General Chat

Morning all,

Lovely morning once again, I could get used to this. its 20 degrees here and pc says mostly sunny. Its supposed to go up to 25 degrees today so I shan't be out in the garden if it does. Although I may go and cut some more of the Albertine roase down which will be in the shade of the bungalow by this afternoon.

Good morning all 9 degrees already and a lovely sunny morning. I bet I am not the only one wishing that we had had an overnight shower of rain, it feels really early to have started having to water some of the plants in the garden.

Ann yes I was pleased that Jake had not been here before he had the bug, although he doesn't come into the house and we don'e have any contact. I assume it is the result of employing a father of four young children. Hopefully he will be ok on Friday.

Mandy you will have a load of lovely vegetables in the summer to share with your family. Is the new outside cupboard finished now?

Vera I am pleased for your OH that the op went OK. Had to chuckle over the reluctant shopper buying just one small thing. You will be fine when the time ecentually comes that shopping is done via the bus. I am often, like many other ladies my age I see, loaded with bags on the journey home.

I remembered, when round getting my prescription yesterday, to call in and ask the optician when my next check up was due. She said, 'last February, we contacted you'. Now, they usually contact me by email so I know they didn't. anyway, no problem, I have an appointment on the 14th.

Hair dresser today at 1pm.

That's good the op went OK Vera ,yes Max is a character he knows just how to get round you with his puppy dog eyes ,he's brought all sorts in from the garden ,if he comes rushing in I know he has something and if I take no notice he barks as if to say come and see mum I have something lol

Colin has drops for dry eyes ,we get them in spec savers .

Glad the surgery went well for your oh Vera. It was so nice of your neighbours to take you both and it gave you a bit of company while he was having it done. When my oh had a new lens in his eye I went round the garden centre and he got a nurse to ring me from the hospital to say he was ready to be picked up.

I did'nt know you could get eye drops for dry eye.

Good evening everyone

A bit more of a breeze than yesterday but another really beautiful day

Mandy is right – we do like the compost from Roy’s but I think it may be peat free. We just buy the multi-purpose one and it doesn’t actually say peat free on the bag but it says with added Gro-Boost (whatever that may be) and on the back of the bag it says that in order to protect the environment Roys have added peat free materials such as timber and PS100 green compost which have all been through a vigorous shredding and screening process. They are a reputable company and I am sure they wouldn’t risk breaking the law by having peat in their general compost.

It's annoying that Jake couldn’t come today AnnG, but better that he stays away if he’s got a bug.

Mandy, I hope Colin’s glaucoma results are good. You were there for a long while. I did have to smile at Max bringing in the tube from the beans. He’s a bit of a character isn’t he, I like dogs like that.

It sounds as though your eye test went well Annx and good news that you don’t need a change of glasses. I’ve been using those dry eye drops for 3 or 4 years now. The ones recommended for me are Hycosan Extra and I’m supposed to use them 3 times a day. I’ve been told by the chemist and by a nurse at the eye clinic that they can be prescribed for me but, although I’ve mentioned it at the hospital a couple of times, the prescription never seems to get written. They are about £12 a bottle and these things all add up. Boots sometimes have an offer on them of “buy one, get second one half price” so I generally get a couple of bottles then.

Oh ‘s cataract surgery went very well. We’ve had some soup and he’s now snoozing on the couch, though I will have to wake him soon or he won’t sleep tonight. I traipsed round the shops with our neighbours though all I bought was a small birthday gift for one of our friends.

I’m going to have to move from this computer. The sun is shining through the window directly on to me and I’m melting. Time for a cold drink I think. Sleep well tonight everyone.

Well I don't know how they get round it but it's nice compost ,we've had it since well before covid

I think Colin said if there's anything wrong he will hear in the next couple of weeks .

Hope all has gone well with OH's op Vera and that he's a good patient :-)

I planted the odd runners we had left in a small tub ,Max the little terror came in with the cardboard tube I had planted the beans in and plenty of the soil attached so I've just put some old wire shelves that were from the old greenhouse round the tub hopefully he'll not be able to pull anymore out , he may be nine but he still has the puppy devil in him :-D

Afternoon All,

Another glorious sunny day and a pair of Red Kites are circling over the field, but a Crow has been hassling them. They get so close to them as well.

I hate the peat free compost as it seems worse than just using the soil out of the garden. I must admit I wondered why the plants we buy still look so healthy and now I know why.

That's another delay from Jake AnnG, but better than him bringing you a tummy bug! I was let down by the flooring man yesterday who didn't phone as he promised he would. I contacted him this morning and he's coming tomorrow afternoon now.

Mandy I hope Colin's glaucoma results will be good. I was at Boots for an eye test this morning and there's no change in my cataracts and they said my eyesight is actually very good, even though I don't think it is. They suggested my eyes seem dry though and I should use eyedrops when they get blurry in the afternoon. At least I don't need new glasses so LESS EXPENSE for a change and I needn't worry about losing my driving licence because of my eyesight. OH had a good walk around the other shops while he waited for me and bought some cards at W H Smith which we thought had closed by now.

I can't imagine having no electric and even if you didn't have an electric car the petrol pumps wouldn't work would they.

Vera I hope your OH's cataract surgery is done and went well. It was good of your neighbours to take you, even if it means going round the shops. You will probably find something to buy anyway, and it has saved you worrying about driving yourself.

Better get on and get something done now!

But Mandy the thing is it is illegal for them to sell anything with peat in it at all so I wonder how they are getting around that.

Hope all is ok when colin gets the result anyway, wonder how long he will heve to wait.

We had a long wait this morning for Colin's check for Glocoma, it says you could be up to an hour for the appointment in the letter but we were there nearly two hours ,anyway just got to wait now if there's anything wrong they'll get in touch if not it could be another six or nine months before he needs to be checked again .

This compost is a mixture of peat and peat free after reading on line but it's not all fibrey like some that dry out and nothing grows in it , most say peat free on the front of the bag but this doesn't ,its a nice dark compost.

I was supposed to have Jake here today but he has a stomach bug so hopefully will be here Friday now. I have given up being surprised when he cancels now!! I just walked round to get my prescription as I wanted to know if it was the last one in the annual pathway, which it was So, after I get back from daughters I need to make an appointment for a blood test

Mel yes you are correct, I am pretty sure that professional growers were exempt from the ban.

But I assume you are looking on line Mel, Mandy was in the shop.

I can't see any potting compost on Roys with peat in!

So does that mean that garden centres and growers are still able to use peat in their compost? No wonder their plants do better than ours who buy the peat free.

Mandy how can Roys sale none peat free compost?

" it is no longer legal to sell peat-based compost to amateur gardeners in the UK. The UK government has banned the sale of peat-based compost in the retail sector starting in 2024. While some peat-containing products are exempt until 2030, the ban for amateur gardeners has been enforced since 2024."

Morning all,

Nice sunny morning and we're off later for Colins eye appointment so it's a morning of waiting to go so can't really get on with anything .
Anng we like Roys compost as its not peat free like all the others ,I think Vera likes that one too.

Looks like chaos in Spain and Portugal with no power makes you wonder whats going on there .

Morning Anng and all,

another bright sunny morning here and at the mo its 11 degrees. Don't ache too much from gardening so may do a bit more today.

Must get my coffee.

Good morning all. sunny and 8 degrees here now. Up early as I slept well and didn't want to go back to sleep. Jake is coming this morning to finish off the small job they started last week when they got rid of all the old pots etc. He will be on his own today. Other than that nothing planned. Strange though even when there appears to be nothing needing doing the time flies when the weather is fine and I can just potter in and out of the garden.

Vera, I hope all goes well for your OH today with his cataract op. So kind of your friends to take you both.
I do have some clothes that are much older than others which is why I have been hard on myself clearing the wardrobes. But even now there are 6 pairs of black trousers that all fit me in the spare wardrobe. Why I have that many I don't know. Most of them are casual styles, only a few really smart ones.
My problem is opposite to yours, I really like shopping hence the overflowing wardobes. I have one more small wardrobe to tackle, one with shelves not rails, so sweaters, long sleeved tee shirts and summer tee shirts.

Mandy, you had a good spend up in roys, good to be able to get all the compost you need in one go. And to have somebody to be able to carry it to the car and into your garden. I do miss those days. Nowadays I have to get a bag as and when daughter is here, unless I buy the very small bags when at garden centres with friends. Luckilt I do have my own compost to boost the shop stuff. Still not happy with peat free compost.
My hanging baskets will have to wait until after I get back from daughters the beginning of June I think. Unless I get an offer to go to a garden centre before I go.

Evening all,

Its been really hot here today ,we went to roys first thing for compost and I did wonder if we would get any as everyone seems to buy it up on a weekend but there was a few bags left and we managed to lift four onto the trolley ,we also needed some slug gel I like that one as its pet friendly ,a padlock for the new box ,some treats for max and I bought some peas to plant in a couple of tubs and that was fifty pound gone .
I pricked out some marigold seedling, Cosmos and Calendula and planted up four hanging baskets and got them on the brackets on the gazebo .

Vera I hope all goes well for OH's cataract op tomorrow ,its very kind of your neighbours to take you both but I know both you and your OH would do the same for them if needed .

Colin has his check up for his eyes tomorrow so we're just off to bed now we're both tired .

Evening ladies

What a beautiful day it has been. I think the temp. got to about 21. I didn't have much time to spend outside but at least 4 loads of washing got dried in record time.

I did get some sleep last night and, although I still have pain in my head and one eye, I don't feel so exhausted and have managed to get on with some jobs.

You put me to shame Mel as you seem to work so hard in your garden and I've had enough after half an hour. I don't know how you manage to keep going but I admire you for it. The chickens must love it when you work like that and they get a barrow load of treats.

I hope your will became clearer on another read through Gwyn. Legal language can be a bit convoluted sometimes but I suppose the solicitors have to dot every i and cross every t.

Your eye test appointment has come up very quickly Annx. I hope OH's scan results come through quickly too. Waiting for results can cause so much anxiety. From all you have said recently, he seems to be doing very well considering all he has been through.

You've been busy going through al your clothes AnnG. I need to do that soon but if I turf out all my old stuff I'll have nothing left to wear!! I'm still wearing tops and shirts that are well over 20 years old. I really do need some new stuff and there's no reason why I shouldn't spend a bit of money on myself but I really hate shopping for me and get quite despondent. I never seem to find anything that fits me and is in a style I like. Perhaps I'm just hard to please.

OH has his first cataract being done tomorrow. I think I mentioned our neighbours are kindly taking us. We're going early and having a snack in Dunelm which isn't far from the clinic, then we'll drop OH off and go for a wander round the shops for a couple of hours before picking him up again to come home. You can imagine how much I will love going round the shops but I will put a smile on my face and be nice as it is so kind of our neighbours to give up most of the day to take us. It's a relief to me not to have to drive back just in case my eyes are a bit iffy.

I'm at the computer upstairs and I haven't heard a single sound from downstairs for some while. What's the betting that OH has opened his book and dozed right off over it. I'd better go and investigate. I hope you all sleep well tonight.

DONE IT to the bend where it comes round where I park my car. Gosh I got hot on the last bit but managed a good heaped barrow full and dumped it once again in the chicken run. There lots of daddy longlegs grubs in it and they like those.I just came in for a coffee and think I may have another one now! Think I will cool off with maybe an online jigsaw like Ann or a game of cards.