annual seedlings just starting to come up. also many weeds.................
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 03, 2009
I'll be with you in apple-blossom time..............
which is now. very pretty, the three patio apples in their pots are all flowering, and the cherry at the front. the front garden is positively verdant, it's obviously decided it doesn't want to be paving so stuff is growing everywhere and it looks rather nice. a small cherry tree is sprouting by the front door, i guess we'll have to pull it out in case it undermines the foundations but it isn't doing any harm for now...........
greenhouse seedlings well away and we are now eating fresh salad ever day, soon be time to move the salads outside. carrots and parsley sprouting, basils off to a slow start but appearing at last, and for the first time the cumin as well. damned lovage back again and we also seem to have a mutant variegated borage seedling in the herb bed................
annuals in the warm bed sprouting, lots of weeds too but easier to pull once they're bigger..........some self-sown Shirley and Welsh poppies have appeared, and a clump of honesty in the wild wood. Epimedium very pretty this year with yellow flowers, but the Cystis much slower to flower than usual. have planted some more lilies for summer flowers against the wall. the Dame's Violet is back, a bit frostbitten but ready to flower...............not sure that the Passiflora has survived after all though, no sign of anything happening which is a bit sad........
bought some new things at Redhall, a potentilla with silvery leaves which i think will have red flowers, and a Rudbeckia "Irish Eyes" - in honour of the ancestors! a delphinium too which we're keeping in a container to try and slug-proof it, i've never succeeded in growing them but the flowers are so pretty....................
paeonies just about ready to come out..........and maybe even the one at the front, which has *never* flowered............that would be exciting. we will certainly have blackcurrants this year; the rhubarb is up and we've eaten the first of it, strawbs are looking healthy, gooseberries have tiny fruit forming, and there are even figlets on the tree................
greenhouse seedlings well away and we are now eating fresh salad ever day, soon be time to move the salads outside. carrots and parsley sprouting, basils off to a slow start but appearing at last, and for the first time the cumin as well. damned lovage back again and we also seem to have a mutant variegated borage seedling in the herb bed................
annuals in the warm bed sprouting, lots of weeds too but easier to pull once they're bigger..........some self-sown Shirley and Welsh poppies have appeared, and a clump of honesty in the wild wood. Epimedium very pretty this year with yellow flowers, but the Cystis much slower to flower than usual. have planted some more lilies for summer flowers against the wall. the Dame's Violet is back, a bit frostbitten but ready to flower...............not sure that the Passiflora has survived after all though, no sign of anything happening which is a bit sad........
bought some new things at Redhall, a potentilla with silvery leaves which i think will have red flowers, and a Rudbeckia "Irish Eyes" - in honour of the ancestors! a delphinium too which we're keeping in a container to try and slug-proof it, i've never succeeded in growing them but the flowers are so pretty....................
paeonies just about ready to come out..........and maybe even the one at the front, which has *never* flowered............that would be exciting. we will certainly have blackcurrants this year; the rhubarb is up and we've eaten the first of it, strawbs are looking healthy, gooseberries have tiny fruit forming, and there are even figlets on the tree................
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Weed of the Year
.....is Herb Robert. never having had it in the garden before, this year we have it everywhere for some reason. it is quite pretty but one can have too much of a good thing...............spring is now definitely here, although it's still been quite chilly, but that seems to have stopped the weeds from completely taking over as they've usually done by now............Carrie's clearing-up operation of last year has left the clematis somewhat shocked so i'm not sure that we'll get many flowers this year, as it hasn't really got much left to flower with...........we've re-erected the arch, with reinforcement, and moved it forward so that it kind of marks the entrance to the veggie garden, with the jasmine on the same side as the weeping birch and the rose on the other. the rose did actually survive being toasted by the fire bin and even produced on or two flowers, but we hope it will feel safer and more at home in its new location..............
