Detached Victorian renovation, London.
Discussion
There's a car in our village registered B9OAF, are you related? Great thread by the way
Is someone near you feeding the foxes on the sly? We had this issue at inlaws in Kent, as others must have done because Dover DC has an advisory note on its website coming from the legality and cruelty perspectives. So rolling a potato soaked in diesel into the earth is a big NO NO! As are other "traditional" approaches. It also makes the point that if you manage to displace one family another will quickly take their place
Is someone near you feeding the foxes on the sly? We had this issue at inlaws in Kent, as others must have done because Dover DC has an advisory note on its website coming from the legality and cruelty perspectives. So rolling a potato soaked in diesel into the earth is a big NO NO! As are other "traditional" approaches. It also makes the point that if you manage to displace one family another will quickly take their place
paralla said:
Looking good Harry.
How’s the fiddle leaf fig like it in that location? Do you stress about it’s health and well-being like I do with mine? They must be the most stressful house plants ever.
Hi Paralla - we have two of them and actually they have been fine as long as they get lots of light. The one in the master bedroom is east facing and gets a lot of light. The one below is the true monster at 10 feet+ tall and is thriving in this west facing room.How’s the fiddle leaf fig like it in that location? Do you stress about it’s health and well-being like I do with mine? They must be the most stressful house plants ever.
Things we have found that work:
- room must be heated to above 16C even if unoccupied.
- we have auto-watering pots: you fill up a reservoir and it makes sure the plant is watered to the right level.
This big one below needs re-potting, and my wife is worried that this will kill it as apparently, that is when they go into shock. Not a job I am looking forward to. It also needs better support as (as you can see) it needs some help.
IMG_20200719_202626 by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:02
ooid said:
What's the brand of the small stove, the green one? Looks great! 
Ekol Apple Pie. Tiny little thing but fires well and is cast iron, so very solid. Seems very nicely built. However, this one actually came painted from the factory - I only actually did the painting on the big one myself. And actually the paint applied by Ekol has not been great as it marked on firing. The paint I used on the big stove (ACR Neo 3F) is flawless. They are rectifying it - as they damned well should do as the factory paint job was a £150 option, and painting the big one cost me £20 in spray paint and I did a better job than they did on my first time ever doing it.
It looks like they painted a single thick layer of paint onto the base stove (idiots), rather than the three very thing coats I did on the ACR stove.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:04
DB4DM said:
There's a car in our village registered B9OAF, are you related? Great thread by the way
Is someone near you feeding the foxes on the sly? We had this issue at inlaws in Kent, as others must have done because Dover DC has an advisory note on its website coming from the legality and cruelty perspectives. So rolling a potato soaked in diesel into the earth is a big NO NO! As are other "traditional" approaches. It also makes the point that if you manage to displace one family another will quickly take their place
Not me, but can't fault his/her choice of number plate!Is someone near you feeding the foxes on the sly? We had this issue at inlaws in Kent, as others must have done because Dover DC has an advisory note on its website coming from the legality and cruelty perspectives. So rolling a potato soaked in diesel into the earth is a big NO NO! As are other "traditional" approaches. It also makes the point that if you manage to displace one family another will quickly take their place
As for the foxes, they have more than enough to eat. No feeders as far as I know...
One other weekend project was to restore my father's old G Plan Astro coffee table. It was pretty knackered - scratched varnish, dents etc. stripped the teak back completely with power sander, steamed out various dents with a wet cloth and soldering iron and then used a finishing wax, rather than oil to bring out the grain and give it a more natural, less red hue and less shiny finish than they came with from the factory; the latter brings out the grain a lot more. It looks great now!
IMG_20200719_210744 by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:14
Edited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:16
Harry Flashman said:
Hi Paralla - we have two of them and actually they have been fine as long as they get lots of light. The one in the master bedroom is east facing and gets a lot of light. The one below is the true monster at 10 feet+ tall and is thriving in this west facing room.
Things we have found that work:
- room must be heated to above 16C even if unoccupied.
- we have auto-watering pots: you fill up a reservoir and it makes sure the plant is watered to the right level.
This big one below needs re-potting, and my wife is worried that this will kill it as apparently, that is when they go into shock. Not a job I am looking forward to. It also needs better support as (as you can see) it needs some help.
IMG_20200719_202626 by baconrashers, on Flickr
Hi Harry, hope you're well. Completely random question, the green paint on the walls of the living area with the large plant, who's is it, and do you know the colours name? We both really love it, and we'd like it somewhere in our house. Where remains to be seen! Things we have found that work:
- room must be heated to above 16C even if unoccupied.
- we have auto-watering pots: you fill up a reservoir and it makes sure the plant is watered to the right level.
This big one below needs re-potting, and my wife is worried that this will kill it as apparently, that is when they go into shock. Not a job I am looking forward to. It also needs better support as (as you can see) it needs some help.
