Spring

Spring 2022 – Asarina Scandens Climber

Chris March 8, 2022 Garden, Pandemic, Spring Asarina, climber, flowers, photos, propagation, seeds

It has been a long, long year since I wrote on my diary/blog. Mainly, I think, because I have been very depressed and not feeling very well either. I have no idea why, this morning, I feel the urge to write. Maybe its the signs of Spring in the garden; the green shoots peeping through the ground; hopefully it is because I am really feeling better in myself. I hope so.

The pandemic is no longer raging on more creeping amongst us and we are having to live with it. We are all more familiar with our enemy these days and have become knowledgeable about viruses in general and how to keep safe from infection. Public health has become the responsibility of the global population.

Then: just as we were thinking it was safe to go into the water: War in Europe!! The Russian army, once again, under orders from Vladimir Putin, have invaded Ukraine. I don’t intend to relate stories of the war on this blog, but as this is, in effect, my diary I feel I have to mention it as a marker in my life.

I intend to make the main thrust of my blog the daily activities that happen in my home and garden. I have added the Amazon affiliate function again as an experiment.

Asarina, The Snap Dragon Vine.

On March 13th 2021 I sowed a few seeds of this climber and one plant has survived the Winter. Today I transplanted a strong looking root into a deeper pot. I have yet to see a flower but am hopeful that I shall see some this year. I had another look online for information about this climber which I had thought was a delicate creature only to find that it eventually grows into quite a tough woody plant once it becomes established. Other knowledgeable people say that its best to start each year from seed. However, I have searched through my seed stash box and find that I must have sown all of the seeds that I had last year. Fingers crossed for success this year.

Sow indoors in spring in good light with some warmth. Germination can be erratic. Pot up seedlings individually and pinch back when out 10cm. Do not overwater. Grow on until frosts have passed, then plant outside in the border or large containers. Sarah Raven https://www.sarahraven.com/products/asarina-scandens-mystic-rose

New Seasons Sowing 2021

Chris March 2, 2021 Garden, Spring cephalophoria, cosmos, Rudbeckia, tomato lemon pear

Laura and I have been sorting through the seed boxes and listing what seeds we have and when we can start sowing. Laura is ahead of me as she has already sown a few tomatoes and peppers a week or so ago and already has Cosmos seedlings popping through on the window ledge.

Today we have ventured outside and direct sown the end of a couple of packets of flower seeds from last year. There were six seeds of Cosmos Lemonade and a few Anchusa Blue Angel. Fingers crossed. She has placed them in the side garden after loosening the soil a little.

Cosmos Lemonade

This is a beautiful pale yellow cosmos with a central white eye. We sowed a few of these last year but had very few flowers. We are hoping that they self seeded last year so live in hope. This should be early flowering and a little shorter that the usual cosmos.

Anchusa Blue Angel

These were another no show last year so we are using up all the seeds left in the packet and have inter sown them with the Cosmos. If we are lucky and get a few good plants they will hopefully seed themselves. The colour looks amazing so should look good interspersed with the lemon of the cosmos.

Dierama – Angels with fishing rods.

I have sown seeds of these and covered the seed box with cling film. They are slow to germinate apparently. A selection of purple, red, pink and pale pink forms so I have no idea what colour they will turn out to be. I have sown just four seeds. . Bred by a nursery situated near and named after the highest of the Mourne Mountains in Co. Down, Ireland – Slieve Donard.

Cephalaphora Aromatica

Yellow pom pom flowers with pale green foliage. This unusual plant has a sweet apple fragrance. This is a new one on me but I think Laura tried a few last year. They are in a module tray and I shall keep them in the warm in the computer room.

Tomato Yellow Pear

My contribution to the tomato collection. I have grown these before but not since I lost the allotment I don’t think. Pear tomato or teardrop tomato is the common name for any one in this group of indeterminate heirloom tomatoes. They are very sweet and lovely to eat right off the plant in a warm greenhouse. Tomatoes prefers acidic soil to thrive and benefit from fertiliser when starting to fruit. A very good link providing loads of growing tips is listed below.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/yellow-pear-tomato-care.htm

Rudbeckia Gloriosa

These were the last of my sowings today. I sowed a few in each module and have covered them with cling film. Laura loves all daisies so I hope these germinate well for her. She grew quite a few last year so they may well pop up again in the borders. Neither of us could resist pushing a few Nasturtium seeds into the ground and I also popped a few in a module tray. That’s all the sowing for today so its back to reality after that bit of play time.

