The Cybergarden - Late Summer Edition

[madmouse]

Sorry been unfaithful, lots going on. But making myself useful - here's your new thread x

Thankyou for kind enquiries about what was probably a type of flu, and am still improving daily with increasing energy - most of us know how that feels, I'm sure. Hob, it was scary indeed, being unable to use bedside phone for first two days, but I'm hoping my poor memory means I can forget it very soon.

Will say a goodnight now, and hope everyone sleeps well, or that anyone with insomnia can get some solace from star-gazing and sleep in tomorrow.

Belated good morning everyone. The weather is interesting today - sudden rain showers not on the met office forecast.

Hi all , belated good morning here too - what for lovely goodnights llast night . Hi upward - I think the Met Office weather forecasts have been very odd the last few years & thought maybe it was being neglected / nobbled in order to be sold off , but the met companies seem just as inaccurate . Hope you get some pleasant weather this afternoon , though you might be wary of venturing out on a busy holiday weekend . Please make sure to allow yourself plenty of little treats for being so brave this week .

shodatin , am distressed you weren't able to use bedside phone for 2 days . Were you able to text your friends / DB ? I know your friends came over to care for you but am worried there was a delay in reaching them , & hope that there's some idea in place to prevent it everhappening again . Glad you're gradually recovering & love your positive way of looking at the diminishing memory . Hope you manage somesome Skyping & hear good news frrom loved ones .

Homely day here , paddding about slowly doing chores & wondering how to pollinate pumpkin plants .. Thank you upward for reminding me we can only work within our capabilities - I still forget that often but you kind people have made me much more at ease with that .

Hope TIANC is having a reasonable weekend , with rest punctuated by nice times .

Just picked some teeny grapes from little potted evine , which amazes me by lasting through snow & ice as an apparently dead stick , to grow beautiful foliage in spring .

Hope we've all had a restful day & there's been a nice holiday atmosphere in our neighbourhoods and no loud parties

Particularly hope you 're finding things calmer , upward , & feeling better physically than a week or so ago . Have you been able to watch anyrthing diverting on TV / PC ?

Beautiful evening here , starry over the allotments as the Slugs of Doom crunch contendedly ...

Do the slugs like beer? (vaguely remember sinking a yoghurt pot of beer into the ground to catch them as a kid). Today's been a little disconcerting, not sure why they rang me today, as they'd said Sunday.

Hope everyone has a decent night!

Anyone got plans for Monday?

I'm late, I'm late...Sorry, but have been out most of the day, then rested. Missed a Skype call while picking flowers for house too, which is embarrassing as people do wonder if I'm OK then telephone. Hob, I can't text period, so have no arrangements like that, but I suppose if I put a towel in the front window the friends-across-the-road would come over with the key. Meanwhile, am still planning to get a call-button, just procrastinating.
I remember pollinating plants using an old water-colour painting brush, just rubbing it around in approximate places
was effective, but have never grown pumpkins.
Thanks for news of evine; always good to hear of dead sticks fruiting, and I seem to remember very colourful foliage in Autumn too.
Some strange showers here too, upward, but probably typical wet English summer.
Hope we're all warm and dry for Bank Holiday.
Will say goodnight and hope everyone's able to rest enough.

Sorry, fell asleep yesterday after tackling some outdoors paintwork - and getting caught out by those unscheduled ker-splooshes! Weren't they something! Double rainbow to make up for it tho.

Grapes! hob that's amazing! What a relief the crunching jaws haven't found them yet, too. Homely day sounds just perfect. Was Her Felinity winding round your ankles whenever you stood still?

Hah, I tried catching slugs with beer-substitute, Upward (fruit-juice laced with unwanted duty-free spirits). Found the little buggers having a drunken orgy, sluggy sex organs bulging inebriatedly (sorry, TMI) and none had had the decency to actually fall in and drown. Back to the slug pellets for me!

And sounds like you got an unexpected call from the support team? Maybe you're just on their daily call list, whether or not there's something specific. Hope your day went OK.

shodatin that sounds terrifying, not being able to use phone. The call button is sounding increasingly useful, isn't it? In fact, you've stirred me to discuss one for my dad, just because he's on his own. So sorry you missed your Skype: hope you can catch up tomorrow.

to kizzie, madmouse, standing mouseling et al. Wishing all a peaceful night, and refreshing rest.

PS I thought it was time I followed my own advice about names - or at least became easier to type!

