jo4eyes

What's the weather like in your area?

Am feeling smug as managed to push back up all the slipped panels. Ok the greenhouse will still be cold, but at least drier now. J.

Fork Handles

Ooh Nola, guinea pigs! I still miss ours. Talking to the wormery just isnt the same.

Have occasionally watched those ghost progs, but dont see why they dont exist. Lots of unexplained happenings out there. YF- least said the better!

Have been really busy & productive out there today. Good, as next few days got a lot going on & even if weather decent (ha) no free time until next Wed I think. Still to do my bulb pots, but at least I can now do on a wet day in the greenhouse. Have abandoned any idea of doing a lawn cut, but must sometime do a leyland hedge trim-oops.

Kate- must look for some wallflowers on the market on sat. J.

End of season reduced Cannas

I understand that they should be treated as dahlias over the winter, so I'd wrap the pots especially if you dont heat the gteenhouse over winter.

I noticed that our local GC selling off loads of stuff this week. Often a good time to get bargain herbaceous & other plants & it's still fine to do an autumn planting of lots of things- not your cannas though. J.

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You know what someone said about having to eat a whole bar of chocolate in 1 go!! Blame it on you lot as was catching up on the posts & well it sort of got broken up & consumed....... Suppose it'll help with the flagging energy levels though.....

Have managed, just about, to get all the big pots of Agapanthus into the big coldframe. Found a lot of slugs/snails everywhere around the pots, so have put some pellets down in the frame. Will wrap the pots later in month when they have dried out & am less likely to wrap a slug as well!

Right, coffee next & then back out to continue emptying Pop's pot of used compost. Then when the little clematis starts to die back shall repot it into the bigger pot. Keep finding nastursium seeds in it which am saving for next yr!

Oh yes the Nerines are almost in flower. Have put their pot into the greenhouse so they will get better light & some protection. Then they will also get wrapped & put into the coldframe.

BTW I always understood it was male pee. OH never agree to oblige, even when I suggested a bucket! J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Hi Frank, I usually dispose of the toms by end of Sept, but thought would see how they went for a week or so. They were late getting going, not much sun at all up here this year, but surprisingly ok after all.

My greenhouse gets 'b' freezing at times. Faces East/South, but shaded by tall trees on adjacent land. Ok no leaves on those in winter, but the wind whistles down from Dwarfbeans area of the Pennines. At the mo too, one of the roof panels (single polycarbonate on that side) has slipped. Dont think am tall enough to sort out so will need OH to do at some point.

What I have got this year though, is a rather nice wooden sided big coldframe, with a tempered glass roof, into which shall put my wrapped pots of Agapanthus to overwinter. That plus some extra fleece will keep them very snug. I always wonder how they will do when in the greenhouse, despite several layers of fleece!

Right, back out. J.

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Becks, hi, Lemon Queen is a tall sunflower- like herbaceous plant, but the flowers are quite small. Mine just in flower, on the veg plot (!) need to move it elswhere when have improved the soil.

BTW soz late, have been busy doing the demolision of toms etc in greenhouse. We keep having the odd shower, tho sun at the mo, so can now do bulb pots in the greenhouse under cover! There will be 2 trays of tomatoes on sills tonight. Washing to be tumbled, just got fed up with removing muddy gloves to get it in all the time.

OH's parcel here & 1 for daughter. Postie pleased about note on door. Daughter wont be pleased as have sent her a txt re lack of food/milk for over w/end when I'm away!

Right, back out, byee. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Afternoon Frank. Not been totally dry here in Manchester . Several short sharp showers, yes with good sunny spells in between.

Shall have to tumble the washing- again- but it did mean that I went into the greenhouse to pick the final tomatoes & remove the plants. That means I have a clear space under cover to do my bulb pots!

Not going to overwinter anything in there this year, so the clean out can be as & when & no need to do the insulation either! 1 less job! J.

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Hi Inka, we've had nothing but daily rain here in NWest UK. Tomorrow is supposed to be predominately dry! So lots planned outside. My tender plants all get wrapped & moved by the end of Oct, but your season is shorter isnt it? J,

when is the best to mulch/improve the soil

Autumn for me too, providing the soil is moist. Main reason is I have loads of bulbs everywhere, so Spring mulching not always possible wthout demolishing things! I also do try & do 'mini' mulches as I revamp/replant areas. Not a problem in such a wet season as this has been. J.

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Becks- remembered how to make type bold! Took myself to local 6th form college in 02 to learn how to use these things. Plodded through a couple of courses, coped ok, (wasnt the only graduate there either) & have carried on plodding since! At least I can now do most things without assistance from OH/daughter. Both had said they'd teach me- ha- noway, WW3 would have happened around here!

Still havent got a clue when they start discussing techie things, but doesnt worry me any more.

Just thought, must get 'C' cake made before the upheaval of new boiler. Always try & get it done before daughter's birthday which is 8 weeks to go. Have to admit am a bit wary of the new oven, only had a year, as last year I really burnt the first attempt. 2cnd was fine.

Now we know that the oven is hotter than it says, but only at certain temps, just to confuse me even more, I have notes from the successful baking last yr to refer to. Done the same recipe for donkeys yrs, so it was rather disconcerting to mess up initially. Motto- read instruction book to new appliances FULLY before doing something as important as C cake!

Right' last bit of hoovering to do. J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.