.........in the beds, mostly weeds, so i've done some hoeing. no sign of the Pasque flowers.........i suspect they may have gone in the autumn clear-up as well, but it's possible that they're just not up yet because it's been too cold. however the tree peony is poking its wee head up, we only put it in last year so it didn't get much of a chance to do anything, i've cleared the weeds round it and given it some compost for encouragement. Passion flower not dead either i'm pleased to see, and a couple of fennel plants beside it. poppies, dicentra and rue back in their usual place, mum's spirea looking lovely now that the leaves are out..............dragon plant quite slow to start but on its way, and the purple Lysimachia and lemon balm back for another season..........and lo and behold, one godetia. it must be feeling a bit lonely and wondering where all its mates are, we still have some of last year's seeds so we can grow some friends for it..........
.........in the greenhouse, salads sprouting away though not yet big enough to eat; Thai basil and lemon basil planted today along with cumin which did absolutely nothing last year so we'll try keeping it in the greenhouse and see how it fares. lettuce "misticanza" and chinese cabbage already sprouting. bird of paradise plant re-potted after something of a struggle, the roots had grown right through the bottom of the pot.............calathea also re-potted. paeonies racing away and of course all the daffs and spring bulbs in bloom.................just waiting for the seed order to arrive and then the spring frenzy really starts...........
.........in the beds, mostly weeds, so i've done some hoeing. no sign of the Pasque flowers.........i suspect they may have gone in the autumn clear-up as well, but it's possible that they're just not up yet because it's been too cold. however the tree peony is poking its wee head up, we only put it in last year so it didn't get much of a chance to do anything, i've cleared the weeds round it and given it some compost for encouragement. Passion flower not dead either i'm pleased to see, and a couple of fennel plants beside it. poppies, dicentra and rue back in their usual place, mum's spirea looking lovely now that the leaves are out..............dragon plant quite slow to start but on its way, and the purple Lysimachia and lemon balm back for another season..........and lo and behold, one godetia. it must be feeling a bit lonely and wondering where all its mates are, we still have some of last year's seeds so we can grow some friends for it..........
.........in the greenhouse, salads sprouting away though not yet big enough to eat; Thai basil and lemon basil planted today along with cumin which did absolutely nothing last year so we'll try keeping it in the greenhouse and see how it fares. lettuce "misticanza" and chinese cabbage already sprouting. bird of paradise plant re-potted after something of a struggle, the roots had grown right through the bottom of the pot.............calathea also re-potted. paeonies racing away and of course all the daffs and spring bulbs in bloom.................just waiting for the seed order to arrive and then the spring frenzy really starts...........
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Scene: A Blasted Heath...............
well not blasted exactly but pretty bleak............it's been a long cold winter so we are way behind. today was only really the second day of working outside because it's been too cold, but a little mild spell has suddenly brought all the bulbs out and the days are, very slowly, getting longer. the bird life is down stuffing itself with bits of fatsnax and bread, and it does seem that at last spring is on the way. everything has obviously just been hunkered down against the icy blasts waiting for a chance, a week ago there were no flowers and now the irises "harmony" have suddenly appeared, the clump of mini-daffs in the woodland are out and even one mega-daff at the front, snowdrops and lots of crocuses. and one pink chionodoxa just appearing, buds on the honeysuckle and clemati, paeonies pushing up..............yes, it's time to start the Staring. the Staring is the most important garden activity............it involves touring round the garden peering closely at the ground where the plants used to be and where now is a morass of dead leaves, weeds, old bits of plant label, sweet wrappers etc............but lo! in among it all some old friends are actually still there and fighting their way up through the mess. it's really quite amazing to see what has survived. and of course there is always the process of staring hard at a little embryonic clump of something obviously meant to be there and thinking: what the hell's that? all will be revealed within the next few weeks, but some things are not included in the mental garden map..........
