February Favourites!

Good Evening!

Apologies for it being such a long time since I posted, I didn't realise that I hadn't wrote a post since January. Luckily February is one of the quieter months so you didn't miss too much that's been going in my garden! I thought I'd share with you my favourite pictures that I took last month to get you all back up to speed ...

Let's start off with more heavenly Hellebores! I know I shared a few in my last post but you can never have too many Hellebores!

Helleborus x hybridus 'Harvington ... Apricot' 'Picotee' and 'Single Yellow Dark Eye'

Helleborus 'Anna's Red'

Helleborus 'Pink Beauty'

This particular variety always flowers prolifically in my garden each year and is one of my 'forever' plants.

Of course the Snowdrops were displaying their delicate blooms last month, as soon as I see them peeking through the soil I'm seriously impatient for them to flower lol

Galanthus 'Flore Pleno'

Of course another Spring bulb that you can't be without at this time of year is the Crocus. Even though the heavy rain that we've had gave them a little battering the little golden blooms were a pleasure to see.

Meanwhile over in the Greenhouse where the conditions are a bit more bearable the annual routine of sowing the Tomatoes and Sweet Peas is well underway! As you can see from the following photo you can tell what I'l be doing on my next day off ... pricking out Tomato seedlings!

The varieties I've sown this year are ... 'Gardener's Delight', 'Sungold', 'MoneyMaker' 'Tigerella' 'Maskotka' and 'Black Russian'.

 Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet Peas) 'Fragrantissima' and 'Heirloom' Mix

Before I go I'd just like to mention that this year all my seedlings are being sown and potted on into an Organic Peat Free Compost. There really is no excuse not to go Peat Free nowadays due to the impact that Peat farming has on the environment, and so far I can say that the particular compost I've chosen to use is performing just as well as a regular Multi-Purpose! (No connection just a happy Gardener)

Thanks for stopping by, I promise I'l be back soon with more news from my garden!

HAPPY GROWING!

December's Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

The days may be grey and chilly but if you're still itching for stuff to do in the garden here are a few things that you can be doing over the coming weeks.

1. Brassicas  - If like me you are growing Brassicas such as Cabbages make sure that you remove any yellowing leaves to prevent fungal diseases taking hold of the plants. Also if your garden is prone to visits from hungry pigeons cover the vegetable bed with netting to keep them off!
If you are growing Brussels Sprouts make sure that they are supported simply by attaching them to a bamboo cane to prevent them toppling over in strong winds.

2. Vegetable Plots - Carrying on with the subject of vegetable plots now is a good time to clear away any old crops and debris from your plots, composting only the healthy material.
Once this is done you can sit and plan what crops you would like to grow and where in 2017 then begin ordering your seeds!
Along with maintaining your veg plots now is also a good time to plant fruit trees as long as the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged. Why not try planting some espalier fruit trees on your veg area to make use of limited space? Now is also the time to do a little bit of winter pruning on your Apple trees by removing any crossing, dead or diseased branches,

3. Soft Fruit - Soft fruit such as Raspberries and Blackberries will benefit from a tidy up around the bases of the plants by removing all weeds and mulching with a layer of compost. Why not include some new plants to your garden too?

4. Terracotta Pots - Most gardeners will have terracotta pots that aren't frost proof and will need some protection from the winter weather. This can be done by simply bringing your pots under cover into a Greenhouse or Shed or if this can't be done by wrapping them up with bubblewrap. 

The pots can crack in freezing weather if not protected properly.

5. Fallen Leaves - Along with collecting fallen leaves for Leaf mould, there are other reasons why they should be gathered up. 

Fallen leaves that are left in place can not only become a cosy place for slugs and pests to congregate but if left on lawns or over plants they will damage what is growing beneath.

6. Planting - Along with planting fruit like suggested above there are other ornamental plants that will benefit from being planted at the time of year. Bare root Roses, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs can all be planted as long as the ground isn't water logged or frozen.

7.Plants Under Cover - If like me you are keeping some plants going through these winter months under cover in a Greenhouse or heated conservatory they will need checking on. 

Make sure that you check them regularly for signs of any over wintering pests such as Red Spider Mite or Aphids on both sides of the foliage and the surface of the compost. Remove straight away if spotted. Yellowing leaves and faded flowers will also need removing right away to prevent Botrytis. Try not to over water the plants too as doing so can also cause problems.

Pelargoniums need overwintering in a Greenhouse

8. Autumn Sown Sweet Peas - If you sowed some Sweet Peas back in Autumn they should be putting on growth by now. Make sure that you pinch out the growing tips on the plants as this will encourage bushier growth which is exactly what you want!

