#seeds

Six On Saturday: Exciting times

/ n20gardener / 22 Comments

Cold, wet and gloomy is the summary for this week but undeterred nature pushes on.  On a particular dull morning my eyes fell up on a treat.  A small twinkle at the end of the garden:

One

The first blossom has appeared on one of the plum trees. It caught my eye and also that of a passing ant!

Two

The magnolia tree also sprang into life this week.  It’s full of beautiful blossom and I love it but I think it needs to have someone who knows what they are doing come and prune it.  It is full of water shoots growing away from previous pruning cuts.  Something for me to research.

Three

The last time I had someone who knows prune a tree we talked about moving an apple tree that had been planted hard up against a fence in a dark corner of the garden.  The wet spring delayed the job but finally a moment was grabbed and the tree was moved to its new spot.  It’s in amongst the redcurrants which might be moved next year.  And for a bonus item, the patch behind is where the potatoes finally got planted.  First earlies Ratte and Arran Pilot went in this week.

Four

The first of the tulips came into flower this week.  Yippee! It’s Tulipa ‘Nicholas Heyek’, a
triumph tulip.  It’s not one of the many that were planted last November – I’m still waiting on those.  These were planted out in the first year in the new garden and left in the ground over the summer.  This is their second year of flowering.

Five

Not so exciting is the damage that comes with all the exciting new growth.  The slugs and snails are active and the Thalia that looked so lovely a week ago have been shredded.

Six

I too was stirred into life and began sowing some seeds.  This tube contained 30 seeds of Antirrhinum White Giant.  They were tiny.  Here’s hoping they love the warmth that’s heading our way next week.  I also sowed Calendula ‘Indian Prince’, Zinnia pale mix, Nasturtium Alaska, and Tithonia Torch.  Still more sowing to be done.  Yes, exciting times.

There will plenty more gardening life on show at The Propagator who hosts the internationally famed #SixOnSaturday meme.  Enjoy your garden.

 

Six On Saturday: Stepping up a gear

/ n20gardener / 18 Comments

Suddenly I have that feeling that I won’t get it all done in time.  But roses have been fed.  Seeds have finally been sown: Tithonia and nasturtium, carrots and leeks this week.  More annuals will be sown next week and those potatoes will be planted.  Here’s what’s in my garden today.

One

IMG_2118

A border was extended in November and I dug up a batch of bulbs to make way for the roses that will be the star attraction.  Impatiently I threw all in the bulbs in a corner of the border and forgot about them.  Of course with no care to the planting they have emerged as a perfect clump of colour.

Two

IMG_2123

Continuing the yellow theme, the cowslips planted in a damp corner last year  have spread themselves out and look very settled.

Three

IMG_2115

More spring colour on a subtler note comes from these Thalia narcissi.  I love the multi-stem format.  I’m mentally planning for next year and more of these are on the list.  I also want to plant some Paperwhite and White Lady narcissi together with a couple of clumps of Leucojum – now that I’ve perfected the planting in clumps technique.

Four

IMG_E2109

I thought that I had lost these fritillaries when all the work on the path was done.  But the new path is slightly narrower and these were just outside the trample zone. The slightly wider border is going to allow me to plant more of these too.

Five

IMG_2138

The garden is full of birds and bird song at the moment.  I was planning to cut back the Verbena bonariensis but a charm of goldfinches were breakfasting on the seed heads this morning so I have been persuaded to leave that for another time.  Sadly  the free version of wordpress doesn’t allow video content so I can’t share the bird song, including the resident woodpecker, with you.  I’ll see if I can post to twitter (lol).

Six

IMG_2135

Back down to earth: the inside of my shed!  The blackcurrants and gooseberries are all in leaf and I need to start thinking about how I protect them from those wonderful birds.  My favourite netting is the twisted coil of soft net but my local nursery has stopped stocking this one.  Last year I bought lengths of semi rigid plastic net which was easy to cut and fix to bamboo canes to make something resembling a fruit cage.  What do you use?  Do you have a favourite?

It is so amazing that so many are sharing their garden news under the Six on Saturday meme.  Go along to The Propagator and feast your eyes.  And keep gardening!

Six on Saturday: Limbering up

/ n20gardener / 33 Comments

There have been the occasional forays out into the garden over winter but I have been mainly gardening from my armchair or computer.  That’s all about to change and it is important to make the right start.  It’s time to limber up, get those muscles going again and really importantly, stretch them out after your gardening session.  Take care of your back!  The warmer temperatures lured me into the garden and here is what I found.

One

IMG_2079

It’s not all flowers and veg out there.  I uncovered this creature whilst turning over a pile of turf that had been left to rot down.  He was buried under the soil and he quickly pushed his way back down again. It reminded me that the wildlife have pretty much had the run of the garden over the winter and I need to go carefully as I start to make my presence felt.

