We've been picking blackberries for a week or two now. Always much earlier than the wild ones.

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Two of my three hydrangeas have not flowered this summer, any ideas why?
Not sure if it could be the dry spring or some late frost's in May but we are not particularly frost prone here anyway.  They don't look unhealthy, just took an age to get leaves and grow too.
Tomatoes and vines are doing poorly too but that is more due to the cool July weather.

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Two of my three hydrangeas have not flowered this summer, any ideas why?
Not sure if it could be the dry spring or some late frost's in May but we are not particularly frost prone here anyway.  They don't look unhealthy, just took an age to get leaves and grow too.
Tomatoes and vines are doing poorly too but that is more due to the cool July weather.

I’ve found that hydrangeas tend to have the occasional year of rest for no apparent reason.  However, the more common causes are incorrect pruning or frost damage.  Although you say one of your three is flowering, so unless you’ve treated them differently, or the flowering one is more sheltered, that’s hardly the case.  If there was blackening of the leaf buds as well, then I’d say frost damage  

Just to be sure, check the type of hydrangea you have and that you’re pruning them at the right time of year.  It’s also worth checking the acidity of the soil and giving them all a dose of sequestered iron.  Good luck for next year!

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I’ve found that hydrangeas tend to have the occasional year of rest for no apparent reason.  However, the more common causes are incorrect pruning or frost damage.  Although you say one of your three is flowering, so unless you’ve treated them differently, or the flowering one is more sheltered, that’s hardly the case.  If there was blackening of the leaf buds as well, then I’d say frost damage  

Just to be sure, check the type of hydrangea you have and that you’re pruning them at the right time of year.  It’s also worth checking the acidity of the soil and giving them all a dose of sequestered iron.  Good luck for next year!

Thanks Caz.   The one that is flowering is at the back of the garden which is more wooded and slightly warmer at night. The flowers are not out yet but will be in the next couple of weeks. Of the failures,  there was some blackening on one of the other two, not much, but generally just really slow growth this year. 

I will check the pruning, PH and give the sequestered iron a go, thanks for the tips!

 

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First of what I classify of the Autumn jobs done yesterday - cutting out this year's fruiting stems of the wineberries (=Japanese raspberries) and tying in the new canes

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Grape Hyacinths leaves are now showing in my borders. 

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Chillis fruiting nicely now. Lots of cucumbers and courgettes continue to be picked and we have some huge pumpkins, the first of which have already gone orange.

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Chillis fruiting nicely now. Lots of cucumbers and courgettes continue to be picked and we have some huge pumpkins, the first of which have already gone orange.

Glad your courgettes have finally come of age Rob. We've had a few good ones too, but the big successes have been the cucumbers (several longest ever), the chillies (can't use them as quickly as they are growing) and the runner beans ( haven't needed to include them in the shop for a while and there are loads coming- the blackfly didn't win!).

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Herbs are doing well for the salad days.Basil Thyme Mint Rosemary Parsley Sage and Chives . Peppers are doing well in the growing room.

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Tomatoes have done well this summer, plus herbs and the Bishop of Llandaff looks amazing in its large pot. The bumble bees seem to spend a lot of time on the red flowers that contrast beautifully with the dark foliage. A sign of the seasonal change taking place are the Nerines or Autumn Lilies just opening their pink flowers.

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The wind has done some terrible wonders to the garden today. The sunflowers, so beautiful yesterday have all snapped in some of the gusts.

Container plants flipped and the lawn looking like a fly tip. It must have been F 8 or more judging by the amount of twigs and small branches on the roads today. Summer ended not with a whimper but tempestuous note this year. 

Not gardening but why do people go swimming off what is obviously a dangerous beach when it's like this? 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-53849237

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The wind has done some terrible wonders to the garden today. The sunflowers, so beautiful yesterday have all snapped in some of the gusts.

Container plants flipped and the lawn looking like a fly tip. It must have been F 8 or more judging by the amount of twigs and small branches on the roads today. Summer ended not with a whimper but tempestuous note this year. 

Not gardening but why do people go swimming off what is obviously a dangerous beach when it's like this? 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-53849237

It has been harsh Nick, and especially on the coast in CSEngland, with the Needles recording a >70mph gust. Like you, we've had quite a bit of garden damage. Sunflowers, gladioli and chrysanthemums snapped off- had to make up a vase of these as it's too painful to see their beauty wasted. My youngest's first ever tomatoes grown from seed are huge, healthy bushes, but we've lost a few fruiting limbs. And the walnut, which looked due for a record crop (about a month from now, usually) has lost a lot of fruits. Freaky day- felt so out-of-season in the garden.

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More walnuts than last year. Can't give 'em away as fast as they're falling- peak has passed now though

Sweet, ripe fruits- made chocolate coated walnuts. A hit all round.

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Today I repotted the herbs and placed them in the wife's crafting shed. They are in the light with Bubblewrap around the base. Parsley, Thyme, Chives, and Basil. The mint is still growing under the bench outside but I have cut it down. It still grows. The rosemary is ok outside in a sheltered place. I need to start growing fennel again for the leaves on fish, chicken, and in some stews. 

I use her shed as it is where the greenhouse used to be

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Today was a chance to do a bit of gardening tidying. The winter-flowering honeysuckle is just coming into bloom, and as its flowers are quite small, the bumbles like them - I was delighted to see a small buff-tailed bumble taking advantage.

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Don't forget habitats in your garden, rotting logs, pules of decaying leaves etc.

A good place to start getting to grips with beetle diversity is:

https://www.naturespot.org.uk/taxonomy/term/19338

At least you will get a feeling for the "groups" they belong to.
Roger

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Drunk squirrel at a bird table..... a sort of gardening story .... make sure you watch the clip!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/25/minnesota-squirrel-drunk-after-eating-fermented-pears-video

Roger

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Our potted lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) looked dead at the start of spring and it was May before it got going. Now here we are at Christmas and it's in full leaf still. Topsy turvey.

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Last night's frost did for the last of the nasturtiums which had been surviving under a sheltering shrub. On to next year - daffodils with already well developed buds!

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I have planted crocus and snowdrop bulbs in November but there are no shoots coming through yet.  Is this normal.

 

Thank you

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