[Tuppence2]

Thanks for that information, Bob. It's yet to be confirmed that it is my gall-bladder but the doctor I saw at the Outpatients' Department (now called a Minor Injuries Unit) thought the systems were classic ones. It doesn't seem to be a big thing these days to have the gall-bladder removed.

Extensive flooding in the fields today. I walked Cecil to meet Graham, who looks after him at weekends and walks him, and had to ring him when half-way to meeting him to tell him to take another route, the one we usually meet on being flooded. I've not seen such extensive flooding for a few years. It's warm though, the whippets didn't need their coats on today.

I was looking at vegetable seeds on-line and see there's a variety of small carrot to grow in clay soils...says they can be grown where people thought they'd never be able to produce a crop. They're named "Parmex" and are one-and-half to two inches long. I'm tempted to try them.

I've got buds on my climbing roses and I see that three or four of the little pieces of various roses I stuck in pots are beginning to grow.

Hope it's not too cold where you are.

[Tuppence2]

I noticed these little beauties shining in the garden today, on an otherwise dull (as regards weather) day. My camelia is about to burse into flower, with big fat buds showing some of their petals.

[eggplant43]

Lovely, and thanks for sharing. All I see is snow, but that's expected at this time of the year here.

[Tuppence2]

Hope it's not long before things begin to flower for you, Eggy. Your season seems to be behaving normally, whereas it's so mild here, it's unbelievable. Like spring, really. My neighbours daffodils are in flower.

[Tuppence2]

Seed potatoes are in at Palmer Gardens so I have to decide whether to grow any this year. If I do, I'll grow a main crop.

I went in and spent a couple of hours tidying primulas, removing dead leaves, ready for them to grow on a little and go out on sale next month.

The birds are lining up on the trellis for their morning feed and I'll be walking the dogs along the canal tow-path to meet Cecil's "minder" in a short while. Not much to be done in the garden at the moment. I did weed and turn over the soil in the front garden a couple of weeks ago, and pruned the shrub roses there. I've not pruned the climbers on the trellis in the back garden as they can grow on for a while, only needing general tidying.

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

I noticed these little beauties shining in the garden today, on an otherwise dull (as regards weather) day. My camelia is about to burse into flower, with big fat buds showing some of their petals.

Oh WOW ! my Penny Rose. I'm jealous.........

[Tuppence2]

Hello Frank. They are nice, aren't they! Some more out today, in another pot, and the miniature purple iris are flowering, too. My snowdrops aren't showing, yet, but I saw some in a garden I passed this morning.

Here's my camelia.

[franca]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

Hello Frank. They are nice, aren't they! Some more out today, in another pot, and the miniature purple iris are flowering, too. My snowdrops aren't showing, yet, but I saw some in a garden I passed this morning.

Here's my camelia.

Very nice Penny. now that is early, ours are not even close to opening yet..

[Tuppence2]

We reckon the season is around 6 weeks ahead of what it should be! Pleased you enjoyed seeing the camelia. Hope yours are nice when they flower. Look forward to seeing them.

[Bush Lady]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

Seed potatoes are in at Palmer Gardens so I have to decide whether to grow any this year. If I do, I'll grow a main crop.

It's only January and you are already thinking about seed potatoes. Around here we don't have any seed potatoes until the beginning of March.

It must be nice.

Our weather forcast for tonight and tomorrow. Snow, freezing rain and rain as the weather warms up to +4 by morning. On Wednesday the high will be back to -4 and a low of -17.

Winter is still here for a while yet.

[eggplant43]

Same here, currently -10, and it will go to minus double digits tomorrow. But that doesn't mean I'm not fantasizing about what is to come.

[telecom69]

Originally Posted by Bush Lady

It's only January and you are already thinking about seed potatoes. Around here we don't have any seed potatoes until the beginning of March.

It must be nice.

The seed Potatoes are only in the shops because the sellers want to unload them the only way you could possibly grow Potatoes here at this time of the year would be in heated greenhouses in bins etc ....the normal time for planting them is for earlies,late March and maincrop mid April so I dont think we are any different to you regarding planting times ....Penny lives in the South of UK where her climate is 3 to 4 weeks in advance of the Midlands, and even more than up North of the Uk ...

[telecom69]

Hi everyone,nice to see the posts coming in again,as we start to think about the coming season (hoping here its better than the last one ) nice to see you posting pics so early Penny,they surely do brighten up the day ...the only thing I have in flower at the moment are some Primulas that I bought in packs about 3 weeks ago,they have been in the greenhouse growing on since then as its too soon yet to put them out,(were getting a few hard frosts lately) ....I will post a few pics soon for your perusal it will test out my new camera too,especially the macro mode ...more soon take care all

PS Penny how is the situation regarding the Gall Bladder problem? dont think you have mentioned it lately ....

[Tuppence2]

Hello, everyone.

It is strange to have plants flowering so early but it seems to be the trend in this part of the country. It was colder last night than it has been but no frost.

I read somewhere that the climate is mild enough to plant root vegetables in the autumn so they overwinter in the ground and start growing very early!

Thanks for asking about my health, Tom. The scan didn't show a problem so I'm baffled as to what is causing the indigestion and pain. I'm being careful with my diet and am better not eating dairy products. I'll have to keep a note of what does upset me as it occurs. A nurse friend thought it might be reflux, which can be caused through hiatus hernia, among other things. Just don't know. If it recurs badly I'll see the doctor again. Hope you are well.

I notice that my grass is growing and will need a cut when it's dry enough! No rain this morning and it looks like a pleasant day. I have branches and twigs in a pile at the bottom of the garden and am gradually disposing of them in the green wheelie-bin, so I might do some of that later. I'm about to walk the dogs and then have to wait in for the telephone contractors to replace the cable, meaning they'll be tramping all over the plants in the garden!

I've been told to make sure I keep the camelia watered as if it dries out new buds will brown-off and die, so I'll water it now.

Hope you are able to get out in your gardens, all of you, soon.

[telecom69]

Aha a Hiatus Hernia,my eldest Daughter had one of those last year,and it was causing her problems at the time but she never had an operation and not heard her complain about it lately so presumably she's able to keep it under control or its gone away ...I know they can be difficult to repair if an operation is called for,so lets hope you win this battle....talking about cutting the lawn I managed to cut mine with the blades set high a couple of days ago,conditions were right so I gave it a try and it came out ok managed the same time last year too.
A nice little article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A848595 on Winter veg if your interested,its surprising what you can grow if you want to ...sounds as if you have an underground cable for your phone they will take care especially if you tell them about plants you dont want damaging,usually they will discuss how you want it burying before starting work ...I know about this because I was a phone engineer with BT for 25 years almost thats when I was fit and strong .....Our garden waste bins dont start until the end of February,but have started like you to fill it already ....take care more soon