Two

IMG_2058

The landscapers who laid the path left some free gifts.  I have two pieces of 6 x 2, which I am sure I will put to good use – or they can join the rest of my ‘might come in useful one day’ collection. I do have more immediate plans for these sections of re-enforcing  grid.  I’m going for the industrial chic look and will use them as supports for a climbing rose.  I will let you know how I get on.

Three

IMG_2066 (1)

The hydrangea buds are bursting forth.  I think I’m pretty safe to cut back the old flower heads now, but I’m going to leave it another week – after I’ve seen what the next beast brings.

Four

IMG_2078

Sweet pea update:  Gwendoline is just coming through, Black Knight is about an inch high, Midnight Blue is definitely making a show but Anniversary is a non starter at the moment.  All were sown on 15 February.  My pot of autumn sown sweet peas need to be planted out but I’m trying to get hold of some hazel poles.  Request made, response awaited.

Five

IMG_2077

The mahonia in the front garden is about to shine forth.  The bees love it, the smell is great and it is one of the few yellows that I like in the garden.

Six

img_2072.jpg

By contrast, a yellow I’m not so fond of:  the forsythia.  I find it just a bit too much to take en masse.  But a few branches in a vase are a definite statement of spring.

For more news of spring explore The Propagator’s blog.  I spied a lovely tulip bud there.  Happy Gardening: In the UK it’s time to spring forward with the clocks!

Six on Saturday: Paths

/ n20gardener / 11 Comments

The much welcome higher temperatures are having their effect and growth in the garden is very apparent.  Roses, irises, phlox and clematis are all pushing out new shoots.  But I’ve not been doing much gardening this week.  I’ve been observing the garden through the window as the new path is being laid.

One

IMG_2039My old path was broken, uneven and collected water.  The new path will be well drained, carefully sloped and smooth.  But I am already missing the patina and idiosyncrasies of the old path’s age.  The builders are taking great care to keep the new path clean but I will be out there soon rubbing in the mud and possibly some yoghurt!

Two

IMG_2034
In another area of the garden I am replacing a very broken up brick path and here I am using brick again.  I’m slightly curious about the brick with the number on it but I feel much happier about this path as the clay bricks already have an aged feel.   This was the most dangerous path in the garden, twisted ankles beckoned at every step.  I am looking forward to striding down this path with confidence.

Three

IMG_2030 (1)The laying of the paths sadly means that some things in the garden get trampled on or have been dug up to allow for the base to be laid.  I don’t think I will see any fritillaries this year and I know that one or two tulips have been snapped off.  As I always say ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’.  And of course I will have the chance to add something new to omelette!  On the upside I will lose the ugly concrete edges and gain a precious couple of inches of border.

Four

IMG_2035I managed to get out the greenhouse this morning and was very pleased to see that the rocket seed sown on 16 February has germinated.  The sweet peas sown at the same time are only just breaking the surface but they too are on their way.

Five

IMG_2037My daffodils are still in bud, the pheasant eye narcissus are coming along but the pulmonaria is definitely in flower.  The clump was planted last year from divisions given to me by a friend.  I think I’m going to divide this up again this year and use it to soften the edges of that new path.

Six

IMG_2040And here’s a couple of new ingredients for that omelette.  Some nerines – bowdenii Ostara, and dahlias.  The dahlias are a combination of greeny whites and are destined for pots.  The path should be finished by Wednesday, whereupon I will become a gardener again.

I hope you have all been able to get to your garden and observe all the changes taking place.  Pop along to  The Propagator  to see what else is going on in gardens around the world.

 

 

 

 

Six on Saturday

/ n20gardener / 19 Comments

After a productive morning in the garden I now present my #SixOnSaturday.  And it is not quite as I anticipated.  My plan was to sow a few seeds and get the pruning of those blackcurrant bushes finished off.  It was a frosty start so I thought a light brushing down of a few cobwebs in the potting shed would be a good warm up.

One

We all have our favourite tools and for me brushing down the cobwebs is done with the old brown brush.  First I had to find it.  So the rickety old shed was emptied out.  The brush was found about half way through the emptying but I’d started so I had to finish.  First job of the day turned out to be a spring clean of the shed.  The second job – look away now if you are faint-hearted – was also shed related.  If you are ready, read on.

Two

IMG_1971

The dangers of plastic bags to wildlife are much in the news and I can only think that this rat fell foul of one my garden refuse bags.  I’m not a great fan of sheds at the best of times and my survival instincts were on the alert for large spiders.  I was not expecting to find this.  But it was dead, recently so I think, and so I coped rather well.  Disposed of it, had a cup of tea and with nerves steadied, moved on to brush down those cobwebs.