......somehow we seem to have acquired enough pots to start our own garden centre and it's unlikely that we'll need them all so what we need is someone starting a new garden who can take some of them................Carrie has cleared the greenhouse and conveyed to the cats the bad news that their indoor winter litter tray has been decommissioned and yes, they will need to get their sweet little paws wet to answer calls of nature..........today i finished more clearing and planted some salads..............weeded the static pots and moved some things into the greenhouse for a head start. last year's geraniums are still indoors but starting to sprout so hopefully we can get some cuttings. despite the cold winter, the prostrate rosemary has been flowering merrily since the middle of January, so much for being a Mediterranean herb...........
...........we haven't yet planned this year's growing, but of course gardening being what it is, nothing we plan will turn out as we intended anyway............some lessons were learned though, like: don't grow cabbages because they grow beautifully but we don't actually like them. also, the outdoor tomatoes did just as well as the greenhouse ones and tasted better, so it's worth keeping the greenhouse space for other things, like more cucumbers because they were lovely. peas and beans are a lot of work but really only the sugar snap peas gave much of a crop, and asparagus peas have beautiful flowers but are like eating an emery board so best grown for decoration........ the purple sprouting broccoli is still going strong and tastes lovely, and we left the runner bean roots in as suggested so we'll see what they do. flower-wise the amazing organic rose is well on with new growth.................the jasmine arch has broken right through and deposited the jasmine in a heap which is not a good start to the season for it, or for the fruit garden it fell into, so we need to replace it quite soon. however the fruit bushes are sprouting already and the rhubarb is poking up, i've weeded the dwarf apples and blueberry in their tubs and given them some fruit food.......................and off we go!
......somehow we seem to have acquired enough pots to start our own garden centre and it's unlikely that we'll need them all so what we need is someone starting a new garden who can take some of them................Carrie has cleared the greenhouse and conveyed to the cats the bad news that their indoor winter litter tray has been decommissioned and yes, they will need to get their sweet little paws wet to answer calls of nature..........today i finished more clearing and planted some salads..............weeded the static pots and moved some things into the greenhouse for a head start. last year's geraniums are still indoors but starting to sprout so hopefully we can get some cuttings. despite the cold winter, the prostrate rosemary has been flowering merrily since the middle of January, so much for being a Mediterranean herb...........
...........we haven't yet planned this year's growing, but of course gardening being what it is, nothing we plan will turn out as we intended anyway............some lessons were learned though, like: don't grow cabbages because they grow beautifully but we don't actually like them. also, the outdoor tomatoes did just as well as the greenhouse ones and tasted better, so it's worth keeping the greenhouse space for other things, like more cucumbers because they were lovely. peas and beans are a lot of work but really only the sugar snap peas gave much of a crop, and asparagus peas have beautiful flowers but are like eating an emery board so best grown for decoration........ the purple sprouting broccoli is still going strong and tastes lovely, and we left the runner bean roots in as suggested so we'll see what they do. flower-wise the amazing organic rose is well on with new growth.................the jasmine arch has broken right through and deposited the jasmine in a heap which is not a good start to the season for it, or for the fruit garden it fell into, so we need to replace it quite soon. however the fruit bushes are sprouting already and the rhubarb is poking up, i've weeded the dwarf apples and blueberry in their tubs and given them some fruit food.......................and off we go!
Saturday, August 02, 2008
don't call me Shirley
i was going to post a lovely picture of the Shirley poppy which came out yesterday but unfortunately it decided to drop all its petals today.................more flowers to come though. sweet peas are fantastic, i picked a whole bunch yesterday and more had come out today..............the mange-tout peas have been decimated by some pest while we were away but tonight we had runner beans (yay!), asparagus peas, sugar snap peas and climbing French beans, if not exactly *for* dinner, at least *with* dinner. the problem is we never get a full crop because we keep eating things as we stroll round the garden every day admiring it...............more sunflowers are out and looking fantastic, and the passion flowers now making an appearance. the new jasmine "Clotted Cream" has a few flowers, very sweet..................gooseberries ready to pick, Alpine strawberries too................in the greenhouse the cucumbers have gone mad and climbed all the way to the roof, tiny cucumbers have appeared, all bumpy...............we managed to grow one last year and it was very tasty, but this year looks more promising already.............
Thursday, July 24, 2008
and there's more.............
day lilies are out at last. Michaelmas daisies beginning to flower too................one dahlia poking its head up in the perennial bed..............cream escholzia in the annual bed, v. pretty..........
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
beans beans beans
........and peas..........mange-tout and sugar snap. the asparagus peas are extremely pretty, a beautiful deep crimson colour. lots of things have come on since our short break in Cornwall..........most notably the cornflowers which are now cornflowering madly and look really beautiful..............and the California poppies. a stray Shirley poppy has appeared in among them.........the day lilies now have buds but are still very slow to actually flower. more love-in-a-mist and cosmos on the way...............and more roses. strawberries and gooseberries slowly ripening, raspberries going over................salads coming on in their tub and the rocket not deterred by having the nasturtiums fall on it..............small runner beans now appearing and tiny tomatoes......and some courgettes big enough to eat. it all looks extremely pretty. some Oriental poppies still producing flowers.............the pink jasmine absolutely flourishing and the variegated one coming along..............and "clotted cream" has flower buds. we are picking beautiful sweet peas..................herbs doing well although only the dill has come up of the old seeds. one coreopsis has managed to struggle into flower and the rudbeckia are still very small............but we now have a row of lovely sunflowers in the perennial bed. the lysimachia is out and looks great against the purple leaves, its own and the persicaria. can hardly see the pond for all the vegetation and the froglets are roaming................
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
and there's more...............
...........and the RHUBARB!!
............and the BEETROOT!!
and the ASPARAGUS PEA!!
............and the BEETROOT!!
and the ASPARAGUS PEA!!
in another part of the forest.................
........not a huge amount happening on the houseplant front as all the action is outside...........Hoya now flowering and Stephanotis finishing..............orchid growing another flower spike. but in a corner of the greenhouse, planted ages ago and forgotten..................two of the Stephanotis seedlings have sprouted!!....................now potted on and in the ITU, growing very slowly if at all, but we'll see.................alongside them a bit of geranium that fell off, and some bits of Mum's Christmas cactus. for some reason most of the forest cacti died, i suspect it was still too cold when they went out for their summer holidays. however the MCC looks very healthy so hope the cuttings take..............
summer harvest
Just about to eat our first dinner made with things from the garden............the funny weather of sunshine and showers has brought everything on in a sudden rush and it can only be described as burgeoning...............have picked the first sweet pea but the oriental poppies are just finishing so everything is still all coming out in the wrong order. Paeonies just finishing too after a magnificent display, and the first love-in-a-mist are coming up through them, very pretty. the organic rose was as usual first to flower............"Curiosity" now has buds and also the one Carrie uncovered under the clematis, no idea what colour the flowers will be..............the VJR (Very Jaggy Rose) has put on loads of leaf but no buds yet. orange patio rose now flowering beautifully but other one not out yet. the canna lilies were obviously insulted by me deciding they were dead and putting a tomato in their pot............the tomato has met a mysterious fate and fallen over and the cannas are putting up superb leaves! Various things just on the brink of flowering...............lilies, sunflowers, more sweet peas..............sweet rocket still going strong and first night-scented stock just appearing. very exciting, i've never managed to get them to grow before. Some California poppies in the pot with the lilies, brilliant orange.............the ones in the beds coming on but no flowers yet. red scabious out, godetia growing well, cornflowers just about to bloom. first honeysuckle flowers appearing at the bottom of the garden but the big honeysuckles not out yet. alliums never showed at all this year..............the day lilies have been very late and have only now put up flower buds. there also appears to be another day lily in the perennial bed, not a clue where that came from - did we bring it from Mum's or is it a SQ survivor?
