5 Gardening Dairy: Happy gardening and happy snapping ..

[alp]

Corr! Such a lovely day and I'm wasting the sunshine staring at houses online. £325K for a detached and when you phoned up, it's gone! Another from the same agent is not available. I reckon they are phony as neither shows the front of the house! Call me a cynic.

 

[alp]

Good morning to a much warmer day. 11c high in the lean to.

Yesterday, the couple viewing the house asked me if I would leave with my plants. I told them emphatically yes.

Last night, I was watching Monty Around the world in 80 gardens and kept falling asleep. I would try to pick up some gems

Tivoli's Villa d'Este

All the fountains and water sprays of which there are hundreds of them are powered by hydraulics - amazing!

If you have access to iplayer, do watch the series. I must say it's not in 4K! Ooops!

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Hi @alp ...sorry haven't looked in before, still feeling a tad yuk.

About £40 something...can't quite remember . We have the one with various attachments. Hubs thinks the newer model maybe a bit bigger.

Very gloomy here, misty and wet. Want to go out and stock up on compost ,ready to start the seeds after Xmas. Like to be prepared!

Have a good day

 

[alp]

Went to view houses since 8.30 in Essex area and the first one was a shocker - dark, smelly, dingy and cheap. 2nd one was lovely, but the garden is only about 60 foot and driving into the close was a nightmare. Also, apart from the 3rd bedroom, all the others are smaller than ours. Of course, it didn't have a lean to either.

Then went to a new built one. The front door was blocked by a double garage, one belonging to the neighbour and all the other rooms were small. The lounge was like 14 x 12'. The only good thing was that there was a lovely park

Dull and dark and warmer. So can't really complain.

Thank you for the information, @Upsy Daisy ! Hope you're better now.

 

[Perki]

Evening all, tidied the rest of the dahlia tubers today and turned them upside down in the GH, dug up the salvia's and potted them up for winter storage same with some fuchsia. Took some more pelargonium cutting and potted up the mother plants. All the pots are ready now for planting up with bulbs etc .

House viewing alp new builds are a joke now size wise rooms are so small, I wouldn't even consider a new build myself due to the size and the most important bit gardens a even smaller.

 

[alp]

I think I'm going to cut down all my salvias and then cover them with cloches of which I have about 4 or 5. Got to label the dahlias tomorrow as I think I might have some seeds.

Yes, @Perki ! Everything is small in new build. But the idea of not having to do too much is appealing. The biggest garden is not as big as mine. Feel like not moving, but just insulating and blocking the roof so that no alien air can come in. But son was scared to death. Such a lot of anxiety.

 

[Perki]

I think I'm going to cut down all my salvias and then cover them with cloches of which I have about 4 or 5. Got to label the dahlias tomorrow as I think I might have some seeds.

Yes, @Perki ! Everything is small in new build. But the idea of not having to do too much is appealing. The biggest garden is not as big as mine. Feel like not moving, but just insulating and blocking the roof so that no alien air can come in. But son was scared to death. Such a lot of anxiety.

Houses are popping up here there and everywhere at the minute round here, someone were telling me about the brand new houses built ( £330K ) just built this year and the there having lots of problems with the them , plaster falling off the walls - damp and other problems , they got asked to move out while they fix them .

I had a indoor cyclamen in the GH over winter which were due to be potted on , took it out of its pot full of vine weevil grubs had to wash the corm so I could see the little blighters bore into the corm.

 

[alp]

Good morning to a much warmer day - Lean-to registers 12c! Whoa! That's hot for the Lean to.

@Perki These are newish buildings, not totally new. I won't buy a brand new house because of the problems you mentioned. A family had bought a brand new house on a brand new development before the buildings were finished. When they moved in, the found out the house was sitting on the reservoir of sewage for the whole development! The stench means that they can't sell the house.

Everything about new houses is small - the safa has to be tucked under the staircase and the lounge is about 14 x 11' The worst is that the front door is 2 feet away from the block of garages blocking the view and part of the front is not even whole.

Going to sort out the back - aka wild wild west. My garden is 4 times the biggest garden and that's enough to make me cry. For the newish built, I can even sit in the garden as vehicular noise makes it impossible.

Yesterday, I re-watched some of Monty's Around the world in 80 gardens and was fascinated by Villandry in France! Very Italianate and controlled with high visual impact. Before that Monty went to Rousham and praised it highly, saying that modern gardens had been hijacked by colours and flowers. Well, I would like to have colours and flowers. A bit of Italianate influence can be very intriguing too. But not so much.

Fancy the night before last night, I kept falling asleep watching these! Quite fun!

Today's weather should reach a dizzying height of 16c! How I miss figures like this. Perfect for pottering in the garden. Have a nice day everyone!

 

[alp]

Britain to bask in unseasonably warm weather this week with temperatures reaching 64F ...before up to five severe storms hit by Christmas

• Temperatures could reach 18C (64F) this week in southern and eastern England
• Dry and mild conditions are expected for celebrations on Bonfire Night
• December and January would be wetter than usual, according to the Met Office
  
  source
  
  

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Morning all !

Mild here too ,should reach 15C today. I know I shouldn't really love this weather as it will come back to haunt us next year. We so need the cold and the marked difference in the seasons to kill off unwanted bugs, etc. and to put Mother Nature back on track

Off to see older sis this morning ( along with cake) as it's her birthday.
Will hopefully continue bulb planting this afternoon!
That's today's plan of action
Have a fab day

 

[Upsy Daisy]

It's a difficult decision to have to make @alp .

