Someone say something

[Weedo]

Good day today - its raining finally!!!!! After a very very dry autumn and start of winter we may actually get some moisture. My cropos have been standing still for weeks and were at risk of collapse.

[ina]

The wind has brought my greenhouse down, so that's what I should be doing today. It's still quite windy, though - and I've just not got the up-and-go... All my little plants will be squashed, anyway.

Oh, no, Ina! That is a nasty setback. Will it be a big job to rebuild it? Do you have plants in the ground, or was everything in the greenhouse?

Kathy

It shouldn't be a big job - but it really needs at least four hands to get it up, and no wind. And some good ideas how I can fix it to the ground so this doesn't happen again. I've got some stuff in the ground... I just didn't have the energy to do anything about it at the weekend, and now I won't be home for a few days because I'm cat/house sitting. Nevermind...

[Green Aura]

Good day today - its raining finally!!!!! After a very very dry autumn and start of winter we may actually get some moisture. My cropos have been standing still for weeks and were at risk of collapse.

Sorry, Weedo, I think we've been getting all yours. I can't remember a day we haven't had some rain for weeks now. My garden is lush and green - unfortunately it's all weeds.

[Weedo]

GA - thanks, seems the North Coast here has also been getting my share. In regards to your weeds, look on the bright side. Good weed seasons nean that a large proportion of the seed bank has germinated - if you jump in and deal with them before they can replace that seed then you are well ahead. Its all about seed bank exhaustion, if you can keep control actions ahead of seed replacement then you must win. The old saying is "one years seeding means seven years weeding".

As an aside, there is a bright guy on King Island (Tasmania) who has build a large roof area, catches the rain, bottles it and exports it oveseas (mainly Britain) as Cloud Juice.

[Weedo]

Hi

A quick query; Number 1 son is travelling to Britain in the next couple of weeks (he sometimes has these lapses of common sense - probably a result of spending so much time underground). Apparently spending a week in London then on a rubber necky guided tour of England Scotland, Ireland etc. for 2 weeks then has a couple of weeks of free wandering. It has been suggested he drive the Irish West Coast - any suggestions of places to visit? - he also enjoys walking so a couple of 1 day routes would be useful.

[Green Aura]

I can't advise about Ireland, I'm afraid - Dublin is pretty much as far as I've ventured over there.

But in the highlands(Scotland) the North Coast 500 (NC500) is getting rave reviews worldwide - being described as the European equivalent of Route 66 in the US. I happen to know it is probably the most beautiful road trip in the world as I live on it! Tell him I'll put the kettle on.

[Odsox]

It has been suggested he drive the Irish West Coast

We now have a tourist drive called "The Wild Atlantic Way" which is well signposted all the way down the western seaboard from Derry to Cork. It is very spectacular in places and certainly very "wild". It's been promoted now for several years and has become extremely popular, which is a bit of a pain as it runs right past my house.
http://www.wildatlanticway.com/home

[ina]

Friends of mine are here from Australia just now... Well - arriving tonight in Edinburgh from the Netherlands - going on a 5 day trip across Scotland tomorrow morning (coach tour) - back in Edinburgh Friday night and leaving for England Saturday morning. And they want to meet up with me - how on earth am I supposed to get to them in that short time, when they are trying to do the entire country in 5 days? People so often misjudge how long it takes to drive somewhere in Scotland. And I am working for a change, too, so I can't just up and go.

[Weedo]

Australians do it in Australia too - a friend of mine had a retirement plan to travel around Australia. He was back 6 weeks after he left and could have only seen what was visible out the car window. People often "do" Tasmania in 5 days - I have worked and visited Tasmania many over the years and would not have seenhalf of it - My wife had the 5 day idea the first time I took her there and she was amazed that we only got to look at the South Eastern quarter in that time. This is why the son is taking 6 weeks on your patch and this is only a fact finding mission.

[Weedo]

Hi

anybody know anything about grwing Valerian (V. officinalis)?

[diggernotdreamer]

Hi

anybody know anything about grwing Valerian (V. officinalis)?

In what respect, cultivation or use as a medicinal plant

[Weedo]

In resoect of cultivation and perhaps weedy-ness. We have a guy that wants to plant commercial quantities of this and a range of other species for the alternative medicine market and tyhis is the one outside my experience.

[ina]

Australians do it in Australia too .

I think another fact they'd not considered may be that in large parts of our beautiful country there's very unreliable mobile and internet connection! Now I've not heard from them for a few days, and I've suggested a breakfast meeting in Edinburgh on Saturday... Would mean leaving the house at 4, but heyho - I'm used to getting up early...

Argh!

(Sorry. Rant over. Same problems all over the world, though... )

[Green Aura]

Valerian grows like a here, Weedo. All you need is a few roots and they'll spread like wildfire. I'm sure you can grow it from seed to, although I don't recall ever seeing any.

It requires no special conditions as far as I know - mine grows happily here on the north coast of Scotland, from a root I dug up in my Manchester garden when we moved, which originally came from a cutting off a plant growing wild in mid-Wales.

[Weedo]

Thanks GA - I suspected this would be the case. Probably not a potential poblem in sub 20 inch rainfall zones but could be in irrigated areas. Hasn't shown up on our radar yet. Biosecurity is the new black in Oz at the moment.