Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Morning all cool today with rain later ,alp that clematis is a stunner

It's hot here as I have been mowing since 7.35. Did the bigger lawn and son is finishing the front lawn.

Thank you for the kind comment. Next year, it will look better, as you once said. I bought 3 x clematis from you know who and they came in very small, but two of them flowered first year. So well chuffed. As I have too many plants, I forgot about them until I saw the labels (amazed at my feat of having the same labels stuck to the pots. I am a disgrace!) Normally, they disappeared. But for some reason, they have not grown tall at all - same height as last year and I forgot to water them as well. I'm a bad mother, as usual, even though they have not been exactly homeless or dead! Guilty pang aplenty! As soon as I saw the big buds, I took them down from the shelf and there we are! Well chuffed. They were very cheap, so I was very pleased. Normally, I would layer them. As they are, I can't even bend the stems!

I don't think we are going to rain! I'm so worried already. The number of butts of various sizes has turned the walkway between the workshop and kitchen into a ghetto! I hope there are pipes transferring rainwater from Newcastle or Lancashire to East London!

Off to let the hens and chicks out to enjoy freedom!

 

[Perki]

Hi its been a while, been busy . I am even 3 episodes behind on GWorld. Rain / thurder storms expected this afternoon finally not rained for around 3 weeks . Your plants are coming on well alp quite a few weeks infront compared to round here, looks like the chicks are keeping you on your toes .

Nice to know your holiday went well Zenji and the weather was good for you.

I put some pictures on later haven't got round to putting any on the computer.

 

[alp]

Wow! You've been busy, Perki! 3 episodes! They were really good though. Watched the first Beechgrove and Jim is retiring his spade and fork.

You're so lucky that you don't have to water your garden. I had 2 minutes or real rain i.e. could hear the rain hit my sunlounge roof. Apart from that, my tears was the only thing that was wet! Angry clouds all around us, but sulked my area! Tears as the hens have been on strike. One day I had 2 eggs, and today, none! I feel very bad as we had to grab them to return them to the cage twice a day! I wouldn't like it if I were them. Can't leave them out there as Mr Fox will certainly feast on them. Had to research on a sturdy cage as Mr Fox has left its calling cards.

First Camassia

Probably Allium Christophii

Heurchera flowering

Lovely pink Spanish Bluebell

Josephine

She hasn't grown tall at all!

Bi-coloured camellia from B&Q last year!

Now that this geranium has been free ranged, it has many, many more blooms!

The first petal is saying hello, from my Bird of Paradise! A shame it takes up so much rooooom!

Fuyu

First osteospermum! Many more to come!

Petunia Surfinia from last year! Doing very well!

I am counting the number of Gala apples I can have this year!

Black Elder

Montana Rubens - thousands of blooms, tons of joy and a garden of fragrance!

 

[Perki]

 

[Perki]

 

[alp]

What nice photos to wake up to, @Perki !

I must group all my disparate plants together as your groupings are full of impact. The first 2 daffs in the last batch of photos set off very nicely. Love the last tulips with pink brush stroke in the first batch! The close up photo on Fritillaria imperalis is simply stunning!

Sadly, mine have shown nothing but leaves and seem to have weakened. Not one showing flowers! Must research on the reasons.

Very happy that the road outside is actually WET! We have had rain! FINALLY! Quite a few of my hellebores have been stressed out because of the excessive amount of woodchips. I kept watering them, but nothing compared with batches of proper rains!

Always like to start the day consulting weather report, but yesterday, we were supposed to have 2 bands of rains! Alas, only 2 minutes of intense rain. Now, look at this weather chart and my heart sinks

We certainly need some cross country water transferring pipes, not marathons!

 

[alp]

Awesome stuff

Stargazer's breath-taking image of Rosette Nebula some 5,000 light-years away from Guernsey home is chosen as NASA's 'Astronomy Picture Of The Day'

• Jean Dean, 60, took a series of images over five nights to create stunning photo of the Rosette Nebula
• Guernsey astronomer submitted her picture to NASA's Astronomy Picture Of The Day competition
• The Rosette nebula is a cluster of thousands of stars 5,000 light years away from Earth in the Milky Way

Amazing and mind boggling!

