Just finished planting two Achillea 'Moonshine' that have spent the winter in pots in the greenhouse. Having lost a couple in recent winters I decided to grow any new ones on for a year before planting out. Had to remove a load of Forget-Me-Not to make space but couldn't bear to just chuck them so they're now in the pots until I can find a space for them.
Earlier I cut down the old stems on all my Verbena bonariensis. I can see new growth on most of them. Got some cuttings from some of the stems and for the first time ever I've just sown a tray of seeds from the old flower-heads.
Spread some manure around my black bamboos and year-old Thuja plicatas. Smells nice down there now
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Got the whole day in the garden today - a rare treat! Planted out the ferns and imperial fritillaries I bought yesterday, then fed my acers, rhododendron and magnolia with slow release feeds. Retreated to the greenhouse when the rain came: sowed some Nicotiana lime-green, mulched all my potted shrubs and underplanted my potted lemon trees with some spare mexican fleabane I had sitting around in pots. After the rain stopped I weeded and fed (with blood fish & bone) 25 metres of native hedge that I planted last winter, which took most of the day.
I sat in the conservatory and sowed a variety of veg., and flower seeds. After lunch I washed down the inside and outside of the greenhouse with Jeyes Fluid solution in readiness for the new season. Just the slabs and weed matting to clean and relay, then it will be ready for the seedlings needing hardening off. The leeks I sowed a few days ago have already come up so I knew I had to crack on.
On Sunday I finished filling my new small raised bed. Yesterday I planted broad beans in it... and realized I had not really firmed the contents of the raised bed down enough. Doh. But it was ok. I created a cats cradle out of twine for the plants. I also sowed some more tomatoes and various flowers. Today I sowed yet more tomatoes (not many though) and two types of beetroot. I also ended up having a sort through my sweet peas and peas in the greenhouse after spotting some snail/slug damage. I do hope I found all the culprits! I fear I dropped and lost one... I have put some agretti seeds to soak.
Went to GC this morning and bought 5 bags manure, 2 bags J.I.No.3, weedkiller and 6 reduced price alpines. Used my Xmas Garden Gift voucher my son gave me but I'd better not tell him I bought manure with it! After lunch I planted the alpines in my new bed (dianthus, saxifraga, a pink heather and a pink primula). I also pruned the buddleia and cut down some dead perennial stems.
I'm slowly getting my gardening mojo back, was up and out at 1st light and stared mulching the beds with compost. I need to get them done as the plants are really motoring now
Glorious day here so laid some paviors (40) around the new bed then put in the lavenders I had been growing on in pots since last year. Planted my first seeds indoors too. Last year I tried to save seeds for the first time so I have planted them to see what happens this year. I saved (and planted today) tomato’s- gardeners delight, cherry falls and veranda, poppies amazing grey and peony black, dwarf sunflower Pacino, sweet pea cupriani and horizon plus 2 different lupins. From what I have read I believe the lupins won’t be true to the parent plant so interested to see what develops, if anything. if these are successful then I will do more this year and save myself a fortune in seeds in the years ahead.
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Earlier I cut down the old stems on all my Verbena bonariensis. I can see new growth on most of them. Got some cuttings from some of the stems and for the first time ever I've just sown a tray of seeds from the old flower-heads.
Spread some manure around my black bamboos and year-old Thuja plicatas. Smells nice down there now
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
After the rain stopped I weeded and fed (with blood fish & bone) 25 metres of native hedge that I planted last winter, which took most of the day.
The leeks I sowed a few days ago have already come up so I knew I had to crack on.
I have put some agretti seeds to soak.
Home made Blackcurrant jam.
Went to GC this morning and bought 5 bags manure, 2 bags J.I.No.3, weedkiller and 6 reduced price alpines. Used my Xmas Garden Gift voucher my son gave me but I'd better not tell him I bought manure with it! After lunch I planted the alpines in my new bed (dianthus, saxifraga, a pink heather and a pink primula). I also pruned the buddleia and cut down some dead perennial stems.
if these are successful then I will do more this year and save myself a fortune in seeds in the years ahead.