🦞 The Lockdown Gang still chatting 🦞

NotSpaghetti

What IS that beautiful flower??
😍

It's a type of cactus. Years ago I was given a cutting from my mum's cousin from Burma.
I've since cut it back brutally and given cuttings away. It shares a tiny flowerpot with an avocado but still manages to produce a flower or two. They smell lovely.
Midnight cirrius

Cereus* is the correct spelling

Gosh it doesn't look at all like the ones found on Google!

I found it - commonly known as "Queen of the Night".
How lovely!
Cereus is obviously a broad category!

I have a Hoya Carnosa in bloom at the moment. It's been really neglected but still fignting on!
The fragrance is really heady.... maybe even sickly if you shut the kitchen door!

I'll try to take a photo soon

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I hadn't come across that plant NotSpaghetti porcelain plant or wax flower. Well done for keeping it going.

My trip around the Botanical gardens today was very interesting with our lovely Foraging guide. We tasted mugolio on pancakes (a delicious syrup made from pine cones) and a kind of imitation chocolate made from Lime tree berries.

I am tired now after so much walking and the bus trips. I have to pace myself these days.

Grammaretto is the doer upper the sort of house you would be happy to be in when done? Is it in an area you will be comfortable living? Where will you stay while the work is being done? Sorry don’t mean to be asking so much but I just worry about you taking on more than you can cope with but if it is a good location it may well be worth it, Hope it works out for you.
That flower is lovely.
I think ixion May be in touch with Kaimoana and I am trying to get in touch but not having much luck with messenger. I have exchanged very short emails because our dear lady can hardly see.

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Finally took some photos.
Our lovely Hoya (inherited from my father in 1991) and a cactus brought back from America as a gift from a dear friend in 1978.
They are both about waist high now.

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Our other hoya - also inherited - was a Hoya Bella.
Took loads of cuttings over many years but lost it in the end.

It tended to lose the diamond shaped leaves from nearest the roots until it looked very bare.
I was sad about it but it was glorious for maybe 20 years.
Here are some images (found online) of the Bella.

Both this and the Carnosa exude the most delicate sugary nectar in huge sticky drops. (See leaf photo of the Carnosa where the syrupy nectar has dropped from above)

My children used to lick the blossoms of the hoyas if I wasn't looking... Now they are more refined and they just catch the nectar on their fingers!

....and now the squirrels have taken most of my figs!!!
🤬🤬😡😡

Thanks for the pictures NotSpag you have exotic plants!

I have a pigeon in the chimney. I can see it but can't lure it out. Luckily the sweep is coming on Tuesday.

The anti bird cowl is missing from that chimney pot.
More expense. 😕

I haven't made up my mind about the do-er upper. I'm going to sleep on it and hope for a Eureka moment. 😊😯

My pal, who lived here for a while when their house was out of action due to a serious flood, came over today and shared her thoughts over tea and cake.

Aussie helper was in Edinburgh for the day. She wants to tackle books tomorrow!

I hope all the Lobstars are doing ok?

Gosh, NS, your picture of the cactus brings me out in a cold sweat.
For many years, my father had one banned to in his greenhouse. It was particularly unprepossessing and really only of interest for its great (5'+) height.
My DM was thrilled when DF gifted it to DS1 in his cactus and succulents phase, tho' transporting it back 200 miles in the footwell with 3 small children was challenging.
You couldn't even kill it by ignoring it.

Despite a concerted attempt to off load much out of fashion brown furniture, I have found the chair of my -current- dreams and successfully made an offer.
A high back ash and elm Windsor chair, beautifully and sympathetically restored.
For use on heatwave afternoons, by an open bedroom window, book in hand!

I heard from Kaimoana this evening. She messages when she is able, I guess eyesight permitting. She is trying to pack up in the hope of moving nearer to DS and Gubbins with another assessment coming up shortly.
I sent our love to her, but don't know when she will read again.

Sorry, crossed posts.
Perhaps if I typed faster or wrote less.

Have a good sleep over the do-er upper.

