# Gardeners ahoy



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I wish someone could tell me what this is please 
Either the birds brought it or it was in with the sunflower seeds.
The fruit (if thats what it is) looks like a prickly pear.:zombiesmile:.
By the way, I haven't heard the nightingales since 4 am on the 22nd June, but the blackbirds seem to have taken over.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

No idea Jan 

But the fushias are finally about to burst into bloom 

The climbing one is full of buds 

I had a plant inside , self seeded ,that like Topsy just grew 

We took it out,replanted it, turns out it was a pepper 

Sandra


----------



## coppo (May 27, 2009)

I think its a gerraffodil.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

coppo said:


> I think its a gerraffodil.


Don't you come back here after umpteen weeks and make remarks like that, tell us where you've bin first. :grin2:


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I think it’s one I once had 

The fruits grew and when dried were quite vicious with spiny thorns

It’s not a prickly pear

We grew those in Israel 

The Sabra, the Israelites born in Israel 

Prickly on the outside, soft in the middle 

My son sold them to tourists in Israel when he was a child 

Sandra


----------



## Charisma (Apr 17, 2008)

Could it be one of these? http://streetgrowers.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-serious-challenge-to-all-growers.html

Poisonous so be careful.


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Charisma said:


> Could it be one of these? http://streetgrowers.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-serious-challenge-to-all-growers.html
> 
> Poisonous so be careful.


Spot on. Datura stramomium. The Thorn Apple.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Charisma said:


> Could it be one of these? http://streetgrowers.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-serious-challenge-to-all-growers.html
> 
> Poisonous so be careful.


Thats it, clever you, thank you so much.
I have no idea where it came from, we are nursing a sunflower next to it and thought we would let this thing grow and see what it was. Nothing much grows in our garden, grass weeds and 2 trees, so this is a novelty :grin2:


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Yep

That’s it 

I kept the fruit for ages till it dried and rattled with the seeds inside 

Thought it would do in popouree 

But I must have changed my mind

Those thorns were Ouch 

Sandra


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

*OI don't think will cultivate it*

Good thing I asked what it was, nasty bit of work. must get rid of it next fire we have.
Thank you so much Dave

.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Oops I did


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

aldra said:


> Oops I did


You've not been hallucinating I hope :frown2:


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

No I justchecked my potpourri in my bowl 

Sandra


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

FYI, prickly pairs grow on cacti. Has to be a weed if it grows so lustily.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The fushias

Well they are just coming into bloom

The climbing one

I never knew they climbed

I bought them at the Southport garden show, where I bought the miniture hostas

Mouse ears you just need to have


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

aldra said:


> The fushias
> 
> Well they are just coming into bloom
> 
> ...


Your photography is improving >


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

So ok I’ll post mouse ears next time 

It an absolutely beautiful miniature hosta 

And I have dozens of miniature hostas 

And dozens of beautiful full sized ones 

I love them 

Sandra


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

JanHank said:


> Your photography is improving >


Naw

They are in hanging baskets , or climbing

So no short legs

Sandra


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Looking today at shadows feet

Definatlyhairy yeti paws 

But I think he’s loosing weight 

He’s not thin but I feel his bones 

I can’t feed him more , but I feed him a bit more chicken 

To much and he’s sick 

Could be old age catching up to him 

So why is old age not making me thin 

Sandra


----------



## coppo (May 27, 2009)

JanHank said:


> Don't you come back here after umpteen weeks and make remarks like that, tell us where you've bin first. :grin2:


A combination of things Jan, firstly that dirty little word that is frowned upon on here''WORK'':grin2:

We have also been enjoying the van that we imported from your country of residence. We are off back to Germany for 2 weeks in July.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

coppo said:


> A combination of things Jan, firstly that dirty little word that is frowned upon on here''WORK'':grin2:
> 
> We have also been enjoying the van that we imported from your country of residence. We are off back to Germany for 2 weeks in July.


