Archives: journal

This is the evergreen Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postil’. It is has flowers at this time of the year and they are powerfully fragrant.

This picture I took today is really for Olga. This tough little plant has been in flower right through our frosty days with temperatures of -6 oC It is in a pot at the back of the house, not even up against the wall.

I photographed what I think is one of the funniest looking plants in the garden today. Its a Juncus called the ‘corkscrew rush’. There are lots of rushes in the fields but not too many of these.

Rain Rain Rain, that is the weather here today and a bit cold out too. Went down to the local garden centre and looked at the bargains again bought myself poppy Patty’s Plum been wanting this one for a while now. it was in the reduced section and a bargain at £2.49. It usually retails at over £6.00 here. Hoping to plant it out but the forecast is rain again and possibly snow on sunday. Been looking through my gardening books for some inspiration in re-designing the garden this year.  Looking for lots of colour and height with the perennials. The front garden is small but is in a good position for lots of sunshine and the poppies should do well when I have continued to prepare the soil for them.

If it wasn’t for this hedge and shelter belt of pine trees we would have been blown away today.  Behind the leylandi hedge (which by the way is a pain to keep trimmed because I let it grow too high) is a drop into the woods so the pine trees behind are very tall.

Today is one of the most wonderful kind of winter weather, in my opinion.  Temperature is not very low, just -9 -11 centigrade, no wind, no clouds. And everything is touched with frost.

Magical, enchanting winter world!

Some pictures are in my winter album.

I planted some geranium seeds about five days ago in my heated propagator and was delighted, when I checked them today, to see that some have started to germinate. What a lovely sight on a dreary winter’s day! Each packet comes with just six seeds and so far I have 100% germination rate – important, since the seeds are quite expensive. I use them in Summer containers and lost all last year’s to frost. I also planted a variety of Eupatorium that is supposed to flower in its first year if germinated early – they need to be covered in a polythene bag, kept in a fridge for three weeks and then put back in heat to germinate – I’ve just explained this  to my wife and she’s very understanding! Perennials that flower in their first year suit my impatient nature so I seek them out in the catalogues. The others I buy as mature plants. This last few months’ frosts have really caught me by surprise and I fear for the survival of many less than fully hardy plants which I had grown accustomed to surviving outdoors – a sequence of mild winters had left me complacent!

Nice day here in Leeds, the sun was shining for most of the day a few showers about but not much. Cold and a frost is imminent tonight.  I have been busy planting up some peonies and hostas which I bought for a bargain in the local supermarket, i don’t usually buy plants in bags of compost but luckily I could see buds on them so I took the plunge, great for three peonies £2.99 and five hostas for £2.99, i will let you know if they succeed. I soaked them overnight and have covered them with fleece.

Two of my hellebores are in full flower see photos for more detail, my Witch Hazel is also in full flower and I potted this up in ericaceous compost as my garden soil is not suitable. I have also got a few Cyclamen Coum coming into flower which is a bonus as the pink colour cheers up the dreary winter.

There seems to be alot of birds about due to the lovely food I give them, they eat better than me. I have noticed we have a blackcap too and I gave blackie an apple I had cut into small pieces.  It is the RSPB Birdwatch this weekend where you watch the birds for an hour and record how many you have at one time then send the details off.

Happy gardening

The internet connection has finally been fixed after the storm on 17 January.

The internet wasn’t the only casualty, however.

This tree began to lean last year. I couldn’t get the stake in near enough so we dug up and replanted it, with two stakes, last autumn. The winds actually broke one of the stakes in two.

I recently acquired a number of house plants. They are in a state of bad neglect, with very pale leaves. I cut off any bad bits and watered them well but would like to know if anyone can give me any further advice.

I am not sure of the names of some of them either (particularly this large sorry looking succulent) so your help would be much appreciated.Individual photos are in my "acquired house plants" album.

The Clivia (label was attached) had one flower, when I got it, but the flower spike has since turned yellow and collapsed, letting the flower flop – not a good sign, at a guess!

All advice welcome.