Morning Glories after a slow start now taking off, at least in pots but i see that one of the ones in the garden has actually survived though still very small. nasturtiums in flower of course...............variegated jasmine is doing well, again with more light after the clematis had its haircut. the pink jasmine was also slow to get going but flower buds have now appeared. the two hebes in the purple patch are both flowering and look very nice, with the Lysimachia "Firecracker" beside them and almost ready to flower. Rudbeckia seedlings are now all planted out, along with the Coreopsis..............i hae ma doots about the latter, they were very slow to germinate and are still very small but seem to be growing away quite well. Cosmos seedlings from the greenhouse and straight into the ground seem to be about neck-and-neck.
In the greenhouse..................the tomatoes are romping away but we've moved most of the rest out.............courgettes and squash into containers because they're already flowering and tiny courgettes are manifesting themselves..............i've taken the chillies out of the raised bed and into individual pots and we'll try some indoors and some in the greenhouse to see how they get on. moved the poached-egg plants outside because they were taking up too much space. salad containers are now planted..................the pak choi and other salad thing in the barrel have bolted but the flowers are pretty so we've left them as a nice contrast with the red runner-bean flowers. Thai basil and lemon basil into pots but staying in the greenhouse and some of their siblings off to Angi's balcony. i bought a new variegated oregano.............the old golden oregano is on its last legs, it never really got over being tramped on by the guys laying the patio, but the pot marjorams are doing well and i've divided the variegated oregano to make an extra plant. Carrie has cut down the lovage...............allowing more light to The Fig. don't know if The Fig will ripen but if it does it will be very exciting................we are now eating fresh raspberries and the crop promises to be heavy, although if we keep picking them as each one ripens there won't be enough for a full meal.............we're doing that anyway with the sugar snap peas and mange-tout, hovering over the veggie bed like the Witch in "Hansel & Gretel" waiting to see if they're ready to eat yet............we're in a between-salads phase but there's chard, small purple cabbage leaves, sorrel, nasturtium, parsley, and even beetroot leaves in the meantime.............my herb pot is slow to get going but the dill is in the lead having just started to sprout. and we do now have borage flowers for our drinks, and sheaves of applemint to make our summer fizz.............
............definite froglets in the pond, much splooshing and splashing every time we approach................the irises haven't flowered this year but the watermint is doing OK...............all the aquilegias are down now and i've trimmed the lower branches of the lilac and tidied the under-tree bed a bit..............meadowsweet just about to flower and huge clump of Michaelmas daisies same as last year................i've taken some cuttings of Isabel's prostrate rosemary and the clematis for Runa's fence. very pleased to see that the passiflora has not only survived being moved but seems to be growing madly, i didn't expect it to flower but i see at least one bud.............
in the front.............clearing all the bulb foliage and putting down the cocoa shell has made it look as neat as it can when everything's covered in big shaggy clumps of thyme............i've toasted all the weeds with the flamethrower thing which was very satisfying and it has helped.............the patio clematis is in flower but the rose shows no sign of buds.............honeysuckle just finished and needs tying up. it still all looks a bit of a mess, but it's a pretty mess................Mum's snow-in-summer has established nicely and has flowers, and i've tied up the floppy rose, also no sign of it flowering but it's still "early summer" after all................
Morning Glories after a slow start now taking off, at least in pots but i see that one of the ones in the garden has actually survived though still very small. nasturtiums in flower of course...............variegated jasmine is doing well, again with more light after the clematis had its haircut. the pink jasmine was also slow to get going but flower buds have now appeared. the two hebes in the purple patch are both flowering and look very nice, with the Lysimachia "Firecracker" beside them and almost ready to flower. Rudbeckia seedlings are now all planted out, along with the Coreopsis..............i hae ma doots about the latter, they were very slow to germinate and are still very small but seem to be growing away quite well. Cosmos seedlings from the greenhouse and straight into the ground seem to be about neck-and-neck.
