Moved over 500 hostas

[Chris_W]

These are in Ireland now! We moved them in July and they grew nicely this summer. Now they are going dormant.

[Chris_W]

There were a lot of hoops to jump through but it was worth it

[kHT]

Wow, that was a huge task!! Enjoy them across the pond.

[Chris_W]

Yup, moved them in July and they are just starting to go dormant now Moving the cats was also a lot of work but that was worth it too, though one got out of the house and won't come back in. I figure once it starts raining she will change her mind.

And I think I'm gardening in a zone similar to yours kht! They say we are the equivalent of zone 8b/9a here, so a lot of plants for us to learn

Nice to see you!

[kHT]

Hey Chris, glad you got moved okay. Kitty will not like the rain!!

Hate to tell you but out weather out here has really changed. We
have had a heck of a time with our rain disappearing and it's been so
hot here that some of the cooler Brugmansia area not making it at all.
This past growing season has really been a trip. We were over 9 inches of
rain behind. We had more days in the 90s than ever, I spent my time watering
almost every day.

I sure miss folks here. Glad to see you are doing well across the pond.

[Chris_W]

Oh yes, I've seen the crazy weather change there. My brother and nephew live in Salem and Corvallis and they've shared pictures of the drought and heat and fires. Sorry that you have had problems with the gardens.

I know I miss the people here too. I'm going to work on this a bit, though, and see if I can get at least a little activity once in a while It is nice that the forums now work on mobile devices. That will be a huge help!

[kHT]

I can remember you had a brother out here. Glad they shared what is going on,
the fires were a big trip!! Everything was so yellow looking for a few days here,
you just didn't want to go outside at all. Some of the plants have suffered. But
they are all safely tucked away now.

You both take good care over there. How is kitty doing?

[Chris_W]

We brought two kitties, Sully and Foxy, and they are both doing fine. Sully acted like nothing at all but Foxy is having a harder time with the transition. Sully goes in and out and loves it here. Foxy went out one day and came back in that evening but the next day she went out and disappeared for 3 days. We didn't see her at all and were really worried, then about 11pm on the 3rd day she snuck out of the hedge row to come in and eat. She is still a bit spooked but seems fine otherwise. Still eating and drinking and purring and loving on us just like when she left though I can tell she is uncomfortable. She was a 6 month old feral kitten when we found her and she is 13 now. She has always been very independent and she acted nearly the same at the old place, sometimes refusing to come to us at all or come in the house for days on end. Sully was a 6 week old feral kitten and he loves on us all the time and has to be with us a lot. If he is feeling lonely he will actually come up to me and jump into my arms - which is crazy because he is a pretty big cat. I have to be ready to catch him

So things are fine with the kitties. If Foxy keeps acting this way I might take her to the vet for a checkup but she had a checkup before flying and the vet said she was healthy so I don't think anything is wrong other than the stress of the move.

[Chris_W]

This is one of our neighbours Shetland ponies mowing our back yard. And sully is checking him out.

[Chris_W]

The stones are from the back wall of the barn that collapsed a year ago. Sadly the owner of this house never maintained anything and the old stone barn collapsed after 110 years. All he had to do was repoint a little mortar each year and this barn would have been perfectly fine. We are going to try and salvage one wall of it and use block around the other sides. But that will mean digging a new foundation around it. Brian really wants to save part of it though, and I don't blame him.

[kHT]

I'm with Brian, try to save it by putting it back up. You have photos of what was there?
I love older properties, they have are the best.

[Pieter]

Hey Chris,
Nice to see signs of life from Ireland. Sounds as if you guys are settling in.

[thy]

Thanks Chris for keeping the forums

8b/ 9a may be right but not in the normal US way since you are in a seaside area. Be prepared for changes... more or less all time, but specially in the spring.
The last 2 years have been the first and only where I could not put out annuals in mid April. Last year a part of the tiny country had frosts mid June... 3 weeks later than the official last frost date.... but then next year we may get summer in Marts Clima have changed. We get more heavy rain, more wild winds and more drought but still no droughts like in the States.
Think you are used to invite friends for a barbeque next Friday ... aren't you ?
Here it is: Come for a barbeque Friday if the weather is okay Even the forecast can change with in a NY minute.

Hope Ireland will be perfect for the 2 of you even with all the covid restrictions.
Hugs

And one for you KHT

[Chris_W]

Hi Pia!

Yes, the "zone" for the US is only based on the low temperature and doesn't take anything else into account. Back when we shipped plants people would tell me to ship for their zone's appropriate planting time, but that didn't mean anything at all. Everyone's gardens wake up at different time regardless of how cold they got during the winter. I watched the weather here for the past 2 years, and was here during the summer drought, so I've already seen some of the climate change effects.

The hostas here are a little confused because most are going dormant and a few are flowering for a second time this year. But I have a feeling they are going to get huge with all the rain

Lots to do, lots to learn, but we are enjoying it and settling in. And I had a job interview yesterday that is progressing to a second interview, so that is exciting. No guarantee, I know, but I'm hopeful. If I get a job then there will be less stress as this house is going to take a lot of money to completely fix up they way we want it though so far we are doing a lot of the work ourselves and saving.

It is great to have the forum going and I love that I can check in on my phone now!

[kHT]

Chris, hope you get that job!! With lockdown again over there it sounds serious with the
virus??

Hey Pia, a big hug back to you!!

[thy]

The hostas will love the rain

I have very little idea of the jobsituation in Ireland. It was bad, really bad 10+ years ago and then they changed their taxpolicy and some other things and got a lot of specially US tech companies to settle in there...
Hope you will find a good job soon

[Chris_W]

Thank you Pia. I have the second interview some day this week and am hopeful. I would be managing a grocery store so no lack of work there. Lots of people are out of work since there is no tourism going on now. And I feel bad to be progressing on a job when my neighbour has been looking and he has had no luck while I've only been here a few weeks. I'll let you know how it goes.

[LucyGoose]

Wow, loved seeing this post when I came here to remember Janet!

Great that you have a job interview Chris!! Good Luck!!

[thy]

Americans are normally well accepted for jobs in Northern Europe

Can I be honest ?
Most of the crying about the tourists are crab in North Europe. We are the ones going for vacations in sunny Spain, Italy ect.
Here the hotels and vacation home companies cried for months... the Germans can not come so we will have lots and lots of empty vacation houses.... No... the Danes did not go to Spain and and, - so when they opened up for the Germans, there were hardly a house free

Just now restaurants and hotels are crying. People cancel their Birthday party and our traditional Christmas company dinner due to a new max 10 persons rule... Why the heck don't they rethink and give offers for a : Celebrate your Birthday several times with fever people, enjoy you can speak with all of them and we give you a discount on your personal meal / stay.

LOL Complaining here
We like to say football is our national sport... no way - complaining is

Chris they want your manager skills... do your neighbor have such ones ?
Go for it... now I miss a heart ... and the little angel with the black wings

[Chris_W]

It is like complaining about the weather here. One day we went to a park and spent the entire day there with sunny skies for hours. On the drive home it started raining and poured for about 2 hours. The next day all of our neighbours complained about how bad the weather was the day before and wow, didn't it rain horribly. We just smiled and nodded