TIANC, you just ruined my day with news of slug sex, but glad you did the experiment and not me (procrastinating can be beneficial). After many years of experimenting, my preference is for bran sprinkled around plants - yes they eat it and die, but birds/hedgehogs see them before I do, and benefit, I believe.
For small areas, I'm happiest with this year's "tabletop" gardening, tucked away behind shrubs and at easiest level for me, only tiny harvests of course but the
(truly organic) lettuce is wonderful, ditto seedlings. Have not forgotten the Eringeums (blue thistles) for you, but not yet large enough to post. If anyone else would like a couple, do please let me know (autumn posting planned).
Hope we can all have a relaxing and enjoyable day.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek Tianc & shodtin - "you just ruined my day with news of slug sex " Just when I had determined to patrol and move the little lovelies away .... I won't be looking closely now ! You are truly a gifted writer < ducks from modest Tianc's cuff round the ear >

Thank you upward for your useful childhood memory < delighted to imagine little uward > but I do feel mean drowning them . What a fabulous solution you've found to the dilemma , shodatin - helping the eccosystem . Never heard of that idea . How did you discover that ? ( ignore silly questions )
.
Thrilled to hear your crops are tasty , & the high -up roasting tin idea has been adopted here . Another brilliant idea of yours , to grow behind shrubs , which would really protect plants here . This is a good time to plant pak choi or similar etc in a pot - really abundant & the orgy - astic Ones didn't touch them last year .

Thank you Tianc for your patient efforts to inform Mners of dangers . I keep meaning to namechange , so will follow your example . So pleased to hear you managed a go at outdoor paintwork , & hope you won't be rained off next time .
Her Felinity tends to give me a Stare to summon me rather than try to charm me into stopping to make a fuss of her , but she's very affectionate & horticulturally minded , inspecting new plants & advising me . She has a great love of flowers , especially fuschias .

Hope you have a relaxing day , upward . I'd agree that you're probably on a list for a daily hello , possibly mistakenly . Do you feel up to listening to any of your beautiful music ? or any more frivolous distractions ? < Puss hops onto upward's windows to say hello then pursues a grasshopper over lawn > {brew]

Erk, sorry about that, shodatin - a little too graphic. (Not so talented, hob, if I've made someone uncomfortable. Sorry all round.)

Love the thought of Her Magnificence inspecting the garden, tho! Next door's cat also loved fuchsias, and used to bring in flowers for her "staff". Her brother brought in frogs...

I seem to have cross-posted with upward yesterday, shame as I think the beer system is probably most appreciated by the slugs but I couldn't face emptying the pots. We also tried covering between plants with overnight cardboard, which when turned over in the morning provided a huge breakfast for the birds, rather unsightly but economically green. Years ago, we were members of the Henry Doubleday Research Association, now known as HDRA Reighton, I believe, and noted for experimental green gardening, where I learned some useful stuff from real enthusiasts.
Many thanks hob for recommending Pak Choi for this season. I omitted to buy it last year, expecting Thai friend to share, as we usually do, but I seem to have got the cutting lettuce instead so will buy it this year.

:( Just had them call and kept saying everything's fine, they said it doesn't sound like it and to ring them if it gets worse. I can't talk to them inside my home.

Oh Upward! Blip still blipping, then? Poor you.

And just to keep saying it, even now you're sounding so much better than a few months ago.

I know that's poor consolation when this week is awful, but I hope it's something to hang on to.

Thanks TIANC , I am trying to continue telling myself it's only a blip...trying to work out if I can/should phone them back later.

Are you uncomfortable just being on the phone to them, or about them being inside your home?

I'm uncomfortable about me talking over the phone about it in my home.

Sorry the idea of talking about it in your home is upsetting , upward . I wonder if you feel as I sometimes do , that I want my home to be a sanctuary , & that though regular calls discussing stressful topics almost leave a "trail" in the home during what ought to be calmer time ? Sorry if way off the mark there .

No, I feel it's wrong to talk in here, that's all. I can understand where you're coming from though - I might see if I can go outside later.

Thanks upward - perhaps you & your neighbours can easily overhear each other ? Or am I missing something , because perhaps the staff member on phone is muisunderstanding in similar fashion . It must be very wearing being questioned all the time .

Glad you want to chat on this thread & hope misunderstandings are cleared up & evening improves .

It feels like there's someone behind me, more overwhelming in my place. I feel like I should talk them, as people have been saying to for weeks - just need to work out if I can do it outside. It's talking to a complete stranger too.

Hope you find a place you're comfortable calling from - or even going to meet them, if they want to see you.

hob know exactly what you mean about your sanctuary, uncontaminated by stressful intrusions. Hope Upward has a place she feels safe, even if it's just one room in the flat.

Oh dear, I did wonder if you had that horrid "watched" feeling. How unpleasant for you.

I'm afraid I agree with what other people have been saying, you do need to talk to the team if you're getting that - it's one of those signs of a blip.

Have some strengthening vibes to help you gather yourself. (((hugs)))