9. Greenhouse Temperatures - If you have a variety of plants over wintering in your Greenhouse make sure that you make a note of the lowest temperate that they can cope with. Most plants will start to suffer when temperatures dip below 0c and will therefore benefit from a little heat. This can be resolved simply by running a heater overnight when low temperatures are forecast and a max / min thermometer inside the Greenhouse is a great way to check that the correct temps are being maintained. 

On the flip side of this temperatures can soar on days where bright sunshine and blue skies are forecast, especially if you don't open any doors or windows! Make sure that you always open them during the day when this weather is forecast (and also for a couple of hours at midday on the days that it isn't) to allow for fresh air to circulate inside and to prevent any fungal diseases taking hold!

9. Garden Birds - Don't forget that garden birds need a little bit of extra help during these colder months too! 

Make sure that you keep a fresh supply of water outside for them (this can be as simple as filling up a gravel tray) and making sure that it doesn't freeze over. Try to keep a constant supply of seeds in any feeders, washing out frequently to prevent any diseases harbouring as this could do serious harm. 

Ground feeder Trays are another good way to feed birds such as Robins which don't like to use hanging feeders, just make sure that you bring the trays inside at night to prevent rats being attracted to the seeds.

Fat balls are also great for them at this time of year but please avoid those that are wrapped in netting or inside stretchy rubber holders as birds can become tangled in these, leading to death.

10. Garden Equipment - Finally don't forget to bring inside any hosepipes or garden furniture that could crack and split in freezing temperatures, provide some insulation to your garden tap too otherwise you run the risk of damaging a pipe.
Now is also the perfect chance to clear out any garden sheds and clean up your garden tools if you haven't done so already!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Bumper Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Are you looking for something to do in the garden this weekend?
Well here's a few suggestions that should keep you busy ...

1. Tomatoes  - If like me you are growing tomatoes make sure that you keep removing the side shoots produced on the Cordon varieties. Simply snap them off first thing in the morning to make sure the plant focuses all it's energy elsewhere. Your tomatoes should also be starting to set fruit so it's time to give them a weekly feed with either diluted tomato feed or liquid seaweed.

2. Roses - The weather has been rather variable over the past weeks and rain battered Roses are a frequent sight in my garden! Keep up with the deadheading and if you see any rose buds that haven't opened yet with brown outer petals, gently tease away them away in a downwards movement and your rose might just get the chance to bloom! If left more often than not the decaying brown petals prevent the bud from opening.

A Rose in the centre ready for dead-heading

3. Sweet Peas - Another plant that could do with a little care is the garden favourite Sweet Pea. 

Give them a weekly feed and keep up with tying them in to the their supports. Pick flowers every few days and make sure you remove any seed pods once seen to prolong flowering. 

Summer Bedding in Pots and Hanging Baskets will also benefit from a liquid feed once a week to keep encouraging blooms and healthy growth.

4. Winter Cabbages - If you sowed some winter cabbages last month such as January King into pots it's time to plant them out into their final positions. If like me you sowed them under cover gently acclimatise them to the outdoor positions by hardening them off over 7 - 10 days. Once this has been done plant them out with a distance of approx 50cm in a sunny position and provide protection from birds in the form of netting or fleece. You can also place a collar around the stems to protect from cabbage root fly.

5. Bulbs - It's time to start planting Autumn bulbs such as Nerines into Pots & Borders and whilst your doing so why not start thinking about the Spring Bulbs that you would like to have next year. Plant companies are starting to send out catalogues so if you know what you want it's best to order them now before they're out of stock! The same goes for Spring Bedding.

6. Watering - Even if it rains make sure you keep up with watering, some plants such as Celery, Beans, Peas, Tomatoes can be extremely thirsty and will suffer if they do not get adequate water.
Newly planted Shrubs, Tree's and Perennials this year will also benefit from extra watering to help them become established.

7. Apples & Pears - If the weather is warm and not too wet you can prune out any branches on Apple & Pear Tree's that may be crossing, damaged or diseased. 

You can also thin out the apples on trees that may be malformed or damaged to encourage a healthier crop.

8. Cuttings - Plants such as Fuschias, Pelargoniums and other tender perennials can be tricky to over winter if you only have a small space. Why not take some cuttings now from your favourite plants? This way you only have to over winter a smaller plant reducing the amount of space needed. 

Even if over wintering isn't something that you've considered cuttings are great for if you simply want more of a particular plant for free! Simply click HERE for a variety of posts on Cuttings.

9. Hedges -If you have any Hedges or Confiers that are needing a trim then now is the time to do it, however always make sure that there are no nesting birds before starting.