Thanks Ternie for your comments. The geraniums I am growing are the ‘World’s Top 6 Mix’ from the Thompson and Morgan seed catalogue (www.thompson-morgan.com). Six packets, 5 or six seeds in each – Geronimo (reddish-pink), Hollywood Star (pink with white centre), Horizon Salmon, Picasso (red), White Orbit, ( I like the white ones ) and Tango orange. All are growing nicely inside the patio window. I turn the pots frequently to stop the young shoots from bending. A heated greenhouse would be nice instead of my ageing unheated one with three missing glass panes lost to the recent storms but the window area will have to do for now! At the moment we are enjoying the lovely white flowers of an Amaryllis – such power in one bulb! ( Photo in new album ). Bye for now!

I (perhaps unwisely) bought my echeveria last summer in full flower. It has since decided to die on me. Did I read somewhere that some succulents do this after flowering!?!

Anyway, I attempted to take cuttings, using instructions from a magazine, and placed leaves in a pot of cactus compost. I hope the plant was not too far gone. I wonder should I put plastic over the pot to keep it moist? I thought, maybe not, given that the plant itself doesn’t like too much moisture. Fingers crossed!

 

My camelia has nice fat flower buds, bursting with spring promise!

We tarmaced the drive in 2007. But still my daffodils are managing to break through the tarmac.

I should probably kill them to preserve it but I don’t have the heart…

I think I read somewhere that snowdrops have their own version of antifreeze and thats how they can grow so early in the year.  This tiny one must have plenty of it as there was a little icicle on the tip of the flowerbud. My Grandmother’s garden was full of a beautiful double snowdrops – I dug up a few a couple of years ago and transplanted them but they haven’t really taken off, I think I left them too long before planting them.  I plan to go back and get a few more in a few weeks as I love to have things with a history in the garden, and also Snowdrops in particular give the spirits such a lift at this time of year, so brave and bold in the face of such harshness!  I’d love to make it to Altamont this year for snowdrop week, but we’ll have to wait and see…..

My seed order arrived yesterday so I am rearing to go.

Usually I start germinating too early, with the result that my annuals get held up (not potted on quickly enough or hardened off early enough) so they grow lanky and often break. This year I will try to learn from that mistake. 

The two papier maché dolls in the picture were made by my 8 and 6 year old sons for me for Christmas. The note they supplied read "the Hopi of soutwest America made Kachina dolls, like these ones, to bring water and help their crops, plants and flowers grow".

Whew, I hope this hasn’t been the cause of the recent storms : )

The Alan Titchmarsh box of plant labels was a birthday present from my 15 year-old son. I know he paid a small fortune for it. Both presents were organised by my thoughtful and only daughter.

Got started with sowing today, assisted briefly by my little helper.

Sowed my six different types of tomato, aubergines and aquilegia chocolate soldier (thank you Alison).

I also sowed some liquidambar seeds again – I had no luck with these last year but, well … this is another year!

Yesterday I saw these Helenium roots and couldn’t resist them.. ..( I’ve planted them in a pot and put them on the kitchen windowsill).   I don’t ever remember seeing this type before. I did have Heleniums in the garden two years ago but after growing for a few years they never came back. They require well drained soil in a sunny site.  These sweet little Tete a Tete were in the homemade greenhouse.

Today I noticed some snowdrops growing near the Helleborus clumps as I was photographing the latter. And this time they really were snowdrops unlike the time last November when I thought wild garlic flowers were snowdrops. The weather is getting very wintry again and snow is forecast for the East coast.

I planted out some sweet pea seedlings last week during a brief mild spell (well it wasn’t freezing and I was feeling optimistic) which I had grown from seed in the greenhouse sometime last Oct/Nov.   I hope they are hardy enough to withstand the bad weather.

I planted two of my sweet pepper varieties and some datura (blackcurrant swirl) today.

They got the luxury of the heated propigator and are in my "plant nursery". I keep all sick and hibernating plants on the shelf in my bedroom and this is the plant nursery.

Has the weather gone completely mad? It’s actually snowing this morning and the place is covered in snow.

The lads are due back today to finish assembling my greenhouse. It has some of the glass in at the minute. I have a feeling they won’t be coming.