 

[alp]

Not a drop of rain! Down to my last 3 butts. Already, I sound like a broken record.

Might be a good idea to get an allotment as the water is free after paying rent and yet the greedy man would not allow you to bring in your own horse manure! £15 for one truck load on the pretext that he knows where the manure is from!

Finally, I braced myself to transplant these tiny Lobelia Tupa! I had tried to germinate them before. Nothing came out of the seeds. This time, there is something, but can you imagine these tiny hapless stringy fledgling bits turn into big Lobelia Tupas? They just don't inspire optimism!

Fimbriata tulips! All in the same pot - a miracle from me!

Crystal Fountain

Viburnum P Mariesii - I have two and another from BQ which has not even ONE BUD, let alone flower!

This is supposed to the giant lavender flowers, but honey, I have shrunk the flowers!

Peony Fuyu

Bird of Paradise rises proudly!

Was so cold that I went back to bed. Woke up 4.55. Indian Chiefs are blooming

Iris Germanica Rose!

 

[Perki]

Bird of paradise in flower lucky you.
It raining here again once it starts it won't stop, at least I don't have to water the lawn anymore so my grass seed will germinate.

My mum won two tickets on Wednesday off the radio to go and watch Take That in Manchester last night, they were brilliant really good live, took quite a few pics/video .

Harrogate Flower show this week if weather good this Sunday I might have a wander over .

 

[alp]

Whoa! Take That free tickets. I like Gary Barlow's songs, especially You light the skies up above me ... Shame I can't sing. Patience is another of my favorite! Very lucky!

I saw that advert in the magazine! Now I realised that some of my previous issues had never been delivered. What is safe nowadays!

We have had no rain to speak of! I am already panicky, worried, stressed ... You lot are so lucky ..

The day of the irises

The omnipresent INDIAN CHIEF!

This could be AMAS blue-violet bi-tone bearded iris

Iris Germanica June Rose

 

[alp]

Beware of these

It might give you this

OPM

 

[johnny canoe]

Yikes!!
Oh and alp, I want your little fancy feathered Polish chickens. I'm very upset that this city won't allow backyard hens yet.

 

[alp]

@johnny canoe You should move to England and keep your Polish Silkies and grow your favorite plants to your heart's content!

Rolling countryside and quaint houses can be your dreams and places to admire, full of history and stories ..

Except there has been only half an inch for me. Went to bed 11pm and with no rain in sight and according to the weather report, the patch of blue rain was supposed to be off 1am, I knew I would have no rain. Lo and behold, only half an inch! HEARTBRAKING! This is when others have been drowned in rain .. It's only April and already jitters for rain have already in full swing!

The rain prospect is dire!

Another viewing which will lead to nowhere! Another couple from SE Asia and they tend to have tons of children and I have 2 and a half bedrooms!

Before I go, here is BBC weather chart for me!

Not a drop of rain. Angry clouds, yes. Rain, NO!

Glad for the marathon runners though! Have a nice days to all runners!

 

[alp]

Another inch of rain and plenty of angry clouds! There won't be any rain for another whole week!

Going to be drought soon.

Indoor orchids

Someone's handiwork in the allotment

Glorious wisteria from a household next to the allotment

Outdoor orchids I watered the pots with nematodeslug and then I put one pot up to the raised bed where there was no treatment, thinking the extra sunlight was going to induce bigger, happier and earlier flower; but no. Every single flower was ravaged by slugs!

3 of them all ruined by slugs! My first ever sleeper orchids!

 

[alp]

Hope my chicks will get rid of some bugs for me

Snowy is always difficult to capture. I have the feeling that it is a male!

Goldie has a full spiky crown

First time we have free ranged them. A bit worried that they might go next doors!

Houdinia seems to be ill and keeps closing her eyes!