2026 - What I did today.

Rock splitting this morning, rain stopped play this afternoon.

Yesterday pricked out 2 Summertime courgettes, helped a Serpentine di Sicilia out of its seed casing, they are really really tough, the seeds not the seedling. Recently sowed masses of flowers, mostly old seed, with the promise of throwing away the packets that don't germinate.

Last autumn I ordered six raspberry Polka canes. Planted them in a temporary bed and waited till spring. Only one of the six canes popped. I had a determined moan at B&Q/Carpeth plants (not the easiest to deal with but I had the bit between my teeth and didn't give up). Hopefully the canes are being replaced. Watch this space.

Sowed some dwarf nicotiana.
Potted on some more sweet peppers and tomatoes.
Also potted on the nicotiana sylvestris. Somehow, I have 40 of these. Guess I'll be planting them EVERYWHERE!

Last autumn I  ordered six raspberry Polka canes. Planted them in a temporary bed and waited till spring. Only one of the six canes popped. I had a determined moan at B&Q/Carpeth plants (not the easiest to deal with but I had the bit between my teeth and didn't give up). Hopefully the canes are being replaced. Watch this space.

There was a parcel on the doorstep, a bit small for raspberry canes  thought I.  Opened it up and found this (mug alongside for size comparison)

   

Its a Hypoestes Phyllostachya Red Polka Dot

Not going to get many raspberries off that!  To top it all they don't have a phone number and all communication is by email which appears very AI like.

I can’t like your post JJB. Because of the sheer incompetence of some companies. Sorry to say it but It did actually make me laugh out loud. It’s so nice to know it’s not just me this stuff happens too.

This week alone, I had to phone about my kitchen design because he’d been on holiday and forgot about me.
I ordered a 3 piece sofa cover. I got a 1 piece.
The new feathers & wedges for rock splitting we ordered arrived, well the packaging they were supposed to be in arrived, with a big whole in the bottom.

JJB until I expanded the photo I thought they were raspberries    cos I’d heard of Polka ones.

Weeded around badgers grave . Wondering around the garden, just to see what’s going on. Come up with a cunning plan for the post box bed (Bob’s going to love it   ) . Spent some time watching the bees. Fascinating watching all the different colours of pollen they bring home.

I can’t like your post JJB. Because of the sheer incompetence of some companies. Sorry to say it but It did  actually make me laugh out loud. It’s so nice to know it’s not just me this stuff happens too.

This week alone, I had to phone about my kitchen design because he’d been on holiday and forgot about me.
I ordered a 3 piece sofa cover. I got a 1 piece.
The new feathers & wedges for rock splitting we ordered arrived, well the packaging they were supposed to be in arrived, with a big whole in the bottom.

You win the top trumps in frustrating events, I concede. That much stress would drive me to drink.

Sorry about all your delivery problems SC but, I think JJB's takes the prize. Can't wait to see what they send you next - a raspberry jelly? a polka dot tablecloth?.

Meanwhile, I've been digging up more Cow Parsley, filling trugs with camellia petals in the front garden, pulling weeds out of the paving and shuffling pots around in the GHs.

Went to the plot for about half an hour and did some hand weeding around the onions, shallots and garlic.