And is it living up to your expectations? The van that is.:laugh:


----------



## coppo (May 27, 2009)

JanHank said:


> And is it living up to your expectations? The van that is.:laugh:


Yes, love it, excellent quality so far, hope it continues. Motorhomes are very complicated and there is a lot to go wrong, as you know.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The beautiful miniature hosta “ mouse ears”

And a few others


----------



## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Get plantsnap app on your phone.
Take picture of the leaf or flower
It tell you the possibilities


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Bluddy hard work gardens as much of mine ends up in here and taken to the dump once a week...…………………… Ray.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Yep when we clip the conifers

Much the same

But those hedges grant us privacy

And I love privacy

I can wander around the garden in my pyjamas , back and front 

And they keep down the sound of the main road which runs outside our house 

Ivy’s which cover our house 

We sometimes shred and spread on the borders 

It’s hard work 

But it gives us the life we want 

We are private people 

And love our home and garden 

How long can we sustain it

Who knows 

Old age creeps on 

Sandra


----------



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

I hate dirt digging... I love concrete flags otherwise we have men to do the gardening, but I still mow the lawns to strop all the grass cuttings from the tractor mower walking all over, it's easier to collect it in my mower grass box than clean up after the groundsmen!..


ray


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Our mower mulches :grin2: no need to collect anything.


----------



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

JanHank said:


> Our mower mulches :grin2: no need to collect anything.


Try some 3 in one oil then, nothing worse than a mower that's rusted up making mulching sounds...

ray.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

rayrecrok said:


> Try some 3 in one oil then, nothing worse than a mower that's rusted up making mulching sounds...
> 
> ray.


That would be Mu*n*ching:grin2:


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

rayrecrok said:


> Try some 3 in one oil then, nothing worse than a mower that's rusted up making mulching sounds...
> 
> ray.


Better :laugh:


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Wot?


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Artificial grass every time


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Love it Sandra. How much to do 2000 sq.m..??

Ray.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

You haven’t seen his yeti feet 

No mud even in the rain 

And although we have Ivy’s and conifers , they need a couple of trims a year 

And we are training our grandson >

We don’t need to mow the lawn 

We travel for a couple of months

The lawn remains the same

Winter and summer 

Sandra


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ray you need to cultivate a meadow 

Sandra


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

If I just left it alone it would end up a meadow Sandra.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

One man went to mow.............


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

raynipper said:


> If I just left it alone it would end up a meadow Sandra.
> 
> Ray.


So just mow part of it

Sandra


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

raynipper said:


> Love it Sandra. How much to do 2000 sq.m..??
> 
> Ray.


I was just about to ask the same question Ray. We saw a football pitch covered, it cost €400,000:surprise: ours is bigger than a football pitch, shame >


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well some of us are not lucky enough to own that amount of land

If I did I’d cultivate a wild life meadow 

On the fringes of my cut grass 

My lawn was wet in areas, dry in others 

So parched and soggy 

Died where shadow peed 

Now it’s dry, green, pressure hosed or even just left with a sprinkler on to dilute any urine 

The yeti feet are often wet

But never muddy

My wooden floors are grateful 

Sandra


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The gardens are magnificent
Back and front 

A riot of colour 

Young Albert has clipped the hedges

Not quite as straight as his grandad, but he’s getting there 

They are chopping logs now for the wood store 

And young Albert is now competent with the chain saw

Of course Albert never leaves his side when he uses it 

And he is paid by the hour 

And that’s important to him , and of course we could just give him the money , but won’t 

He doesn’t really appreciate the skills he is learning along side his grand dad 

His dad as he calls him , he never knew his dad 

But he’s learning skills

And if you want money 

You earn it 

That’s life 

Sandra


----------



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

aldra said:


> T
> 
> But he's learning skills
> 
> ...


Never a truer word spoken! (written!) He'll remember all this when you're long gone! I thought my kids would never learn how to take a cup to the kitchen. Now I''m proud and in awe of the distance my boys have come since then and their achievements and talents. I have a little chuckle when they sound like the echo of their Mum!:wink2:.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

It seems he’s clicked

But I’m not holding my breath 

Working with integrity , 4/5 hours a day 

Could be he just has a particular designer garment in mind

Who knows ?

But he’s working to own it

And that’s good enough for me 

Sandra


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well we have rats

Cavorting in the front garden

And have caught one in the humane trap

Alberts taken it to the river 

But it was a young one

And I’m worried about it 

Will it be Ok, seperated from its family ?

So ok ,I’m weird 

But we have a wild life garden 

So when does wild lifecease to be wildlife ?

Sandra


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

It's a rat, move on nothing to see here.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

They are really very interesting creatures Kev 

My daughter had a couple of pet ones 

Very clean sleek and shiny looking, and I believe very intelligent 

I feed the birds and therefore by default the rats :frown2:

The dogs wander the garden so I guess that keeps them in their own area 

We have a lot of butterflies this year, do others ?

The two Alberts have finally finished , chain saw and chopping wood and built another wood store 

Every time Albert goes out with shadow he finds a tree cut down

So I guess there will be more 

So we are set for winter ( or summer when this heat wave stops)

Sandra


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Yes as pets fine if you must, but they are vermin otherwise, and should be put down, difficult if you catch one, but they spread all kinds of diseases, breed like crazy so I wouldn't give it a second thought except as to method as I wouldn't want to be cruel.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

The climbing fushia is full of flowers

The Passion flower at the back of it

Is healthy, strong and full of leaf but not a single flower this year 

A couple of hanging fushias for comparison 

Everything has done so well this year in spite of the cold start 

The garden is an absolute riot of colour , geraniums , begonias ect 

The apples have all fallen of Alberts young apple trees :crying:


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

A friend (widow) has a large bee hive/nest between her windows and shutters. I have been getting another 'B' friend to take them away...…… Ray.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Crikey! Had the house been shut up Ray?

Is that honey on the glass?


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I bet they're fascinating to watch Ray


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Jean. The house is up for sale for about a year and the owner just comes back now and again. This was a surprise for her.
With all the honey basically gluing the window and shutters together the 'bee' man has had to break a pane of glass and take it out bit by bit.

I had to leave him too it and will pop back today.
They are amazing workers Kev but a rouge wasp had got in and was killing the odd bee.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Shame, might have had some free honey too, I hope he moved the bees somewhere nice for them, we need bees to stay alive.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Kev. He is paranoid about saving the bees. Was going to put a hive on our land but said as our farmer still sprays at times he won't risk it.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We make sure we have plenty of Bee and butterfly enticing plants in the garden, been very buzzy this year, never seen so many different bees.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

It’s been a fantastic year for bees and butterflies 

For all insects in fact

Never seen so many butterflies in the garden

Often towards the end of the year we have loads of red admirals feeding on the ivy flowers

Sandra


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Sandra. Now my widow friend has also found a hornets nest in one of her chimneys. Too many insects.

Ray.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We couldn´t understand why our tit boxes are empty this year, took a closer look and 2 of them have wasps nests in them.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well what do you expect

You no longer live in England’s green and pleasant land


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Pah. Not so much of that green and pleasant land is still green and pleasant. It's full of car parks and housing estates to house the influx. Keep it.
I can't remember the last time I even saw a yellow line or paid to park.

Ray.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

aldra said:


> Well what do you expect
> 
> You no longer live in England's green and pleasant land


Thank goodness, I wouldn't want your worry. >


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

But Jan

My fish swim 

My garden is a riot of colour 

The hostas, geraniums , fushias 

Throw in the Dahlias

The herbs 

The Ivy’s which feed the butterflies and sparrows 

And the bees 

It’s small compared to your vistage 

But this is a town 

Deer don’t wander 

But it’s so important that we encourage wild life 

Even when it’s only baby rats 

Which we will move on eventually 

Butterflies, bees , sparrows , sparrowhawks 

And no doubt a host of insects 

In our small garden ,small by yours which opens on to fields 

Ours opens on to main roads 

But it’s protected by 10 foot hedges 

Where birds can nest and do 

And a pond where fish swim, where frogs breed , where no doubt insects thrive 

It’s a little island in the midst of a busy town 

Sandra


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

A busy immigrant town by the sounds of it Sandra. Sounds like an oasis. 

Ray.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Yes it is, Ray 

I’ve no problem with the town 

It’s a mill town, and as such drew heavy on immigrant labour 

Its just am not sure when our areas become one religion , Muslim 

When people resorted to ethnic dress 

When birth rate outstripped ours 

When schools changed in this area 

And it became difficult for a child to become educated within their own ethnicity 

If they were not Muslim 

Because the ethos changed 

And we payed for our grandkids in private school 

Where there was a balance of kids from different ethnicity’s 

It’s not the same through out the country 

There are vast geographical differences 

It varies from a welcome diversity 

To an exclusitve monoculture 

Sandra


----------

