General Chat

David, the blackfly may cause the flowers to grow distorted. You can get spray bottles to squirt them with from supermarket garden sections or from garden centres. Just check to see it says for blackfly on the label. Years ago, dad would spray them with the juices from soaked cigarette ends!!

Shirl said she used to use soaked fag ends to spray the plants.I hope her OG 's ultra sound went ok.today.I wonder what OG's real name is lolol

Got the ants back too. Obviously didn't get rid of them last year. My marigaols are flourishing and attracting favourable comment.

You probably did get rid of the ants last year David ,but the little B****** pop up all the time.Each Time I pull a weed up I seem to disturb an ant's nest.
Good on your Marigolds!!!!Long may they flourish.

The family have all gone home now,we sat outside for awhile after tea and there were loads of midges ,we always get them ,but as soon as they start cutting the corn they'll be gone, its lovely and sunny now .

You can spray the green fly with soapy washing up water ,thats what we used to use .

OH is cutting the grass.............there is no grass to cut lol.He is just causing a dust storm !!!!! We will all be sneezing.

Have just posted for 15 minutes, and its all dissapeared. SOD IT.

What's the difference between black fly and green fly??? A couple of tips I read, you can (if you're not squeemish) run your fingers up the stem to get rid of them, or, blast them with the hose. I've tried the blasting but ended up knocking the plant for six !!!! A lot of my dahlias David have a lot of greenery and not much flower, perhaps we should be patient. At least your marigolds are doing well this year, I remember last year's weren't very successful.

What was that you were going to say Frank ????

I think it's Norman, or Norm, Jane !!!!!

I don't get that Maureen!!!.I think I must be a bit thick lol

I have had to give Chester a Piriton tablet after OH cutting the non grass and stirring up a huge dust lol.Poor dog was all itchy and sneezy.
There is not a breath of air out there now.It feels strange.Hardly any sound from the A 14 either.
I think I am off to bed shortly so will say Night Night everyone xx

MANDY. 31 degrees on Saturday!!!! You lucky thing having that pool lol

It's so nice to see Maureen back again. Glad that Fiona's headaches are much better.

Been very hot here today but I have just done a bit of this and that inbetween holding the wood for OH. He has nearly got it all round the pond now, and it looks lovely. Will take some more pics tomorrow but every time I get the camera out OH says "more delaying tactics!"

Got an old water butt out from behind my old shed today and cleaned it out with the pressure washer.

Ann the seal may need replacing on your washer. Perhaps the O ring has gone and split in it.

As to the beans dropping their flowers you could add a handful of lime to 2 gallons of water and water them with that. This will help.

Frank have your potato plants flowered? If so they should be ready to dig up.

I have loads of black fly and green fly in the tunnel this year! I don't like to spray if I can help it so bought some powder to puff on the cabbages. Could I get the stuff to come out..........no then it came out like wildfire and now my cabbages are sitting there in pale yellow coats! Had to wash it all off but it did seem to work!!

MORNING ALL------JANE MAUREEN MENT --OG !!!!!
Couldn't take OG he wasn't up to it, so have made other apt 19th--may no be so hot------
Some keep fit and gyms halls opend to let folk in from the heat and give free water its been so hot---it makes you feel sick this weather----

doing this now as my Comp must go in its on the blink again .
BBL If I can xxxxxx

Morning one and all,
I think I have beaten myself up in the night.I have a scratch on my nose and a bruise on my eye lol.I look stunning !!! I kind of remember scratching my nose ,but not my eye.
Sorry OH was not well enough for his appointment Shirl.Your heat must be bad if they are opening up places and giving out water.
I was out really early this morning,and it was so hot already.It saps all your energy doesn't it.
I am going to pick the veg now and then get to Tes**,before it becomes unbearable.
BBL

Morning all, Its hot ,hot ,hot !!!

Been to the market before it get's to hot ,got some more of those nice Potatoes ,a Melon and some huge Nectarines ,got the family coming again tonight ,for a dip in the pool and a barbeque.

I'll be worn out tonight what with running about with the little ones and sorting out the barbeque stuff ,was hoping for a quiet day !! but its lovely to see the little ones in the pool and they do love it ,so i carn't say no .

