I'm self sufficient in....

[Flo]

Rain today after the last week.

And the rest of you? ina is self sufficient in snails ...

[ina]

And the rest of you? ina is self sufficient in snails ...

Oh so true!

And weeds.

[Green Aura]

I bet I can beat you in thistles, ina. We're thinking of putting in for national collection status.

[ina]

True - I only get the odd thistle. Mind you, the poppies are taking over - waiting for the drugs police to arrive...

[Green Aura]

I'll swap you.

[ina]

I'll swap you.

Yeah - much more pleasant to pull out poppies! In fact, I'm always reluctant to get rid of them they look so attractive. They are choking my poor tomatoes to death, though.

[Green Aura]

Sounds like the start of a new cocktail - tomato and poppy juice. Now we just need a name!

[ina]

I prefer poppy seeds. That's one of the things I miss in Scotland - poppy seed cake. Well, I could bake some, of course.

[Weedo]

I'm a little confused (easily done) with your thistle timings. I would expect an Autumn germination for spear (black / Scotch) variegated (princess / spotted) saffron, Scotch (heraldic / silver) and Illarrian thistles and then Spring germination for a few others ? This means the here (winter) I am dealing with the Autumn ones now - noting, of course, that they do NOT go dormant during our winter.

[Green Aura]

I've no idea which variety they are, Weedo. But they're big and lush, having had the wettest summer for years and fight back against even the brushcutter attachment on the strimmer. We'll beat them yet though!

[Flo]

All the flowering/seeding varieties around here are brewing for going to seed this month. Should be a whole new crop in unexpected places next year - as usual.

[Weedo]

Maybe a thistle pic or two for I.D.? Perhaps somewhere within my bag of tricks I may be able to help?

[Green Aura]

Thistles.jpg (66.57 KiB) Viewed 16004 times

Sorry it's such an appalling picture. A little breeze and my handshake makes for rubbish images. Hope it's good enough for you to get some idea.

[Flo]

Floods due to blocked drains at many of the very near places to home. Going to be fun consulting the washing up bowl rain meter at the allotments tomorrow. They were almost to wet to work on yesterday.

[ina]

Yep, definitely self sufficient in rain today.