Changes In The Garden

Chris April 24, 2020 Chickens, Family, Garden, Pets, Photos by Glenn and Laura, Pond, Spring, Wildlife Araucana, birds, chickens, frog, Pekins, perennials, pond, silkies, Welbar, Wybar

Our modest garden is split into three sections. The woodland garden. A strip along the side of the house which is shady and is planted up with trees, climbers and woodland plants. The garden at the back of the house and the chicken area.

Shady Garden

The Back Garden

The main back garden, and the area that I can see from the big window in my office, is the main area where the growing goes on and has been reinvented many times over the forty-eight years that my family has lived here. At the back of this garden, there is a shed that, up until today, housed the chickens that I bought last Spring as day olds, but as from today they have been moved to the chicken area. We now have seventeen chickens. seven Silkies; three Pekins; two Araucanas; three Welbars; and two Wybars.

Chickens

The next big project for us will be to renovate the shed. Clean out all the bedding, varnish inside and weatherproof the outside. Sean fixed the roof last year for me so that should last a while. Laura’s plastic greenhouse is adjacent to the shed and in front of the greenhouse is the area where the pond is.

The Pond

The pond has really come into its own now and is teeming with life. I lost quite a few of the plants that I had planted around the pond last year so we need to do a bit of planning and improve the planting.

Spring Bulbs In Pots

At present many of our plants are in pots and containers and I would like to increase the depth of the borders and get some of the plants into the ground instead. I have enjoyed the spring bulbs in pots so I shall do that again next year as they are easy to place around when they are at their best then move away when they go over.

Perrenials

This year I have bought in some perennials and we have grown some from seed too so I am hoping to stock up the borders with them and cut down on maintenance.

Wild Bird Visitors

We have quite a few wild birds visiting the garden. There are a pair of Blue Tits nesting in Laura’s nest box again this year and as its right outside my window, I have a good view of the coming and going.

Our Woodland Garden

Chris April 19, 2020 Garden, Photos by Glenn and Laura, Spring shade, woodland

No, I haven’t won the lottery and moved house. I still live in a 70’s semi on a suburban estate. I do, however, have a shady bit of garden alongside the house that I have had several failed attempts to plant up. For the last two years, I have been planting with woodland shade loving plants and today I am feeling very pleased with how it is looking. We already have two established fruit trees, an apple and a plum, also some old, tall shrub roses plus a climber that have survived from my rose bed attempts in the past.

Last year my son Sean came over and removed an enormous fir tree and an old silver birch from this area and the difference it has made to the number of flowers popping up is incredible. There was a pink Clematis Montana already there and Deb bought me a mile a minute vine and both have romped away with all the extra light and moisture that is there now the big trees are gone.

For the last two years, I have been underplanting with shade loving plants such as primroses, cyclamen, foxgloves, bluebells and whitebells, lily of the valley, hostas, forget-me-nots, marigolds, cranesbill, epimedium and aubretia. Its 19th May and there is a lot of growth. I am very pleased.

Saturday 28th March 2020 Three Months AC

Chris March 28, 2020 Covid-19, Garden, Spring COVID-19, Erysimum, flowers, news, Wallflowers

My plan today was not to mention the terrible situation that is life on Earth today but to add a few plants that I have got ready to plant out in the garden when the weather warms up a little more.

This morning I read an article that says it all. I am leaving the link here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/stories-52

Potentilla Atrosanguinea – I bought this healthy little plant online from https://www.secretgardeningclub.co.uk along with a few others. It’s a shrubby plant that bears red flowers during June and July. I look forward to seeing it thrive in my garden. I received the plant a couple of weeks ago and potted it on to grow a little before it goes outside. The foliage is very attractive and the plant looks sturdy and well worth the couple of pounds I paid for it.

Potentilla is a genus containing over 300 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. They are usually called cinquefoils in English. Potentilla are generally only found throughout the northern continents of the world, though some may even be found in montane biomes of the New Guinea Highlands. wiki

Erysimum Red Jep and Yellow Bird – Today I have planted the two hardy perennial Wallflowers from secret. I already have a Bowles Mauve and an un-named yellow variety, both from cuttings gifted to me by my sister. I love them both and so when I saw these available for £1.99 each I jumped at the chance to add them to my collection. I already have a few roots of Wallflowers grown either from seed or bare roots and I am very fond of the genus.

Epimedium – Barrenwort

Chris February 12, 2020 Garden, Photos by Glenn and Laura, Spring Epimedium, ground cover

Last year I discovered a ground cover, spring flowering plant called Epimedium. I did a bit of research and eventually bought myself a good sized root of a white variety from Ashwood Nurseries. I potted it on and after flowering I divided it into three. I am hoping that it survived the chickens and the Winter. Today I plan to have a look at them and bring them indoors for a bit of tender loving care. It is listed as ground cover and is said to thrive in dappled shade. Visually the plant looks robust then surprisingly the flowers are very delicate. I really hope that I can get a good colony of these beauties into our garden.

Apparently this species is becoming more opopular because of the arrival of a new species from China and Japan. The Asiatic varieties require summer moisture whereas Europeans can be mainstays in dry shade. A Genus of more than 50 species of evergreen and deciduous rhizomatous perennials from the Mediterranean to temperate easten Asia. They are found in woodland, scrub and shady, rocky places which gives an idea of their preferences. Info from Burncoose Nurseries.

Some varieties have been in western cultivation for the last 150 years. There is now a wide array of new Chinese species being cultivated in the west, many of which have only recently been discovered, and some of which have yet to be named. There are also many older Japanese hybrids of the genus in cultivation. Few genera of plants have seen such a dramatic increase in newly discovered species, primarily thanks to the work of Mikinori Ogisu of Japan and Darrell Probst of Massachusetts. Most varieties are proving extraordinarily amenable to general garden and container cultivation. Wiki

This plant is getting more and more interesting . There are so many different types and colours that like the Cranesbill I am spoiled for choice and my wish list it growing daily.

There is an amazing article by Tony Avent on the RHS site that is a mine of information about this very interesting genus. Its called An Overview Of Epimedium and, written in 2010, is the best source of knowledge about Epimedium that I have come across.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/publications/the-plant-review/2010-issues/march/an-overview-of-epimedium.pdf

Spring 2020 – New plants

Chris February 11, 2020 Garden, Photos by Glenn and Laura, Spring dahlia, Spectabilis

Its 11th February 2020 and we have been potting up new bulbs, roots and corms. Lauras enthusiasm far exceeds mine and she has been obsessed with seeds and plants since January, just as I used to be before Adam was Poorly and eventually passed away on 20th February 2016.

I have to admit that I can get lost in messing about in the garden and find some sort of peace out there. At present the garden is far from beautiful. I still keep a few chickens and they have eaten quite a few plants over the Winter. This, added to my neglect, has meant there is a lot to do to bring it back to life.

An online foray onto Wilkos website saw me buying a few bare roots and corms plus some topsoil and compost. I bought Spectabilis, Dahlia, Gypsophila, Calla Lily and mixed Cranesbill seeds. Laura added roots of Agapanthus and Sea Holly.

Dicentra Spectabilis Alba – This white perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn and fresh new growth appears again in spring. If you can get a plant established it will bloom during April and May and can become fully hardy. Arching sprays of dainty, pure white, heart-shaped flowers appear in late spring above fresh green leaves. Easy to grow, this elegant plant is ideal as part of a cottage garden scheme. As long as the ground is kept moist it will thrive in full sun or partial shade.

Dicentras are northern hemisphere plants, growing from Asia to North America. In their natural habitat they are found in moist soils in the cool margins of woodlands. This dicentra was first introduced in 1816, then disappeared from cultivation but was reintroduced by plant collector Robert Fortune in 1846. It soon became one of the most popular garden plants. It is one of the earliest perennials to flower but the foliage does start to die back after flowering.