IMG_20200719_202626 by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:02
Harry Flashman said:
Hi! It's Green Smoke by Farrow and Ball - but mixed in Leyland Trade as I hate using actual F&B paint, as it is a pig to work with...as well as very expensive.
Cheers for that buddy. Funnily, S said she thought it would be that very colour, quite how she's memorised colour names is anyone's guess! And yes, likewise, we always match a cheaper brand to F&B.
Harry Flashman said:
Hi Paralla - we have two of them and actually they have been fine as long as they get lots of light. The one in the master bedroom is east facing and gets a lot of light. The one below is the true monster at 10 feet+ tall and is thriving in this west facing room.
Things we have found that work:
- room must be heated to above 16C even if unoccupied.
- we have auto-watering pots: you fill up a reservoir and it makes sure the plant is watered to the right level.
This big one below needs re-potting, and my wife is worried that this will kill it as apparently, that is when they go into shock. Not a job I am looking forward to. It also needs better support as (as you can see) it needs some help.
IMG_20200719_202626 by baconrashers, on Flickr
I re-potted mine three weeks ago and it looks to have survived the trauma of it. I opened up the blinds to maximise the amount of light it gets. I use a cheap plastic self watering bulb and occasionally let it dry right out to help prevent root rot. It's so big and heavy I'm looking into ways that are not too ugly that allow me to move and rotate it without scratching the floor. At the moment I tilt it and put four tennis balls under the pot but it's a bit of a hassle.Things we have found that work:
- room must be heated to above 16C even if unoccupied.
- we have auto-watering pots: you fill up a reservoir and it makes sure the plant is watered to the right level.
This big one below needs re-potting, and my wife is worried that this will kill it as apparently, that is when they go into shock. Not a job I am looking forward to. It also needs better support as (as you can see) it needs some help.
IMG_20200719_202626 by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Sunday 19th July 21:02
That is big - has the form of our smaller one with the thick trunk, but the height of the bigger one. We have a pot ready to go but I keep putting this job off.
I use an old towel under our heavy plants if I have to move them That said, our floors can take more of a beating as they are just oiled original floorboards, so look pretty weathered anyway. Your look like pristine engineered oak board, so I can see the need for precautions.
Any tips on the re-potting? And also pruning - once the big one is supported, it will be at the height of our ceiling! It dwarfed our Christmas tree last year...
I use an old towel under our heavy plants if I have to move them That said, our floors can take more of a beating as they are just oiled original floorboards, so look pretty weathered anyway. Your look like pristine engineered oak board, so I can see the need for precautions.
Any tips on the re-potting? And also pruning - once the big one is supported, it will be at the height of our ceiling! It dwarfed our Christmas tree last year...
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 20th July 09:45
I let it dry right out so it was lighter and easier to deal with out of the pot, it came out surprisingly easy which was a relief, the roots don't seem to grab hold of the pots at all. All the info is to only increase the pot size a couple of inches but the new square pot is much bigger then the old round one and it doesn't seem to have suffered at all for it.
I gave it a good soaking once it was in the new pot and then didn't water it for a week. I spray the leaves with water mist every few days in the summer and give them a wipe down whenever they look a bit dusty. Positioning them so they get as much light as possible is best thing you can do for a fiddle leaf fig.
I gave it a good soaking once it was in the new pot and then didn't water it for a week. I spray the leaves with water mist every few days in the summer and give them a wipe down whenever they look a bit dusty. Positioning them so they get as much light as possible is best thing you can do for a fiddle leaf fig.
Front of house painted: good.
Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on Flickr
The Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on FlickrThe Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
Harry Flashman said:
Front of house painted: good.
Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on Flickr
The Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
For all that you have done Harry, this is one of the very very very few bits I think doesn’t work at all!Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on FlickrThe Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
Only being honest!
p1stonhead said:
Harry Flashman said:
Front of house painted: good.
Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on Flickr
The Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
For all that you have done Harry, this is one of the very very very few bits I think doesn’t work at all!Extension may have subsidence: bad. Surveyor about to be booked.
Let's concentrate on the cheerful stuff today.
Before:
20181029_140215 by baconrashers, on FlickrThe Blackpool B&B (courtesy of someone on this thread!) is a go!
Only being honest!
Holy f
k what have you done?! As long as you like it H old chap 
(PS, saw your other thread, try not to panic about the subsidence just yet. I don't have any experience of the ground down there but you obviously I'm aware of how common it is due to dry summers so make sure you get someone in before you go crazy. Thames Clay must be as well researched as anything for your problem so if there's a simple solution it'll be known.)
k what have you done?! As long as you like it H old chap (PS, saw your other thread, try not to panic about the subsidence just yet. I don't have any experience of the ground down there but you obviously I'm aware of how common it is due to dry summers so make sure you get someone in before you go crazy. Thames Clay must be as well researched as anything for your problem so if there's a simple solution it'll be known.)
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