There's just a hint in the MRWF that, as quite often happens, a change
of season may mean a change in weather type. Not a moment too soon for
my sanity!. Purely anecdotally, I have grim memories of all those
ghastly summers from the late '50s onward, but none has been quite as
depressing as this one.
Even my wife, normally obsessed with holidays in the Lake District,
god help her, decided she'd had enough so we went off to Tenerife in
April, and Dubrovnik in July-both really interesting and well worth
it.
I'm well used to molluscs eating the usual suspects- dahlias etc-but
this year the little *******s shinned up my gladioli and nerines and
ate them too! By the time I realised what was going on and put the
slug bait down it was too late.
The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new
variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig
them up.
The Mrs-a teacher- is now ****ed off because a change for the better-
if it happens-will nicely coincide with the new term. More ammo in my
endless battle with her to retire to Oz!.
Goodbye to all that? Bloody good riddance!!

On Saturday, 25 August 2012 10:31:45 UTC+1, haaark wrote:

The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new

variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig

them up.

Depends where you live. In NE England my neighbour used to laboriously dig his dozens of dahlias up, immediately following the first frosts of autumn, wash the roots free of soil, dust them with flowers of sulphur and store them under his bed (his missus was less than impressed!).

Since being down here, I've never moved mine inside at all (I've a dozen or so). They all come through the winter and D. 'Bishop of Llandaff' has self-seeded every year, with seedlings coming up each spring throughout the garden. We've had -12C or worse in that time and that's done for a number of tender plants, but unlike the 1980s in the NE, I don't think it's ever lasted long enough to penetrate far enough into the ground to damage the dahlia tubers.

- Tom
Blackmore, SW Essex.

haaark wrote:
There's just a hint in the MRWF that, as quite often happens, a change
of season may mean a change in weather type. Not a moment too soon for
my sanity!. Purely anecdotally, I have grim memories of all those
ghastly summers from the late '50s onward, but none has been quite as
depressing as this one.
Even my wife, normally obsessed with holidays in the Lake District,
god help her, decided she'd had enough so we went off to Tenerife in
April, and Dubrovnik in July-both really interesting and well worth
it.
I'm well used to molluscs eating the usual suspects- dahlias etc-but
this year the little *******s shinned up my gladioli and nerines and
ate them too! By the time I realised what was going on and put the
slug bait down it was too late.
The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new
variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig
them up.
The Mrs-a teacher- is now ****ed off because a change for the better-
if it happens-will nicely coincide with the new term. More ammo in my
endless battle with her to retire to Oz!.
Goodbye to all that? Bloody good riddance!!
------------------------------
LOL. I've forgotten where you live Anthony but dire as it has been the
last three weeks here in Essex have been very good. Ground is now dry
and cracking and there has been plenty of sunshine. As you say, and Will
said earlier, signs of something reasonable for September.
Dave

"Tom" wrote in message
...
On Saturday, 25 August 2012 10:31:45 UTC+1, haaark wrote:

The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new

variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig

them up.

Depends where you live. In NE England my neighbour used to laboriously dig
his dozens of dahlias up, immediately following the first frosts of autumn,
wash the roots free of soil, dust them with flowers of sulphur and store
them under his bed (his missus was less than impressed!).

Since being down here, I've never moved mine inside at all (I've a dozen or
so). They all come through the winter and D. 'Bishop of Llandaff' has
self-seeded every year, with seedlings coming up each spring throughout the
garden. We've had -12C or worse in that time and that's done for a number
of tender plants, but unlike the 1980s in the NE, I don't think it's ever
lasted long enough to penetrate far enough into the ground to damage the
dahlia tubers.
=======================================

I get lovely dahlias year after year, never do anything to them!
We rarely get harsh frosts though, snow yes, severe frost - no (too windy).

Will (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
--

"Dave Cornwell" wrote in message
...
haaark wrote:
There's just a hint in the MRWF that, as quite often happens, a change
of season may mean a change in weather type. Not a moment too soon for
my sanity!. Purely anecdotally, I have grim memories of all those
ghastly summers from the late '50s onward, but none has been quite as
depressing as this one.
Even my wife, normally obsessed with holidays in the Lake District,
god help her, decided she'd had enough so we went off to Tenerife in
April, and Dubrovnik in July-both really interesting and well worth
it.
I'm well used to molluscs eating the usual suspects- dahlias etc-but
this year the little *******s shinned up my gladioli and nerines and
ate them too! By the time I realised what was going on and put the
slug bait down it was too late.
The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new
variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig
them up.
The Mrs-a teacher- is now ****ed off because a change for the better-
if it happens-will nicely coincide with the new term. More ammo in my
endless battle with her to retire to Oz!.
Goodbye to all that? Bloody good riddance!!
------------------------------
LOL. I've forgotten where you live Anthony but dire as it has been the
last three weeks here in Essex have been very good. Ground is now dry and
cracking and there has been plenty of sunshine. As you say, and Will said
earlier, signs of something reasonable for September.
Dave


The only thing showing signs of cracking up here Dave is my forehead :-)
Yet another torrential shower passing through as I type :-(
Lawn is growing verdantly, needs cutting yet again :-(

http://www.lyneside.demon.co.uk/Hayt...antage_Pro.htm
Will Hand (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
---------------------------------------------

On Aug 25, 11:15*am, "Dartmoor Will"
wrote:
"Tom" wrote in message

...

On Saturday, 25 August 2012 10:31:45 UTC+1, haaark *wrote:

The dahlias have-at last- got flower buds on them. They're a new

variety, so at least I'll see what they look like before I have to dig

them up.

Depends where you live. *In NE England my neighbour used to laboriously dig
his dozens of dahlias up, immediately following the first frosts of autumn,
wash the roots free of soil, dust them with flowers of sulphur and store
them under his bed (his missus was less than impressed!).

Since being down here, I've never moved mine inside at all (I've a dozen or
so). *They all come through the winter and D. 'Bishop of Llandaff' has
self-seeded every year, with seedlings coming up each spring throughout the
garden. *We've had -12C or worse in that time and that's done for a number
of tender plants, but unlike the 1980s in the NE, I don't think it's ever
lasted long enough to penetrate far enough into the ground to damage the
dahlia tubers.
=======================================

I get lovely dahlias year after year, never do anything to them!
We rarely get harsh frosts though, snow yes, severe frost - no (too windy).

Will (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
--

My part of Bristol has good breezy S. exposure and is sheltered to the
N. by wooded hills. My lowest min. in 27 years is -9C. Dahlias
survived for 15 years in the ground till the winter of 2009-10, which
did for them. Since then I've dug them up and planted new varieties.
These may be less robust. I dig most of them up, leaving the odd plant
in as a test. None have survived!