Three

Whilst I had my feet up in January, those more resilient than I were washing down greenhouses, washing up pots and scrubbing plant labels clean.  Well today I made a start on a few of those jobs in preparation for a little bit of seed sowing. Once some of those jobs were done, sweet pea Black Knight, Gwendoline and Anniversary were planted in root trainers and the first rocket seeds were planted in modules. I decided against planting the half hardy antirrhinums as the greenhouse is on the cold side and I think they can wait until early March. As a bonus I’ve included the latest photos of the autumn sown love-in-a-mist and end of summer penstemon cuttings.

Four

IMG_1977

I sowed the love-in-mist in seed trays and when I potted them on I took the chance of planting a few directly into the soil.  They have survived the winter so far.  In the background is one of the foxgloves sown from seed last year and planted out at the same time.  The foxglove should be in flower this year.

Five

IMG_1978

A little dot of colour to end on.  The first of the anemones has pushed through and opened out.  I had thought the autumn mulch had buried them, but one or two are beginning to appear.

Six

IMG_1979

The half price tray of white cyclamen bought a while ago are evolving.  They have begun to take a gentle pink blush.  I wasn’t expecting this either but I find it far preferable to the dead rat.

For more garden excitement from around the world go to The Propagator for this week’s links to a lovely selection of six on saturday, generally horticulturally related but with the occasional meander off the garden path.

Six on Saturday

/ n20gardener / 12 Comments

Whilst our esteemed leader is scratching his itch and beginning to sow a few seeds I am still at the pottering stage.  The cold of January does not often entice me out into the garden but there are one or two things to be done.  Here I should state clearly the level of my gardening skills: pottering amateur. So what I do in my garden is not a recommendation or a ‘how to’ guide.  Here’s what I’ve been up to:

One

IMG_1909

I have been buying a few seeds.  These are my Sweet Pea choices.  Last year was the first summer in a new garden.  It was a garden that needed clearing of weeds and then planting up.  I put in some roses and some 9cm pots of a few perennials and some plants brought from the old garden but I needed to fill in the spaces.  So I grew annuals.  My wigwam of Midnight Blue sweet peas were a great success and I’m growing those again.  I’ll also grow a mix of Gwendoline, Anniversary and Black Night for a second wigwam.  I’ll start them off in root trainers in February.  I also have a pot of  autumn sown sweet peas in the greenhouse which are doing well and need to be potted on soonish.  Eventually these will be planted out amongst some climbing beans on the veg patch.

Two

IMG_1913

Of course buying a few seeds is nigh on impossible. Another success from last year was Calendula Indian Prince and I will sow these again but I also discovered, late in the season, the wonderful Tithonia.  I saw a great cloud of tall orange flowers at a garden I visited and was smitten.  I am trying out Tithonia rotundiflora ‘Torch’.  The seed packet says height 1.2-2.5m and a flowering period of 3 months.  If I am successful it will be a bargain splash of colour.

Three

img_1915.jpg

Zinnias were my other success of last year.  I planted zinnia Lilac Rose and after nurturing them through the early days of slug attacks they put on a dazzlingly long lived display.  This packet of seeds is a mix of Benary’s Giant Lime, Benary’s Giant White and Benary’s Oklahoma Ivory.   Sorry, I can’t tell you who Benary is.  I will need to find the right spot for them as the flower height is 90-100cms, taller than last year’s zinnias which I used for edging. I’ll be finding a space for Lilac Rose as well.

Four

img_1914-e1516288227480.jpg

Featured in an earlier six was the wildlife attack on my old sink filled with succulents.  I wasn’t sure that I really like them so the fox or squirrel did me a favour.  This year I am going to fill that sink with a cascade of nasturtiums.  I hope they will enjoy the gritty mix of compost that remained after all that furious digging.

Five

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I have also bought my seed potatoes.  May the chitting commence.  I put out a potato poll on twitter and had a lovely number of great suggestions.  I was influenced by the thumbs up for Sarpo Mira as the floury main crop choice and by the loyal support for Arran Pilot, a waxy first early.  The other two choices were Ratte, a waxy second early and Belle de Fontenay, a waxy maincrop which caught my eye at the nursery.

Six

IMG_1886

And just when you were thinking I hadn’t been out in the garden at all this week I bring you a clematis.  And here I stress: pottering amateur.  I had a lovely viticella which grew up into a lilac tree in the previous garden and I barely pruned it all, just pulled out the dead bits every now and then.  In this garden there is a clematis growing up a fence panel on either side an arch.  The top of the arch is dominated by a passiflora so I need the clematis to clothe the side panels.  I noticed that the clematis was already putting on new growth so I took the plunge and cut it back.  I hope the current drop in temperatures and the bitingly cold winds don’t freeze the new growth to death.

That’s the round up of my gardening week.  Take a look at what other sixers have been doing in their gardens at The Propagator where you can also read about that itch