Gardeners' Question Time

It was really exciting to be part of the virtual audience in the Zoom room for BBC Radio 4’s GQT with chair Cathy Clugston and the panel.  Two programmes were recorded with the panel; Matthew Wilson who had guitars on his wall, Chris Beardshaw and Bunny Guiness whose cat was luxuriating under a radiator.  The programme (episode 43) airs on 12th February and, unless edited out, mine was the first question.

My question was:

In normal times, members of our gardening club are challenged to sow a pot of seeds each Spring to see who can grow the tallest Sunflower or the first Cosmos to bloom etc 

Can the panel suggest which seeds they would recommend for this year’s competition, preferably to flower later on this year.  All entries will be shown at our Zoom meetings and posted on our Blog.

Linda Casper

Friday Forum Gardeners Club, Paxton Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire

Interesting answers were given by all three panel members.  Tune in to find out what they were!

If you fancy being in the audience, click on the link below.

Join BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time for another virtual recording

…. and if you are interested in gardening, check out our group’s blog at

Gardeners Friday Forum at Paxton

 

 

 

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021

 

I attended a very moving online Holocaust Memorial service broadcast from Leeds Town Hall.  The theme for commemorating this year’s Holocaust Memoria Day is “be the light in the darkness”.

Speakers included Holocaust survivors, many of whom settled in Leeds, who related their experiences and remembering family members who perished. 

“Never again” is the slogan used when we talk about the Holocaust, yet we heard from survivors of genocides which have taken place since then; Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.  We heard about the plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China and the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar which are still happening today.

We must learn from the past to create a better future.  In the words of the author and camp survivor Elie Wiesel who experienced the unimaginable events of the Holocaust, “Whomever listens to a witness becomes one themself”. For me, this means we must not stand by and allow such oppression in our lifetime.

 

How was it for you?

 

Highlights of 2020

Normally at this time of year I would review the year.  However, given the year we’ve all just had, I’ll gloss over 2020 with a few highlights before moving onwards and upwards to things I hope to accomplish in 2021.

 

As 2020 draws to a close, just a few things to ponder

1. 2019 Stay away from negative people. 2020 Stay away from people

2. The world has turned upside down. Old people are sneaking out of the house and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors.

3. This morning I saw a neighbour talking to her dog. It was obvious she thought her dog understood her.

I came to my house and told the cat ....we had a good laugh

4. Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pyjamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

5. Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands?

6. I never thought the comment “I wouldn’t touch them with a 6-foot barge pole” would become a national policy but here we are!

7. I really need to practice social distancing...... from the fridge

8. I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to the garden.

I am tired of the living room

9. Never in a million years could I have imagined I would go up to a bank clerk with a mask on and ask for money.

On to 2021

Although I participated in many Zoom meetings with family for celebrations and festivals and with the various groups and societies in which I am involved, it doesn’t replace face-to-face contact and hugs and kisses.  I am so looking forward to meeting and greeting people in person,

Last year taught me how kind and creative the human race can be.  I hope this continues post pandemic.

I will continue to appreciate my garden and living in beautiful Yorkshire

Some other things I missed out on and hope to experience this year:

Celebrating with friends and family

Visiting the Himalayan Gardens near Ripon, in Yorkshire

Lunching with the ladies

I’m ending this post on a positive note with a well know song (Lyrics by John Mercer)

You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

So, how was it/will it be for you?

 

 

 

 

Scary Stories

 

This story is in response to the regular call for shared storytelling  on the blog https://isawlightningfall.blogspot.com/in 100 words for advent from Loren Eaton.

The blog is described “as a place for people who like stories in general and genre fiction in particular. It's a place for folks who prefer to read and write fantasy and horror, science fiction and crime fiction”.

So here is my 100 word story:

The Poison Garden

Visiting the Poison Garden was her idea.   

Hundreds of species of poisonous plants from rhubarb to hemlock were attractively arranged, interspersed with culinary and medicinal herbs.

