Stormy Weather

[salymap]

It's been a wet old day in London boarders with Kent and a bumpy ride on the MBs,let's hope that things all run smoothly tomorrow. I've discovered that tinnitus doesn't mind jazz, so listened to 'Jazz Record Requests' with some enjoyment. After all I used to go to Ronnie Scotts many years ago, just down the street from my work.

[antongould]

Terrible, murky day here too salymap. Pleased you enjoyed the Jazz - I listened to the Dinah Washington "thing" and found it edgy as my daughters say! Did you see any Jazz "luminaries at Ronnie Scotts?

[salymap]

I've seen lots of people there but so long ago.Used to like 'Good time George' [George Melly] [sp?]liked big band too, before i discovered classical, Stan Kenton, Ted Heath [not that one] etc. What about you Anton?

[antongould]

A fair few middle order names that I find it hard to remember from polytechnic days - Keith Tippett (no relation), Ian Carr and Maynard Ferguson come immediately to mind.

[salymap]

Morning, it's going to turn colder, later it's going to turn windy and wet. I have discovered why our usual bank of daffodils by the little park across the road from me is missing so far. The over-zealous council 'gardeners' have mowed [?mown] them down and the nasty stumps of leaves are fighting their way through towards the light. How could they. Grr..........

[antongould]

Morning salymap the day seems undecided as yet, very bright, nay, cloudless first thing - but my walk (Mahler 3) has been through gathering, rain threatening cloud. In the woods no "wild" daffodils are out but in Lady G's show garden those nearest the house are opening - but then she does sing to those! Sad you have over zealous council cuts = story of these scary times!

[Norfolk Born]

Sun shining from a cloudless sky here in Suffolk - as you would expect (mind you, it chucked it down for most of yesterday afternoon and into the evening). For those of you interested in meteorological titbits, apparently this is the driest part of the United Kingdom. The annual rainfall here is pretty much the same as that of Jerusalem (the similarities end there).

[Mahlerei]

Morning weather-watchers

Chilly but bright here in Kent, sun pouring in through the windows. Spring can't be far away, surely?

[greenilex]

Series of sharp showers interspersed with sunshine - try that for a tongue-twister.

Not cold as yet and I've had time to get my two baby apple trees into the ground outside the window.

Don't know how they will get on...supposed to be late fruiting varieties. If I'm lucky there'll be crumble a lot later on. I'm told I shouldn't let them bear fruit for the first two seasons.

[salymap]

I hope they are Bramleys. Best for crumble if you can reach them to pick them, mine always seem to be at the top of thelarge tree. Good luck tothe two little ones

[mercia]

how do you stop a tree bearing fruit?

[greenilex]

One is called James Grieves, the other Ashmeads Kernel.

[greenilex]

I think the idea is to remove any small apples before they have a chance to develop. It's meant to ensure a strong system of roots.

[mercia]

my mother used to talk about a "June drop" with apple trees, where if the tree was bearing too many fruit it would naturally shed some in June so that there was room for the rest to grow bigger. Isn't nature clever?

[salymap]

James Grieves is a good apple, don't know the other one. My dad was a good gardener and trained two apple trees into an arch, espalier, is it called? The trees were kept 'flat', made a focal point in the garden, and fruited well because they were never allowed to make too much growth.