YES!!! The "I'm so happy" thread. 2009

[Maggi Young]

Fantastic amount to raise, David. 
Wish the plant sales at the Aberdeen Show could do as well!

[Carol Shaw]

Fantastic amount to raise, David. 
Wish the plant sales at the Aberdeen Show could do as well!

The crowd was four deep around the plant stall which was 4 trestle tables in an L shape. The tables were groaning with plants, the floor under the tables was solid with plants and the space where we were meant to stand was pretty full too. At the end we gave away half a dozen plants... everything else had vanished like snow off a dyke. We were lucky that a club member had put in hostas, lilies, candelabra primulas and other choice items in 2 litre pots so we were able to ask a reasonable price for. You have to balance that with the bedding plants at £1 for a tray though! Folk come from miles around to buy the plants... pity our show is before their sale or we could ride on the back of, oh well we've two new committee members [one of whom you know Maggi, Alisdair McLean] so next eyar we will have more roddys for sale

[David Shaw]

Remember, though, Maggie that most of your plants are sold on a 50/50 basis. The garden club was all by donations so the club got all the loot.

[Anthony Darby]

I finally think I am over the worst of this darn flu (which I moaned about in the suitable topic last week. ).  Hopefully it stays away too, but at least feeling a little more my normal self.

Yeah!!  I am SO happy about it.

Happy about the new Star Trek movie too, as I got to see it yesterday and it is VERY well done.  Another Yeah!! (I've been a trek fan for years, even been to a couple of conventions and everything!  )

Maybe your new profile should read "always going forward 'cause I can't find reverse" Paul?

[Rodger Whitlock]

I'm so happy!

A few weeks ago, after the petals fell from my twenty or so flowers of Anemone caucasica, I encased each seedhead in a small plastic bag about an inch square with a zip fastener. The fastener was closed but left slightly open at the flower stem. I was concerned that the seeds might rot under such a poorly ventilated conditions, but I'm happy to announce that the system worked perfectly, and I have today a good haul of nice, ripe-yet-green seed of this most charming of anemones.

It will be sown before I go to bed.

[Maggi Young]

Yes! Don't you love it when a plan comes together?  Very nice looking seed, Rodger.

[Lesley Cox]

That does look very good quality seed Rodger. Almost good enough to sprinkle on your porridge or make a seed cake. 

I'm so happy too. See the Muscari thread.

[Anthony Darby]

My friends at Zoolab UK (http://www.zoolabuk.com/) phoned me up the other week and asked if they could again use a couple of Graeme High School science classes to pilot a new "Eco Lab" workshop they are developing on Energy, aimed at P7/S1/S2 pupils. The two classes chosen were my S2 class and a colleague's S1 class. The workshop fitted into the 53 minute periods we have and focused on energy in the home and renewable resources. Kids enjoyed it and I just sat back and watched. Brilliant.

[David Shaw]

Its great when commercial companies can involve schools in projects. I would expect that the classes learned a lot as well as enjoying themselves.

[Anthony Darby]

Here's something else to make you smile:http://www.igpoty.com/

[Paddy Tobin]

Not sure whether this suits this thread of the "Moan" thread but - I have to put in a new septic tank system in the garden and this, because of poor results to drainage tests, will involve importing topsoil to create a raised bed, 600mm high and 90 square metres in extent - 10m X 9m. Obviously, this is going to cause some disruption in the garden. Luckily, it will not interfere with any of the present beds in the garden, all work confined to what is under grass at present.

The basic 10m X 9m shape is essential to layout drainage piping, stone filled drains etc but I have it in mind to bring in further topsoil so as to be able to create a raised bed of a more interesting shape, rounding off the 10 x 9 rectangle, which would fit into the garden.

So, this may be an opportunity to make an interesting bed in the garden but, on the moan side, it will be a lot of disruption to the garden, a lot of work and a LOT of expense.

Anyone with this or similar experience? Any comments/suggestions?

Paddy

[David Shaw]

Paddy, whilst we are fortunate enough to be on mains drainage, as a 'working man' I had involvement with a number of mound systems for properties with poor soil porosity. I am interested that you are allowed to use soil in Ireland for the mound. In Scotland they are constructed of sand with a very specific porosity value then capped with soil, all very, very expensive.
Grass is the normal covering but I see no reason at all why decorative plants cannot be used - indeed I sometimes tried to persuade people to do this, unofficially. Remember that there are perforated pipes within the mound that will be constantly seeping water so you should be looking for shallow rooted plants. You dont want to be unblocking pipes and drains every couple of years.
Good luck with it and post some pictures as it goes along.

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

There will be a lot of stone under the imported soil. The perforated drainage pipes will lie on top of these, covered with more stone and then topped with soil. Mary has suggested it be kept in grass and used as a croquet lawn. Where she gets these notions from I don't know! She did allow that the slopes could be planted. It will be a case of wait and see.

Paddy

[Rodger Whitlock]

I'm so happy!

I spent part of this afternoon murdering blackberries. Feral blackberries are ubiquitous in waste places here, and the birds spread the seeds everywhere, so even in the best tended gardens blackberries turn up in all sorts of places.

They're insidious. You can have a blackberry that's sent canes 15 feet into the air amongst taller shrubs and be blissfully unaware of it for years.

The technique I use is to cut the canes off just above ground level and then dab the cut surface with concentrated glyphosphate (Roundup).

Of course, the blackberries have the last laugh: my right arm in particular is noticeably scratched.

Some real gardening, too: harvested seed of Eranthis hyemalis "aurantiaca". Not much - I'm a week or two late. But enough for a reasonable donation to the seed exchange.

[Lesley Cox]

The technique I use is to cut the canes off just above ground level and then dab the cut surface with concentrated glyphosphate (Roundup).

I'll have to do this too. I didn't even get around to harvesting the fruit this year so that instead of a few billion seedlings there will be billions of trillions next year. Oh gosh, sounds as if I've joined the banking sector.