[eggplant43]

What a face Frank. Thanks for sharing.

[Tuppence2]

It seems to think it is here, Frank. Though we're still getting cold spells. Thanks for the report that we might be in for gales after the weekend!!

I see the periwinkle in the front garden and the Veronica are in flower. Pretty blue flowers of two different shades.

Anything growing there, yet?

The photo is fun!

[telecom69]

Glad that the greenhouse has arrived Penny you need to take your time in putting it together especially in the colder weather,its surprising how many muscles we use doing something like that and you are bound to suffer from it more in the colder weather, but I can well understand the excitement to see it put up and running
No doubt that by now you might have checked Alan Romans site and found out that he does inded sell Dahlia seeds both at just 50p per packet ...great value dont you think ? I grow lots of Fuchsias mainly in containers and pots and in my experience they dont like full sun ...if /when we do get hot spells I then move them to shadier positions,they seem to do so much better ....
You could be right about the weather you have heard off,the forecast round these parts are for heavy rain all day for Monday and Tuesday

Great picture Frank had that feeling myself quite a bit lately,all doom and gloom : you got the Dahlias out of storage yet? mine are strewn across the floor in spare room but some have started to shoot quite a lot was wondering whether to just rub those out as its still a bit early yet ...

[Tuppence2]

Hello Tom, hello everyone.
I'm sure seeds from AR's will work out much cheaper than elsewhere - I shouldn't think the postage is exhorbitant. Thanks for letting us know about the site. Yes, I saw there were dahlias.

Reference the greenhouse. I'm having problems reading the angles needed for certain of the struts of the front framework. I need to know which way the open plane faces on left-hand strut made from bolting XL55S and XL56 together. A three-sided strut is formed. The same with the right-hand strut formed in the same way.

The seem to want to fit snuggly with the open plane facing to the left (on the left one) and to the right (on the right one). Pouring over the diagram, though, the left strut seems to having the opening facing forward, and the right-hand one seems to have the open plane facing to the right. I'm baffled. I've been "fighting" with it since 9 a.m. this morning - just stopped at 2.15 p.m.

Any advice would be gratefully received. I attached a photo of the diagram.

[Tuppence2]

Took another look at the diagram and think I've "sussed" it. The open side of the strut has to face the side of the greenhouse (i.e. the left strut opening faces to the left), otherwise I can't fit the little cross struts!
Just hope it's correct.

[telecom69]

Glad to see you got it "sussed" I know well how difficult it can be in assembling a greenhouse with all the struts etc that are needed to give the frames rigidity best thing to do is if you think you have it right is to just loosely bolt it together for now and go on to the next part then go back and finish it at the end ...the other parts will be much easier (says he from afar) looks to me like that is the front ? and it has the door opening of course which makes it more difficult ...

The postage from AR is very reasonable I thought I had 7 packets of seeds including one of runner beans (quite large) they arrived in a jiffy air bag and postage was just 80p so I thought that quite good since the bag alone was probably 50p ....not a big order I know but it was just a tester to see their service,will definitely go for more now .....no problem over the payment details by the way it was accepted easily and immediately via a debit card ....and they send you an email to tell you when its been posted

Still not sown my seeds but will be doing that today for sure ...not good weather up here yesterday lots of rain around and more predicted for all Monday and Tuesday Winter is not going out easily

I read in another thread that Bruce is moving house over the coming week and will be offline for a week or so,so if your reading this Bruce hope the move goes well

Just read this on Met office site,severe weather to affect whole of UK Monday and Tuesday ....

The Met Office continues to expect an intense low pressure system to move east across the UK during Monday, bringing severe gales and potentially damaging gusts across some areas. Southerly winds are expected to strengthen during the early hours of Monday to give severe gales, with an additional swathe of westerly severe gales to follow later on Monday into the early hours of Tuesday. Gusts of 60 to 70 mph are expected but there remains a possibility of 80 mph gusts over exposed coasts and hills. Much depends on the exact track of the low centre but at this stage, parts of Wales and the southern half of England continue to be considered at greatest risk. Disruption could occur to transport and power supplies and there may be damage to buildings. This warning will be updated around 1100 on Sunday 9th March 2008.

Issued at: 1057 Sat 8 Mar

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/..._warnings.html

[Tuppence2]

Thanks for the weather warning, Tom. It mentions the south of the country, hope that doesn't include the south-west, but I expect it does! Heard the weather report this morning and its supposed to start worsening this evening (Sunday). The morning is bright with sun in a patchily clouded sky and it's calm - could it be the calm before the storm!