Calla Lily – Zantedeschia White – Caring for white calla lilies is different to caring for the colourful hybrid calla lilies. White callas are semi-aquatic and their rhizomes thirst for watering holes but their colorful cousins hail from higher ground and their tubers demand drainage.

Calla lilies prefer to grow in a sunny spot with rich, well drained soil. These tropical beauties also prefer slightly moist soil that’s rich in organic matter. If you are growing calla lily in containers use a commercial potting soil. Move the plants indoors before frost strikes in Autumn. I have planted a few of these before but think I have lost them. Time will tell.

Dahlias – I bought four Dahlia corms. The varieties are Perfect Match, Crazy Love, Avignon and Cantarino. Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.Wiki

Gypsophila Paniculata – Babys Breath

Gypsophila paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to central and eastern Europe. It is an herbaceous perennial growing tall and wide, with mounds of branching stems covered in clouds of tiny white flowers in summer.

I have some seeds to start too but thought I would hedge my bets with a bare root. There were three good roots in the pack labelled one. I have a soft spot for this plant as it conjours up old memories of my mothers garden around the prefab where I grew up. She had a large old root that carried on giving for years and frothy sprays of which she used to add to bunches of pinks or carnations grown in the coal sleck beds which were our front garden. In season she sold these bunches to neighbours for a shilling. Always useful to slot into the electricity meter. I have tried and tried to create a similar strong root in my own garden over the years but so far to no avail. Maybe this will be the year.

Favourite Flower 2019 Gaura the Bride

Chris October 17, 2019 Garden, Photos by Glenn and Laura, Spring, Summer Gaura, propagation, shrub

Although this plant was started from seed last year, 2018, it didn’t come into its own until this Summer. This years favourite flower then is Gaura Lindheimeri, commonly known as Whirling Butterflies. The variety I have is white and called, The Bride.

It is such a lovely plant that, although I intend to propagate the plant I have, I intend to start more of the other varieties and colours. There is a dark pink variety, Belleza, that is smaller than mine and I am on the hunt for some seeds.

To propagate in July dip each gaura stem in powdered, gel or liquid rooting hormone, then plant the stems in the holes, just deep enough to stand upright. Pat the soil lightly around the stems. Be sure the leaves are not touching the soil.

A Shropshire Lad – David Austin Climbing Rose

Chris March 5, 2019 Family, Garden, Spring climbers, flowers, roses

On 20th February this year it was three years since we lost Adam and to mark the occasion Sean and I went to Ashwood Nurseries and bought a climbing Rose to put in the garden as a tribute to Adam. A Shropshire Lad is a beautiful subtle pink rose by David Austin. A vigorous scented climbing rose with very few thorns, dark green foliage and beautiful subtle pink flowers. I have admired this rose for years and so going with Sean and buying it together in remembrance of Adam made the sad day a little easier for both of us.

A Shropshire Lad

A vigorous scented climbing rose with very few thorns, dark green foliage and beautiful subtle pink flowers.

The name is taken from A. E. Housman’s collection of poems about Shropshire published in 1896 where the David Austin rose gardens and nursery are situated. A. E. Housman’s ashes are buried near St. Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, Shropshire. David C. H. Austin, born in Shropshire, is himself a Shropshire lad.

To add to this treat Sean also bought me another rose that I had been wanting for ages, the English Shrub Rose Queen Of Sweden. I plan to take cutting of both of these when the time is right.

Queen of Sweden – Small buds open to half-enclosed cups which eventually become wide, shallow, and upward-facing. The colour begins as soft, apricot pink, gradually changing to pure soft pink over time. It has a lovely myrrh fragrance. It forms a bushy upright shrub. It was named to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Sweden and Great Britain by David Austin in 2004.

English Roses have natural, shrubby growth which makes them ideal for both rose borders and combining with other plants in mixed borders. The more compact English Roses work well in rose beds, whilst taller varieties can be trained against a post and rail fence. Most varieties will perform surprisingly well in partial shade with at least four or five hours of good sun a day. English Roses as shrubs look best when planted in groups of three or more of the same variety. They will then grow together to form one dense shrub which will provide a more continuous display and make a more definite statement in the border. David Austin.

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk