In Memoriam for My granddad killed in WW1
Down in the hollow there's the whole Brigade
Camped in four groups; through twilight falling slow
I hear a sound of mouth-organs, ill-played,
And murmur of voices, gruff, confused, and low.
Crouched among thistle-tufts I've watched the glow
Of a blurred orange sunset flare and fade;
And I'm content. To-morrow we must go
To take some cursed Wood ... O world God made.
Siegfried Sassoon 3rd July 1916
My maternal granddad, a married man with three children and manager of a ceramics factory volunteered to join up to serve in 1914.
He survived the absolute horrors of the Somme but then in an ironic twist of fate was actually killed in a railway station whilst waiting for a train home on the 10th October 1918.
A French, yes French! artillery unit killed him and the remnants of his regiment the 5th Kings by shelling the station at Ribecourt La Toure.
There is now a British military cemetery close by the railway track to commemorate the many killed there that day including my granddad Albert Carter who is buried there alongside his pals.
The weather looks ok for tonight's meeting but I've put my mac in the car, 'just in case'
It must have been a meeting of a sorts last night in our back garden for our hedgehog population as the security lights were almost constantly triggered with their comings and goings. It's only natural that when the lights are triggered and come on it sets our dogs barking so we had to manoeuvre ( bribe) them away from the source with treats!
They got a lot of treats last night.
Spring is nearly here!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
HOT JULY BRINGS COOLING SHOWERS,
APRICOTS AND GILLYFLOWERS.
Sara Coleridge
Big Big thank you to Keith and Sue
What a lovely evening we spent last night at Keith and Sue's for our July meet.
As usual they did us proud with their friendly warmth and generosity of spirit, and as usual a tempting tasty choice of food and drink on offer.
There was a very good turnout of members present but then everyone now knows that Keith and Sue's blowouts are legendary.
They have the knack of putting you completely at your ease with their laid back attitude to life and their home is as warm and welcoming as they are.
Well done you two, thank you for a lovely evening in lovely company.
Had a huge crop of Apricots this year but despite thinning quite ruthlessly they are much smaller than normal, this is due to the dreaded vine weevils chewing a lot of the roots off last winter.
I started a treatment in April with live nematodes for vine weevil control and will comprehensively treat again next month to forestall any sustained winter attack as I experienced last year.
The nematodes are a natural enemy and prey on the vine weevils, actively seeking them out through the soil and killing them.
Vine weevils really can be devastating to any plant or tree in a tub, working away unseen in the compost through the winter months, busily chewing every root off below soil level.
Quite often the only indication you get is the plant or tree suddenly losing its leaves and or dying or, suddenly keeling over out of the pot, that's when you discover there's no roots left!
They particularly like figs, cherries, peaches, apricots and Fuchsias but will basically attack most plants growing in pots.
Cleaning my filter out yesterday morning I discharged the centre chamber to waste and had a blockage, I fished around with a long piece of stiff wire and eventually dislodged the almost skeletal remains of one of my Rudd, actually the next to last!
This was the Rudd that was attacked by a Heron last year and badly damaged around its head and gill area. Initially I never expected it to survive it's horrible injuries but I patched it up and it healed up quite quickly but never fully recovered. I think it suffered nerve damage as it lost the use of its pectoral fins and swam rather jerkily tadpole-like but nevertheless was up to feed as usual with the other Rudd.
It disappeared about a fortnight ago and I assumed something had caught and eaten it due to its handicap. All the time it was in the bottom drain!
That called for a big flush out yesterday
APRICOTS AND GILLYFLOWERS.
Sara Coleridge
Big Big thank you to Keith and Sue
What a lovely evening we spent last night at Keith and Sue's for our July meet.
As usual they did us proud with their friendly warmth and generosity of spirit, and as usual a tempting tasty choice of food and drink on offer.
There was a very good turnout of members present but then everyone now knows that Keith and Sue's blowouts are legendary.
They have the knack of putting you completely at your ease with their laid back attitude to life and their home is as warm and welcoming as they are.
Well done you two, thank you for a lovely evening in lovely company.
Had a huge crop of Apricots this year but despite thinning quite ruthlessly they are much smaller than normal, this is due to the dreaded vine weevils chewing a lot of the roots off last winter.
