Bedtime in the Greenhouse

 A cold snap but at least some sunshine. Up country .... hail and snow. We have needed our layers but we`ve kept warm clearing flowerbeds and barrowing chipped bark. The huge pile is levelled.

The entrance looking spruced up.

The first flowerbed nearly complete .... full of couch grass and nettles. It was the only bed I didn`t tackle in the autumn. It was hard work. I`m hoping the others won`t take so long.

I tidied the fernery. The poor gnomes are looking a bit moth eaten. Because the fernery is shady and damp, their clothes do not last long.

Its not a very good picture.

 

I made some gnome bunting for the little garden and it was blowing gaily in the breeze.

And the forsythia is magnificent.

 

I can now report back about the seed snails.

The sweetpeas and peas have been brilliant ... no transplanting needed. And space saving.

 

But the biggest success has to be the broad beans. No potting on needed.

Each plant has room for its roots to develop.
 

I would not use seed snails for cosmos again. Cosmos tend to bolt and need very careful handling especially if they are leggy.

As there is the possibility of frost tonight it takes quite a few minutes to put the greenhouses "to bed" using light fleece to protect my precious seedlings. Many trays are also covered with proper seed trays covers. I have to be careful not to decapitate the ones at the edges!!!

 

Rainbow Wool and Early Bluebells

We have had several frosts. Luckily I was one step ahead and covered all the new seedlings each time. However two days ago I did not open and shade the propagator and by lunchtime a lot of tender seedlings had keeled over. Thankfully they all recovered after sitting the trays and pots in water.

It is just a reminder to be ever-vigilant. 

The warm sun was very welcome today especially for those celebrating Mothers Day. But there was a cold wind.

At the garden I planted a huge chunk of cardoon from our own front bank. It always causes a stir with visitors but we lost the row there, for some reason.

I put plastic bottles round them. Who knows if rabbits like cardoons. Possibly not as the leaves are a bit hairy. I hope they survive as the bumblebees love the pollen-laden flowers.

Nearby the raspberry rows needed pruning and tying, a job usually done in the autumn. Its not finished but its well under way. Steve brought chipped bark.

He also planted onion sets. The ground is raking down nicely.

 

In the shrub bed the magnolia stellata and forsythia are quite a sight.

In the pond the striking kingcups are just starting to flower.

 

At home we have been creating new cottages for the fairy garden. The main part has been protected with yacht varnish which helps it last longer. Now I am just waiting for some spray yacht varnish to be delivered, for all the trimmings.
 

Our next joint job is to find a half log to replace the tiny caravan.

 

Some time ago my sister Paula, bought me some lovely rainbow wool and I thought it was time to create something. 

Mittens .... the ones on the left ....

...... and a basket of balls which I couldn`t stop making.

They might "become" something else.

 

I have a large quantity of fluffy, soft wool so these shoulder bags, suitable for carrying a mobile phone, have kept me busy.

And the soft furry hedgehogs are proving very popular with the children in the family. Might have to make some more.

 

We had a lovely walk in the nearby woods this afternoon and were astonished to spy the first bluebells. This feels very early to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Benches and Rhubarb

A rather grey day but at least not too cold. 

A pile of chipped bark  waiting for us. 

Steve got stuck straight in .... five barrows. Me .... I only managed three!! 

I cleared around the insect hotel .... nettles, goosegrass, buttercups. I even trimmed some of the trees there. Next we barrowed chipped bark into the cleared space.

 

The paths between the veggie beds look much neater. Anne has barrowed so much of this.

Talking of wheelbarrows, we`ve decided we need a new one or perhaps we need to replace a few parts. Only one of the three is of any use.

 

Steve has completely dismantled the lovely pallet bench which was a general plant pot dumping area. It has collapsed. So the area underneath needed a good clear out .... stones, crocks, couch grass. We are going to miss the bench though and will be looking out for a replacement or at least something to be converted.

This is a picture from 2021 so its had a good innings. 

The rhubarb has come on in leaps and bounds.

And the wonderful eye-catching lime-green spurge .....

..... so interesting close up.
 

We even managed an afternoon in our own garden.  And we saw a bit of sunshine.

The sun has moved rather quickly to the edge of the wood so this is my view as I sip my glass of wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Bumblebees and Primroses

 Well March has bounced in with glorious sunshine, warm days, butterflies and huge bumblebees. 

 

It seems less than a week ago that I sat with a blanket over my knees looking out on yet another grim day. But how quickly it changes.

And I am well aware it can change back!! 

An update on the seed snails ... I peeped yesterday as I couldn`t wait to see what was happening.

I carefully unrolled the first sweetpeas I sowed and this is what I found. The roots were coming out at the bottom. I rolled it back up. Absolutely no need to do anything just yet.

Since then we have done quite a lot more.
 

Here are some tomato seedlings.

Tiny tiny pink gypsophila.

Cosmos.

And lots more doing very well.

 

Another experiment is on the go. I saw this idea on facebook. Dahlia tubers (small ones) are placed in ziplock bags with a little bit of soil and sprayed with a bit of water. At night I have closed them up. In the bags are my favourite dahlias that I want to increase.

When the tubers start to shoot I am hoping for cuttings.

In the past I have used large open trays with soil and laid out the tubers. But the bags are space-saving.
 

Indoors the potato tubers are spread out on egg boxes in my craft room. This is to develop the eyes and we call it chitting.

 

In Aldi last week, I found these lovely plants .... aubrietia and arabis .... £1.89 each. I think they look very pretty in this coloured pot.

 

And I am particularly pleased with these mini-dafs .... 

Tete a tete deluxe.

 

 

Finally a little bunch of native primroses which grow wild in our garden, reminding me of primrosing expeditions when we were children and also in remembrance of my Grandad Magan whose birthday is today.

 

Vibrant Blues and Baby Agaves

When are these last dreary days of the winter going to end?!!

Such greyness, so much rain, it seems endless. Here we are, nearly at the end of February, where we should have had at least a couple of decent days.

As I stood in my greenhouse a few days ago with packets of seeds in my hand, I wondered why I was even trying. So I came indoors and lit a cosy fire!!

To save being indoors for yet another day, we decided to go to the garden ..... we didn`t stay long. 

So dismal, with light rain in the air.

I took a few photos and then we had a welcome cuppa in the polytunnel. At least it provides some colour and warmth.
 

Cornflowers are growing in the sacks of our own compost, along with chickweed.

The agaves will need repotting and they are producing babies. It might be a precarious job. 

 

A spot of vibrant blue, provided by "Blue Ensign" pulmonaria.

And then home earlier than usual to check on the greenhouse and I am happy to say the first sweetpeas are up in their seed snail packaging.

I moved pots of hyacinths to the patio to create a good view from our kitchen.
 

 

And I picked some camellias to cheer myself up.

 

And finally .... here is a sight for sore eyes.