Monthly Archives: June 2025

It may be raining but who cares when this is playing

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The clouds are going grey and that day of supposed gardening may be not materialise but we found this and things seem to be a lot brighter in our life. It’s possibly the craziest version of Sleng Teng ever! Hats off and umbrellas up to the great Center of the Universe. Cheers to Jesse Yuen for inspiring us finding this.

And if rumour has it, all the secrets to life (and sleng teng) are possibly contained in the first few seconds of this.

Never mind the brollies, have a good Saturday grapple fans.

Quaking grass and shortwave space travel

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We’ve had this in the garden before and God only knows how it actually got there (have they self seeded themselves or are they the fruits of our anarchistic “throw them anywhere” sowing method) but it’s the wonderful quaking-grass. It’s only a small plant but is great close up and we’ve just found out that the seeds are good source of food for the birds.

We’ve got a flower on our courgette plant we sowed in a pot when we thought it may be a bit late so it’s always worth trying! How’s people’s gardens going? Do send some pictures please!

Also this weekend on the shortwave bands Imaginary Stations bring you Starship Skybird. The show is broadcast on Saturday 7th June 2025 at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 8th June 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave Gold).

Start the countdown to this weekend when you can strap yourself in for a trip of a lifetime. Tune in, make yourself a cosmic cocktail if that’s your thing and enjoy the sounds of space.

There’s all sorts of space madness with music (and some great jingles) you may have never heard before from DJ Frederick and Justin Patrick Moore and at 6.15 mins in there’s One Deck Pete presents a ride into space on a 60+travelcard mix. Grab yourself a shortwave radio or tune in via here.

A mullein in Cincinnati

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Cheers to our good friend across the pond Justin Patrick Moore for sending us a picture of the mullein plant in his garden. Justin mentioned “I let the plants grow when they pop up, even though some consider them a weed. People smoke the leaves for lung issues and make an oil from the flowers for ear infections. Its a medicinal weed, that in its second year, goes up past the knees!”

And thanks to Justin for forwarding a great tune named after said plant from MF Doom. Cheers Justin!

Picked up from a plant sale

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Last year we picked up this Mullein from a community garden’s summer fair, which we have just read that it may also be known as cowboy’s toilet paper. We were told in its second year the plant will send up a stem of yellow flowers and it looks like it is on its way with them now. It was only a couple of quid as well. More pics as they flower.

We’ve just tapped up AI and it gave us another few names for Mullein: “velvetplant,” “blanketleaf,” “hare’s beard,” and “flannel plant.” Thank you AI.

And here’s the lily we got for a couple of quid at  Crystal Palace the other week. We were expecting something quite large but do you know what, it isn’t all about size is it? Great for a couple of quid.

Please send us details of any plant sales you know about and ones you are involved in and we’ll give them a plug and it doesn’t have to be in south London either.

Even more pictures from Kyiv

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Great to hear from Wlad (US7IGN) from Kyiv as it’s been a while and thanks for sending us some wonderful pictures from a local park (outside and under glass). There’s a great selection of plants here!

His good friend Sergiy (UT3UFD) who if you remember is growing a banana plant (here) is now trying his hand at bonsai (below). The tree looks great and we do love the flowers!

Thanks for the pictures Wlad and do keep in touch!

Where’s there’s water, there’s life

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Big thanks to Gerry Hectic for sending us a pic of his waterlilies and they look so good. As Gerry told us “The Pink one appeared overnight – the white one was from a couple of days ago and it’s stayed closed so really happy with the new one”.

The ones in our pond haven’t come out yet but they are worth waiting for as Waterlilies are a treat. Cheers Gerry.

 

Music for a Monday night

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Cheers to our mate Will for sending us this musical recommendation, a collection called Bootlegs II by Tribilin Sound and there’s 34 tracks for 10 US dollars which is a bargain. The opener The Poor Man Cumbia has a bit of the warped out sounds of an off-centre pressing and is a do over we think of Barrington Levi‘s Poor Man’s Style. Wonderful stuff!

And we love the mad remix of José María Arguedas’ Carnaval De Tambobamba. There’s a little bit of everything on this set from Massive Attack and Madonna and well worth investigating.