You poor pigeon is in for a rude shock on Tuesday😢

...I hope he either gets out or is able to be rescued on Tuesday.
😬

The cactus came from a guy at the side of a road selling from a truck apparently. I think it was in Arizona.
It arrived here totally dry wrapped in newspaper.

So funny about your cactus though ixion.
Made me smile.
Xx

I hope having something to focus on is at least good for Kaimoana - I do hope she will be somewhere nearer family in future.
Please say we are thinking of her and wishing her the very best for the move.

Will do, of course, tho' not sure when I'll hear back.

However did your cactus get through customs as plant material?
Maybe no one was bold enough to unwrap and investigate.

Gracious Notspaghetti that cactus is a fearsome object. The others are very pretty though.
ixion so pleased you’re in touch with Kaimoana please tell her I’m doing my best to contact her but still not getting anywhere with messenger. I do hope she moves nearer her son.
Grammaretto i Hope you make the right decision on your doer upper. Did your friend give any valuable advice.
Met up with. dS1 and family this afternoon. Lovely to sit and catch up.
So tired I can’t keep awake l. Sleep well all.

​I don't remember about how it got through customs but have just googled this and discovered that during the 1970s it was common for travellers to bring back "bare-root" cacti or plant cuttings as it was a common belief that removing the earth made it legally acceptable.
It was bare rooted. Just wrapped in newspaper.

​And of course, imaging (such as x-ray) for organic matter didn't exist , so I suppose our friend had, in effect, smuggled it.
It obviously wasn't unwrapped for customs!

I can't see that he would have done much by way of paperwork for it as he'd been hitching about all summer!

Evening all. Just popping in briefly this week as I am out so much and very tired, I am so lucky to have so many invitations for lunch my birthday week I’m having more birthdays than the Queen did 🤣
At last I have received a voice message from Kaimoana with Ixions help i have been trying for a while, unfortunately she couldn’t hear mine, so I have tried again.
Hope everyone is ok

Great strides, Doodle.
Hopefully the hiccups will be ironed out and that'll prove a great opportunity to keep in touch and swap news.🤞

A gardening day today, at least til late afternoon sun drove me indoors.
Mr I continues with his viticulture .
Sadly the end result is always in inverse proportion to the effort put in. See pic.

I always manage to look suitably impressed and make encouraging noises.

NB - they are but thumbnail size☹️

The taste would put hairs on your chest, as DF used to say.

Personally, I blame the wrong sort of terroir.

Good crop of grapes Ixion mine are still tiny.
I had a call from the agent for the do-er upper today. They have had an offer but ofcourse won't share the amount with me.

The sweep who cleaned my chimneys this morning and has lived in this town since he was a lad, told me he's spoken to tradespeople who wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. So there's my answer.

Now I just need to find the perfect place for me......

That's good that you have heard from Kaimoana, Doodle. I hope she's ok and the future looks brighter.

Also good that you've had some time with your DS. They both live near to you don't they?
I'm a bit jealous but I don't think it would be wise for me to take up residence close to any of my 4. Unless maybe NZ 😂😅😍

My helper picked a lot of plums yesterday so I am making jam but I've given away most of my jam jars.

My Danish rescued chairs have gone to a very good Glasgow home and been painted.
They're looking wonderful now.

Grammaretto yes Im lucky to have both sons nearby. We don’t see each other all the time. They have busy lives too but I know they’re there if I need them
Lovely to hear Kaimoanas voice. So gentle and soft,

That's so nice to hear her voice Doodle. Did she sound reasonably content?

Also nice to have your DS nearby. ❤️

Oh dear. I have made an offer for the do-er upper!
I think I may have estranged myself from DD as a result. She is so angry with me.
I think she's being a drama queen. It is my decision after all and it's not as though it will affect her will it?

Anyway it may fall through. I am going to try to find some financial advice.

I'm having a G&T , have made plum jam and have been knitting furiously.

My helper has dug the garden, mowed the lawn and set off to climb a hill.