jo4eyes

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Grr, have just accidentally put the mouse across that advert!!

Anyway, freezer defrosted & now cooling back down. The half large tub of icecream is in neighbours' spare (!) freezer, the rest in 2 cool bags/box with a lot of ice packs. I will need more icecream tomorrow, dont you lot buy it all!

Jam is cooling down in its' jars & jam pan is soaking- brillo pan at the ready. Typical, it needed an extra couple of mins boiling to really reach a set & I just knew it'd stick, even before I checked. Now I wonder if enough storage space upstairs in the wardrobe I use? Daughter really didnt believe me when I said it needed leaving 3 months- ideally that is- before eating.

All being well I shall insist on a garden day on Sunday. Tomorrow, after early shopping, day out plus picnic is planned again. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Poor you again Rain.

Today is just about dry- a wee bit of on/off drizzle sometimes. Backgarden is 14+C at the mo.

Am now cooling off after doing more jam making, the kitchen ends up like a sauna even with door/window both open. Oh & I even defrosted the freezer this morning before the fruit session. J.

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2cnd lot of jam cooling in jars. Raspberry & a few redcurrants this time. Set not brilliant, but realised that continuing to boil would leave me with a small yield plus the risk of burnt jam at the bottom of the jam pan which then requires a brillo pad to sort it out.

Next lot, tomorrow, will be tayberry plus raspberry. Raspberry crumble now in oven. Have managed to break a small plate- it fell out of the freezer as opened the door. For the first time, have put jam jars into the dishwasher to get really clean! Soaked all the labels off first. Since dont usually use pickle/chutney jars for jam, the dishwasher should be better than by hand in sink.

Somehow the plan to defrost the freezer first thing tomorrow morning may not happen unless I wake really early. makes sense to try & do though, as will only be me in the house until after lunch, so much quicker to do it all when on my own. J.

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Little-Anne, hi again.

Sue had a stand inside the floral marquee this year. Good display of her plants & things selling well- so perhaps better for her than a big garden. She said that instead of 2weeks building, which would have been murder this year with the awful weather, 2-3 days inside instead much easier. She did her first inside stand at Southport last year & found it easier, so that's why she was inside at Tatton this year.

Have just got the washing back inside- literally no rain West of us until about 500yds from home! Have a coolbag full of raspberries, tayberries & some redcurrants- jams & crumble all need doing over the next 24hrs. Looks as if need to grovel under the stairs again for more jam jars to wash. Only had enough clean for 1 more lot of jam. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

It was raining first thing today, but was dry by late morning, so washing went out.

Have just got back from about 10miles West of me where I was fruit picking- dry, pleasant, but a lot of dark clouds around.

Driving back it got darker, but road still dry. About 500yds from home it was wet! Washing not too bad, just put on airer. Going brighter here now, about 15C. J.

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Back again!

Daughter has already crashed out & OH back at the little house.

Ok plants-1. a Rudbekia, not the one on my list, but another smallish one,

2. a small hardy geranium- from Trillium's nursery,

3. another white agapanthus, again not too tall, for a nice spare glazed pot,

4. a replacement hardy fuschia- Hawkeshead. I lost my previous one. The big pots I use for some fuschias I never lag over winter & of course daft me didnt take any cuttings of i!

5. a Heucherella, slightly trailing variety. Dont suceed wth Tiarellas, but do with heucheras, so why not?

Think I know where they will all go.....

Am shattered now, so will definitely sign off & shut down things. J.

Tatton park any good

Update- weather was the complete opposite of forecast! We'd have coped with walking shoes/boots after all.

OH, on his first visit, took lots of pics so I can study them at my leisure & try out some of the ideas/plantings- well that's the plan.

Lots of lovely plants & displays. Was quite restrained in my purchases, but then knew what I needed & what likely to suceed with.

Verdict- well worth a visit. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Just had a great day at Tatton show & NO RAIN!! Even saw the sun & lots of blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

Forecast totally the opposite to what we actually had! J.

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Hello. Back home, not too shattered.

Not seen myself on tele this time- found ourselves looking for my headscarf instead of paying attention to the prog! Only missed out seeing a couple of gardens by the look of it. I had a hard time with daughter wandering off & then having to wait for OH to finish taking his pics. He soon learnt to push to the front, just as everyone else was doing! Still there's friday as well, as some of the filming I saw them doing wasnt shown tonight, & will be in shot for that! Didnt actually 'see' anyone 'famous' this year, nor bump into anyone- long story..... Have an old video tape (daft as now no player) of one year at Tatton with daughter striding purposefully across shot behind MD looking for moi, who'd apparently wandered off somewhere.

OH was well behaved! We got through the entrance & daughter had words & all went well! Seriously the weather was totally the opposite of the forcast & although we'd all worn wellies we could have coped with walking shoes/boots as not wet underfoot at all.

Ok I did end up with a couple of extra plants, but was pretty restrained. However will soon take delivery of my birthday pressie- a very, very posh coldframe, at a whopping show discount. Then there was the fudge, all eaten, the oil, the sunhat (me), the bakeware (OH), cactus (daughter).

OH talked me out of buying my usual calendar- apparently they are going to do me a plant one of our own..... this I must see, am not holding my breath.

So am now busy deciding where the new plants are going to end up. Got sweetpea & viola seeds, the latter will need sowing now, so that's on the job list already.

I'll catch up with posts. Tomorrow daughter & me to collect our new spex & do some more retail therapy, non garden this time. Tatty bye for now, J.

Tatton park any good

Having seen the local NWest weather forecast for tomorrow, think you'll have better weather than us. You may still need good waterproof footwear though, as even the inside of the marquees can get muddy.Plus getting into the show ground from your carpark- which is on grass btw.

Picnic goodies purchased, but shall also be full of fudge, chocolate, olives etc etc!

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.