Palaisglide

What's the weather like in your area?

Teesside today blue sky and sunshine since six this morning, a perfect day for the Sunderland Airshow, the biggest free airshow in the world.
We get it free because a lot of the planes take off from Teesside and fly straight over us but there will be up to a million people along the Northeast coast from North Shields to Sunderland, we have stopped trying to get there now.
May go and dip my toes in the sea at Seaton as I am having an easy day.

Frank.

Taking a cutting from Honeysuckle

You need three to four inch stem sections and push them into a mix of compost and sand then put in a sheltered place to root, pot on when well rooted. It is often a good idea to sink the pots, they seem to do better.
Those should be taken in July-August. or take 9 inch hard wood cuttings in September October and push them into a nursery bed leave those for a year then replant them where you want them to grow.
When cutting the stem or woody sections make sure you know which is top and bottom and push them into the bed or pot right way up.

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

Oh dear Rain, awoke to sunshine this morning my side of the River Tees although there was some thick cloud, the sun has drifted in and out since and it is warm, no cold wind and no rain.
I could see clear across the valley this morning to the Cleveland Hills from Eston nab towards Arden Great Moor that is a good stretch and all the details were in view, the monument and the woods along the hillsides.
Did not have much to do this morning now the garden is cleaned up so made a big pan of soup, the lamb chops are marinading for the evening meal, took my daughter some soup when I went to lunch and she gave me scones and curd tart, fair exchange then.

Frank.

what base is best for a compost bin

artychris wrote (see)

Could someone please tell me wether it is best to put my compost bin on a concrete or paving slab base or to place it straight onto the soil. Any ideas please?

Mine are on soil, hand built wooden boxes with chicken wire on the soil which has now rotted away and not been replaced. When I get to the bottom of my in use box  woody branches are scattered on the soil and the filling box turned on top of that then left to rot down and I start filling the box that was turned out.
This allows air in the bottom, turning the filling box puts the newest stuff at the bottom mixed with more air and damping with the magic mix as I go allows the heat to build up, six weeks later I will be using compost from that box.
Never been bothered by mice or rats but have the the odd solitary bee in there.

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

Shrinking Violet wrote (see

 

Frank - I hope the peasnats aren't revolting

The Peasants or peas-nats around here are very revolting even though we change our woad and rabbit skin skirts every ten years,  It might be a good idea to kill the rabbits before we wear them. At least Posh we do have a midden (most will not know what that is) no wonder we get big leeks. "Err" or is that have big leeks Leaks? that Newcastle Brown Ale addles your brain.

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

"Hm" I think that should say Peasants although peas-nats does sound more like it.

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

Teesside, today fairly mixed, awoke to sunshine which comes and goes as heavy cloud drifts over. Very warm and no rain as yet, I wonder what it would take to keep the Queen here on a permanent basis, we had a summer here whilst she was on Teesside yesterday.
Us peasnats never got near it was all ticket and locked down but all the school children got in, I did try but they said my knobbly knees gave me away, I knew those shorts were a mistake?

Frank.

Geraniums (not Pelargoniums)

Yarrow, join the clan for long posts, I have had the odd complaint, in this modern world of instant communication it all has to be reduced to one line of text speak, well that is not me. Having been in charge of people most of my life plain speaking with full instructions on how when and where was the only way to get the job done properly.
The old books are the best, they were written by real gardeners with years of experience, I have shelves of them well thumbed and a bit tatty now although I still enjoy reading them. I do have modern books some all gloss and fluff with nothing for an older gardener with experience. The best one has all the old common names with what to look for now and it works a treat.
The instant gardener, a modern trend does not know what they miss, growing your own experimenting trying new things, working out where they will be happy, moving them about in my case some several times, a Geum that has travelled round the garden is now quite happy has flowered for months and I cut the last seed heads off this week.
Watching people buy in the Garden centres I often want to say that will be gone over in a week, or that needs shade, sun, semi shade to be any good, I keep my mouth shut unless asked and it surprises me how many people do ask, they get a mini lecture. My local nursery are very good they do tell people where a plant will be happy and how to care for it, the result is they get good custom.
My Fathers garden was the larder for the year round feeding of us and extended family back in my misspent youth and I had to earn my pocket money, you learn from an expert, "if you cannot eat it or sell it, there is no room for it" I can still taste those Victoria plums and William Pears sun warmed from the tree.
Better end nostalgia creeping in

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

weejenny wrote (see)

Thats good to hear Palaisglde Im from outside Inverness, a beautiful area very untouched by modern life just the way I like it apart from broadband of course. and still raining!!!

I loved Inverness, we were in an Hotel near the river about centre of town. The people could not do enough for us and I was amazed at the Restaurants, you could eat a different place each evening on so many cuisines. At the Hotel at Loch Lomond I ate "Bonney Prince Charley" a local delicacy mainly Aberdeen Angus but so sweet and tender, costly mind but how many can say they ate him?

Frank.

What's the weather like in your area?

"Rain" when I went to check the greenhouse I did realise it must have been heavy rain through the night, it had not all drained downhill.
Up to now we have had a bit of thunder, a drop of rain and now brilliant sunshine just in time for the Queen.
I had two full days on the big clean up in the garden so can leave it a while now, for those interested little madam took a series of photo's with her sun flower last night, mind she did eat her meal first so has her priorities right.

Frank.

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