I started a treatment in April with live nematodes for vine weevil control and will comprehensively treat again next month to forestall any sustained winter attack as I experienced last year.
The nematodes are a natural enemy and prey on the vine weevils, actively seeking them out through the soil and killing them.
Vine weevils really can be devastating to any plant or tree in a tub, working away unseen in the compost through the winter months, busily chewing every root off below soil level.
Quite often the only indication you get is the plant or tree suddenly losing its leaves and or dying or, suddenly keeling over out of the pot, that's when you discover there's no roots left!
They particularly like figs, cherries, peaches, apricots and Fuchsias but will basically attack most plants growing in pots.
Cleaning my filter out yesterday morning I discharged the centre chamber to waste and had a blockage, I fished around with a long piece of stiff wire and eventually dislodged the almost skeletal remains of one of my Rudd, actually the next to last!
This was the Rudd that was attacked by a Heron last year and badly damaged around its head and gill area. Initially I never expected it to survive it's horrible injuries but I patched it up and it healed up quite quickly but never fully recovered. I think it suffered nerve damage as it lost the use of its pectoral fins and swam rather jerkily tadpole-like but nevertheless was up to feed as usual with the other Rudd.
It disappeared about a fortnight ago and I assumed something had caught and eaten it due to its handicap. All the time it was in the bottom drain!
That called for a big flush out yesterday
Re: Spring is nearly here!
A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening in July.
Lewis Carroll
We got out early this morning and down to the river Elwy in St Asaph to beat the heat with our dogs on a beautiful morning with a fresh cooling breeze that added a nip to the air.
Just cleared the style onto the river bank at the back of the football pitch and first thing we noticed is the Sandmarten are gone, no longer darting in and out of the bank side under the gorse thickets, the tell tale fresh inroads into the bankside path told the sorry story again of something digging it away. This is the second year the nest site has been destroyed, almost certainly by badgers!
I saw a clever idea for Sandmarten nest sites last year, possibly on Springwatch?
The volunteers who monitored the Sandmarten colony had prevented predation by setting up the colony in a tailor made concrete wall about eight foot high by about thirty foot long, the (numbered) nest holes were set in the concrete wall with a slab covered bank of compacted sand behind for the martens to tunnel into as normal for their nests. The concrete façade prevented mink and otters ( and badgers!) from raiding nests and cameras were set up on nest sites also to monitor nestlings progress hence numbering sequence on hole entrances.
Further upstream we spotted an old friend the quite tame female Goosander duck working the deep pool by the massive willow tree that's close to the style at the back of the allotments, this tree must have a circumference of at least 15 feet, its huge!
Good to see the Goosander female after so long.
First time we have seen her since about March so she has possibly either bred very early or more likely, she has not bred at all this year.
We know she had a mate last year, several miles downstream on the Elwy toward Rhuddlan but he was very wary and could not be approached as close as she could.
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening in July.
Lewis Carroll
We got out early this morning and down to the river Elwy in St Asaph to beat the heat with our dogs on a beautiful morning with a fresh cooling breeze that added a nip to the air.
Just cleared the style onto the river bank at the back of the football pitch and first thing we noticed is the Sandmarten are gone, no longer darting in and out of the bank side under the gorse thickets, the tell tale fresh inroads into the bankside path told the sorry story again of something digging it away. This is the second year the nest site has been destroyed, almost certainly by badgers!
I saw a clever idea for Sandmarten nest sites last year, possibly on Springwatch?
The volunteers who monitored the Sandmarten colony had prevented predation by setting up the colony in a tailor made concrete wall about eight foot high by about thirty foot long, the (numbered) nest holes were set in the concrete wall with a slab covered bank of compacted sand behind for the martens to tunnel into as normal for their nests. The concrete façade prevented mink and otters ( and badgers!) from raiding nests and cameras were set up on nest sites also to monitor nestlings progress hence numbering sequence on hole entrances.
Further upstream we spotted an old friend the quite tame female Goosander duck working the deep pool by the massive willow tree that's close to the style at the back of the allotments, this tree must have a circumference of at least 15 feet, its huge!
Good to see the Goosander female after so long.
First time we have seen her since about March so she has possibly either bred very early or more likely, she has not bred at all this year.
