Gardening!

[Hayles66]

I'm afraid that happens all the time but we exterminate and turn the compost more often, if it's possible. Rats are never far away no matter how clean you are. They love us humans.

Well done for finding babies, less is good. Don't get me wrong but they are a pain for our chickens. They can kill the smaller ones if they can get into the chicken house when they are sleeping on their perch. If you don't have them, next door neighbour will. I've had baby ducklings taken out of a well wired run and they can get into the smallest space, their bodies can go very flat.

Don't give up! Less will go into the rubbish dumps and recycling is our only way forward.

 

[Richard Brown]

I don't have a veg garden started yet. However, I do have strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, 2 gooseberry bushes, 3 great apple trees and some herbs. Here are a few picts from last year.

Superb garden

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[Richard Brown]

Weather is very blustery. Pushed over here from Somerset methinks

I think I'll have to dust off & wear the hard hat B4 clearing large branches from the back garden

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[Hayles66]

here's some more weather! . You were bound to get it eventually. I'm laid up in bed feeling icky. Darn kids must have given me their tummy bugs at school. I've had to put all my fence and high hanging plants on the ground, just in case, yesterday that was. I'm thinking of getting a gazebo for those rainy days. You know, those Market trader ones. Hubby has a nifty one at work which concertinas out from the centre and has 4 legs that can be adjusted to any height. It's got 4 sides in case of side rain. He thinks they are £290. We can't afford a permanent structure and not sure of planning permission anyway, hubby isn't very DIY minded so I thought we could use that and put away in winter when it's too cold. There are loads on the Market but most are too flimsy looking for me.

 

[Richard Brown]

....... I'm laid up in bed feeling icky. Darn kids must have given me their tummy bugs at school. I've had to put all my fence and high hanging plants on the ground, just in case, yesterday that was. I'm thinking of getting a gazebo for those rainy days. .... me.

Sorry to hear you are under the weather.

Re gazebo - - So long as the wind doesn't get under it! We brought hanging baskets into the conservatory. I found a stout cord to tie around the bottom of our closed parasol to the Patio Table. Hope we weather all of this.

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[Hayles66]

It's tipping down with rain here. Saves on the watering I suppose.

Has your wife relented on the rat problem yet? I have very efficient rat catchers down 'ere in Zummerzet, ooh aah, ooh aah, cats and dogs are very efficient. Collies are very quick and nimble and have the patience to outwit any rodents. Bonnie is a springer cross collie and she hunts down them thaar critters with deadly precision.

 

[Richard Brown]

It's tipping down with rain here. Saves on the watering I suppose.

Has your wife relented on the rat problem yet? I have very efficient rat catchers down 'ere in Zummerzet, ooh aah, ooh aah, cats and dogs are very efficient. Collies are very quick and nimble and have the patience to outwit any rodents. Bonnie is a springer cross collie and she hunts down them thaar critters with deadly precision.

It's blowing up a gale. Now it's started to rain. No watering either, hopefully.

No change of heart from my better 50% re the rats A work colleague, Terry, a true countryman had great tales about ratters and rabbits. He kept a terrier. Pals used to flush em out with their terriers one of which went above the call.....

Talking of accents, I see Cheryl Cole has left X Factor USA. Well oi says. Replace er with the Worzels ;D. That would sort em out. Went to a gig of theirs in a Devon pub. Place packed. All drinking scrumpy and singing to Drink up your zider, threshing machine etc. A few Rs were rolled .

Talking of which a group of us are off to Larkins brewery in Chiddingstone tomorrow. A great name for rolling them Rs. They will most certainly be rolled post tour

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[Richard Brown]

Will the rain fill our depleted supplies? Yes butt, no butt......... ! !

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[Hayles66]

Nah! Not enough I'm afraid and it never rains in the right place. I was talking to the science teachers I work with and they all agree that rats will always be around and it's for our future that we conserve anything we can and less in our dumps. The less you tell her maybe next time? They are here for a reason but that still doesn't mean I like them.

Oh, and I know a lot of the wurzel songs because my hubby rattles them off every so often. Where be that blackbird too, I know where he be, he be up yon wurzel tree and I be after ee. Ee sees I and I sees ee but buggered if I don't get I'm, with a girt big stick i'll knock 'im down, blackbird, i'll ave ee....I can't read and I can't write but that don't really matter because I come from Somerset and I can drive a tractor. Etc.... I'm sure I've misspelt a few words and hubby's not here to correct me so accept it or get lost.. Those are a couple of songs/sayings I've picked up living with a Somerset boy.

 

[Richard Brown]

Thought you would appreciate this one Hayles.

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[Richard Brown]

Here are some shots of our garden which I took just over a week ago.

I love the early morning sunshine. The bbes were a problem to focus on. The camera has it's own ideas about focussing and the bees were away before I had taken their picture. So I rested to shooting in sports mode.
We put the baskets indoors before the stormy spell. Flowers got sun scorch!

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[Hayles66]

Richard you make my garden look scruffy! My garden is sopping wet at the moment! Love rain but not when I'd watered this morning! My roses are looking gorgeous at the moment! I'll get my daughter to take some photos with her new camera!

 

[David79]

Wow Richard very nice!

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[Richard Brown]

Richard you make my garden look scruffy! My garden is sopping wet at the moment! Love rain but not when I'd watered this morning! My roses are looking gorgeous at the moment! I'll get my daughter to take some photos with her new camera!

Looking forward to seeing them.

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[Richard Brown]

Wow Richard very nice!

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Thanks David,
The creative one is really my wife. She has inherited her mother's green fingers.
I supply the labour and build things, such as the decking.
We are looking forward to fair weather so that we can eat al fresco.

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