Hurrying my wife past warnings on the information board, I actively encouraged rubbing leaves to release the aroma of various plants lining our route.  Surely she would encounter a poisonous one.

“Help! Quick. Look at this rash!”

Pretending not to hear and willing myself not to look back, I waited until she fell silent before shouting for assistance. 

The Coroner reported her death wasn’t from the irritant, Ruta graveolens, but from a heart attack.

 - 0 -

To read more scary stories, check out I Saw Lightning Fall

 

Six on Saturday mid-December

So here we are in mid-December and almost at the point in the year when the days become longer.  Can’t wait!  I check for signs of new growth every day.

Here are my six:

Some roses are still hanging on

The evergreen fern, Polystichum polyblepharum, looks good

Garlic planted late November developing nicely

The cheerful colour of the Winter Jasmine is a welcome sight at the front door

I like to plant up a pot of Bellis which will flower through until late Spring

This basket, which currently contains Cyclamen, will be substituted for pots of other plants according to the season

The Propagator generously hosts Six on Saturday.  Click on the link to his blog to see what he and his followers are growing and doing in their gardens this week.  Perhaps you feel you could add your own six too.

Stay well everyone.

 

Libraries and their evolution

 

Since being a small child when I would regularly walk the two mile return journey to my local library, I have always valued and enjoyed visiting these institutions even though I and they have changed over the decades.  I still miss those catalogues of index cards housed in wooden drawers and the cardboard tickets with the pocket.  Am I the only one who envied the librarian as she stamped the date on the books?  School libraries, both as a pupil and a teacher, have represented a peaceful haven from the tumult of the surroundings.

During the pandemic, reading and procuring reading material has been top of my list so, while my usual sources such as friends and charity shops have not been readily available, I have had to find others.  A bit like an addict, I always need a stash of reading matter.

Little libraries

Fortunately, we have two Little Libraries literally on my doorstep.  Local residents stock the libraries and borrow from as and when.  So far, I have only scanned the titles and deposited books there as opposed to borrowing, but I feel secure in the knowledge that reading matter is accessible 24/7 should I need it.  The only people who may miss out on this opportunity are the writers but perhaps it allows them allow to reach a wider audience.

I have spotted Little Libraries all over including this one in a tiny, Yorkshire village:

Virtual Libraries

 In my opinion, not as good as holding a book in your hand, virtual libraries have their place.  My Kindle app allows me to carry about with me hundreds of books which are readily accessible while travelling or queuing.  The downside is making sure the devices are charged and the difficulty of recalling the title of my current read when the front cover and writer’s name isn’t always on show.

While the municipal libraries have been closed, the facility to borrow ebooks and audiobooks have been added to their services using the app Borrowbox enabling borrowing and at the click of a button.  This has enabled me to virtually borrow quite a few books from my to-read list and to try out audiobooks using my new earbuds.  I have to admit that I am not a fan audiobooks, particularly when it involves multiple characters, the reader’s voice is not appropriate or you want to re-read bits.

Other Library Services

While the libraries have been closed for pandemic of 2020, they will be sorely missed by those who use the wide range of services they provide; reading rooms, Wifi hotspots and, especially in the case those village libraries taken over by volunteers, venues for talks, table tennis and toddler groups.

I have previously blogged about various other libraries at Third Age: Libraries (thirdageblogger.blogspot.com) so I won’t repeat myself.

Please do comment on your preferred reading sources or books to recommend. 

Six on Saturday

Luckily, I picked these from the garden yesterday as there is no way I’m venturing out in this cold, wet weather.

 

Cotinus, Artemisia, Persicaria, Abelia, Sedum Autumn Joy

Last of the bulbs.  How do you remember where existing bulbs are planted before digging to insert new ones?

The Propagator generously hosts Six on Saturday.  Click on the link to his blog to see what he and his followers are growing and doing in their gardens this week.  Perhaps you feel you could add your own six too.

Stay well everyone.