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Gardening

The main thing is water, apart from a good position as they also like to bake.

Oddly enough, I have noticed several trees around here over the past very few weeks, all in the ground, that are festooned with fully-formed fruits, but I haven't noticed any ripe ones.
 
Vinny, I'm sure it's been said before, but if you started growing vines and creating home-grown plonk, your pseudonym (or name?) would be almost perfect; Vinnyculture :D
 
mandryka said:
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What you see is a Buddleja colvillei and an Echium pininana. The Buddleja was planted a year ago, the Echium was planted out in May. Both seem happy.

They are nestling in a corner, protected on three sides by brick walls, against the proverbial south facing warm wall in Surrey.

My question is this: what do I need to do to exactly get them through the winter, and to make sure that flower buds aren’t burnt off by cold winds?
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It is with deepest sorrow that I inform you of the death of my beloved Echium. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Please join us to mourn his passing.

Summer's lease hath all too short a date.
 
mandryka said:
It is with deepest sorrow that I inform you of the death of my beloved Echium
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What a total bummer!!

Presumably rotted-off/too wet? Pininana is reliable outdoors in the UK otherwise, and although days have not warmed very much, over-night temp's have been reasonably mild for most of England, and should have been more so for London.

Definately worth a try again, maybe in a very well-lagged pot of very fast-draining compost, lagged to stop frost getting into the roots.

Off the precise subject, but I am a seed-sow-aholic and have just got several Xerophyta retinervis seedlings showing - I hope that I live to see at least one flower. (Totally hardy in the UK, but MUST be TOTALLY dry during winter).
I am hoping to repeat the success with Lanaria lanata seed..........
 
I am delighted to inform you that our beloved Echium has made a miraculous recovery, and when I just left him in his comfortable warm frame he was looking green and perky and ready for action. I have now learned that it is natural for him to respond to the cold by curling up his leaves and looking like a lettuce gone to seed.

Please continue to pray for him, and I shall certainly be playing Beethoven's Heiliger Dankgesang tonight.

Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonar
 
mandryka said:
It is with deepest sorrow that I inform you of the death of my beloved Echium. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Please join us to mourn his passing.

Summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Click to expand...
Leave it in till spring. it may come again from the roots.
 
First trip to The Tip yesterday with a load of rotten timber of all shapes and sizes - previous tenant was a bit of a hoarder.
The shed may not be retrievable - damp, wet and possibly rotten...roof looks gone. New shed will pass Exec if "you show commitment over the coming months".
 
I positively hate lawns.
A green bit between here and there is just fine, more than fine in fact, and if that includes an inch or more of moss "underlay", so much the better - walking across that in bare feet :):):):):):) - one of life's simplest and most complete pleasures.
 
First attempt to cut the lawn today and found some weed suppressing mulch; job for tomorrow is to dismantle the mower and remove.

Spring job will be to find and remove all of it, looks like plastic so no place for it here anyway.

Tomato planning has been changed after meeting an heirloom grower last week.

Cherokee Purple, Carbon and Crimson Crush planned outside, Matina and maybe a Moneymaker in greenhouse.

I'll go for Santana and Bahian Sauce chillies.

Cooked down some of last year's Crimson Crush last night and they smell gorgeous.

Soil temp is very low at the moment so no weeds yet.
 
Up to trip four to the tip - rotten timber, old double glazing units for a greenhouse that never was, loads of panes of glass (broken), thousands of pots, brambles gone mad and currant bush prunings.
The padlock on the shed was unlocked with no key and youngest locked it - my fault hadn't told him.
Shed has hole in roof and looks on last legs so we may knock down.
Unused compost area about 8 by 3ft at rear has young brambles growing out of it. There are also about four Dalek composters. Tempted to reinstate the compost area but guess that will involve tipping the current contents.
 
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Enormous quantities of death.

Dead Teucrium. Dead rosemary. And inevitably, dead Echium.

At least I think they're dead -- will I have the patience to wait a few months before getting the spade out?

Anyway, I'm better off than my neighbour, who seems to have somehow killed off half his lawn! (Schadenfreude emoji please. )
 
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