We know she had a mate last year, several miles downstream on the Elwy toward Rhuddlan but he was very wary and could not be approached as close as she could.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Barn Owl
Mostly it is a pale
face hovering in the afterdraught
of the spirit, making both ends meet
on a scream. It is the breath
of the churchyard, the forming
of white frost in a believer,
when he would pray; it is soft
feathers camouflaging a machine.
R.S. Thomas
I (possibly) solved the problem of my lonesome Rudd and now have 14 companions for it, I discovered a pleasant friendly chap over near Llanfair TH (Abergele) who breeds them and he gave me 14, three of which are Golden Rudd.
Actually, that's all he could manage to catch in an hour in a very heavy downpour last Saturday morning in a very large pond (small lake!)
Now my problem is, my existing Rudd is over 30cm long and must weigh a pound or so, these new fish are only 6-8cm long and weigh in grammes!
They would be looked upon as supplementary diet at the moment to my ever hungry Rudd so they will have to live in my quarantine tank for now and be fed a high protein diet.
There's every chance other members will get to meet him as he is interested in free swaps of fish, particularly carp, he has Mirror, Common, Crucian, Leather and various goldfish as well as Tench, Rudd and of course Koi!
Also, he could be interested ( persuaded) in joining our Koi club to meet other like-minded people and talk fishkeeping!
PS.
I'm working on him Colin.
Mostly it is a pale
face hovering in the afterdraught
of the spirit, making both ends meet
on a scream. It is the breath
of the churchyard, the forming
of white frost in a believer,
when he would pray; it is soft
feathers camouflaging a machine.
R.S. Thomas
I (possibly) solved the problem of my lonesome Rudd and now have 14 companions for it, I discovered a pleasant friendly chap over near Llanfair TH (Abergele) who breeds them and he gave me 14, three of which are Golden Rudd.
Actually, that's all he could manage to catch in an hour in a very heavy downpour last Saturday morning in a very large pond (small lake!)
Now my problem is, my existing Rudd is over 30cm long and must weigh a pound or so, these new fish are only 6-8cm long and weigh in grammes!
They would be looked upon as supplementary diet at the moment to my ever hungry Rudd so they will have to live in my quarantine tank for now and be fed a high protein diet.
There's every chance other members will get to meet him as he is interested in free swaps of fish, particularly carp, he has Mirror, Common, Crucian, Leather and various goldfish as well as Tench, Rudd and of course Koi!
Also, he could be interested ( persuaded) in joining our Koi club to meet other like-minded people and talk fishkeeping!
PS.
I'm working on him Colin.
-
roselanekoi
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Every year my black Hamburg grape vine suffers badly from mildew, spraying doesn't appear to cure the problem which I'm told is due to it's location in a greenhouse that doesn't have very good ventilation and is shaded for much of the day. At first I thought of re-planting in a large pot and moving it to another greenhouse which has a sunnier location, eventually I decide to cut it down and replace it.
My brother's birthday is coming up and he was asking for an apple tree as a birthday present. I said I'd get him a bare rooted plant in the autumn as the pot grown plants available in the local garden centre looked difficult to transport by car without damaging them.
Anyway to cut a long story short, after an on line search, I ended up buying him a pot grown apple tree and settled on 'Laxton's Superb'. I also bought a new grape vine 'Flame' and couldn't resist trying another peach tree 'Red Haven'. A ripe peach, freshly picked from the garden, is a totally different taste experience compared to shop bought peaches.
All were purchased on line from The Victoriana Nursery Gardens and arrived a few days later in good condition, well wrapped and protected by what appeared to be almost half a bale of straw.
I'm intending to grow the vine and peach in large pots. The vine will then avoid being waterlogged in the winter in is new location and the peach can be moved inside over the winter to hopefully avoid the dreaded peach leaf curl.
My brother's birthday is coming up and he was asking for an apple tree as a birthday present. I said I'd get him a bare rooted plant in the autumn as the pot grown plants available in the local garden centre looked difficult to transport by car without damaging them.
Anyway to cut a long story short, after an on line search, I ended up buying him a pot grown apple tree and settled on 'Laxton's Superb'. I also bought a new grape vine 'Flame' and couldn't resist trying another peach tree 'Red Haven'. A ripe peach, freshly picked from the garden, is a totally different taste experience compared to shop bought peaches.
All were purchased on line from The Victoriana Nursery Gardens and arrived a few days later in good condition, well wrapped and protected by what appeared to be almost half a bale of straw.
I'm intending to grow the vine and peach in large pots. The vine will then avoid being waterlogged in the winter in is new location and the peach can be moved inside over the winter to hopefully avoid the dreaded peach leaf curl.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Red Haven is a good choice of peach Colin, I started eating mine a fortnight ago but it was plagued with red spider this year despite spraying with Pyrethrum (organic) spray, this caused a massive fruit drop.
The Peregrine Peach has fared a lot better, but again with smaller fruit this year
What with the vine weevil attack earlier on in the year the fruit was, not surprisingly a bit undersized.
I have a Laxton's Superb apple tree, with a good crop of fruit on this year which you will see for yourself here next week at our club meet.
The accepted way to grow peaches up here in the North is in tubs and to overwinter them (dry) inside from October to May.
It is rain and damp conditions that causes Peach Leaf Curl, a fungal disease of stone fruit, also, pruning in the autumn or winter!
This applies to all stone fruits and even then all pruning cuts should be coated or sealed in Arbrex to be sure.
Good drainage a frost-free sunny site and a good supply of Bordeaux Mixture is the order of the day for basically all stone fruit, and; some susceptible apples and pears!
The Peregrine Peach has fared a lot better, but again with smaller fruit this year
What with the vine weevil attack earlier on in the year the fruit was, not surprisingly a bit undersized.
I have a Laxton's Superb apple tree, with a good crop of fruit on this year which you will see for yourself here next week at our club meet.
The accepted way to grow peaches up here in the North is in tubs and to overwinter them (dry) inside from October to May.
It is rain and damp conditions that causes Peach Leaf Curl, a fungal disease of stone fruit, also, pruning in the autumn or winter!
This applies to all stone fruits and even then all pruning cuts should be coated or sealed in Arbrex to be sure.
Good drainage a frost-free sunny site and a good supply of Bordeaux Mixture is the order of the day for basically all stone fruit, and; some susceptible apples and pears!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Blackberry Picking
Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
Seamus Heaney.
Just picked the first of this seasons blackberries this week, a large and quite long fruited thornless variety called Waldo and the first of the plums, a very early variety called Opal, a small round red plum but very sweet and with a free stone so easy to de-stone for freezing.
Picked the last of my lovely orange fleshed Redhaven peaches today but the Peregrine peach still has about a dozen or so to ripen.
The last of my gooseberries picked this week, a sweet red late variety called Captivator.
This is the last gooseberry to ripen and highly recommended as it's a large, tough and thornless grow anywhere gooseberry that extends the gooseberry season; and like the Jostaberries I finished picking last week, needs very little sugar if any to sweeten.
Never had as many cherries split and sour this year thanks to excessive rain in June/ early July, even the Morello cooking cherry failed to produce its normal good crop this year due to late frosts in April!
Yet, the Comice pear has a really good crop unlike the other three pear varieties, Beth, Williams pear and Conference which have a pretty dismal crop between them. Apples generally looking good so far this year though with the Ballerina, Laxton, Scrumptious and Greensleeves well weighted down with fruit despite thinning.
Ah well, you win some; but then that's gardening for you!
Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
Seamus Heaney.
Just picked the first of this seasons blackberries this week, a large and quite long fruited thornless variety called Waldo and the first of the plums, a very early variety called Opal, a small round red plum but very sweet and with a free stone so easy to de-stone for freezing.
Picked the last of my lovely orange fleshed Redhaven peaches today but the Peregrine peach still has about a dozen or so to ripen.
The last of my gooseberries picked this week, a sweet red late variety called Captivator.
This is the last gooseberry to ripen and highly recommended as it's a large, tough and thornless grow anywhere gooseberry that extends the gooseberry season; and like the Jostaberries I finished picking last week, needs very little sugar if any to sweeten.
Never had as many cherries split and sour this year thanks to excessive rain in June/ early July, even the Morello cooking cherry failed to produce its normal good crop this year due to late frosts in April!
Yet, the Comice pear has a really good crop unlike the other three pear varieties, Beth, Williams pear and Conference which have a pretty dismal crop between them. Apples generally looking good so far this year though with the Ballerina, Laxton, Scrumptious and Greensleeves well weighted down with fruit despite thinning.