In the greenhouse..................the tomatoes are romping away but we've moved most of the rest out.............courgettes and squash into containers because they're already flowering and tiny courgettes are manifesting themselves..............i've taken the chillies out of the raised bed and into individual pots and we'll try some indoors and some in the greenhouse to see how they get on. moved the poached-egg plants outside because they were taking up too much space. salad containers are now planted..................the pak choi and other salad thing in the barrel have bolted but the flowers are pretty so we've left them as a nice contrast with the red runner-bean flowers. Thai basil and lemon basil into pots but staying in the greenhouse and some of their siblings off to Angi's balcony. i bought a new variegated oregano.............the old golden oregano is on its last legs, it never really got over being tramped on by the guys laying the patio, but the pot marjorams are doing well and i've divided the variegated oregano to make an extra plant. Carrie has cut down the lovage...............allowing more light to The Fig. don't know if The Fig will ripen but if it does it will be very exciting................we are now eating fresh raspberries and the crop promises to be heavy, although if we keep picking them as each one ripens there won't be enough for a full meal.............we're doing that anyway with the sugar snap peas and mange-tout, hovering over the veggie bed like the Witch in "Hansel & Gretel" waiting to see if they're ready to eat yet............we're in a between-salads phase but there's chard, small purple cabbage leaves, sorrel, nasturtium, parsley, and even beetroot leaves in the meantime.............my herb pot is slow to get going but the dill is in the lead having just started to sprout. and we do now have borage flowers for our drinks, and sheaves of applemint to make our summer fizz.............
............definite froglets in the pond, much splooshing and splashing every time we approach................the irises haven't flowered this year but the watermint is doing OK...............all the aquilegias are down now and i've trimmed the lower branches of the lilac and tidied the under-tree bed a bit..............meadowsweet just about to flower and huge clump of Michaelmas daisies same as last year................i've taken some cuttings of Isabel's prostrate rosemary and the clematis for Runa's fence. very pleased to see that the passiflora has not only survived being moved but seems to be growing madly, i didn't expect it to flower but i see at least one bud.............
in the front.............clearing all the bulb foliage and putting down the cocoa shell has made it look as neat as it can when everything's covered in big shaggy clumps of thyme............i've toasted all the weeds with the flamethrower thing which was very satisfying and it has helped.............the patio clematis is in flower but the rose shows no sign of buds.............honeysuckle just finished and needs tying up. it still all looks a bit of a mess, but it's a pretty mess................Mum's snow-in-summer has established nicely and has flowers, and i've tied up the floppy rose, also no sign of it flowering but it's still "early summer" after all................
Sunday, June 29, 2008
raspberries and tadpoles
WE have started eathing them and they havve now been seen with 4 legs andn look quite grown up.. most exciting.
veg garden progress
Every thing is now growing extremely fast. At present in veg bed are climbing beans up to 4 ft(flowers budding but not yet out). Shallotts, plenty of greenery.. overwshadowed by broad beans. Broad beans with pods now up to 3 ins long and plants 3'6" high. Norli peas with flowers, beetroots , very strong leaves but small bulbs thus far. very small quantity of cumin plants.. most have been eaten by slugs grrr. Sugar bon peas, we have eaten two off the plant but plenty more coming. bulb fennel doing well, probably too closely spaced. Red cabbage and broccoli.
Corgettes (goldie and black forest) and squashes (turks turban and gails) were all very slow but those grown on in the greenhouse to be quite large plants and then put in the bed on 1st June have done much better.
Corgettes (goldie and black forest) and squashes (turks turban and gails) were all very slow but those grown on in the greenhouse to be quite large plants and then put in the bed on 1st June have done much better.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
backlog
garden has been so busy that we've got a bit behind on the writing-up, jotting down notes but not had time to blogify them. so here they are:
26/4/08
Godetias beginning to sprout (in the greenhouse)
Planted out Gail's squash and sowed the Norli peas
Established net to stop cat trauma to the veggie bed (broad bean seedlings)
First sight of shallots sprouting
planted My Love dahlias
Sorted through compost and found family of mice! which had made a very cosy little home - moved them to the other side keenly watched by Tiger...........
