[telecom69]

I dont think we are going to have any real Summer this year,at the moment all thats on the horizon are sunshine and showers,between the showers it been quite pleasant I suppose,and I have been able to keep the grass mowed etc,its just that my Tomatoes,Cucumbers and beans really need some sun right now,they are just meandering along growing slowly instead of bursting with the vigour they usually show at this time of the year...why am I moaning? I dont know really,its what I do best I suppose I know that round about now Penny you are having some work done on your garden to stop the Dogs doing their digging etc,dont forget to post some pics when its done...I can vouch for the fact you will be pleased you did,even though you will have to get used to enquiring eyes looking up at you asking Why cant I go down there any more ....My latest two Dahlia pics below put in a show earlier this week,the only problem being as they get wet with the rain they become so heavy the stalks cannot support the flowerheads,the yellow one is 8 inches across,a massive flower





Think I might have posted this before it was fully open,its a very striking flower indeed ... I know I always say it,but if possible click on pics to get the full photo of these striking blooms ...

More later folks.....happy gardening

[Tuppence2]

Hello Bob.

I was just telling someone on the bonsai site I visit (he lives in Sheffield and is growing fins up there, what with all the rain) that we often miss the extremes of weather. I got up to a nice sunny morning and had work planned on the hedge and grass, when it started to rain. The shower is over now, but I'd just been out and sprayed the roses with "Multirose". It'll probably be all washed off now!

I'm waiting in today for delivery of a bicycle cargo trailer I ordered on-line yesterday morning. What good service - delivery today! I've promised myself one for a long time and as my yearly annuity arrived yesterday, I treated myself. I also got a high quality breathable waterproof jacket from the local camping shop, and a pair of walking sandals. The rest of the money is for the builder who's coming to work on the garden. Yes, I'll be very pleased with the gravelled area that going down and being fenced off. I'm sure I'll get some very "meaningful" looks from the dogs!

They do like to drink from buckets and puddles, and from the ponds. I think they like water that's stood for a while, from which added chemicals have dispersed. They always drink the water in the ditches they paddle in.

Your dahlia's are very pretty. Well done! We've potato blight in the area, my neighbours' crop in their fields nearby being affected. One or two of mine have rotted in the ground. I've been told to dig them all up and store them, or they'll all rot.

I've no signs of tomatoes yet, either, and my beans are just sitting there. Plants are really beginning to miss the longer periods of sunshine and warmth they need to grow quickly. I do have flowers on one of the courgettes. Nearly all the strawberries are gone and I'm down to one onion in the garden. A strange year for vegetable growing. Haven't seen many bees around either, but spraying the roses could be part of that.

Lets hope for better growing weather soon, before it's too late.

[MightyQueenC]

OMG Bob Too funny what you wrote about (not) dogs drinking from bowls


... btw, I'll be checking my mailbox for my medal



Angel, even though we ALWAYS keep a fresh bowl of water in her dog bowl, will drink from anything BUT the water bowl.
She prefers the toilet.
I think that she thinks, that I've just installed a taller outdoor water bowl for her so she doesn't have to bend over.

Innarushtogettowork, so have a great gardening day everyone

Margaret, I too am impressed with your priorities (shoes? pffft ) and hope you are mending well.

Bye for now, Carolyn

[MightyQueenC]

Where are the gardenerz?



I'm very excited (again)

One of my bosses was thinning out her garden, and knew I'd been feeling poorly, obviously as I limp around her office (yes, Bob, it's bad ) so to cheer me up, she brought in some plants for me, today.

And the bestest plant of all was LAMB'S EARS!!!! Weehee!!!
There was also some Heuchera and Lady's Mantle and a plant that starts with an "R" ... Ruda-something (looks like a black eyed Susan but purple) ... that I had before the un-handimen, but will have to consult my garden plot that's on the other computer to find it ... and some other plants that I can't remember the name of. I can't get into the other computer now, because the hard drive's dead-ed or dying.

*sighs and apologies for the whining*

And, I can't upload pics right now as I'm using another computer that refuses (imagine, refusing da Queen ) to recognize my camera thingie. *Hrmph* But the garden is still doing well, with temps in the 60F's *brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* and rain for the past week, but hopefully some sun and heat to come this weekend. The sedum Dragon's Blood is just coming into it's bright pink flowering, turning darker and rusty-looking come fall.
The Purple Loosestrife, previously mentioned (and yes, it is a problem in Canada in the wild, but not presently in my area as many nature lovers have been vigilant at controlling it ) is doing beautifully, and I found another patch of it growing out of the dirt pile at the side so brought it around near the balcony steps.

That's all for now, until I can post some pretty flowers for you.

Take care and I hope your weather is treating your gardens well.

[Steppinstone]

Hello everyone!!

Margaret, I sure hope that you are healing nicely!

Penney, sounds like you are busy as always, great pictures!

Bob ( or Tom) sorry couldn't resist poking fun a bit
Your flowers sure seem to be doing well for lack of sun. We have been having iffy weather here too... The dahlias are beautiful...

MQ, yes my dog also prefers everything to drink from but her water bowl.. Your garden is looking marvelous!

As you can see my hanging baskets aren't doing that great.. I am going to invest in new baskets for next year. I have also enclosed a picture of my black eyed susans, and my flowering hostas.

Behind WeeOne you will notice all the blackberry bushes... and behind hubby is another shot of one of the hanging baskets!

Cheers and happy gardening!

[Steppinstone]

The hanging basket ....

[Tuppence2]

Thanks for the photos - loved seeing them. Fields of sunflowers have just been mentioned on the TV, the Tour d' France. I get to see some lovely countryside and buildings following the Tour.

I'll post a photo of my hosta in a pot, it's in flower.

We're in the middle of the wettest July on record here. The Test Match has stopped early for tea as the rain's started. Hope it's only a shower.

I dead-headed roses today but haven't done any more gardening today. Walked the dogs, went into town, then I fell at home on the back step and slammed the back of my skull into a wall, I bounced off it! So I decided to take it easy the rest of the day. If my dad was alive, he'd have asked whether I managed to bang any sense into my head!!

The builders are due to come any time to take up grass and lay down gravel. As it's not started yet, I'll have to get the grass cut, hopefully for the last time for the area to be worked on.

Dug potatoes, the very last of the onions, and garlic today.

My on-line friend in America sent me the gift of a food hamper in the week, so I've sent her a rose for her garden, through a supplier in America. Had fun choosing what to send .

Hope you're able to get gardening done if you want to this weekend. Enjoy it if you do.

Bye

[margaret zanoni]

Originally Posted by telecom69

Hiya Margaret, sorry to hear about your accident, hope that you are getting over your injuiries, bet that has presented a few problems for you,not to mention the inconvenience...so what will happen to the car now? will it be repaired in France and shipped back to you or will you have to fetch it , maybe it will be sent back here for repair ? sorry for being nosey but just wondered what happens in situations like this ...and no I didnt get flooded this time twice has been enough,Im wondering if this rain is ever going to go away,cant ever remember having this much rain at this time of the year.

Sorry to be so long in replying but sitting and bending have been a pain in the backside! To answer your questions - yes the car has been shipped back and this is because it is a new car and has to be repaired by a someone on the manufacturers list and not just one that the insurers have on their books - otherwise we would loose our 3 years warrantee. As it happened outside the UK the insurers do not provide you with a courtesy car until the car is back home and actually being worked on in the garage! The insurers only deal with the car and the RAC deal with the people and luggage etc., This meant a couple of hours on the phone - taxi to the Channel Tunnel at Calais to collect a Hertz rental car (French) but only to take us through the tunnel and then we had to take it to Dover to pick up another rental car(English) to be able to drive home! All this because thanks to the European Parliament you can only drive a car in the country where it has been purchased! No thought at all to the practicalities - or for the sanity of the people involved!!! The French Police didn't recognize our photocard driving licences - luckily another British couple who live over there stopped and showed them theirs as well and told them it was the lot in Brussels who insisted on these 'European Driving Licences' and why didn't they have them as well? All in all it was a bit of a nightmare and when we have got the car back again we are certainly going to change our insurance company!

[margaret zanoni]

Hello everyone - thanks for all the good wishes and now it is my turn to wish Tuppence well; I really hope you have got over the headache the whack on the head must have caused - do take care and don't overdo things for a few days.

I think this must be nature's way of making the experts look daft for predicting a long and very hot summer for us with lack of water and hose-pipe bans......My husband picked a big bunch of lavender and lots of sweet peas - BEFORE I had taken the photo's to post. Consequently you will have to believe that there really were lots more blooms than shown in the attached photo........still the sitting room smells wonderful! I split my last year as it cracked the large terracotta pot it was in and much as expected it didn't like it and so I have only got one flower this year - which is just about fully open. Pouring with rain though so no photo yet!

Have a good weekend everyone -MQC will be busy with all her 'goodies' - do you think if I limp around a bit someone will send me some?

regards.....Margaret

[franca]

Originally Posted by telecom69

I dont think we are going to have any real Summer this year,at the moment all thats on the horizon are sunshine and showers,between the showers it been quite pleasant I suppose,and I have been able to keep the grass mowed etc,its just that my Tomatoes,Cucumbers and beans really need some sun right now,they are just meandering along growing slowly instead of bursting with the vigour they usually show at this time of the year...why am I moaning? I dont know really,its what I do best I suppose I know that round about now Penny you are having some work done on your garden to stop the Dogs doing their digging etc,dont forget to post some pics when its done...I can vouch for the fact you will be pleased you did,even though you will have to get used to enquiring eyes looking up at you asking Why cant I go down there any more ....My latest two Dahlia pics below put in a show earlier this week,the only problem being as they get wet with the rain they become so heavy the stalks cannot support the flowerheads,the yellow one is 8 inches across,a massive flower





Think I might have posted this before it was fully open,its a very striking flower indeed ... I know I always say it,but if possible click on pics to get the full photo of these striking blooms ...

More later folks.....happy gardening

Well done Bob. looking good considering all the rain you've been getting. here are a few of mine so far..

[franca]

A few more...... enjoyed looking at all the pic's posted, well done all..

[MightyQueenC]

LOL YAY I knew my whining would bring you gardeners out of hiding.

So, I still can't get this camera thingie to work , but I do have a creature I need identifying. Haven't Googled, but he's a big fat caterpillar that was noshing away on the baby Butterfly weed. He has the same colours as a licorice allsort, but striped.



Quite pretty actually but, I don't know whether to let him eat or "remove him to another area" if you catch my drift.

Your gardens all look and sound wonderful.
I love those Dahlias! 8"!!!

Margaret: You need to wince every so often to make it convincing.

I think we're finally in for some proper summer weather now and can't wait to see what's blooming next. The Cosmos is in bud and one should open any day now. I have pastels, which is a nice assortment. I love their feathery leaves.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

[telecom69]

Hi People, great to see so many posts,

Margaret: that was certainly some palaver you had to go through ,I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for you,what an ending to a trip....hoping you recover soon and get the car back,repaired as soon as possible ....

Steppinstone: (dont know your real name)

My baskets too have been a disaster this year,first time ever,due to the rubbish weather we have experienced so far this Summer, so bad in fact that I have taken them down already except for one, dissapointed about that as Ive always done well with my baskets ...always nice to see photos too,thanks for posting them ....

Penny, You must be accident prone,not been that long since the dogs did their dragging bit with you ...hope you recover soon...I dont think you need telling that head injuries need to be watched carefully ....great Hosta photo by the way, afraid mine had a very short season this year due to the weather weve had,they were not good at all,have however split a lot of them up,so will have twice as many next year..they have been lucky with the weather for the Test, with any luck they might just get a win out of this one ... hope those builders arrive soon,cant wait to see pics of the finished article ....

Frank: What can I say about those Dahlias ? they are looking so good, well done ! some super colours you have,at the moment mine are really looking sorry for themselves owing to the constant rain,they are almost bent double,the blooms are so full of water,never mind,there is still time for them to recover hopefully ...

Carolyn, hoping thats your name, Ive never seen a square caterpillar that shape before, so cant identify,has to be some sort of moth I suppose,but nevertheless its still eating all your hard work,so be brave and despatch it,even if its only to next doors garden,or the next one to that,depending on how far you can throw it ..

Have to close today with the news that all gardening here is postponed for the forseeable future,owing to my garden being flooded yet gain this is the third time now,looks highly likely I will be taking up rice and watercress growing if this is the way things are going to be I shouldnt complain really,many over here have had it much worse with it being their homes that have suffered just cant imagine how they must be feeling, its heartbreaking to see the news pictures of it all ...thats about all for now,take care all and happy gardening if you are allowed

[MightyQueenC]

Originally Posted by telecom69

Carolyn, hoping thats your name, Ive never seen a square caterpillar that shape before, so cant identify,has to be some sort of moth I suppose,but nevertheless its still eating all your hard work,so be brave and despatch it,even if its only to next doors garden,or the next one to that,depending on how far you can throw it ..

LOL Yes it's Carolyn and I'd chuck it in your garden/pond if I could throw that far.

Have to close today with the news that all gardening here is postponed for the forseeable future,owing to my garden being flooded yet gain this is the third time now,looks highly likely I will be taking up rice and watercress growing if this is the way things are going to be I shouldnt complain really,many over here have had it much worse with it being their homes that have suffered just cant imagine how they must be feeling, its heartbreaking to see the news pictures of it all ...thats about all for now,take care all and happy gardening if you are allowed

All kiddin aside, you've shown a beautiful garden this year, Bob and I am so impressed with your flowers. I hope the rains stop soon for you.

Take care.

[Tuppence2]

Hello, everyone.

Thanks for your good wishes. I seem to be all right this morning after bouncing my head off the wall!

Sorry to hearabout the flooding, Bob. You might have to think of making a bog garden where it floods, or put in some sort of drainage! Luckily, I've not been affected that way, though some parts of the country are suffering badly.

Hope you are able to get some gardening, done, Chari. Is it wet there? Have you had many hummingbirds pass through this year?

What a nuisance, Margaret. Hope you are able to find a better insurance company and soon have your car back. Loved seeing your photo, and yours, Frank. Thanks. Carole sent me some of your garden. The white hydrangeas make a real show. Tell Jaki to be a good boy and to help in the garden. I know he makes a very good foreman!

I dug potatoes yesterday and the last two onions. The flowers have disappeared from my courgettes, eaten? I shouldn't think I'll get any fruit from them,now. The beans aren't doing much, either, though one or two have managed to curl up the wigwam. The mangetout is growing, about the only thing that is. Just not enough warm weather at the correct time, I think. If the weather isn't right when plants are setting flowers and fruit, or they're not pollinated because of rain keeping bees away, they wont grow properly.

Ref. caterpillars, MQC. They might be of a moth. Take a look here:

http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/hairy.htm

I might saw off a few more pieces of my hedge, later. I've a pile of branches to take to the recycling centre in my new bicycle cargo trailer - a really useful thing to have. I'll post a photo next time it's connected to the bike.

Hope you are able to get something done in your gardens this weekend.