Hello Marion, hope this morning finds you well. Can I pick your brains a bit? In your last post you mentioned splitting primulas next month, I have 3 candelabra pimulas, each with 2 rosettes, I've been reliably informed by nutcutlet that they can be split, but is next month 'the' time to do it in your experience. Many thanks.
I am dividing mine next month as they are in full bloom now so do not want to spoil the show. i have lots of kinds of primulas but find I have to divide most of them every three years at least or else the clump runs out of nutrients and dies off. Some like Primula "Wanda" seed themselves happily so do not worry about them or the native Primula vulgaris (primrose) and P. veris ( cowslip). Here is Wanda this morning.
Thanks Edd and Marion, wanda is gorgeous by the way. I like the way you seem to have plants in a setting that appears to be quite natural and just a 'happy accident', although I'm sure there's quite some thought gone onto it. Looking forward to the scree garden photo's.
Scree garden photos come into their own when the tamarisk blooms, Lisa. Those Cheddar Gorge rocks have been there fifty years. When we moved here I said I wanted to have alpines so my late husband arranged for a lorryload for me. My garden is a naturalistic one as I am never happier than when I have colourful butterflies flying round my head and birds sitting waiting for me to throw them a worm. but I also never throw anything out if it will grow some plants like my old wheelbarrow. Here it is this morning and you can probably see the old bread tin with daffodils in.
And a primula sheltering from the elements in abando
My tulips "Strong Gold" were supposed to flower April into May, but are opening now. Lots of daffs still giving me plenty of gold still, but the grape hyacinths which are legion are now in full flight and the bluebells will be opening soon. i do admire how the Chelsea gardeners manage to get things flowering when they want them to.
I like the creamy primulas in with the mucari. Each shows the other at its best. Lovely.
Spent the day dividing the snowdrops and putting planter sticks in the ground to remind me where they are when they die back. Not one of my favourite 'jobs' but well worth for next year.
I still have that job to do and loads of daffs to divide as well and so many primulas will need to be divided after they flower. Tonight at the AGS meeting where we had a most beautifully illustrated talk from Dr. Tony Hughes on the Dolomites, in the raffle I won four colchicums in a pot ready to be planted out as their leaves are showing. I think somewhere in the slate scree for them.
Oh dear, so cold. I think it will be indoor gardening today. Our post was very late yesterday and so at 5o.clock in the middle of preparing supper for my guest I found myself opening up "Live Plants". Had to wait till this morning to see what the bulbs were - 40 each of sparaxis, allium owstrowskianum,60 brodiaea, 70 oxalis, 60 allium moly, and 30 acidanthera. No doubt a sales bargain I could not resist. Well, the ground is well watered again after last night's rain so, all I need is a bit higher temperature and two or three dry days. In the meantime any that are showing signs of sprouting will go into pots. Some more daffs are going over now so will plant those out in the garden and free up their pots.
Not as vile a morning as forecast. Just a few spots of icy rain so got 17 Black Opal tomatoes pricked out in the conservatory for Mr. Fothergills Nation of Gardeners Trials and planted twenty more auriculas out in the slate scree. The conservatory is now better organised and my neighbour came over, admired the spring bulbs and went happily home with four pots of cut and come again Mr Fothergills salad leaves for her son's work sandwiches.
Posts
Hello Marion, hope this morning finds you well. Can I pick your brains a bit? In your last post you mentioned splitting primulas next month, I have 3 candelabra pimulas, each with 2 rosettes, I've been reliably informed by nutcutlet that they can be split, but is next month 'the' time to do it in your experience. Many thanks.
I am dividing mine next month as they are in full bloom now so do not want to spoil the show. i have lots of kinds of primulas but find I have to divide most of them every three years at least or else the clump runs out of nutrients and dies off. Some like Primula "Wanda" seed themselves happily so do not worry about them or the native Primula vulgaris (primrose) and P. veris ( cowslip). Here is Wanda this morning.
Here are some of my primula allionii in pots - cream (Eyres mist), purple (Dwaines choice).
Thanks Edd and Marion, wanda is gorgeous by the way. I like the way you seem to have plants in a setting that appears to be quite natural and just a 'happy accident', although I'm sure there's quite some thought gone onto it. Looking forward to the scree garden photo's.
Scree garden photos come into their own when the tamarisk blooms, Lisa. Those Cheddar Gorge rocks have been there fifty years. When we moved here I said I wanted to have alpines so my late husband arranged for a lorryload for me. My garden is a naturalistic one as I am never happier than when I have colourful butterflies flying round my head and birds sitting waiting for me to throw them a worm. but I also never throw anything out if it will grow some plants like my old wheelbarrow. Here it is this morning and you can probably see the old bread tin with daffodils in.
And a primula sheltering from the elements in abando
ned bird perch.
My tulips "Strong Gold" were supposed to flower April into May, but are opening now. Lots of daffs still giving me plenty of gold still, but the grape hyacinths which are legion are now in full flight and the bluebells will be opening soon. i do admire how the Chelsea gardeners manage to get things flowering when they want them to.
I like the creamy primulas in with the mucari. Each shows the other at its best. Lovely.
Spent the day dividing the snowdrops and putting planter sticks in the ground to remind me where they are when they die back. Not one of my favourite 'jobs' but well worth for next year.
I still have that job to do and loads of daffs to divide as well and so many primulas will need to be divided after they flower. Tonight at the AGS meeting where we had a most beautifully illustrated talk from Dr. Tony Hughes on the Dolomites, in the raffle I won four colchicums in a pot ready to be planted out as their leaves are showing. I think somewhere in the slate scree for them.
Oh dear, so cold. I think it will be indoor gardening today. Our post was very late yesterday and so at 5o.clock in the middle of preparing supper for my guest I found myself opening up "Live Plants". Had to wait till this morning to see what the bulbs were - 40 each of sparaxis, allium owstrowskianum,60 brodiaea, 70 oxalis, 60 allium moly, and 30 acidanthera. No doubt a sales bargain I could not resist. Well, the ground is well watered again after last night's rain so, all I need is a bit higher temperature and two or three dry days. In the meantime any that are showing signs of sprouting will go into pots. Some more daffs are going over now so will plant those out in the garden and free up their pots.
Not as vile a morning as forecast. Just a few spots of icy rain so got 17 Black Opal tomatoes pricked out in the conservatory for Mr. Fothergills Nation of Gardeners Trials and planted twenty more auriculas out in the slate scree. The conservatory is now better organised and my neighbour came over, admired the spring bulbs and went happily home with four pots of cut and come again Mr Fothergills salad leaves for her son's work sandwiches.