On one hand it's a lot of maintenance for a bigger property, especially if you're on your own . But then it's lovely having the space to be creative too!

I know that I could (sadly) never manage our house or garden on my own. Hubs does the hedges , they go right round the whole garden. He maintains the trees in our little orchard. That's without doing all the other big tasks!!
My main problem is not feeling safe up on ladders or even being able to reach up on tip toes anymore after having both feet fused. It's amazing how having a minor ailment can impact so much on what you can and cannot do. Seemingly small tasks become huge ones.

My sis made the right choice when she found herself on her own, downsized to a smaller and much more manageable place . She has a lovely courtyard style garden with raised beds and pots which suits her as she has very bad arthritis.

All I can say to you is think of the future ,only you know what your health is like now and therefore only you can judge how it might be in the years to come.
Having seen how my Dad gets so sad at the decline in his big garden, I personally feel I would rather have something that I knew I could always cope with...or afford a gardener to maintain for me, than end up looking out on an out of control/ overgrown garden that was beyond my capabilities.

Thats all I can say really @alp.....it's a tough decision to have to make. What we want and what maybe suitable could prove to be two different things

 

[Perki]

Bulb planting today pulled all the new bulbs out of hiding.
You wouldn't think they is just over £160 worth of bulbs there , feel like I've been conned somewhere Some bulbs are dear though.

Saved daffodils from last year and about 20 tulips

So I have about 200 tulips to plant
200 daffodils
120 crocus
70 muscari
8 fritillaria persica - 3 black / 5 white , might try and get some more black ones
50 alliums
90 other bulbs like eranthis iris hyathins etc
I am getting tired think about planting them

 

[alp]

Bulb planting today pulled all the new bulbs out of hiding.
...
So I have about 200 tulips to plant
200 daffodils
120 crocus
70 muscari
8 fritillaria persica - 3 black / 5 white , might try and get some more black ones
50 alliums
90 other bulbs like eranthis iris hyathins etc
I am getting tired think about planting them

I'm tired thinking of you planting these beauties! I am usually extremely excited when I buy the stuff and when I am home, I want to cry ! There simply isn't any room and if I break new ground at the back, there will be one more messy area. Actually, how old are you, @Perki ! Do be honest with us! I do have some area at the back. But I had to have a rockery to hide all the rubbles although that is the sunniest spot as well. So glad I didn't buy any bulbs this year apart from about 20 of them. When they are reduced, I will buy some if I have moved. I have a silly offer today and it sounds like an insult. The couple is keen on gardening. When the man saw my line of 6 water butts lining the side of the house, he said in a very heartfelt way, "Good idea, good idea!"

Because they like my house, they are trying to sell the house via the same agent! Any way, it's not going to happen at that price.

Been out weeding and talked to my elderly neighbour 2nd time in 2 months. Hardy seen him. Old age is a prison and it's waiting for us!

Thank you for the good advice and that's why I'm going to see a chalet type of house, no upstairs. Went to see this lady's house and she 85 and wanted to move to Frinton on sea. His son lived right opposite her. If I were the son, I would rather she slept downstairs and be close to me. There is probably the toilet as well. I like everything about the house, but it's too small and the garden about 23 feet by 50. I surely have been spoilt. When we viewed the house, I said to son, "You know how lucky you have been!" He has a 13 feet by 11 feet room to himself, which is nearly someone's lounge size!

Would you lot have a look here and give advice please?
2nd one Really liked this one until I saw the size of the lounge!
3rd one

What do you think?

 

[Perki]

I am back it gone dark now my back aching , planted nearly all the tulips but for 15 , lots of daffodils planted, they all gone in pots around the house I'll continue planting them all week but most pf the pots are done but for adds voila's / wallflowers / forget me nots / pansy etc.

I'm tired thinking of you planting these beauties! I am usually extremely excited when I buy the stuff and when I am home, I want to cry ! There simply isn't any room and if I break new ground at the back, there will be one more messy area. Actually, how old are you, @Perki ! Do be honest with us! I do have some area at the back. But I had to have a rockery to hide all the rubbles although that is the sunniest spot as well. So glad I didn't buy any bulbs this year apart from about 20 of them. When they are reduced, I will buy some if I have moved. I have a silly offer today and it sounds like an insult. The couple is keen on gardening. When the man saw my line of 6 water butts lining the side of the house, he said in a very heartfelt way, "Good idea, good idea!"

Because they like my house, they are trying to sell the house via the same agent! Any way, it's not going to happen at that price.

Been out weeding and talked to my elderly neighbour 2nd time in 2 months. Hardy seen him. Old age is a prison and it's waiting for us!

Thank you for the good advice and that's why I'm going to see a chalet type of house, no upstairs. Went to see this lady's house and she 85 and wanted to move to Frinton on sea. His son lived right opposite her. If I were the son, I would rather she slept downstairs and be close to me. There is probably the toilet as well. I like everything about the house, but it's too small and the garden about 23 feet by 50. I surely have been spoilt. When we viewed the house, I said to son, "You know how lucky you have been!" He has a 13 feet by 11 feet room to himself, which is nearly someone's lounge size!

Would you lot have a look here and give advice please?
2nd one Really liked this one until I saw the size of the lounge!
3rd one

What do you think?

Getting on a bit now hence why my back aching I am 28 but look younger I got ID in the bookies a few weeks ago.

I be careful taking less than the valuation, it costs a lot just to move with removal company's and fee's on the sale and I think you pay stamp duty on buying a house over a certain price.

 

[alp]

Oh, gawd! You ARE a millennial! ! How come you want to hang around with old ladies like me and Upsy! LOL! !