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!

Winter Blooms ...

Good Morning!

Over the past fortnight we've been graced with the appearance of some of my favourite blooms. The sight of these lovelies makes it known that Spring is around the corner, my favourite season!

Today I wanted to share with you a couple of photographs ...

Snowdrops pushing though the cover of Heuchera 'Black Knight'

If you've got Snowdrops in your own garden why not turn one of the heads over gently and take a look at the petals close up? This particular Snowdrop is Galanthus 'Flore Pleno'

The Hellebores are slowly starting to wake up, the following two have been in bloom for the past week with the rest in the garden patiently waiting in the wings ...

Helleborus Harvington Double White Speckled

Helleborus Blue Metallic Lady

A classic plant for this time of year is the Primrose, I have a few planted up in pots that add a great splash of colour, my favourite's are the simple white's.

Lastly another plant in flower is my Clematis 'Winter Beauty', unfortunately there's only a couple of flowers this year due to the resident garden birds nipping the buds off as they were forming ...

Thanks for taking a look, when the rest of the Hellebores come into bloom I shall share some more photographs to share with you all.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with in the garden over the coming week ...

1. Hydrangeas  -If you have some Mophead or Lacecap Hydrangeas in the garden and you left the flower heads on over winter as recommended you can now cut these off and prune back to a pair of buds.
Along with this you can also remove any faded / dead flower stems left on perennials over winter such as Sedums that you have forgotten to do!

2. Pot Displays  - Why not create a decorative feature using an item that could be up-cycled as a plant pot this weekend! 

Here you can see that I have used an old vase my Father found for me. Make sure you drill some holes into the bottom for drainage if your container doesn't have any. I added a layer of grit at the bottom to improve this even more and potted up some Snowdrops into John Innes compost, topped off with a layer of grit.

3. Seeds - Thinking of growing some Tomatoes this year? If you have a heated Propagator you can get them started today! Fill a seed tray with some seed sowing compost or Multi-Purpose, place into a gravel tray of water and leave until you can feel that the water has soaked into the surface of the soil. Sprinkle the Tomato seeds over the surface then add a layer of compost on top. Place into a Propagator with a base heat of 20-24c and the seeds should germinate within 10-14 days.

Along with tomatoes you can also start your Sweet Peas off this weekend. 

Sow these into deep 9cm pots (3 seeds to each) or in root-trainers using multi-purpose compost. Simply sit these in a warm sunny position on a windowsill, in a GH or heated propagator (at around 15c) and these too will germinate over the coming days. 

These are the Tomato seeds that I have chosen to grow this year - 'Sungold' and 'Gardeners Delight' which are old reliables for taste and size along with a new variety 'Tigerella' purely for the decorative aspect!

4. Weeds  -It's not the nicest of jobs for some but now is the time to make a start on the weeding! Remove any weeds as soon as you spot them, if left they can soon take over and will compete with the plants that you do want around for the nutrients in the soil. 

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Plant of the Month ... Snowdrops!

Good Morning!

Along with the new series of Problem Areas for 2016 I have also decided to feature one plant a month that is my personal favourite and which I think is one of the best performers during that month.

The PLANT OF THE MONTH for February is ... SNOWDROPS!

Galanthus are Dwarf Bulbous Perennials which grow up to 15cm tall with narrow leaves and nodding fragrant white flowers. The inner segments of the flowers are mostly marked with green at the tips.

There are over 2000 varieties but the most common are widely found in our gardens are Galanthus Nivalis and the double version 'Flore Pleno' seen below from my own garden.
Some varieties can be bought for hundreds of pounds but there are some much more affordable ones too with striking colours and details.

Galanthus 'Flore Pleno'

CULTIVATION 
Snowdrops can be planted when they are a bulb or 'in the green' which simply means when the foliage growth is starting to die back and the flowers are fading, usually in late April - early May. This is the preferred way and what I find the most successful.
The quickest and easiest way to give yourself more plants is to 'divide' each group of Snowdrops into separate plants, re- plant singly and at the the same depth. Dig them up gently with a fork and tease apart with your hands, with as little disturbance as possible. Adding a little Bonemeal to the planting hole will be beneficial. Leave for 3 or 4 years to settle in before repeating the process.
Snowdrops like to be in a partly shaded position in a moist but well - drained soil that doesn't dry out in Summer.

If you don't have any groups of Snowdrops already in your garden they can be purchased from Garden Centres at this time of year along with online and through mail order. Make sure you plant them as soon as they arrive however as you don't want the plants to dry out.

Thompson & Morgan currently have an offer where you can order 35 Single Snowdrops 'in the green' for the price of Postage. I am in no way linked to this business, I simply saw the offer and thought it may be of interest to some of you.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE.
ORDER CODE - GW820

PROBLEMS
Snowdrops can be prone to Snowdrop 'Grey Mould' (Botrytis galanthina) which is a fungus closely related to the most common form of Botrytis cinerea. This fungus only affects Galanthus spp. and is most prone to the common Galanthus nivalis in mild winters.

Photo from RHS website

If you spot this problem remove the affected bulbs straight away and dispose of quickly. Do not plant any more Galanthus in the same position or where you have noticed this disease previously. When buying new plants always inspect them first for signs of infection and from a reputable company.

I hope you have found this feature interesting!
HAPPY GROWING!
XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
It seems this weekend the weather has changed to be a little milder compared to the start of the week! We were in low single figures early on but looking at the forecast we're set to reach double figures over the next few days, the weather can't seem to make it's mind up.
Here's a few things that you can be getting on with over the coming week ...

1. Sedums - Throughout winter I left the stems of my Sedum plants to provide some structure and also allow somewhere for over-wintering insects. However the flower stems are looking a little tired and the new growth has started forming at the base so it was time for me to cut them down to ground level. Other plants that can be cut down now are Willows and Dogwoods to promote strong new canes.

