Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Sparticus with 3 flowers and one stem - really spectacular

Camassia Alba

This could be Mount Blanc - a bit small for Mount Blanc

Stumbled upon this bearded iris whilst watering. Could be Rhapsody in Peach??

 

[alp]

The waterlily seeds which I scarified, then soaked for 2 days and cut one bit off the seeds when they became puffy have now shown growth

1-year-old Goldie saw action the day before yesterday, and yet his aggression saw Silkie Kusco napping with the ladies while he loitered outside the cage.

He surely can mark his presence with gusto!

He had such glossy coat! A real beauty!

A beautiful iris with no name.

Kusco is very at home with the ladies whilst Goldie could watch although he was introduced to them a day earlier.

I collected the first of my hellebore seeds yesterday.

Perfect weather for the allotment! Going to plant all my dahlia cuttings there.

 

[alp]

Anybody has a useful code for Thompson and Morgan please?

Silkie Kusco is napping with the ladies whilst Goldie, the handsome stands guard, looking on!

At one point, I locked Goldie inside the cage so that others could come out. Before, Goldie would stand in front of the cage and all other birds would stay indoors!

Then I had an epiphany - I locked the door and all chicks would have to come out. And now, you can see the situation.

My lovely Pak Choi. I must plant some more.

scratcher looks on

 

[alp]

Just had a shower. The whole day I had wanted to go to the allotment, but needed to move the big cage for the hens and so spent most of the day being told to keep away from the cage by my son. The whole day had been cloudy and threatened to rain, but it never did. Of course, when we did arrive at the allotment and put out all the plants to be planted, it started to drizzle. That was 2.30pm. There were only 3 people in the allotment and then Peter left and there were only me and an Indian lady. I planted all the plants out and even the lovely lady left and I thought I could carry out. But no. It just drizzled fast and dense. Very annoying.

Beautiful Purple rose which I got the cuttings from a park. Must have AGM - beautiful, floribunda and easy to grow and take cuttings (well, even I succeeded!) Brilliant rose! A real asset as there is no water in that area and it is baking hot all the time.

Mid May is flower time! Bang and they all bloom - a most joyous time!

I think this is fragrant JayCey!

I feel like ripping up the Geum, but they look so happy!

Whilst washing my face, saw this gorgeous plant and hope someone will name it for me.

Oh, crumbs! The beauty is blurred. I'm so hopeless!

Someone's asparagus jungle.

Astro turf in an allotment. There are some control freaks around! LOL!

 

[alp]

Distinctly cold today

But central heating won't be on as son has to go to work at 9, so not a problem. Just having my first cup of hot tea and the double glazing means I don't hear any rooster protesting.

Yesterday, Goldie had to be caged in the workshop as there would be too much noise. He was very dejected and literally had his head on the base of the case for a worrying while. I had to poke him to see if he's alive. I hate the fox as they could have been very happy free range in my garden. Another useless viewing on Sunday. Need to bury more pots in the allotment. Going to be busy!

 

[alp]

Been out since 9.10am and left the allotment 1pm. Totally exhausted

My result after 4 hours of weeding and breaking down clay clod! Horrible!

Cornus Florida Rubra - very sad only two coloured bracts! Better than Rainbow which is nearly dead. Cornus Controversa Variegata is still a baby!

Remember the beauty of which I want the name! What a stunner!

Anybody venture a name! Most appreciated. Such a stunner. Felt like digging it up as it belonged to nobody. Worried I might kill this stunner! Hopefully, there are seeds! What an intricate glorious flower! Reminds me of Catananche Caerulea


Jaycee???

Suddenly, I have one more than Indian Chief! Now what's it called? The mind boggles as when I googled, I saw similar but not exactly the same. I blame naughty people like me who move the slide the adjust the colours and brightness.

This one could now be Pagan Goddess???? Or lilac Scented?

This one is at the back.

Just saw Beechgrove and the man said he had 52 clematis. I think I have so many more. Most of them dead! LOL!

 

[alp]

Yesterday, it rained about 10 minutes and it's just drizzle or not what I would call rain.

My Cornus looks very sad. Another one looks dying. Very sad. The Cornus Controversa Variegata looks tiny. My life of dissatisfaction .. LOL!

Let me put the before and after photos together

I planted clematis, box, agapanthus, tall lilies there, geranium and one cape fuchsia. Hopefully, they take.

A quiet day and the washing machine is on. Viewing at 1pm.