Ah well, you win some; but then that's gardening for you!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
The Rose Family
The rose is a rose
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only know
What will next prove a rose.
You of course, are a rose--
But were always a rose.
Robert Frost.
Over the past couple of seasons I have used Queni Koi own brand Koi food pretty much exclusively as I've found it to be overall very good quality and also good value for money, however, after reading Colin's article on the JPD food range in this months newsletter, I went onto the Queni Koi website and read up on it.
Very impressive, particularly the comparison tests between the Hikari foods, so much so I've ordered 10kgs of the Fuyufuji medium.
The Queni Koi website price is £69.50 but with the 10% discount I paid £62.55, this is inclusive of postage, even more impressive!
I will try it on its own initially as I've just about run out of Queni Koi wheatgerm and Jap mix.
So, watch this space!
Thanks for the heads up Colin.
The rose is a rose
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only know
What will next prove a rose.
You of course, are a rose--
But were always a rose.
Robert Frost.
Over the past couple of seasons I have used Queni Koi own brand Koi food pretty much exclusively as I've found it to be overall very good quality and also good value for money, however, after reading Colin's article on the JPD food range in this months newsletter, I went onto the Queni Koi website and read up on it.
Very impressive, particularly the comparison tests between the Hikari foods, so much so I've ordered 10kgs of the Fuyufuji medium.
The Queni Koi website price is £69.50 but with the 10% discount I paid £62.55, this is inclusive of postage, even more impressive!
I will try it on its own initially as I've just about run out of Queni Koi wheatgerm and Jap mix.
So, watch this space!
Thanks for the heads up Colin.
-
roselanekoi
- Posts: 322
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: Spring is nearly here!
I think the 'free postage' part of their discount offer was a bit of a con as all their prices, with the exception of koi deliveries, include free next day delivery. Still it seems good food and the koi like it.
Well the fruit picking season is nearly over and the freezer is getting full. I've just a few red currants left to pick, does anyone know of a good recipe to use up the red currants?
I've forgotten about the wild blackberries, I noticed this morning when walking the the dog that they are getting close to ripening. In my opinion you can't beat an apple and blackberry pie with some nice vanilla ice cream.
Well the fruit picking season is nearly over and the freezer is getting full. I've just a few red currants left to pick, does anyone know of a good recipe to use up the red currants?
I've forgotten about the wild blackberries, I noticed this morning when walking the the dog that they are getting close to ripening. In my opinion you can't beat an apple and blackberry pie with some nice vanilla ice cream.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Natures green is gold.
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today.
Nothing gold can stay.
Robert Frost.
Nice image that Colin, a slice of steaming hot blackberry and apple pie nestling against a scoop or two of creamy vanilla ice cream, delicious.
What to do with your Redcurrants?, liquidise them in a food blender and turn them into a sorbet served with ice cream, lovely sharp and sweet, or, use them in a classic Summer Pudding.
You must be talking about the soft fruits ending Colin, I've got lots of fruit still to come, the last couple of Opal plums coming ripe as the Victoria crop ripens up this week so plums to pick for at least the next 5 or 6 weeks, plus the first of the cooking apples ready in about two weeks or so.
My fish absolutely love the new JPD food, only problems I can see so far is it is only available in 3mm and it rapidly swells and sinks, unlike Queni Koi wheatgerm which floats for hours (if left)
I will just have to feed the koi a lot less per feed but more often.
Natures green is gold.
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today.
Nothing gold can stay.
Robert Frost.
Nice image that Colin, a slice of steaming hot blackberry and apple pie nestling against a scoop or two of creamy vanilla ice cream, delicious.
What to do with your Redcurrants?, liquidise them in a food blender and turn them into a sorbet served with ice cream, lovely sharp and sweet, or, use them in a classic Summer Pudding.
You must be talking about the soft fruits ending Colin, I've got lots of fruit still to come, the last couple of Opal plums coming ripe as the Victoria crop ripens up this week so plums to pick for at least the next 5 or 6 weeks, plus the first of the cooking apples ready in about two weeks or so.
My fish absolutely love the new JPD food, only problems I can see so far is it is only available in 3mm and it rapidly swells and sinks, unlike Queni Koi wheatgerm which floats for hours (if left)
I will just have to feed the koi a lot less per feed but more often.