theweatheroutlook

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NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
24 December 2023 10:14:35
Fortunately in the UK we have dozens of fig varieties that set fruit without any such pollination. And because our figs are ‘parthenocarpic’ this also makes them seedless and are the more luscious for it. Says Bob Flowerdew.
Otherwise vegetarians might struggle at times.
https://hartley-botanic.co.uk/magazine/figs-fine-fresh-fruits/#:~:text=Fortunately%20in%20the%20UK%20we,the%20more%20luscious%20for%20it .
 
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
+1
NMA
  • NMA
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24 December 2023 10:16:24
No daffs flowering here yet and only just poking out of the gravel. Saw a dandelion flower yesterday though on the cliff.
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
Roger Parsons
24 December 2023 10:27:49

Fortunately in the UK we have dozens of fig varieties that set fruit without any such pollination. And because our figs are ‘parthenocarpic’ this also makes them seedless and are the more luscious for it. Says Bob Flowerdew.
Otherwise vegetarians might struggle at times.
https://hartley-botanic.co.uk/magazine/figs-fine-fresh-fruits/#:~:text=Fortunately%20in%20the%20UK%20we,the%20more%20luscious%20for%20it .
 

Originally Posted by: NMA 

That may well be true for now, but..... 😁
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
NMA
  • NMA
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24 December 2023 11:07:14

That may well be true for now, but..... 😁

Originally Posted by: Roger Parsons 


I thought as much Roger... and these as well 🦂
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
DEW
  • DEW
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24 December 2023 11:21:18

No daffs flowering here yet and only just poking out of the gravel. Saw a dandelion flower yesterday though on the cliff.

Originally Posted by: NMA 


It takes a lot to keep a dandelion from flowering - and groundsel, too.

Dandelions here poking their heads up and showing the beginnings of buds. Ceanothus in the back garden with a few sprigs in bloom - only about 5 months early!
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
24 December 2023 12:11:31
We used to make "musical instruments" from dandelion stalks, nipping one end to make a double-reed like an oboe plus a few holes to give a selection of notes. We had no smartphones, so we had to make do! 🤣
The Four Yorkshiremen Sketch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k 
 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
24 December 2023 12:39:00
Remember 'smoking' cow parsley dried stems? Not to be mixed up with hemlock of course.
Used to be able to get screech out of grass stems held between your fingers and blown. Musical meadows. Bliss.
Not to be confused with Pan Pipes made from Norfolk Reed. Never tried those though.
Or how about? https://scrollforinitiative.com/2023/04/18/the-complete-guide-to-dds-musical-instruments/#:~:text=Wargongs%20are%20what%20you%20think,is%20essentially%20a%20Faer%C3%BBnian%20guitar 
I love the dulcimer sound.

And then https://www.gremlinmusic.co.uk/productlist.php?Brand=bagpipes 

Which brings me to Dr Who and some fiendish goblins/gremlins from what I've been told.
If you watch carefully tomorrows Christmas Special  you'll see my niece (Dr Who's Companion's Double) getting into a taxi. 


 
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
Bolty
25 December 2023 14:14:05
Now that that vile wind has dropped and the rain has buggered off for five minutes, I went out into the garden a few minutes ago and interestingly the daffodils, snowdrops and striped squills are sending up shoots. It's a testament to how mild it's really been this month. I've seen it happen in January and February, but never in December. I bet they'll have a shock if we do end up getting a major cold spell later in the winter.
Scott
Blackrod, Lancashire (4 miles south of Chorley) at 156m asl.
My weather station 
+1
Retron
25 December 2023 14:31:02

Now that that vile wind has dropped and the rain has buggered off for five minutes, I went out into the garden a few minutes ago and interestingly the daffodils, snowdrops and striped squills are sending up shoots.

Originally Posted by: Bolty 


Shoots eh? You should see what's happening down in Kent...

Here are a few pics taken just now in my garden:

Not sure what these are - they're in the new bit of land I acquired, and there are tons of them... camomile, maybe?
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g1.jpg 
UserPostedImage

A Christmas rose in the process of unfurling... (floribunda, the bush is at least 40 years old as it was there when we moved in)
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g2.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Daffodils - they look ready to bloom, but it'll be another couple of weeks I reckon:
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g3.jpg 
UserPostedImage

...and a lily (I think - these have been there for as long as I can remember, and are gradually expanding into the lawn...)
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g4.jpg 
UserPostedImage
Leysdown, north Kent
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DEW
  • DEW
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25 December 2023 17:11:53

:

Not sure what these are - they're in the new bit of land I acquired, and there are tons of them... camomile, maybe?
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g1.jpg 
Looks like Feverfew https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanacetum_parthenium 

...and a lily (I think - these have been there for as long as I can remember, and are gradually expanding into the lawn...)
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/g4.jpg 
Maybe a variety of Hosta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosta 

Originally Posted by: Retron 

War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Retron
25 December 2023 17:30:04

Looks like Feverfew

Originally Posted by: DEW 


Thank you for posting - I was hoping someone might know what they were!

I think you're spot on there - the leaves seem to match, and the description says they spread abundantly if left... which they had been. (The extra land I bought was my neighbour's garden, and it had been overgrown for a couple of decades).

Maybe a variety of Hosta

Originally Posted by: DEW 


These are interesting - I remember my mum calling them lilies, or so I thought, but on reflection she was probably talking about the adjacent pond (which did have lilies back in the day - not any more).

The flowers for Hosta look different, so I turned to "AI" - turns out there are a number of services, including on the RHS website, where you upload a photo and it tells you what it is. Both the RHS and a different service came up with:

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

I'll have a look tomorrow and see whether those flowers are on a red stalk. If they are - I think that solves that mystery!
 
Leysdown, north Kent
NMA
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26 December 2023 08:49:48
Feverfew the first (single flower not double) I think. Could probably is golden feverfew? Aureum. 
Middle daff - no idea of variety.
Bergenia most certain. Variety not sure. Flowering time. Autumn/early winter in the South then a further flush in the spring.

Google Lens I've found invaluable identifying shells for an exhibition. But the issue here is Amazon and other marketplaces are usually hopeless when it comes to correct species names. For example this is Amazons way of describing something like a Conch Shell. Large Natural Sea Shells, Huge Ocean Conch 15-16 cm Jumbo Seashells Perfect for Wedding Decor Beach Theme Party, Home Decorations, DIY Crafts, Fish Tank and Shell Collectors. There are at least 60 different species of conch (pronounced “konk”) in our oceans and then each one has a different genetic fingerprint. https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2017/01/research-finds-sea-shells-are-unique-fingerprints 
Not really gardening I suppose...

What other identifying sites could you recommend Darren or anyone please. 
Nick
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
Retron
26 December 2023 09:02:57

Feverfew the first (single flower not double) I think. Could probably is golden feverfew? Aureum.  Bergenia most certain. Variety not sure. Flowering time. Autumn/early winter in the South then a further flush in the spring.
"Large Natural Sea Shells, Huge Ocean Conch 15-16 cm Jumbo Seashells Perfect for Wedding Decor Beach Theme Party, Home Decorations, DIY Crafts, Fish Tank and Shell Collectors."

Originally Posted by: NMA 


I've had a look under those pink flowers, and the stem has a reddish tinge. Bergenia it is, then!

With the shell, what you have there is an example of keyword stuffing - where they put anything that's vaguely relevant in the description in the hope that you'll click on it. It's sadly very common and quite often you pull up things quite different from what you were looking for!


What other identifying sites could you recommend Darren or anyone please. 


The sites I used yesterday were these:

https://identify.plantnet.org/ 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/my-account/identify-plants 

There's also https://www.plant.id/ , but I've not used that yet.

This is a good use of what the media calls "AI" - using algorithms to pick out matches with a massive photo database. (I can imagine in future an expanded version, where you upload a picture of a spotty leaf and it comes back with "This 'Red Robin' photinia bush is afflicted by the Entomosporium mespili fungus. There is no cure, other than removing affected leaves.")
Leysdown, north Kent
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NMA
  • NMA
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26 December 2023 12:54:34

I've had a look under those pink flowers, and the stem has a reddish tinge. Bergenia it is, then!

With the shell, what you have there is an example of keyword stuffing - where they put anything that's vaguely relevant in the description in the hope that you'll click on it. It's sadly very common and quite often you pull up things quite different from what you were looking for!


The sites I used yesterday were these:

https://identify.plantnet.org/ 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/my-account/identify-plants 

There's also https://www.plant.id/ , but I've not used that yet.

This is a good use of what the media calls "AI" - using algorithms to pick out matches with a massive photo database. (I can imagine in future an expanded version, where you upload a picture of a spotty leaf and it comes back with "This 'Red Robin' photinia bush is afflicted by the Entomosporium mespili fungus. There is no cure, other than removing affected leaves.")

Originally Posted by: Retron 


indeed Keyword Stuffing. Makes the seller look stupid too in many cases. Especially when they put Conch, bivalve, cowrie, scallop into the same listing for one species. 
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
+1
StoneCroze
06 January 2024 12:09:50
Front lawns given the first haircut of the year. First day I've been able to walk on them with all this rain. It has been mild so they haven't stopped growing. 

I've already got sweet peppers and chillies sown in heated propagators.
Alderney, Channel Islands. (previously known as Beaufort)
+1
Bertwhistle
06 January 2024 19:54:39

Front lawns given the first haircut of the year. First day I've been able to walk on them with all this rain. It has been mild so they haven't stopped growing. 

I've already got sweet peppers and chillies sown in heated propagators.

Originally Posted by: StoneCroze 



Good on you StoneCroze. I'm a bit slow off the mark this year- used the weather as an excuse to do very little. But the elephant garlic I planted last month is up, and the savoys, spinach and purple kale have kept producing through the winter thus far.

 
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.
NMA
  • NMA
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07 January 2024 09:15:26
I was able to trim the back garden grass in a dry slot many weeks ago. All it needs now is a quick tidy to remove twigs and tufty bits. Do the edges which is the key to making it look looked after. The leaves on the borders were more or less pulled under by the worms in the mild weather and I can see some snowdrops peeking through. It's a few more weeks though before the north garden sees the sun again.
In the meantime the front of the house has sunlight beaming through at this time of year which is great.
Vale of the Great Dairies
South Dorset
Elevation 60m 197ft
Roger Parsons
07 January 2024 09:26:57
You're all making me feel guilty! I'm glad we have so much moss. I like bryophytes - and tardigrades. 😁

Secrets of the world's toughest creatures revealed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-40752669 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
DEW
  • DEW
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23 January 2024 10:20:22
First daffodil in yellow bud
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Roger Parsons
23 January 2024 10:52:42

First daffodil in yellow bud

Originally Posted by: DEW 

That's early - but snowdrops have starting to show for some weeks here.
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Bolty
24 January 2024 15:35:27
A few more bulbs are starting to push up here and the primrose plugs I planted in the autumn are starting to grow a bit quicker too.

Not long now!
Scott
Blackrod, Lancashire (4 miles south of Chorley) at 156m asl.
My weather station 
Bertwhistle
11 February 2024 12:56:48
Everything's full speed ahead in the woodland bank, with snowdrops, crocuses and a lot of early pulmonaria. The first yellow buds are showing on the miniature daffs and the first spikes of ramson leaves are showing. Cyclamen (spring flowering sort) and celandines adding colour. All a bit early really but no immediate freeze in sight here. 
Fish are mobile and hungry. Expecting early alkanet and plum blossom soon (as local damson and mirabelle trees are in full floral display).

We've finally organised a tree surgeon to massively crown-reduce our walnut. It's so huge now, we need it down to about 15ft high so we can manage it ourselves. 
Bertie, Itchen Valley.
Retire while you can still press the 'retire now' button.
Roger Parsons
12 February 2024 10:06:07
Something to enjoy...

International Garden Photographer of the Year competition 2024
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-68127991 

 
RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
12 February 2024 10:28:36
Camellias in bloom next door
War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Retron
15 February 2024 14:17:07
We still have two weeks left of winter, but you'd be forgiven for thinking spring has arrived. Not only is it 15C, not only are the pigeons nesting in the trees, but on a quick tour of the garden I've found all of these! If anyone knows what the ???s are, I'd be interested to know!

Plum tree - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/1.jpg 
UserPostedImage

??? - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/2.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Mini daffodils (out for over a week) - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/3.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Mountain ash / rowan - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/4.jpg 
UserPostedImage

??? - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/5.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Tulips - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/6.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Violets - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/7.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Snowdrops - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/8.jpg 
UserPostedImage

??? (some sort of shrub, I think) - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/9.jpg 
UserPostedImage

Hazel catkins - https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/10.jpg 
UserPostedImage

...and a hoverfly, resting on a granite wolf. There are plenty of "bluebottle" flies about, and I heard a buzz of a bumblebee too!
https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/feb/11.jpg 
UserPostedImage
Leysdown, north Kent
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