I am determined to have an apple tree someday! I would plant one here, if I thought I were staying. As it is, I scrounge off neighbors and Freecycle, as much as I can, as long as it's not too far to drive. During apple season, it just feels beyond silly to buy apples when so many people have a glut.

I don't mind cooking apples, as I mainly use them for crumble through the winter months.

Been out and about, to the nearest library to collect some books, including one RSN book about blackwork! We don't have a library here, so it's either a very short drive or quite a long walk on roads, so I drove this time. I don't like using my bike on such narrow roads. It's ok during the year, but holiday times, we seem to get a lot of tourists who have no idea where they are or how to handle the lanes. I think they think they're taking a shortcut from the Brecon Beacons to the coast at Porthcawl or the M4. It really isn't.

It's oppressive out. At home, I've had hours of dark, looming clouds passing over, me thinking RAIN, and... nothing. It's 25C inside the house and very little breeze. Oppressive.

@MarieDeGournay
My garden is too big for me too, Angle, and it costs a lot to have someone in to do the heavy work.

Marie, I think "Garden Buddies" sounds like a great idea! Around here, to the really elderly, they're just called "neighbors." 😄But I like the idea of sharing the work. If I have to start paying someone, it's going to get expensive.

!!!!! DRIZZLY MIST!!!!! We have drizzly mist, people!
(well, the patio is a bit wet)

DRIZZLY MIST???
Get out on that damp patio, Angle and DANCE NAKED! It's the obvious reaction!🌧

😆

I think not... might scare someone. Definitely would scare someone!

And... now it's sunny again. <sigh> Tired. of. this. 😑

Mmm, crumble........

It's nearly damson time.😋

I know! I can't wait! Have blocked out tomorrow to start my blackberry picking. Me and the wasps. Yay.

😆Well, there is now something suspiciously similar to some of that wet stuff that used to fall from the sky more than once every seven weeks... falling from the sky. And I can actually hear it on the glass roof in the orangery, so...
That's all I am permitted to say at the mo. 😉

ed. activate??

You have an orangery?

I do! We built it off the back of the house when we bought it so many years ago. It's not huge, but a useful extra living room (the house is more like a cottage, so had only two rooms downstairs when it was built originally). The estate agent told us that the house had been on the market for such a long time because, although it has four bedrooms upstairs, including the attic room, no families wanted it because there was only one living room. So, we thought it might make it easier to sell on if we added the extra room.

So it's a proper foundationed room, with insulation and tall windows and a glass roof. It was great when it was built, and I do still like it, but it faces west. With the summers getting hotter, in retrospect, I wouldn't have agreed to the glass roof!

ps. It's only about 3mx 3.5m, so not one of those massive things with plants hanging everywhere that you see in magazines!

So, more like this

Less like this

IT’S RAINING IN CENTRAL LONDON!!!!

I fell asleep outside and was woken up by heavy rain coming down for about 15 minutes.

This fish in the pond were all very excited about it. The chickens less so.

🎶Rain, wonderful rain! 🎶

Now counting the days until we start grumbling... "bloody rain, sick of it" 😄

that’ll start tomorrow.

Ah lovely. I wonder if it’s possible to change the roofing to something opaque?

we built a conservatory on our first house, it did give us some lovely extra living space downstairs (small new build with one living/dining room). Iirc it faced more or less east which is probably ideal. I had loads of plants in it. We’ve thought about it here but the back of the house faces about south-west so it really wouldn’t work.

I have a friend with a south west facing conservatory.

Lovely in the winter. Terrible in the summer.

Yes, I probably could, and if I stay, I will definitely need to look into it. It does have heat and a cooling system, but I find it too expensive to run now. So, in the summer, the windows are open all the time (unless it's 37C out!) and I used it to store stuff. If I had it all to do now, I would build an extension with a solid roof and windows only north and east for a cross breeze, or not build it at all. Fifteen years ago, I don't think any of us expected our summers to be like this. Certainly not in Wales!

The Bluestocking, of course, has a large garden room cunningly mounted on a turntable which can therefore be positioned optimally according to the season and weather.

Perfect! THAT'S what I want!