Gardeners sayings and wise words

[Lesley Jay]

Shortie you are miles out!!!! (Unless ofcourse it is just me jumping to the wrong conclusion!)

[Squirrel]

You think thats bad, my Mum used to say to me "be good and if you can't be good, be good at it"!!! maybe not the best advise for a teenager

We always use to add 'or buy a pram'!

[Shortie]

Shortie you are miles out!!!! (Unless ofcourse it is just me jumping to the wrong conclusion!)

What does it mean then LJ?

[Crazy Chickie]

We always use to add 'or buy a pram'!

Eeek. Good job I was a good girl .

Back to weather n gardening advise,
"If march comes in like a lamb it'll go out like a lion, and if it comes in like a lion it'll go out like a lamb"

"Balm leaves rubbed on bee stings and dock leaves for nettles"

"Houseleeks planted in the crevices of the garden wall will protect the gardeners luck and ward off lightening"

"A horses head carved into the entrance of an old walled garden will encorage it to be fruitfull and Pliny thought it kept out caterpillars"! In roman times they used the skull of a mare for this!!!!!

Pliny also advised "burying a toad in an earthen pot to protect against hail and storms" (think I should try that one up here )

"Cider should be poured over the roots of the apple trees on Xmas Eve to ensure a good harvest the following year"

Gerard and Lupton used oak apples to divine the future "If you find an ant, plenty of grain will ensue. A spider thenwe shall have pestilence among men. If a white worm, a murrain of beasts and cattle. If the worm doth fly away it signifies war." Cheerie wern't they.

To deter pigions an unturned red bottle on a stick.

To prevent mice eating your newly sow peas, put holly clippings in the trench.

Poke bramble sticks down mole runs. Might work for other burrowing pests too, but I'd be worried about brambles appearing all over the plot. You can also try sinking empty bottles into the runs, with the neck protruding. Apparently the noise of the wind is "terrifing" to them.

I have loads more of these in various books but I think thats enough old wives lore for one night.

[Digger-07]

March Saying

If March comes in like a lion it will leave like a lamb.

Also I remember something about cows laying down will forecast rain.

[nick the grief]

No that just means their feet ache Digger

Have we had the old "Ne'r cast a clout till April be out" or
" A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon".

Similar vein to the Housleeks ( I've got 4 varieties bye the bye just in case ) Mountain ash is supposed to repel witches ..... never stopped my mother in law turning up so I got rid of it as it was in danger of falling on the greenhouse

And finally, the finials on arches is supposed to stop the devil sitting on them

[Earthbabe]

NTG re bees

"A swarm in May is worth a load of hay, a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon but a swarm in July isn't worth a fly".

Relating to the amount of honey you can expect to get in your first season from a swarm that year.

[Nicos]

Shortie you are miles out!!!! (Unless ofcourse it is just me jumping to the wrong conclusion!)

You being rude again???

[Snadger]

Shortie you are miles out!!!! (Unless ofcourse it is just me jumping to the wrong conclusion!)

Must admit LJ, I jumped to the same conclusion,........ I think!

[Snadger]

A florin's two bob or ten pence and its diameter is bigger than an old ship halfpenny!

[Lesley Jay]

So, we three all have filthy minds then??

[Berr]

Make that four. But old Shortie,he's having us on.............isn't he?

Berr.

[Lesley Jay]

It's she! Our Shortie is a she!

[Berr]

Well, that confirms it.

[Shortie]

Ahh.... looks like another case of me being off mark, AND managing to chuck in an innuendo without even knowing it

Yup definately a she, though I've had other grapes think I'm male too. I must excude an air of manliness in what I write