10. Ponds - Finally if you have a garden pond keep on top of removing any blanketweed or algea. Make sure that you leave it on the edge of the pond for atleast 48hours afterwards so that any creatures within can make their way back into the pond or water feature.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

June's Floral Favourite's ...

Good Morning!

It's been a little while since I've had the chance to post on here so today I thought I'd share with you my favourite's from around the garden this month. 

Right back at the start of the month the Hebe 'Pearl of Paradise' of which i'd grown from a cutting came into flower. Even though they only flower for a few weeks of the year the blooms on this variety are well worth the wait.

Geum 'Tangerine' has also been flowering prolifically throughout the month ...

slowly followed by Geum 'Cosmopolitan'

My David Austin Rose 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' has produced some lovely blooms with a perfume to match.

The new variety of Cosmos called 'Xanthos' has recently come into bloom the past fortnight, so far the flowers are sparing but they are lovely to look at.

One of my favourite plants that I like to grow as an Annual each year are Nemesia's. Along with the Vanilla White variety dotted around the garden in Pots and Baskets I have a pot of the variety 'Easter Bonnet' of which you can smell straight away when walking past. 

The Hanging Baskets are slowly starting to fill out and establish themselves ...

Astrantias 'Rubra' and 'Buckland' have started coming into flower this past week ...

along with the Alstroemeria Inca Ice 'Koice' sitting outside the Greenhouse door ...

Finally followed by the first blooms from the Sweat Peas in the past 2 days.

Thanks for popping by, I hope you all get the chance to spend some time in your gardens this weekend!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here's a few things you can be doing in your garden over the coming days.

1. Leaves - Leaves are starting to fall so it's a good time to start raking them up and using them to create your own Leaf Mould.

2. Tender Plants - With the lower temperature's it's a good time to walk around your garden and look out your tender plants that won't survive the winter outside, it's time to bring them under cover.

3. Winter Pots & Baskets - If you haven't already it's time to get cracking with your Winter Pots & Baskets. I've decided to cut down on the baskets this year but I have made up a couple of pots with a mix of Heuchera's, Grasses, Euonymous and Viola's.

 If you are planning on planting bedding out in your borders too then now is also a good time to do that.

Viola - Amber Kiss

4. Equipment - If you have glazed or non - frost proof pots outside these will also need to be brought under cover or protected with bubblewrap. In cooler temperatures these pots can crack and break. You will also need to put any hosepipes back into storage and wrap the taps with insulation. It's best to get on with these jobs before any casualties occur!

5. Pests - If you have any plants that your are over - wintering in the Greenhouse keep checking them for any signs of pests. These can easily get in on the days you have the door open for ventilation or could have been carried in on any of the plants you have moved in from outside. No matter how thoroughly you think you've checked them something always seems to sneak in!

6. Sweet Peas - If you are planning on Autumn sowing some Sweet Pea's, then now is the time to get cracking!

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Collect Seed - On a dry day now is a good time to collect seed, such as seeds from an Allium head and sow them straight away.

2. Roses  -Along with cutting down Roses to help prevent wind rock over winter, don't forget to collect any fallen leaves beneath the plant to help prevent disease. Of course you can wait until the last buds have flowered before cutting them down if like me you still have blooms to enjoy.

3. Chrysanthemums - Make sure tall Chrysanthemums are well staked to give them the support they need. Especially if you have some outdoors and are prone to windy weather.

4. Sweet Pea's - If you have sown Sweet Pea's this autumn make sure you pinch out the growing tips to encourage bushier growth.

5. Sow - There is still time to sow Hardy Annuals such as Calendula's for flowers next year.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Glazed Pots - Now the temperature's are starting to drop it's a good time to clean and bring glazed pots under cover for Winter. If left outside they could crack and break.

2. Sow Sweet Peas  - If you haven't already, now is the time to sow Autumn sown Sweet Peas.

3. Hardy Fuschia's - To help protect Hardy Fuschia's over Winter give them a layer of mulch over the plant's crown. You could use bark or if you haven't got any, garden compost.

4. Lettuce - Now is a good time to sow pots of  hardy Winter Lettuce.

5. Herbs - To continue using herbs such as Chives throughout winter, pot them up now and bring them under cover into a GH.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

It's Time To ...

Good Morning!

I can't believe that tomorrow we are starting October already, this year has flown by! However this month is my favourite and not just because it's my birthday on Monday lol I love seeing Autumnal foliage coming through and the cooler days are a lot easier to cope with!

Back to today's post and it's about what I have done this week.

First up was finding some time to take some Penstemon Cuttings, just incase I lose some over the Winter, it's always good to have some back ups! I have a lovely deep purple and white Penstemon of which I have taken the cuttings from.

