spam

Just to say the gardener is responsible for the shape of the confier not the blackbirds!!

Dragon

Found a site with a camera in the nesting box for a pair of falcons right here in Red Deer. They've laid 2 eggs now (probably more on the way). It's pretty cool to see.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/red-deer-rdrn-telus-tower-peregrine-nest-box

marius

My goodness! Great fun catching up on Baldur Radio ... camping and flowers and gardening ... all entertaining not to mention the musical segments.

Dragon, I am so sorry about the blizzard. Have not heard of it here, but then, not watching the news. Love the falcon nest box video.

spam, nice to see you here and enjoyed hearing about UK flowers.

Now Robin, loved your bird-feeding adventure. Have not seen a pine siskin around here in years. They show up in Missouri every now and then but not very often. One winter we had quite a few that stayed around. They are aggressive little fellows and would chase all the other birds away from the feeders. Considering how tiny siskins are, it was fun to watch. [And, please tell me, that ambulances will NOT pick up people who've been constipated for seven days. LOL! You must see it all and then some! So happy to hear you are liking your new job!]


Now it's time for a Missouri Moment:

Marius planted clematis today (my first so hoping they do well). Also planted many pink impatiens and an odd columbine my sister gave me. Then transplanted siberian bugloss to keep the clematis roots cool and filled in the extra spaces with violets. Love violets so they are now growing everywhere and some have just bloomed. While all this was going on, the cats were in the yard and the neighbors black yappy dog was out. His name is Isaac. Marius kept planting but finally decided it is NOT okay for yapping to cause her head to explode. She was actually calm when she walked over and told the kids playing next door, "I'm sorry, but you need to take your dog inside if it is going to bark like that." The kids took it in.

Five minutes later, the yapper was back. This time marius did not wait a second and she almost started laughing when she noticed she was waving her school-teacher index finger back and forth as she said to the children, "It is not acceptable for that dog to be outside if it's going to bark like that. We are not going to be outside much longer but for the time that we are, the dog needs to be inside. We love you guys as neighbors, but the barking? That we do not love." The little girl smiled at the word 'love' and she took the dog in.

A bit later spouse found marius still digging in the dirt, and he said, "Issac is running loose out front. Guess they figure it can poop in our yard." If this is the worst thing in my life I'm doing okay. Anyway, the flower beds are done and they look lovely.

And, Dragon, want you to know that I asked my flowers to talk to the snow in Red Deer and ask it to move on. Not sure if flowers can make such a request but they seemed to think that was a very funny idea. : )

Goodnight all! Sweet dreams and lovely weather wishes for all!

spam

Hi from cloudy Kent in UK and thankyou for the welcome Marius.

That peregrine nesting box is fabulous love to see things like this a while back there were another couple of links I looked at. It is so interesting to read about all the happenings in other places This is so wonderful it is making me look into other cultures/lifestyles I am learning lots.

The thought of blizzards seems quite surreal to me and am so glad I do not have to cope with those extremes! So please take care Dragon. I have bronze asparagus fern growing in my garden but use it for flower arrangements - it just keeps coming up year after year!

Robin I looked up the pine siskin what a lovely looking little fellow this is even if he is aggressive! Also glad your new job is going well.

I do hope your clematis does well Marius as I am sure it will - my early flowering one has just started to open. I laughed such a lot reading about 'yappy' do hope this doesn't carry on for too long very annoying! Your garden sounds really pretty.

Next door we have new neighbours - lovely couple - but they are having new bathroom installed today so the banging and drilling is rather noisy. These jobs have to be done though. The house has always look rather neglected so it is rather lovely to see the transformation as it flourishes from their tender loving care! Didn't get to the gym today as was viewing assisted living appartments for my mother who is 87 - bless her - and really needs to be nearer to me now. Some of them were rather like large houses or miniature palaces - I could see myself living in them quite happily!!! Now just have to persuade her to come stay for a few days and we'll go visit together.

As you can probably tell I do not work and as my daughters say am a lady of leisure who lunches etc.... hmm well not that often!

Well that's enough of me rabbiting on for today off now for the afternoon maybe will do some gardening. Have a good day everyone.

Dragon

marius, I don't think your flowers have quite convincied our snow to leave yet (we some more this morning but thank goodness nowhere close to a blizzard today) but I certainly do apprieciate their efforts. Clematis is one of my favorites, I hope yours does well. I recall my mom trying to grow one in Kelowna and having a heck of a time with it. No matter what she did it just wouldn't thrive. She finally dug it out, put it in a pot and tucked it away in the shed where she was quite certain it would die a dignified death. Imagine her surprise when it not only didn't die but rather flourished in the corner of the dark shed even putting out flowers. Apperantly it wanted to be neglected for a while, she replanted it in the garden along the trellis the next year and it did pretty good there. I had a similar experience with a potted tomato plant, I am my mothers daughter in a great many ways.

spam, good luck with the Assisted living homes, hope your mom finds one she likes where she can be nearby. (I also hope the neighbours get their renos done quickly.)