Jane ,how did Hannah's interview go ?

Frank ,you should have a good day on Sunday for your get together with the family, should be really hot for you ,i can just see you hosing everyone down with your hose pipe !!!

Morning all,

Cloudy and dull here with a light mizzle. OH is not pleased as he only had a little bit to do today to the edge of the pond. He can't have the eletrics on as it's raining.

Mum has a docs appointment today at noon and the library comes at 11.40am then I have to go to Holsworthy this afternoon. Busy day but at lleast it is a bit cooler today.

It is much to hot to be outside now.I went out to hang washing and could hardly stand it,and Mel has rain!!!!!.I just brought down another fan from upstairs so now 3 are on in the lounge and all the curtains are drawn.

Mandy,I think Hannah's interview went ok.Thing is she has decided she doesn't really fancy that job,plus as there is so much travelling each day which I think would be too much.The main thing is she is in a secure job now,so it's not desperate.
We must have reached 30 degrees now!!!!!!!!

I think I will give up. I posted a larges message this morning, when "SKYPE" went off. No 2 son thanking us for presents and card. Ros took over the chat. I said to her I am in the middle of something don't shut down. What did she do. YES shut down the computer. SILLY MO#
Have been in the garden all morning. planted out and watered in a load of plants,that were sitting in the greenhouse. Mowed the lawn, trimmed the edges. Now have the sprinkler on to give everywhere a good soaking !!!! Just had a shower as I was covered in dust. Clean shorts, now i'm set for the afternoon.

Steak and salad for tea tonight. too hot to cook. Those potatoes I gathered for dinner last night were rubbish. They all fell to bits while boiling, should I have left them a few days before cooking ????? Was going to harvest a load for Sunday, but might pop to the market and buy some. !!!! What a waste of time and effort. Might try another bag and see what they are like. Horseraddish is doing well. Should be able to use that in August/September. Have got a load of tiny runner beans up the wigwams. and in the wisteria.
Have told next door, to come and pick some cherries, I have so many I don't know how I can pick them. I'm not
allowed on steps !!!!

Tis rather warm outside at present, over 30 and they say the weekend is going to be hotter.
It's The Grand Prix at Sivlerstone this weekend. And at the moment we have loads of Helicopters going over, It will get worse on Sat/Sun. Then they will all come back Sunday Evening. I believe the police have put in diversions away from Blisworth. As in past years it's been "Murder" trying to move about at the weekend.
Will try to get back later, if she dosen't wipe me off.!!!

Hi Everyone,

We were up early this morning .....OH moved my pots off the little top patio and got the pressure washer out so I could jetwash it. He did all the watering, but some things could do with more water already.

Thanks for that Mel. I take it if we screw the connector off the washer the o ring will be the seal for that. I'll get OH to take it off when we've finished slab washing and have a look.

Sorry to hear your pots were disappointing Frank. I tried some different cherry tomatoes this year...........don't like them as much as gardener's delight variety. The plants are loaded though.

Dad used a bucket with the nicotine liquid in.....he had one of those cylinder pumps like a bike pump and had to dip it in the liquid while pumping away with the plunger at the other end to get it to squirt over the beans. A lot of effort.

I went off to the shops then, cooler in the car while OH put the gravel back and topped up the bark chippings around the back of the shed and greenhouse. He's put the 3 water butts back behind the shed, but raised the slabs they sit on higher so it is easier to get a can under the tap on the lowest one. He had to wriggle inside one to change the water tap to one you can snap a hose onto. I was very tempted to give him a 'Zorbing' experience. lol

Glad your plants are doing well David.......you are finding a green finger after all! When I have had Dahlias in the past I found that the darker purply leaved ones did not seem to get greenfly or blackfly.

I knew it!! The hedgehog has christened my clean slabs!! lol

I'm back to the garden plan now and am making the extension on the patio Spa size without telling OH......IF we did happen to consider one in the future, he won't be able to say there's nowhere to put it will he? Forward thinking. lol Wish I was at Mandy's today......her's must be bliss in this weather!!