 

[alp]

Ghosted by my ex-neighbour again. The evil twins must have driven by and pranked the estate agent. Another viewing with a no-show. And suddenly there is a detached bungalow in the next borough with solar panels on! Very annoyed!

Honeybell - upskirting is a must to appreciate its intricate lovely details.

Paul Scarlett - a real beauty!

Calibrachoa Black Cherry! Lordy, how they speak to me!

Solomon's Dance - so femininely exquisite!

Bluebird Wine??? I'm so hopeless!

Had my own Pak Choi for lunch and later dinner with land and water cress! The sky is overcast, but my garden is bone dry. 10 minutes of rain is a pure torture, to me and mostly to my garden.

 

[Perki]

Hello your Iris are doing well alp they must like your dry weather down there, mind its been quite dry up here recently. been busy messing around with the lawn still and potting on plants and planting the odd few trying to clear out the pots from around the paths .

 

[DirtMechanic]

@alp you seem to be hanging out with all the interesting characters! Us boring types want to know what is good with you?

 

[DrCase]

Hello your Iris are doing well alp they must like your dry weather down there, mind its been quite dry up here recently. been busy messing around with the lawn still and potting on plants and planting the odd few trying to clear out the pots from around the paths .

View attachment 53908View attachment 53909View attachment 53910View attachment 53911View attachment 53912View attachment 53913

That blue is beautiful

 

[alp]

@alp you seem to be hanging out with all the interesting characters! Us boring types want to know what is good with you?

I am no good, being pranked by non-existent viewers! Evil does walk amongst us. Or you mean my allotment friends - they are so nice? Or you mean my chicks? I want to cry as I do think I have a duty of care towards them. The night before, Mr Fox raged against one side of the cage for the big laying hens and broke a hanging basket into two, a 2 inch polystyrene board which was meant to my my chicks warm bore trauma of having been attacked - 4 separate holes the size of a man's fist. Lucky that I had a dog's cage, and a chinchilla cage. We had to cage them yesterday and my heart bled - a modest garden of 115 feet and yet they had to be confined to metal cages because of the "viewing" and the vile Mr Fox. When I thought about their being under sustained attack, I felt so down. Yesterday, we were like 2 idiots - lifting the chicken run and cages about 60 feet to various places of supposed safety. In the end, we have had the cages on concrete down surround by a dwarf wall, a stand, a big crate and 2 teak chairs and heavy pots.

DM: I'm sure your lovely artist wife would love to paint these Polish beauties and keep some. There are far more beautiful ones out there.

 

[alp]

@DrCase You can grow irises - but only the reblooming ones as they are better than the perennial one off. They are so beautiful - some petals come with frilly edges and the colours are spectacular. They are no hard work at tall. Somewhere baking hot and sunny with free draining soil and once they have established, you have a perennial beauty greeting you come May. When I first started, I have never hearded of reblooming ones. My irises don't do much, similar to peonies; but when they flower, they are so worth it. Have a go as they will surely grace your garden which has been so uniquely designed.

 

[alp]

Very beautiful wisteria, @Perki ! Wow, I was wondering whose photos those were. I don't remember seeing that lovely pergola! I so want one of those. My meconopsis x 4 have totally erased themselves. and my two Trollius Chinensis got swamped by the giant hellebore leaves. I must make sure that they flower and I need the seeds very badly. Extracting the seeds is a messy business. Tomorrow, we are going out for pensioners' day and see if I can get some coffee and even egg shells.

In the allotment, there's a man who really knows his onions. He had hoarded a big area of horse manure for maturing, a big area fenced by pellets holding tons of egg shells. I would grind them first though. Inspiration everywhere .. and Perki, your garden should make more appearances. My daffs perished quite a while ago. I'm really inspired by the pergola and hope to make one in my HOME!

I reckon Zenj has quite a few meconopsis. Life is unfair and I badly need rain. 3 days ago, I saw a neon blue patch over London and east London, it was revised every day down to a patch of fog; and episodes of 10 minutes of drizzle have been pranking me!

 

[alp]

What a to do? Have now decided to put the birds at the back and the day before yesterday, I smelt something dodgy - it's like people burning foul rubber. Yesterday, when we were moving the cages into a metal cage to protect them from foxes and rain, I smelt the same thing again. Imagine leaving my hens to smell that foul odour day in day out. This town is getting rougher and rougher by the day!

More Iris Bluebird Wine

Iris Caligula

Another viewing today. Estate agent told me that she left a message, saying the woman cancelled. I must get out of here, fast!