It was a no show here for snow but the rain fell insistently most of the week. I would love to be planting out the first early potatoes but the soil is cold and wet so this week’s six starts in the greenhouse.
One
Just in time, I have potted up the new dahlia tubers. My dahlia wish list consisted of Arabian Night, Magenta Star, Cafe au Lait and Mary’s Jomanda. But I bought Thomas Edison. Six of these will go into the borders and a combination of Blanc y Verde and Furka will go into three terracotta pots. They are resting in the greenhouse for now.
Two
Settled in the greenhouse I gave the strawberry plants a tidy up and donated them a bag of my recently acquired council compost. I am on a steep learning curve with the greenhouse. Red spider mites made themselves known last year and the soil feels very depleted. I have manured and mulched, added chicken pellets and another bag of council compost has gone on the other side, even so I may grow the tomatoes in grow bags again this year.
Three
A gardener’s dilemma: mystery seedlings. Are they from something I grew in the greenhouse last year? Or a throwback to something the previous owner grew? They look interesting so I have left them for now.
Four
It really was time to release the autumn sown sweet peas from their pot. These are from seed collected from last year’s plants. I am curious to see how well they do. The plant in front is Weigela ‘Florida Variegata’, just coming into leaf.
Five
And as I walked down the path I noticed that my ailing euphorbia is showing the very slimmest glimmer of life. A few new shoots at the end of one stem. I’m keeping that one too. Perhaps it will catch up with its neighbour!
Six
Planting out the recently purchased Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom’ will also have to wait a while. I need to have some sturdy trellis installed and then grab a break in the rain. Thank you to all those who shared pictures of your clematis in flower. It convinced me that this was a necessary addition to garden. I’m looking forward to next year’s flowers and their scent.
For more inspiration visit The Propagator’s blog. The links to other #SixOnSaturday posts will take you on a gardening journey around the world!
n20gardener 
Rain and cold is delaying everything outdoors here, too. Isn’t it frustrating? I’ll have to look into the clematis, but I suspect it is pink?
LikeLike
Yes, pale pink, almond scented flowers is the description. I hope it’s not too strong a pink. Everyone said it was great for early spring. The only things not being delayed are the weeds!
LikeLike
I’m glad you bought a Clematis Armandii and you probably saw my first flower (takenThursday and posted yesterday) I hope yours will be as beautiful as the label …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I saw yours and Thomas Stone’s and a few others. I hope I have the right corner for it..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, those mystery seedlings. I always leave them too, then turn around in a few weeks to a very weedy bed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Them being weeds is the definite front runner,
LikeLike
Ah, sweet mystery of seedlings. I’d bet on weeds, sorry, simply because in the current weather, nothing that isn’t a wildflower or weed or both is going to germinate. If you want to play plant detective, there’s always http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/seedlings.html. Warning, though, you will need tea or coffee handy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The greenhouse hosts a lovely variety of weeds but these looked so different, however your germination point is well made. What a great website, I could be gone for some time!!
LikeLike
Sounds as if you have been very busy and you are definitely more positive about the rain than me. I would love to grow your clematis in my garden, but have failed with two already so seems a bit cruel to try again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, it hadn’t occurred to me that the clematis might fail! It looks so robust. Any idea why yours didn’t take?
LikeLike
Those sweet peas look healthy and really exciting to see what colours they are. You could have a new six on saturday hybrid!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seeing what colour they are will be fun. The original plants were old fashioned mixed I think.
LikeLike
Thank you. I enjoyed your post, looking forward to seeing greenhouse when complete. It’s hard to get the balance, my flower garden won last year, trying to focus on the veg more this year.
LikeLike
Those strawberry plants are looking a lot better than some of mine on my allotment (I think I lost a few over winter). Hopefully the red spider mites will stay away this year!
LikeLike
I have a few strawberries outside too which are just putting on new growth. I am pretty sure the mites will be back. Advice last year was to keep gh humid so I am doing that now – will probably get some nasty fungus infection!
LikeLike
Yes that euphobia looks really sad 😔 peas and strawberries look good though👍 love the clematis too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the others, I love those sweet peas. Look like a tiny little forest on the move upward. Are you wondering about the colour or the productivity of them as compared to last year?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Colour and productivity. The original was an old fashioned mixed I think. But I only took a couple of pods so I could end up with all one colour. But more interested to see what the productivity is like.
LikeLike
You have reminded me I ordered a few dahlias but as cuttings so they won’t arrive till may I think. The weather is such a pain. I planted my sweet peas out last weekend. They looked a bit more bedraggled than yours but are recovering some poise now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My sweet peas got a good watering in, with some hail for good measure!
LikeLike
Oh, the mystery seedlings! Mine were usually duds or weeds, but I got my horseradish that way. I really do not know how that one happened.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The smart money is on them being weeds!
LikeLike