Yawn Yawn Wakey Wakey 2024

@Tui34 some of those people are here and some have changed their names. Jacqui in Paris is @Jacquiscrap and @Valley Gardener are here.

We enjoyed lunch with friends. Feel a bit sleepy, must be the red wine. Really ought to go and sow my runner beans.

 

@redstar
that’s why I’ve set two traps

 

Afternoon all. Been doing spring jobs today. Got the garden chairs out of the garage and changed the curtains in the sitting room for lighter summer ones. Also dead headed the blue bells and dug out raspberry runners. (Why do they never tell you about the problems with runners when discussing how to grow raspberries??). I only grow 'autumn fruiting' raspberries but they are already showing a lot of flower buds. Usually start picking at the beginning of July - which is definitely not autumn!

@redstar - had a look at the B&B in Oregon. It looks like an interesting place to stay. Anywhere with views, open fires and lots of books ticks many boxes for me.

@Dovefromabove - the wildlife have been having fun here too. The box is being completely decimated by box caterpillars (think they all hatched in the warmth you had last week while we were away). Last night I sprayed it all with XenTari which is a species specific insecticide (don't use pesticides normally) and which my Sis in law highly recommended. Fingers crossed it works and fingers crossed it really is species specific. Apparently nothing in the UK eats the caterpillars so the pesticide doesn't enter the food chain.

The slugs & snails have been munching clematis and lupins and much else besides.

Something has been nipping the new growth tips off all the roses. Don't think it's muntjac this time as there are no tell-tale footprints and droppings and no sign of aphids. That could be pigeons I suppose (certainly plenty around fornicating all over the place...). Do Brians or thlugs eat rose tips? Maybe it's them. Most roses are also affected with sawfly

@Dovefromabove - you know my views on mice after the damage they did to our motorhome engine. I quite agree that snap traps are a quick and relatively humane way of dealing with the problem.

Your slugs and snails are living the high life - Norfolk Nog indeed!!! I can assure you they are just as tempted by Aldi's cheapest 75p a can!

 

Ah yes @Busy-Lizzie I remember we had her on about her new name!! I hope @Valley Gardener will post some of his lovely artwork.

 

Not up with the larks at all. Talking to people I’ve known for some time. Ordered from my favourite grill takeaway. What they do I don’t know but it’s delicious. Poured a large drink and off to search home for my cat.

 

I wasn’t going to brave a norwich supermarket on a Saturday morning @Topbird .., I drove OH to work at Notcutt’s so chose from their wide selection ;)

 

Evening folks.

All this creepy crawly plant damage is making me nervous for sweet pea planting planned for tomorrow!

My niece was lovely entertainment this afternoon. We’ve sown a mini flower patch in an up-cycled wooden crate with some of my free seed packets (with a magazine) - pink and mauve theme. Might be a tad late but they said March to May so going for it!

Have a pleasant evening all.

 

They'll be fine @AuntyRach - maybe a bit later but I'm sure they'll be there.

 

Got the mouse
Sitting down here we heard the trap snap shut and that was it …hopefully that’s the lot … but I’ve rebaited the trap and put it back in place.

 

Dove.

Now you just need to work out how the little beggar got in....

 

@Topbird WonkyWomble is looking for a new car … a garage chap she knows said he has one with extremely low mileage for its year, one careful elderly owner … just the sort she needs and very very reasonably priced.
On closer enquiry it turns out that it’s had a mouse in the engine eating the electrics and he’s trying to repair it … she’s saying
‘Thanks, but no thanks!’

 

A nun who only drove it to mass on a Sunday?

 

@Dovefromabove - Wonky is definitely doing the right thing. We had photos of the inside of our engine after the mechanics took everything to bits. Loads of swarf / chaff everywhere.

As he said - "That's only what we can see - who knows what's gone through the rest of the engine?"

Without stripping everything down (mega mega bucks) it was impossible to determine the full extent of the damage. He repaired it, but his advice was to sell the vehicle on PDQ - which is what we did. Hopefully the new owners had no further problems, but I could never have trusted it again.

 

Evening all, a nice sunny day again - I could get used to this. We had an enjoyable lunch at a pub with our friends, watching the canal boats go to and fro. I stopped off at a GC we go past on the way home to specifically look for a particular Deutzia which was advertised a month or so ago.
No luck - and that's the third GC I've tried which is weird. I don't really want to buy one online as the postage cost is so high so I'll keep looking.
Good you caught the mouse @Dovefromabove, hopefully there won't be any more. Great shame about your runner beans though, I'm getting quite nervous about planting ours out soon and I really must sow the dwarf French beans. The trouble is that there is so much to do!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks.

 

Good evening everyone. It has been a marvellous day here and I have had a real sort out in the greenhouse. All the tomatoes are now in their permanent places with suitable cane supports. The cucumbers are not quite ready yet and I'm taking some across to Jack (ex cat sitter) tomorrow. I gave him his tomatoes a couple of weeks back.
Working my way back through all the new posts and I was sorry to read @steephill that things are not going well on your holiday. At least the medical treatment you have received meets with your approval.
@redstar you certainly have got everything sorted - respect to you!
Fingers crossed you have now sorted the mouse problem @Dovefromabove. When the stables - one door up from me - was fully active I used to get rats in my garden. Not in the house thank goodness but now that the owner has passed away and the stables are no longer used the rat problem has disappeared. I often see a kestrel hovering over the field at the bottom of my garden and hope he/she is keeping the small rodent population down.
@Topbird, I remember well all the hassle a mouse caused you!
@Busy-Lizzie, it sounds as though your meal was most convivial. Did you get your runner beans planted?
@AuntyRach, you do well to worry about your sweet peas. I planted mine out yesterday and lo and behold but they have been well nibbled already.
@Rosie loves nature, hope you found Alfie. He'll have a sneaky hideaway somewhere.