My raspberries are on just beginning to ripen, the red currents are well on their way, blueberries still in the green, I gave up on strawberries a few years back as found the blackbirds always beat me to them. I have light fleeced the blueberries because I saw Mrs Blackbird eyeing them the other day and I know she has a nest nearby so she will be bringing her chicks showing them where its at, as a consolation prize for the birds I leave a few of the red currents un protected for them to enjoy 😛

Here is a few picks of the edibles at the moment;
Gooseberries not yet ripe; first flower of the french beans; Mixed leafy greens; Peas; Redcurrents; Sweetheart cabbage; green tomatoes;

 

[Jodee]

Have a wonderful sun shining day every one - its a good day to garden 🙂

 

[eggyg]

Looking good @Jodee. We cover our strawberries but let the birds eat the redcurrents, we don’t get enough to do anything with them and TBF I can’t stand them. Far too bitter.

 

[Ditto]

You are all just so clever. I'm jealous. I wish I didn't have a black thumb! I've never really grown veg. Some strawberries always and a pea once, with lovely red flowers. Potatoes back in the day with my g'son. I must have another go.

 

[Jodee]

@Ditto Jan - yes do have another go, you can grow in a big tub, spinach, kale and chard are very easy the only thing to watch on the kale is white butterfly eggs on the under side and the slugs, who just seemed to love brand new leafy green shoots of any kind, I am thank for the birds who help me out byt eating them so I don't mind at all keeping them in seed, fat pellets and berries most of year. Lettuce is also quite easy to grow Jan.

@eggyg Here's the thing eggy, mix the fruits with banana or other sweet fruit, with the dessert gooseberries I have which are quite sweet when ripe, add any frozen currents, I give them a twirl in the microwave and press into icecube trays freeze and that way you have vitamin C all year from the real foods that provide it. I do have a few fresh red current with banana that is overly sweet on my cereal in the morning occasionally too. + the birds think I'm Ace for providing all the goodies

 

[Jodee]

Eww that looks proper nasty, wonder what the heck that is? Those beautiful poppies.

I'm fed-up because of my black thumb, BusyLizzies and now the Thyme popping off, I should stick to stuff that thrives despite all. The roses are all coming out that gladdens the heart and the perfume is divine.
View attachment 14297

I hope I get strawberries this year too, I've put them in hanging baskets now. Let me know if I'm repeating myself, I feel I am lately, worried I'm taking after Mum.
View attachment 14298

Love this rose Jan and the strawberries are looking good.

I've not noticed you repeating yourself - but I may have forgotten ha ha 😉