145 replies to this topic

[Aquarelle]

Is it blight? If so you can get blight and other disease resistant varieties. I always use these as I've had this problem.

I don't know what it is but "blight" is a description that seems to fit the state of my poor plants. They are definitely blighted! Thank you for your suggestion. I think it's the answer for the future  though it might be a bit late for this year.

 

Well done Banjogirl!! I too have finally managed to cut the grass - after three weeks of almost non stop rain. I have a lawn tractor but it still took me the best part of two hours!

[maggiemay]

What tondeuse have you got, Aquarelle? I think we are going to need to get one. :-)

[elemimele]

... also keep tomatoes away from anywhere where you've had potatoes. The worst tomato blight I've ever seen was when I stupidly planted out-door tomatoes in a spot that had been potatoes the previous year, and both years were cool moist blight-friendly years. It was a catastrophe.

[Aquarelle]

Maggie, the tondeuse  I have is;

Make; Tigara

Model:  TG/30/84H 

It's powered by a Briggs and Stratton  Powerbuilt 344cc engine. The battery is 12 volt and it came with a charger that you could attach directly to the machine - only I dropped it and it doesn't work any more but any 12 volt charger will do.

 

It's an Italian make and I bought it simply because the local shop happened to stock them and the rascally gardener we had at the time said, when the previous model gave up the ghost, that his mate had one left on special offer! I can't remember much about the previous one but it was smaller and I think it was a "Best Green." The current machine has 7 heights of cut, which is very useful if the grass gets high and I can't cut it short because it's wet. if you misjudge that you find yourself flat on your stomach with the longest salad servers you can find, pulling out the (enormous) mess of wet grass. I have learnt that lesson! Actually another reason why I bought it was totally illogical. I liked the colour. It's a cheerful bright yellow! You need ear muffs when driving it .It came with a grass collecting basket/container thing on the back but I took that off as I have neither the time nor the energy to heave it off when full and I just leave the cuttings to dry up and blow away.  The turning circle is very tight. You can't reverse with the blades in action and it has a safety device so that if you get off or( fall off ) it stops. Like any safety device you have to wait a bit until you can start again. I love it!  I whizz round the garden beheading the dandelions and thinking of bowling greens! Though I have never quite managed to make our garden look like one!

[maggiemay]

Thanks very much, Aquarelle. Kind of you to offer so much detail (along with a smile or two!)

Our son has a Stiga - it’s a bit like a bucking bronco on their slightly rough land!

[Hedgehog]

Can't keep up with this watering lark! I could do with a good thunderstorm and lashings of rain overnight, and then we'll have the sunshine back again tomorrow ... is that too much to ask?!

[Misterioso]

What happened to the summer? 

[Maizie]

Too hot for me here.  28C in the shade with the sensor going up to 41C when I sat it in the sunshine to see what would happen!

Going in to the office tomorrow just for the air conditioning (the nearby, can-drive-to-it office; not the 1.5 hours on London Underground office!!)

[stetenorve]

Enjoyed picking and eating the first tomato (Sungold) from one of the greenhouses at work this week!

[mel2]

Well done -my tomatoes are rubbish, but they are outside in raised beds.
Beans are slow, pak choi and rocket has bolted but the cavolo nero is set fair and am enjoying a good crop of mange-tout.

[Aquarelle]

Well, it's autumn and time for tidying the garden. I have done what I hope is the last mow and am intending to get the lawn tractor serviced so as to be ready for the spring. Today I have cut the lower branches of the kaki tree - I think it's called persimone in English - not sure. The fruit is heavy and abundant so the branches had drooped  too low to get the lawn tractor under and I could no longer park the car in the shade of this tree - it's a very convenient spot, close to the house.

 

I have now to get the grinder repaired - it's electric and won't switch on so the pile of vegetable rubbish on the patio is getting rather large and if I can't get the grinder mended quickly the  pile will have to be loaded into the old car and taken to the rubbish dump. My composter needs attention and I have a lot of shrubs and trees that need to be cut - perhaps during the Toussaint holiday in three week's time.

 

I still have a few dahlias and asters in the border near the house and one brave little yellow rose. I need to get a professional to come in and cut the plane trees as that job is too big for me. Then I will install the winter bird feeders.

 

The fig tree has smaller figs than usual and there are fewer insects eating them. That may be an advantage for us but I am concerned about the lack of insects as it's another blow to biodiversity. There have been very few butterflies and I have only seen two ladybirds this year - though  I did once  see two glow worms when taking the dog out for her  last trip  of the evening and I haven't seen any  of those for a long time. I haven't seen any hedgehogs either but there must be at least one as there are little "parcels" on the patio some mornings. Little  Toad is still around but Big Toad has disappeared. I think he may have reached the end of his life span as he has been around for a number of years.

 

Does anyone know which is the best kind of hedge to plant to encourage the birds to nest? We have fewer and fewer birds, which is sad and I'd like to do my bit to encourage them.

 

How is everyone else doing with their autumn gardening?

[chris13]

Birds seem to like our beech hedges and a dwarf pine tree we have in the garden. One year I was surprised to find a nest used by a wren in a well established and therefore bushy clematis "Montana". We try to attract birds by a permanent supply of sunflower seeds and fat balls.

 

My present task in the garden is to trim the beech hedges which I start in September to avoid disturbing nesting birds and which will go on for six or seven weeks. Last year I was still mowing the lawn until November.

[Aquarelle]

Thank you Chris. I now need to look up the French for "beech" and see if I can find any anywhere.

[mel2]

Thank you Chris. I now need to look up the French for "beech" and see if I can find any anywhere.

You would do netter using botanical Latin, which for beech, would be 'fagus' something or other.
Have decided that overhanging trees and lack of watering (mea culpa) is the reason for our indifferent edibles.
OH plans to turn the raised boxes round 90 deg and cut back overhanging branches.
Also, a vast new water tank must be acquired in addition to existing water butts.
Yesterday planted up window box for spring. Also planted Narcissus Sun Disc, some Leucojum Summer Snowflake and a colchicum.
*Ssh! Nursing a secret ambition to grow exhibition chrysanthemums and enjoy pottering with my collection.*

[maggiemay]

Thank you Chris. I now need to look up the French for "beech" and see if I can find any anywhere.

Hetre (with a circumflex over the first ‘e’.
Try your local Gamm Vert -

:-D