First off when taking Cuttings I like to prepare the pot they are going into first. I use a mix of Compost and Perlite for drainage then wet the compost.

I collected 4 cuttings just incase some of them fail.

Stripped them off their lower leaves, dipped into Rooting Powder and then placed down the side of the pot.

I will keep these over winter in my GH and hopefully I shall have some healthy plants for next year.

I also sowed a selection of seeds for next year, can you tell the colour theme?

I'm going for a mix of Reds & Pinks!

This year I thought I would try sowing the Sweet Pea's in Toilet Roll Tubes. Due to their depth they are recommended for Sweet Pea's so that they can develop a good root system, might aswell give it a try!

Lastly it was also time to compost the left over Tomato Plants which included my 3 TomTato Plants! I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with the total amount of Potatoes from all 3 together, especially the size of a couple of them, but it's always worth trying something new.

However there was one Potato that caught my eye, don't you think he looks like a Whale! He even has an eye! lol ... I don't even think I can bring myself to eat him!

Thanks for popping by, what are you up to in the garden this week?

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Pot up Tender Perennials - Now the nights are getting cooler it's a good idea to start potting up your tender Perennials so that you can bring them undercover when cold temperatures are forecast.

2. Start planting out Winter Bedding  - I know I have mentioned this before, but if you haven't started to do so yet then now is a good time to start. I replaced what I had in these tubs yesterday with Forget - me not's.

3. Rambling Roses - Once your rambling roses have finished flowering it's a good idea to give them a prune. However I wouldn't recommend doing this on other roses yet.

4. Aerate Lawns - To help aid drainage in your lawns now that the weather is changing, go over it with a garden fork spiking holes.

5. Sow Sweat Pea's - For early flowers next year, sowing Sweat Pea's in the Autumn is ideal and now is a good time to start.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist, 

let's get started!

1. Check on Cuttings - If like me you have taken cuttings in the past few weeks don't forget to keep checking on them for root growth, pot on if roots are evident and if not continue keeping the compost moist and checking the cuttings haven't dried out.

2. Continue Deadheading - Most of the plants in the garden right now will require deadheading, bedding of which daily. It may seem tedious but to keep your plants flowering for longer and looking good it needs to be done.

3. Harvest Tomatoes - Tomatoes are starting to ripen now so don't forget to pick them & enjoy!

This is a 'Sungold' Variety I am growing which has this lovely rich orange colour.

4. Water Sweet Pea's - These plants can dry out really quickly in this hot weather, keep on top of watering as drying out can lead to the plant producing short flower stems which are only good for a tiny vase!

5. Feed Dahlia's & Chrsyanthemum's - Now is a good time to give these plants a healthy boost with a Liquid Feed.

Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait'

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase you missed it last week I have added a page tab below the blog banner where I will add each Checklist so you can find them in one place for future reference. 

Let's get started!

1. Dead - head Rhododendrons - This isn't the easiest thing to do if you have a large mature plant due to the size, but if you have one in a pot like me then it's pretty straightforward. Simply cut back the flower heads to the base where they meet the leaves.

Of course if there is still one bloom in good condition then of course you can leave it on for a few more days!

2. Cut back Aquilega's - Although they are pretty not everybody wants a garden full of Aquilega's. Once the flowers start to fade they produce seed heads which can spread around the garden. This is great if you have a new garden and wouldn't mind 2 or 3 more plants popping up the next year, but if you don't now is the time to cut them back to the foliage.

3. Prick - out seed sown Winter Bedding - Not all of the bedding types will be ready yet, but if like me you have sown some Wallflower seeds in the past 2 weeks you will have noticed how big they have gotten. Prick them out from the Seed tray into some cell trays. 

TIP - Prick out by gently teasing each seedling apart with a dibber / plant label to avoid damaging the plants.

You will also notice once you have done this that you have a lot more plants than you think. How many would you say are here? 20? 30?

Well it turns out there were 80! 

Whether they all turn into healthy young pants however we shall have to wait and see!

4. Keep cutting Sweet Pea's - By now your Sweet Pea plant should be producing lot's of lovely flowers.

Make sure that you keep cutting them every few days otherwise the plant will start to set seed pods, which results in it failing to produce flowers as it thinks it has finished flowering. 

5. Tie - In Climbers - At this time of year climbers are putting on lots of fresh new growth. Some of which, such as Clematis, can get a bit unruly. Ensure that they are tied in to their supports and have enough supports. You can use items such canes or stretched string for instant support.

.

I hope you have found this Checklist helpful!
Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX