Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 13 June 2021

Good Morning. A watery sun here as rather cloudy. We can see that it's been very hot here whilst we were away - everything looks parched. My OH went around with the garden hose, after setting to work to put our loo back in and put the door back on the bathroom! All looking better now.

Here is a pretty pink poppy which came out to greet us yesterday:

Good morning, all. It is absolutely chucking it down with rain here, but we really needed it. It's still very warm, though.

Lightning, thunder and rain overnight. And torrential rain this morning. My wonderful rose bush has fallen over - the rain is too heavy for me to go and investigate. I hope I can save it - I can't see whether it's broken or just bowed.

Pat. In a storm some years ago we lost a fence and the rose which covered it. It was old and snapped the stem about 18" above ground.
I was going to remove the root when the fence was re erected but left it. It sprouted new shoots and today it is just as prolific as it ever was!

Thank you. Mike. I have now investigated (the rain's stopped!) and the main stem is not broken, just bowed. Initially I propped it up against an A-shaped clothes airer (you never know when these things may come in useful!). However, now a neighbour has produced an iron bar with a hook (I guess an old fence post) and has tied the stem to it in two places. I think it was the sheer weight of the blooms - which are more prolific than I have ever seen them - that pulled it down. Hopefully the temporary fix will last for the rest of the flowering season and then I can prune it right back to the weakened stem. So I think it's been saved! What a dramatic start to the day!

Glad you were able to save it, Pat. Perhaps a bit of pruning later? A lot of roses actually seem to like it, though you have to be careful with some climbers.

Weather has settled down to Warm But Cloudy here. Envy you your bit of rain, Clare! Maybe it will head this way later.

Lindy - My lovely gardening lady prunes my roses hard every year. They are old roses - the only sort as far as I'm concerned - and appreciate hard pruning. And this year they have enjoyed the weather conditions - I have never had such prolific flowering - sheer weight of blooms filled with water caused the 'bend'. However, all now seems well, and I have two beautifully scented flowers that came adrift in the house - a bonus.

Thanks for all your good wishes about my friend.

My lady gardeners are here starting the garden tidying etc. I've left them to it, I should think the last thing they need is me saying things like ' don't get rid of the mecanopsis (don't know how its spelt!) I'll take my chances !! I think the common name is Himalayan Poppy...

Weather turned for us last night with a heavy shower, fortunately its stayed dry all day with plenty of cloud cover, still feels warm though.

HeatherB - how lovely that conditions this year have made your roses bloom so well. OH cuts our 2 down but the one under the window has actually grown up to the top window which I open, soon be much taller but I hope its growth spurt has ended.

Clare - glad to hear you managed to get out with Limpy the other week and enjoyed your day at Bempton Cliffs.