General Chat

But what I was trying to say Mel was there were several in both mauve and pink that were identical to each other and you would only know what they were if you were an expert or had the labels. I believe some are also identified by the shape of their leaves.

I said I would tell you the names of mine. The tall one is Chequers and the dwarf is Alice Haslam. They do also have species names of course.

Yes Anng I do know that but Ann sent me a pic of one once and it was just like mine.

Can't seem to get going today but I must.

Mel there are lots of different types of pink asters both single and double, big and small.

Morning all,

Bit cloudier today but still bright if you know what I mean and its 12 degrees and pc says sunny so lets hope so for the rest of the day.

Ann was that the same pink aster that I have blooms about now? I tried to dig a bit of it out last year to put up the border but as its on the rockery bit outside the kitchen window I did'nt have much luck. Its right next to a mini rose that I bought for mum years ago.

No still in a mess but got another big bag full of stuff to go.

Shower packed up for good yesterday so thats something else that needs fixing.

Morning All,

It's 11 degrees here and felt chilly outside. OH has set off for the hospital and I will go to the garden centre next as it opens at 9am. We might go to the carvery today as we should still be back from there in good time for our jabs this afternoon. My headache has gone now so I must get back to drinking more water than I have this week.

I think you are right about standing AnnG as I find my knees are worse quicker with standing than with walking. Best get moving now!

good morning all. feels chilly with no heating on 9 degrees and very grey looking. hopefully the sun will come out later. Nothing planned for today, about the only day this week and next that I can say that. Better do a bit of gardening then.
Vera I do think standing still for a long time is worse than walking for your back. Yes so many colours and shades of colours and the ones that surprised me were the very tiny one in like sprays up tall stems, they would be lovely planted among grasses. However I am not sure they will be good if we get too many summers like this last one as they must not be allowed to dry out.
One of our group spoke to a couple who come over to this side of the country every year from Kent especially to visit this little garden and nursery. They do mail order too which is interesting.

Ann pleased that other half has his op date it will be good to get that out of the way.
And good that the art class was good too.
Mel I had quite a few Red admirals, a small number of a very small blue, lots of whites a couple of small tortoiseshell and a couple that flitted by and I didn't catch what they were. However there are usually a lot of peacocks on the Buddleias and I didn't see one this year.

Evening All,

It feels quite chilly now but the PC says 16.

The Michaelmas daisies are lovely colours AnnG. I lost my favourite one that had travelled from house to house with me. It was a tall one and deep pink with a yellow centre. I must see if I can find a photo. I might pop again to the village garden centre tomorrow and see if they have had any in since I last went. The talk sounds as if it was good.

I look forward to seeing the Owl with the cute sneakers Mandy! :-) Yes It was Izal scratchy paper wasn't it. Everything was stamped with things like HMSO at work, probably so no-one would steal things. Not the pens though, they were the cheapest you could get I think and when I started, you hung onto your pen for dear life as they had a habit of disappearing. You had to hand in your pen that had run out to get a new one then or questions would be asked!

Yes, OH will be glad to get his Hernia done. Unlike last time this will be done with keyhole surgery so hopefully should heal more quickly. I doubt he'll take it easy though Vera. Last time he took a week off work, then a week's leave in which he worked from home and was then driving long distances just to get to work, although he cut other travel in his job for a little while. He has to go back to the hospital in the morning for blood tests, another 40 miles. Apparently the 'blood van' had already left when he went the other day. It's costly having to keep doing these journeys for some though and how will we cope when we no longer drive. Yes watch your back and ease off a bit till it feels better.

The art class was good and was mostly drawing this week although he said we could then add paint if we wanted to. I think I might make a mess of mine if I add paint though, especially if the colour isn't right, but I will see what I think tomorrow. Just 2 others are new to portrait painting. I am liking that there is a lot of tweaking to adjust the likeness as I like detail.

I think we've had less butterflies than usual this year Mel, but I didn't grow the single french marigolds this year that they love. I haven't seen a single Red Admiral this year. Good idea to get the bin filled if you can. You must be gaining some space now.

I felt a bit off and headachey earlier which is a nuisance as we have our jabs later tomorrow. I had to search for our covid tests in case I need to do one in the morning but after a glass of water I feel better so it might be dehydration. I know the last few days I haven't drunk as much.

I did a lap of the park early this morning and was surprised 4 teenage boys were sitting on one of the benches and looking guilty! It was right at the top of the park and they should have been at school by then and the only schools nearby are primary schools. I did wonder if they were bunking off for the day.

Thanks for Anng's pics Ann. They are lovely and a welcome splash of colour in the autumn.

I have been trying to clear some stuff out of the lounge.

Its bin day tomorrow so I wanted to get the bin full.

Ann, thanks for sending on the photos from AnnG. The plants do look pretty and I hadn’t realised they came in so many shades. I’ve seen them in pale pink and various shades of mauve and purple but I don’t think I’ve seen that deep pink before. We have in bloom at the moment several clumps of asters, which are the same sort of flower. Mine are all a deep purple and look great against the gold of rudbeckia and the paler yellow of some argyranthemum. They really cheer the garden up at this time of year. In fact the garden’s not bad at all at the moment. The two choisya plants are having a second blooming, the hawthorn and the crab apple are both weighed down with fruit and the gaura plants all perked up after some rain, including a delicate looking white one that seems to be reaching for the sky and is growing up into the crab apple tree.

I didn’t get any gardening done today as my back hasn’t been too good. I had stood ironing for over an hour and then stood chatting to a neighbour. She hasn’t been well and I think she is a bit lonely so I try and make time for her. She wouldn’t come in so we stood outside for best part of an hour and standing is the worst thing for my back.

It’s good that OH has a date for his hernia op, Ann. He will have to be careful for a while afterwards but it will be a good job done. Did you enjoy the new art class?

How’s all the sorting out going Mel? You are right to think you don’t get called for a mammogram after the age of 71 but you can request to be screened. I haven’t done so as I am not at any particular risk. You’re lucky to have seen so many butterflies this year. Early on we saw quite a few tortoiseshells on the scabious and there have been plenty of whites but we’ve only seen a couple of peacocks and red admirals. We usually see plenty of those on the budleias.

Mandy, I can just imagine the owl in his little sneakers. I hope you’re going to send us a picture.

Lamb casserole tonight. It’s all prepared but I had better go and switch the oven on or we won’t be eating till late.

The talk today was excellent it was Professor Collywobbles with his punch and Judy show. He actually told us the history of punch and Judy and then did a short show. he was excellent and everyone was joining in, singing we do like to be beside the seaside and answering his questions. really good. And very funny.

I got a tall deep purple with a very yellow centre and a dwarf pink. I will check the names later.

Oh thanks Ann for sending Anng's photos ,they do look pretty Anng .

Morning all,

12 degrees here and cloudy.

Anng what colour Michealmas daisies did you get ,I didn't know there was so many different ones they must have looked a picture .

Ann that toilet roll was Izal or something like that ,I hope the print didn't come off that toilet paper , or you could have had Crown Property printed on your nether regions :-D
That's good OH doesn't have to long to wait for his op ,is it in and out the same day .
The little sneakers aren't for Maisie they are for the Owl ,they looked so cute I just had to knit them to see how they looked .

We haven't had many butterflies this year and not to many wasps either, I did hang the wasp traps out with some marmalade in them but it's been mainly flies in them and don't they smell when you empty them .

Gone over really dull now ,not sure what to do today might give the garden a miss today as my back is a bit twingy from yesterday .

Other people have asked me if I have seen many butterflies this year and I have. There have been tortoishells, fratilleries, small white, peacocks and brimstones to name but a few. Even peope in Shebear have asked me. I have also had a lot of moths and big ones at that as well as small ones.

I had a visit from the long tailed tits the day before yesterday when I drove down in the car they were all on the feeder about 7 of them. Always pleased to see those but I do hear them about in the garden and see them fly from the fir trees over the back to the trees up the side on the east side.

Percy pigeon seems to be feeding three quabs and I have never seen him with three before just the normal two. Mrs Percy must have laid an extra egg so now wonder he has been asking for corn a lot. He sees me out on the patio and flies onto the roof to get my attention. They are knwing little things. Its like Phil Pheseant always turns up at feeding times of the chickens to get his share.

good morning all

9 degrees here and, like previous morning mist feeling and autumnal. I hope the early autumn weather does not mean a long hard winter.

Yes the michaelmas daisies were beautiful I knew you could get several colours but not how many colours from deep red through purple and mauves to pinks and whites. But I also didn;t know there were so many different sizes from quite large flowers to really tiny ones like buttons only a fraction more than a centimetre in diameter. and single rows of petal to double and quite puffy flowers.
No I didn't see a single butterfly but then I have not seen many at all this year. I did see a lot of bees on them and on the other flowers as well.

Morning all,

Hazy blue sky here and pc says, There will be mostly sunny skies. The high will be 20,
Its 9 at the mo.

More sorting today I think as tomorrow its bin day.

Hope you all slept well and have woken up bright and breezey, wide eyed and bushy tailed. :-D

WE have a mobile mammogram unit that parks in one of the car parks in Hosworthy. The step are quite steep up to the unit so be careful and take it slow.

I think I should make a booking for the next time the van comes as they say you are not called after a certain age.

See you all inthe morning.

Yes, it's a shame to lose good workmen. I asked him what he would be doing after he's retired and he said he does a lot of woodwork and showed us one of the pens he makes. It was one made in Olive wood and had beautiful markings with the grain of the wood. He makes bowls too and puts a coin with the person's year of birth set into the base. He also makes skeleton clocks. He rents a shelf in our village garden centre and at another small newish garden centre near the quarry that we haven't been to yet to sell them and hopes to do some craft fairs. He said his business is really taking a hit and work has dropped by 2/3in the last 12 months with people trying to save money.

Greaseproof paper was a good idea Mel and I do have an old roll of it, but I put my hands straight on a pad of tracing paper in the cupboard above me, so that was good. I really don't know what we will do in the first lesson, but the teacher has sent us photos of 12 faces and said if we want to sketch one out today ready, to do so. It sounds much like the Landscape class in that respect. I thought we would be shown how to go about it, but 2 other people who have introduced themselves have done his portrait class before. I'm sure he will give us resources and videos to watch so, like with the landscape class, I think I will just listen and jot down a few notes tomorrow and attempt my portrait afterwards!

I can remember also using that thin tissue toilet paper as tracing paper as a child Vera.........remember that scratchy stuff? We had that sort when I started inthe Civil Service and every sheet had something like 'Crown Property' printed on it! Same with all our notebooks. You certainly have made up for sitting yesterday! We said how tired we felt last night. No we didn't make it to the carvery as we both forgot about OH's appointment at the hospital till he looked in his diary at bedtime and it would have been a 40 mile trip between the carvery and hospital. He's home again now and has the date for his operation next month, which is only 5 months from when he saw the doctor. Apparently if he had chosen to go to the main city hospital for his first appointment it would have been a 14 month wait instead. I hope your OH's MRI scan on Thursday is speedy and it's a good idea to pop in Dobbies after and then to your friend's. As you say it might be a bit much to go to the theatre as well.

AnnG I would have loved seeing all those Michaelmas daisies and would have come home with some as well. Were there butterflies on them?

Mandy it sounds like Maisie will soon be finished now she is getting her stuffing and her little sneakers sound lovely! I bet you were pleased to get the fat quarters from Aldi before they sold out. Things like that are so popular they soon go. Some of their bargain wool too ready to make some more animals.

I didn't know that about the post Mel, I must tell OH. As you say why do they have to keep changing things. Our Asda orders always say in the morning on the day of the delivery that they are being processed. I've just assumed our orders aren't picked till then being as they are afternoon deliveries.

A surprise when I booked my mammogram today. Instead of driving a 16 miles round trip to the hospital and paying parking, they now have a mobile unit that calls and parks up at a supermarket carpark a mile away, so free parking and less fuel and time saved as well. It should save me about £7. :-)

That was a good day out, bit of an inconvenient start as the way we were supposed to go was blocked by an incident, the police came through and advised us all to turn round and that meant going the long way round, It was ok on the way back and the journey there was through lovely scenery with a view of the Malverns in sunshine, beautiful. It ended up being a warm sunny day (20 degrees now) but it was quite shilly when I left at 9 degrees so I had about 4 layers on. And subsequently was quite warm.
Picton Garden at Old court nurseries is situated at Colwall not far from Ledbury.The garden is 1.5 acres and is very compact superbly stocked and very pretty. there is no cafe but not far down the road is a local cafe that was very good. They are not open every day except in September and October. They are home to the National collection of Michaelmas Daisies and I have never seen so many sizes and colours. there are, apparently more than 430 varieties and I came home with two of them. There five groups,European Asters, New York Asters, New England Asters Small flowered and other species. The nursery has specialised in michaelmas daisies since 1907. The garden was a mass of colour and doesn't seem to have suffered from the hot weather, it was a really peaceful garden to walk around, we walked in smaller groups but there were nine of us altogether but only 6 of us stopped at the cafe for lunch and a chat. I took photos on my camera but I did take a few on my phone so will send a few of those later.

Vera hope OH's MRI went ok and that you got to Dobbies and also to your tea party. I think we all needed some sort of relaxation today after yesterday. We all said how tired we were after watching TV all day.

Mandy good that you got you fat quarters and some wool. That will keep you busy.

Ann, aggravating when those workers we rely on retire isn't it? We have had it happen more than once in the past. Hope you can find somebody as reliable. They seem to be few and far between these days and have a different attitude to the old workers.

Mel, hope your order eventually turns up.

15 degrees here but no sun and hardly any wind so all the washing I have done this morning is just hanging there. I have also given the bathroom and en-suite upstairs a mini spring clean and cleaned all the upstairs windows. Now I am shattered.

I was trying to make up for doing nothing yesterday. Like most people I was glued to the television all day. It was certainly a moving and memorable occasion. I'm glad the Royals are getting a few days off to have some private time to get themselves together after the loss of their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.

Did you and OH go to the carvery today Ann? I hope the art class is good tomorrow. Mel suggested greaseproof paper if you can't find your tracing paper. I remember using that for the children when they were young but you might be lucky to find any these days. It's all that brown baking parchment now.

I hope you enjoy your trip out AnnG. You'll have to let us know what you think of Picton Gardens.

I want to try and get a bit more cleaning done tomorrow and a bit of gardening if possible as Thursday is a busy day in other ways. OH has another MRI scan late morning and I usually go as well just in case he doesn't want to drive home. There's a Dobbies not too far from the hospital and he wants to go there and look for some tool he has seen that he thinks will be useful. We'll have to get a bit of lunch as well so I hope they aren't busy as I am supposed to be at a friend's house at 2.30 pm for tea and cake. OH can drop me there on the way home from Dobbies and my friend M will be there so I am hoping she can drop me home. Our little local theatre is also showing a live screening of Much Ado About Nothing from the National Theatre and I would like to go to that but I haven't ordered tickets as I think it will be too much of a rush. It starts at 7 pm and we would need to be there well before that if we want to get a parking place.

I've got a fairly easy dinner tonight. I'll stir fry lots of different bits of veg and throw in some cold pork cut into thin strips till it's properly heated through. I'll probably do some noodles with it. It's strange that I can't eat pasta but I have no problem with noodles.