2. Hardwood Cuttings - If you have been planning to take some Hardwood Cuttings then now is the time to get this done. You can take Hardwood Cuttings from Shrubs, Tree's and Roses but the window to do this is closing in a few weeks.

3. Hellebores  - If you love Hellebores as much as I do it's always a good idea to remove any foliage showing signs of Black Spot which helps prevent the disease taking over. It also allows more light to the emerging flower buds! If you haven't removed them already then try to get it done asap.

4. Snowdrops - If you are in a milder area of the UK and your Snowdrops are already flowering, this is the ideal time to start thinking about dividing them if the clumps are congested. Snowdrops are best divided and planted when they are 'in the green', simply dig them up when they coming to the end of flowering, split them up into smaller clumps and re-plant.

5. Sowing - Salad crops can be sown now undercover to provide you with some early lettuce and salad leaves. 

6. Apple & Pear Tree's - If your Apple & Pear Tree's have congested, badly placed, damaged or diseased branches now is your chance to prune them out. 

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 been a while since I have had a Checklist to share, but hopefully now that we are nearing the end of February, weather depending, there will be a few things to do in the Garden!
Here are just a few suggestions that you could be getting on with this week ...

1. Divide Snowdrops - We all love Snowdrops so what better way of increasing your stock by creating some more! All you need to do is dig them up now whilst they are still in the grown, split them up into little groups or 'divide' then replant in various area's of the garden, spreading them out.

I have done this myself in the past few days.

2. Mulch - If you have a few borders in your garden which could do with a spruce up, one instant and quick way to do this is to give them a mulch. You can use Bark, Garden Compost or failing that just some regular Garden Compost. Not only will it make the area look much nicer but it will help improve the soil and suppress the weeds!
You can also give container plants a mulch too with either the same stuff or some Grit!

(If you are wondering why I have a brick in my 'Pond' it is because it will be used as a ledge for some Pond Plants when I have purchased some, hopefully soon)

3. Spring Baskets - As suggested yesterday why not make up some Spring Hanging Baskets for some extra colour! Also why not plug any gaps in existing displays where Winter Bedding has failed or just simply isn't looking as good as it could do.

4. Seed Sowing - If you have a Propagator or a Sunny Windowsill there are some seeds that you could get on with sowing now. These could have been started a couple of weeks ago but due to light levels where I live I decided to wait a few weeks.
Here I have some some Antirrhinum & Aquilegia Seeds. These needed to be sowed on the top of some pre watered seed compost which I then placed in a Propagator. I also sowed some more Sweet Pea seeds. 

5. Pests - Keep an eye out for Pests in the Greenhouse, you may think it's too early but when checking my Fuchsia cuttings a few days ago I discovered some pesky Aphids on the underside of the leaves!

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Things are Gearing Up ...

Good Morning!

A month or two ago I saw an offer in one of the Gardeners World Magazines that was too good to miss. 

It included 5 8 litre Bags, 5 'Charlotte' Seed Potatoes, a selection of 5 packets of Vegetable Seeds and some scrubbing gloves when your washing your home grown veg ... all for £5.65 inc postage!

Well I thought it was too good to miss and a great opportunity to try growing Potatoes for the first time this year.

I've read that 'chitting' seed potatoes is beneficial so decided I would give it a try. All you need is an egg box in which you can place your seed potatoes with the rounded end that has the most 'eyes' facing upwards. 

Place them somewhere cool but light.

I will keep you updated with my progress with the Potato Kit throughout the year, I can't wait to get going!

Before I go I couldn't resist sharing some more photo's of the Snowdrops in the garden, they're in full bloom and always a delight to look at!

Thanks for popping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

It's Cold Out There ...

Good Morning!

We've had some pretty chilly weather recently, including a few snow flurries! 

Although nothing like most of the country which part of me is rather disappointed about lol

We had bright sunshine all day yesterday so I went for a wander around the garden and saw these lovelies bobbing around ... I love the dainty blooms and toughness of Snowdrops and I know they are two words that you wouldn't normally put together! 

The flower buds on the Hellebore have been building up over the couple of weeks and I can't wait for them to bloom.

I also received a Plant Delivery yesterday which was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting it just yet. I've also been itching to do something in the GH recently as it feels like ages since I last planted something! 

I ordered 3 Primula 'Cobalt Blue' Plug Plants last month from Sarah Raven along with a few over plants which are yet to arrive.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

My Favourite Garden Photo's from 2014 ... Part 1!

Good Morning!

I'm back today with a few of my favourite photo's that I've taken over the past year. I have selected one from each month, which as you can imagine when it came to the Summer was quite tricky! I am sharing the first 6 months with you today and the rest will follow.

I hope you enjoy looking back with me!

JANUARY

My first attempt at growing an Amaryllis, I loved how big the blooms were in such a deep red colour.

FEBRUARY

How could I not include this one, not only is it the blog header but it was also featured as a Reader Photo of the month in the Garden Answers Magazine! My prize was a set of Felco Secateurs which I wouldn't be able to afford myself.

MARCH

Spring Bedding provides you with a burst of bright colour on what can be rather dreary days. It certainly livened this container up!

APRIL

Back in April I was drawn to this Primula, I love the bright petals edged in white. It's even blooming right now in my conservatory.

MAY

I had to share this photo with you all from May. These were my first attempt at growing Spring Onions, well my first attempt at growing Vegetables full stop. 

JUNE

To finish with is a Rose that me and Andy chose last year called 'Champagne Moment', which is rather fitting considering we got engaged the same year. I also entered this photo into an online competition which led me to win a David Austin Rose.

I hope you have enjoyed this first set of photographs, why not share some of your own? I'l be back with the rest next week.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX