snowmash's cybergarden - spring edition

[madmouse]

hello

That weather sounds a pain, shodatin. No sun, but barely any rain for weeks? No fun at all.

Glad you've had good progress on chores. How are your limnanthes seedlings coming along?

I a) overdid things yesterday, and b) am sulking because of the potential house problem, so not a great day. But hey ho, there's always tomorrow. Early night for me, and hot chocolate for comfort.

snowmash I think I need a bit of your patience at the mo - I'm grumpy for no good reason.

Hope hob's OK, and getting on with amazing things or having much deserved rest.

And I wonder how mouseling's doing? Such fabulous progress with walking!

for everyone. I may pop back later, but if not have a very early Goo'night from me.

Thanks for the TIANC - I never seem to remember and you always do. Hope a good rest tonight will help you recover from doing too much. Also hope you get some good advice about the house problem. I think most of us with property more than say fifty years old would find a few hidden horrors if we looked properly, but most of us don't do that. Bearing in mind that the oldest buildings around are usually the churches, it's really surprising that so many are still standing, and not surprising at all that most church towers have actually fallen down at least once (or so I was told by an architect). People don't normally search for house supports, unless they're about to purchase, yet just note how few houses fall down, or fall apart. You're probably worrying about it because you got over-tired, so hope you can forget it until the expert arrives.

I hope hob's alright too, and just busy with interesting stuff.

Goodnight everybody - back tomorrow

Morning all - here I am again, just muttering quietly to myself, it seems.
Snowmash, where are you? Will be away a few hours, so hope someone else will be available just in case snowmash can post to us.

Thanks! No, you're not all alone - I read here during the day, but should maybe post a bit more...

Hi TIANC and thank you for reassuring post. And the .
Hope your house situation is less worrying and you're not overdoing it.

Would you believe, the drought continues? I always knew this place was in rain shadow, but never noticed the problem before. My climbing rose, which came down in the wind, has changed colour from subtle peach to plain pink, which does happen if bud-opening is delayed, unfortunately. The "parent", Whisky Mac, has kept it's colour but no longer matches.
No such problems in cyber-garden, thank goodness.

Oh glad your Whisky Mac has survived! I was wondering about that one but couldn't remember the name. How curious that the climber changes colour. Do many roses do that? [ignorant about gardening]

I don't actually know much about roses myself, and have not had many at all.
I think they are very unattractive for most of the year, and take a lot of time pruning, spraying and feeding to look good, so have never been keen, apart from a few traditional shrub roses when we had a large-ish garden. My DF used to potter about his miserable rose bed, mixing up chemicals and incessantly hoeing the bare earth, so they have never appealed to me. We were not allowed to cut them either, which is one of the joys of gardening, I think, to bring flowers etc. into the house and food into the kitchen.

Oho yes, I'm with you on the limits of roses. In the right place, stunning. But barren expanses of bare earth and thorns... Why?!

Mine get underplanted, and while they're not best roses because of it, I get a nicer garden overall.

Sky opened here earlier today. We have your rain, I think (sorry).

Not fair! not fair! Another dry day here after forecast rain, and *TIANC's garden gets another good watering!

May I ask, what do you have for underplanting the roses? I can only think of the same old pansies, and there are already white bluebells in place which we keep digging up and can't exterminate (yet). I do spray these days, and am considering clump of rue plants for beautiful foliage which is not edible anyway, But, like the Limnanthes, it seems to be rare in these parts and have not found any yet.

Limnanthes doing well, by the way, should stop being attractive to blackbird by next week when I plan to plant out in front of main (mixed) border, and a few leeks ready for the back of same border.

Afternon everyone , & so sorry haven't been contributing for several days - really upsets me but can't always keep up , which is ridiculous connsidering thwe efforts made by shodatin & TIANC . The very kind mentions helped such a lot , thank you , & I'm sure snowmash is refreshed by the images the cybegarden conjures up .

Hope indeed that the building concerns turn out to be less serious than you fear, TIANC , & that shodatin's garden gets some rain at last .

Making notes here about roses , as the last tenants planted several which we are a bit baffled by , but enjoy very much when they bloom agains all odds.
Agree about roses on bare plots ( ours are overgrown , ahem ) , & must try underplanting . So pleased to hear the Limnanthes are progressing .

My neighbour has offered us the temporary use this season of a couple of raised beds on her allotments , < squealing > so am glad to have more little plants than could fit into veg patch .

Hope all have a good evening

Good to hear from you again hob, and please don't feel bad if you can't get here too often, just glad to hear that you're OK.
You're about to be a lot busier with the new growing area! It must be exciting to suddenly have more space and therefore more choices for planting, plus of course the pleasure of the harvesting later. I've really only had enough help to garden again for the last 18 months, so it's bit like learning over again, and in the smallest garden I've ever had, but enjoying it a lot and of course, hope everyone else is too.

Sorry snowmash that you can't be involved at present, but I hope you're now able to get outside more often and enjoy the good weather, with birds singing and maybe the odd cat coming for a visit - am getting carried away here, apologies for waffling.

Hi ladies just popping in to say hello.

I am very proud of a rose bush ive been nurturing. Only one flower on it last year. 14 and counting so far this year :-)

(its v difficult for me to post at work but i do try to have a sneaky look at thread if i can when no ones looking :-)

Looks like a number of people at work may be facing redundancy - wont know for a while whether it will include me but will face it if/when it happens.

Take care all x

Hi *kizzie, good to hear from you, and good news about your recovering rose bush, congratulations on returning it to health, and hope you can manage the same result with the rhododendron. You're right to be proud of it too.

It must be worrying when redundancies are in the air, with people about to lose jobs through no fault of their own. Hope you'll be safe; at least you do have the right attitude to get you through a difficult time. Best wishes.

It's time I said a goodnight, good people, and thank you to everyone who's posted. Hope you're now sleeping better snowmash and that the days are getting easier too.

Oh good to see you, hob and kizzie. How exciting about your plot, hob and your flourishing rose, kizzie! How clever you are!

Bit grim about work redundancies though. Fingers crossed you won't be at risk, but sending you fortifying wishes in case you are.

'Tis true, shodatin, I've pinched your rain. If it's any consolation, we've been pumping bathwater onto the garden for weeks. So I had to stand in DP's cold water to shower. Ugh!

My underplanting is haphazard - not a model for anyone! Can't remember names this week. But the old strawberries have run amok amid trailing plants in the raised beds. And there are low bushy things surrounding the rose in the huge bed, hiding the bare stems.

This house had a cottage garden before, so it's a jumbled jungle after my ignorance and neglect. But it makes me happy!

Good morning again. Maybe it's my imagination, but I believe the days are turning faster somehow, and with less content.
Your garden sounds lovely, TIANC, with the basics of a cottage garden already in place, so you can tweak and take your time with alterations. It would be much easier to start from scratch, buying in full-size plants, but not nearly as interesting. (And they would probably still need your bathwater).

Thanks for thinking of the mock-orange sprigs for visitors, they are indeed a lovely scent, and of course one of the benefits of gardening is that we can share the good stuff around. Hope you have some flowers on the ward, snowmash, as well as all the assorted stuff (safe from slugs, snails and birds) growing in our cyber-garden.

Late evening sunshine, after an overcast day. I love it when it breaks through like that!

Hope you had a at least a sprinkling of rain today, shodatin. We had another great ker-sploosh, which went as fast as it came. The farmers will be profoundly grateful.

Glad you had a good evening, TIANC, after a dull day, and thanks for your good wishes, but not a drop fell on my garden! I transplanted a few bits from the back, where they'd self-seeded, but had to give up as I couldn't make the holes large enough - ground was strangely solid and I doubt anything will grow into it. Local farmers are doom-saying already, and warning of high costs after poor harvests, so I'm glad we have the cyber-garden to relax in.

Better news - today I found Karl Jenkins on YouTube, conducting "The Armed Man". Not enough time to hear it all but it's bookmarked . I don't think I want to watch the film part , too upsetting, but thank you for the mention, and I wonder if snowmash can access it with her mobile?

Oh I didn't know about the film! Thank you, shodatin! Although actually I agree with you and probably won't watch the upsetting stuff.

Progress here. Couple of people (usual workman, specialist) have looked at the roof structure and gone, "Yerse. See what you mean."

House has had an agglomeration of small changes over the years - individually innocent, but cumulatively leaving part of the roof held up by the square root of bugger all. And, erm, guess where muggins had the nice, heavy, water-filled solar panel installed?

BUT verdict is that a couple of new rafters and a ceiling joist will do the job. One day's work, apparently! Hurray!

I hope everyone else's day has had little victories.

Glad to hear house news, TIANC, and I know you were worrying, so it is cause for celebration ( clinking noise here). Hope this is the last of the bad news about the house - did you move in recently?

My eyes keep closing, so better say "goodnight". Sweet dreams all.

Yet another day when forecast rain did not materialize, with friends and family telling me all about their lovely wet weather,but maybe it will happen later.

Had a good day renovating a teddy-bear (!) which should be dried-out and finished tomorrow, and remembering when Mother taught me the basics, i.e. renewing ears and noses when family dog managed to take over younger siblings' favourite bears, and it became one of my jobs to do the cleaning and patching when necessary - surprising what one can use for replacement ears.
Hope Snowmash is having a reasonable weekend, and continues to get better. Any hope of going home yet?

What a delightful image you conjure up there , shodatin , & what worthwhile work . Am convinced stuffed toys are sentient & am sure teddy is grateful to you .

Can't believe you have no rain up there , day after day , when we in warmer spots are having a little shower every day .

Excellent to hear the house quirks can be repaired ,TIANC , what a relief . Belated thanks from me too for mentioning Karl Jenkins , whose work I always mean to seek out , & will this week .

So sorry for concerns at work , kizzie , & hope it all turns out for the best , as they say . Hope you have a good weekend to refresh you .

Thinking of you as always , snowmash , hoping gradual steps are bringing you closer to improved health .

Fell asleep before could say goodnight last night & been very busy today but did fit in some further loafy spectating yesterday , once again involving bonnets - was a very down to earth outdoor play & just as we got to scenes set in the farm field , the two pigs in the paddock behind the audience decided to oink loudly throughout . Everyone was able to pet them in the interval ( tummy rubs appreciated ). I am so pretentious ...

Hope madmouse and pixie have good weekends and that we all have a peaceful sleep - good bright moon here

Wow, you've been having interesting days with real and stuffed critters!

Sounds like a great day out hob, and hahaha at performing pigs joining in. What fabulous old, er, hams.

shodatin you're so clever with your hands! Is the teddy destined for someone else, or do you have a fine collection of your own? Thank you for celebratory - much appreciated I can tell you.

Done nowt here, lovely lounging day. snowmash, hope yours was OK-ish too.

Sleep well all, and hope shodatin gets some night rain...

Hi hob, and thank you for posting with news. I enjoyed renovating the bear. You're not pretentious at all, and it sounds like a really original outdoor production, but am uncertain how the bonnets were involved.

There is a surprising (to me) amount about Karl Jenkins on YouTube, so hope you enjoy listening this week. I plan to revisit myself, and wonder if snowmash is interested?
Will wish everyone a goodnight, with best wishes for relaxing Sunday