I’m giving myself a big fat gardening tick this weekend. Not the ones that bite and cause no end of problems but the ones that acknowledge a job done. Tick. Tulips planted. I really had been sinking under the weight of not having done this. The weather had been awful. I knew it was going to be a tough job. I definitely had other things to do, although truth be told, they too were strangely being put off in favour of, well, in favour of not much. Finally there was a dry moment between bouts of chilly damp fog and I ventured out.
The job was as difficult as I had imagined. Weeks of rain had taken its toll on the heavy clay soil. I gave up trying to plant out the pretty pink double ‘Angelique’ and ‘Spring Green’ in the clay border and found a home for them amongst the lavenders. I dug up a dahlia and threw in about 60 bulbs of ‘Queen of Night’, ‘Shirley’, and ‘Violet Beauty’ in the hole and then as the light faded and the fingers numbed I planted the remaining bulbs in a pot. Not even a special pot, just a plastic one that was to hand in the shed. But it was job done and I was euphoric. It wasn’t the carefully thought out scheme that I had in mind but those tulips are going to be very wonderful next year even if they are in all the wrong places.
So here are the photos for this week’s six:
One
The stunningly attractive tulip pot so full of promise of things to come. Tick. Bonus plant: rose still flowering.
Two
I have never lifted dahlias for the winter here so I quite amazed at the number of tubers that I discovered. Now stored away in a box in the garage I have no idea where this one is going come the end of Spring.
Three
I give myself another tick for getting round to spraying the allium heads I had dried over the summer. My first tip of the hat to Christmas. I shall artistically arrange them in a vase, soon.
Four
I’m on a roll now. Another tick for keeping the bird feeder topped up. This is the best I can do with an iphone (old version) through the kitchen window and sadly I cannot share a photo of the very charming one legged sparrow that comes every day to hoover up the spillage left by the other birds.
Five
And I did order new fleece. Last year’s purchases are flaking away with every new breeze. I am trying this rather posh version this year. Maybe it will last longer.
Six
A beautiful hellebore to end on. I’m pretty sure its ‘Pretty Ellen’ white. It is lovely to have white in the garden as December gloom settles in.
The shortest day is in sight. Not long to go before the early bulbs push through. We can do it! If you are in need of a tick, gardening or otherwise, please consider one duly despatched. Ticks for everyone! Well done. Much appreciation too for Mr P who little knew what he had started. He definitely gets a tick for his drawers!
n20gardener 
I add sand around the dahlia tubers in the box in the garage to keep them well.
If you want to start them earlier in spring , slightly moisten the sand from (February) March, the new shoots will start which will allow you to replant in pots afterwards.
Is the new fleece 30g/m2 ? If this is the case, it will actually be more resistant even if in recent years I have noticed that they had to be changed more often, because they are biodegradable…
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I wrapped them in newspaper as no sand to hand. Yes new fleece is 30g/m2. Perhaps I should just accept that fleece doesn’t last too long.
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Enjoyed your SIX. Envy your beautiful hellebore!
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Thank you so much. Hope you’ve had a good weekend.
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Pretty Ellen is beautiful! It reminded me to go look in my garden to see if my hellebores are dancing yet!
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Hope you find some. I spotted a couple more just pushing through.
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I totally know what you mean re your tulip battles, I am on clay too and this week popped 75 bulbs into pots – so much easier till you run out of compost! I have yet to spray my alliums that I also saved for Christmas, will endeavour to do so by next week (I think the SOS thing is a good motivator!). Such a pretty hellebore…
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Yes. SOS often nudges me into action. Tulips on clay are probably not the best things, but we try!
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I have bulbs pushing through already. Not sure what they are. Here’s to 2021 being a lovely year in our gardens, Julie
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Oh yes please! Have a good Christmas.
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Well done on finishing the tulip planting. That hellebore is a beauty.
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Great idea keeping the allium heads! I’ll do that next year to add to the agapanthus skeleton.
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I left my Allium seed heads in the border for too long and the wet got to them, so none to spray. Next year! Most of my Hellebores are barely above ground. I really like the hint of green in your flower.
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I do not dig dahlias either. It does not get very cold here. I sort of wonder if they wold perform better if dug. Parts must rot while they overwinter in the garden. They might be happier if dug.
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Well done on getting on with jobs. I felt better for getting the last dahlias lifted. I’d left them in the ground last year but they are so big I need to move a few. Bunged 100 irises in pots and felt better. Only about 60 bulbs to go.
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I am giving you a round of applause, it so hard to be motivated at the moment and I hate planting bulbs too! You finish with such a beautiful hellebore, not one I have heard of before and my sister-in-law is called Ellen which must mean I should hunt one out! Stay warm and safe. 🙂
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Well done on the tulip planting. It’s a job we all put off until we can’t any longer. That white double hellebore is very beautiful.
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I have often intended spraying collected allium flowers and dried hydrangeas but never got round to it. What kind of paint do you use? I might be tempted to give it a go!
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I had an can of acrylic spay paint lying around. I’d googled spraying dried flowers and acrylic spray seemed to be thing that was used. There are sprays out there for crafts and floral work. I sprayed all mine but I think I’d try a mix of some sprayed and some left natural to give a contrast. It was quite easy, I gave them a couple of coats. Like you hydrangeas also tempt me.
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