Yes, that's the front of the greenhouse on the diagram. I finished that part last evening. Will start on the side sections today - they look much easier. The door looks complicated but I'll take it slowly. It's the semi-rigid panels that are giving me pause for thought. There is a diagram but it's going to take some digesting.

I'll definitely order seeds from AR - dahlias and night-scented stock, I think.

Hope all goes well with Bruce's move, too.


p.s. I notice that magnolia's in the area are in flower - mine has blossoms opening, too.

[eggplant43]

I hope you folks will be able to "weather" the storm easily. It's times like this that having an obsessive compulsive neighbor who wants to help would be a great gift You'll always be able to look at the finished product with pride and think "I did that".

Moved most of the garden yesterday. We moved 6 barrels of potting soil, 6 sacks of compost, 3 sacks of soil pep, and all the containers. While at the garden I checked the soil in the raised bed. It is still frozen 1" down, so hopefully it will be thawed by the time I get back to it, so I can prep it for the potatoes.

In the new Gardener's Supply Catalog, I see that they've created some net covers for the portable raised beds I've shown here before. So I plan to order the short one to cover one of them for growing lettuce, greens, mesclun, etc Being able to gather fresh greens from the garden for dinner has a real appeal for me.

[Tuppence2]

Hope the move is going well, Eggy. The covers for the raised beds sound a good idea. A shame not to grow something to fruition, when a simple cover would protect your crops.

I planted a new clematis yesterday, "Honora". A lovely deep purple colour. I also took a Viticella clematis out of a a pot and planted it against the trellis in the back garden. I'll be able to see both flowering from my kitchen window.

Rain in the night and strong wind but not the gales yet. I've just checked the site that Tom posted and here's the information given. I live 10 miles from Bath, though I note Wilshire isn't mentioned. I see gales are forecast for this afternoon.

South West England:
Bath + NE Somerset
Bournemouth
Bristol
Dorset
N Somerset
Poole
S Gloucestershire
Somerset
Severe Gales 1300 Mon 10 1600 Mon 10

Strong west or southwesterly winds will gust up to 60 to 70 mph at times this afternoon, especially in exposed parts, before easing a little later on. The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the Highways Agency for further advice regarding traffic disruption on motorways and trunk roads.

Issued at: 0839 Mon 1


p.s. It's now 3.33 p.m. and the wind is gusting very strongly. I'm watching cyclists on TV struggling in awful weather in the Paris-Nice Race.

[telecom69]

The storms came and went and we hardly noticed them apart from a brief hailstorm and some rain the winds were barely noticeable so we got away lightly with it,the news though showed that a lot of people were not so lucky .....My Cineraria seeds have gerninated a lot earlier than I thought they would so I think I will have to move them now to the greenhouse or they will get too drawn up and leggy,they will be OK I think with a domed cover over the seed tray,once they get big enough I will prick them out into trays for growing on .....my Dahlias too I have moved into the greenhouse,they are shooting a bit too early for my liking,the cooler conditions should slow them down a bit hopefully.

I see we got a mention in the Tech Guy newsletter this month so we possibly may get a few new posters perhaps I only just found out yesterday how early Easter was this year its almost upon us already ...have always regarded Easter as a time to start in earnest in the garden but its a bit too early this year unless there is a dramatic improvement in the weather...

There is still a lot of movement in the pond where the frogs congregate not had a close look lately so will do so today,lots of spawn in there,wondering if more frogs have arrived ...lots of my perenial plants are now starting to appear above ground after die back,always good to see that ...

[Tuppence2]

Yes, an early Easter this year. Hope your seedlings cope with being moved. I'm ordering the seeds from AR today.

We had very heavy rain, a hail storm and very strong gusts of wind. We got very wet out walking - I had to go out to deliver a birthday card and the hail started partway through the walk. The wind blew over my big pines in pots and I see there's a broken branch. It's much calmer at present. (7.52 a.m. Tuesday)

I'll have a go at the sides of the greenhouse today, then there will be the door. After that the cladding - it's that I can't picture how to do, but I'll get there eventually!

I don't know about the TSG Newsletter - where's that?

[Tuppence2]

Tom, I've just ordered the following from AR.

Calendula officinalis 'Pacific Beauty Mixed'
Night Scented Stocks (HA) -1 Packet
Sunflower (Helianthus) annuus 'Moonwalker'

[Shadow Bea]

Just dropping in to see whats being done with your gardens!!

[LauraMJ]

Originally Posted by Tuppence2

I don't know about the TSG Newsletter - where's that?

Here:

http://www.techguynews.com/

You'll notice that near the top, just under the orange bar, you can view past issues.

[Tuppence2]

Nice to see you here, Bea.

Thanks, Laura.