Sowed Nigella "Miss Jekyll", Escholzia, night-scented stock and cornflowers
Potted up the french tarragon
Moved the tomato seedlings
27/4/08
damn it bloody cats have AGAIN dug up shallots - fencing and cage reinforced extensively, replanted shallots for the THIRD time grrrrr God help the radishes
planted out beetroot seedlings
sowed poached-egg seeds into veg bed
Movied the Passiflora into the perennial bed
Moved the Ceanothus - good luck
Earthed up the ivy in its pot and planted a couple of nasturtium "Empress of India" beside it
Moved the Pasque flowers to the "iris bed" by the paeonies
Moved the mystery plant (?coreopsis) to the perennial bed
Spotted FROG x2 in the pond!!
Sowed the salad barrel - pak choi, lettuce, mustard spinach and runner beans
Sowed sweet marjoram
First cherry blossom out!
2/5/08
TADPOLES!!
25/5/08
Planted out "Sugar Bon" peas - about 3 ins high
Black Forest courgette planted out with 2 leaves has been totally munched
Broad beans now 12 ins high and need staking
Shallots look good
Tadpoles - lots - large but no legs yet
Planted out climbing beans and two aubergines purchased at OSP
Perovskia doing well but no sign of dahlias yet
First paeony opening imminent
Sweet rocket nearly 4ft high - much taller than bleedin' eart
26/5/08
tadpoles very carnivorous now - scoffing dead snails urrrghhh
Potted on courgettes and Turks Turban squash
planted out red cabbage and broccoli
27/5/08
Cleared up creeping buttercup in "wild" zone - Carrie attacked by brown compost bin, blood ++ and trip to Minor Injuries at WGH
29/5/08
Wind finally gone round to West - most of May bright and dry but unseasonably cold so everything a bit behind.
Second dose of Nemaslug applied
Roses treated with lethal mix of garlic, sugar and ginger
1/6/08
Flaming June, ha - but yesterday was gorgeous, and the garden has definitely responded to the warmth. Paenoies and organic rose now out and one of the yellow roses, but the oriental poppies still haven't appeared. Cats been digging again and nearly but not quite managed to destroy the peas. Ceanothus sadly has not survived being moved..............have put in the tree paeony and planted out rest of godetia seedlings and some of rudbeckia seedlings, keeping some back in the greenhouse just in case. Various things waiting in the greenhouse to go to new homes......tomato plants and chili plants for Sita, Fuchsia cuttings, pots of Nigella and tomatoes for Maryam. basil seedlings have just germinated but no sign of the stephanotis. Morning glories distributed in various places, with again a couple in the greenhouse as reserves...........i've never actually managed to grow them before but they look nice and strong. greenhouse stuff mostly still quite small............raised beds have tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and cucmbers. one courgette "Goldie" in a pot, beside the pot with the runner beans and tomatoes. salad barrel mostly dominated by the biggest and healthiest parsley plant ever seen............just have to think of lots of things to do with parsley i guess................coriander just starting on the window-sill and will need tp start more summer herbs and salads once the greenhouse is clearer. Coreopsis have been very slow and unlikely to flower this year, but i've potted the seedlings on to encourage them.........lupins look fab and delphiniums coming on too, those are longer-term projects for the perennial bed. Nigella, cornflowers, NSS and Escholzia doing what they're meant to do in the annual bed, clary also beginning to sprout. the sweet rocket has turned out to be huge............pretty white or pink flowers with a sweet scent inthe evening. fabulous lilac at the back, diascias starting to flower and the first tiny begonia leaf just poking its way up in the planter bench............