As for my grandpa's asparagus (which sheftali asked about way back) I don't ever recall seeing flowers on it, it just sort of seemed like an unruly tangle held in by chicken wire. It's entirely possible that it wasn't asparagus at all. Thats what I remember him saying they were but I was about 10 or 12 years old at the time, and not all that keen on asparagus so my memory may be faulty.

Login

Dragon, it was quite possibly asparagus. I've often seen it grown for its whimsical, fern-like leaves ... and I can't ever remember seeing a flower on it. Maybe the flower is insignificant.

spam

Good evening all - asparagus - we seem to have something going here........... I do not get flowers on mine just lovely whispery feathery stems they are so lovely I have to stop myself cutting them because they do look so beautiful left amonst the other shrubbery in the garden they have a beautiful bronzy hue. Good night all ...

Dragon

Okay, I had to go look up a picture of them.
This is what I remember from grandpa's garden
http://herbalcureinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/asparagus-officinallis-in-nature.jpg

spam

Yes Dragon that is exactly what mine look like except they are a bronzy colour also mine are a little less congested rather more tamed! They have a wonderful frangrance if you brush past them. LOL

spam

sorry -n my fingers tend to run away with me!!

spam

Oh dear I have just been reading up on this and apparently it is an invasive weed! I just thought was beautiful foliage with an almost aniseedy scent although mine does not appear to have taken over perhaps I should watch it! - how wrong can you be? Good night....

Baldur

spam, what you have sounds more like bronze fennel, they do indeed look similar. I Have that growing here at Boughbreak.
The aniseedy scent gave it away
Here is a photograph:
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/foen_07.jpg

Baldur

Copy the whole line to see the image, for some reason the link takes you to the home site.
Or try this one instead:
http://plantswithpurpose.co.uk/store/images/bronze%20fennel5.JPG

spam

Baldur good morning and thankyou I stand corrected. As a keen gardener and a florist I can still learn, now I stop and think bout this obviously have used asparagus fern for floristry and what I have growing in the garden is exactly like that lovely pic and yes very different now I have read more about it. Glad you have it growing in your garden too. It has such wonderful seed heads in the late summer. It says the seeds are edible but I have never tried them.

The way you describe your garden it sounds huge and quite beautiful.
You have such a great combination of cookery and gardening knowledge/skills.

puzzler

Did anyone mention that GB is voting for it's next party in government today? Not quite the hype of the presidential election, but the TV will have nothing else on for the next two days! Current opinion seems to suggest that we will end up with a hung parliament, where no party has an overall majority, but we will have to see. I am off to vote now.

polenta

Yes, I've heard GB is having elections and I've also heard there's a new young guy with great charisma, something like Nick Clegg or something. I've still got to see the debate of the three candidates. I have it taped.
Who's your favourite puzzler?

puzzler

Ah... In true British style, I prefer to keep my vote preference private Polenta. You are correct that one of the candidates is called Nick Clegg, the Liberal candidate, who has done very well in the leader debates. The other two are our current Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown and the Conservative leader, David Cameron. The first result has just come through, but I fear that I will have to go to bed before I know the outcome, or I will be no good for work tomorrow. Evidently, some people have been unable to vote, as they were still queing when the polling stations closed. That's unusual and points to a high turnout. I'm not a political animal, but most of us here are concerned as to how the next government will reduce our country's debt and how it will affect us.

polenta

I've just heard on TV that the conservative Mr Cameron has had the biggest third part of the votes with about 36% . I hope it's all the best for your country Puzzler. Sorry to have asked you. British people (same as us Uruguayans probably) are kind of reserved. ME TOO!!!
Good luck then.

Robindcr8l

Here ya' go, puzzler. Might be more entertaining than your typical political newcast in GB! http://www.asylum.com/2010/05/06/bald-guy-behind-michael-crick-bbcs-newsnight/?icid=main|m ain|dl4|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asylum.com%2F2010%2F05%2F06%2Fbald-guy-behind-michael-crick-bbcs -newsnight%2F

Login

Well, we got what we feared ... a hung parliament (no party with an overall majority). Conservatives got by far the largest number of votes but due to our antiquated voting system, votes are accumulated in 'constituancies' or (roughly speaking) boroughs. Each borough is represented by a prospective member of parliament. The party winning the most boroughs is the winner but, to be able to govern efficiently, they need at least one more 'member' than all other parties put together.

That's where the problem has arisen ... we are now in a situation, where one or more of the opposing parties need to make a pact to govern together in a 'coalition'. If no agreement/pact is made, the winning party will have to try to govern against a barrage of opposition.