26/4/08
Godetias beginning to sprout (in the greenhouse)
Planted out Gail's squash and sowed the Norli peas
Established net to stop cat trauma to the veggie bed (broad bean seedlings)
First sight of shallots sprouting
planted My Love dahlias
Sorted through compost and found family of mice! which had made a very cosy little home - moved them to the other side keenly watched by Tiger...........
Sowed Nigella "Miss Jekyll", Escholzia, night-scented stock and cornflowers
Potted up the french tarragon
Moved the tomato seedlings
27/4/08
damn it bloody cats have AGAIN dug up shallots - fencing and cage reinforced extensively, replanted shallots for the THIRD time grrrrr God help the radishes
planted out beetroot seedlings
sowed poached-egg seeds into veg bed
Movied the Passiflora into the perennial bed
Moved the Ceanothus - good luck
Earthed up the ivy in its pot and planted a couple of nasturtium "Empress of India" beside it
Moved the Pasque flowers to the "iris bed" by the paeonies
Moved the mystery plant (?coreopsis) to the perennial bed
Spotted FROG x2 in the pond!!
Sowed the salad barrel - pak choi, lettuce, mustard spinach and runner beans
Sowed sweet marjoram
First cherry blossom out!
2/5/08
TADPOLES!!
25/5/08
Planted out "Sugar Bon" peas - about 3 ins high
Black Forest courgette planted out with 2 leaves has been totally munched
Broad beans now 12 ins high and need staking
Shallots look good
Tadpoles - lots - large but no legs yet
Planted out climbing beans and two aubergines purchased at OSP
Perovskia doing well but no sign of dahlias yet
First paeony opening imminent
Sweet rocket nearly 4ft high - much taller than bleedin' eart
26/5/08
tadpoles very carnivorous now - scoffing dead snails urrrghhh
Potted on courgettes and Turks Turban squash
planted out red cabbage and broccoli
27/5/08
Cleared up creeping buttercup in "wild" zone - Carrie attacked by brown compost bin, blood ++ and trip to Minor Injuries at WGH
29/5/08
Wind finally gone round to West - most of May bright and dry but unseasonably cold so everything a bit behind.
Second dose of Nemaslug applied
Roses treated with lethal mix of garlic, sugar and ginger
1/6/08
Flaming June, ha - but yesterday was gorgeous, and the garden has definitely responded to the warmth. Paenoies and organic rose now out and one of the yellow roses, but the oriental poppies still haven't appeared. Cats been digging again and nearly but not quite managed to destroy the peas. Ceanothus sadly has not survived being moved..............have put in the tree paeony and planted out rest of godetia seedlings and some of rudbeckia seedlings, keeping some back in the greenhouse just in case. Various things waiting in the greenhouse to go to new homes......tomato plants and chili plants for Sita, Fuchsia cuttings, pots of Nigella and tomatoes for Maryam. basil seedlings have just germinated but no sign of the stephanotis. Morning glories distributed in various places, with again a couple in the greenhouse as reserves...........i've never actually managed to grow them before but they look nice and strong. greenhouse stuff mostly still quite small............raised beds have tomatoes, chillies, aubergines and cucmbers. one courgette "Goldie" in a pot, beside the pot with the runner beans and tomatoes. salad barrel mostly dominated by the biggest and healthiest parsley plant ever seen............just have to think of lots of things to do with parsley i guess................coriander just starting on the window-sill and will need tp start more summer herbs and salads once the greenhouse is clearer. Coreopsis have been very slow and unlikely to flower this year, but i've potted the seedlings on to encourage them.........lupins look fab and delphiniums coming on too, those are longer-term projects for the perennial bed. Nigella, cornflowers, NSS and Escholzia doing what they're meant to do in the annual bed, clary also beginning to sprout. the sweet rocket has turned out to be huge............pretty white or pink flowers with a sweet scent inthe evening. fabulous lilac at the back, diascias starting to flower and the first tiny begonia leaf just poking its way up in the planter bench............
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