Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

Here are just a few suggestions that you could be getting on with this week ...

1. Weeds - Weeds such as Dandelions are popping up all over the place, especially in lawns, dig the weeds out and if you want to, reseed the patches with grass seed.

2. Pot On Seedlings - Seedlings such as the Antirrhinums I pricked out a few weeks ago should be about ready to pot on, a few of them are still in the trays needing a little longer, but as you can see quite a few of them were ready to go into 9cm pots. They will also need pinching out to help promote bushier growth.

3. Roses - April is usually the time to start spraying roses with a product such as Rose Clear to help prevent Pests and Disease. When using the spray do so either around 8am or 8pm to help prevent any harm to bees when spraying as this is the time they are least about, also avoid spraying in full sun. Repeat this process around every 6 weeks.

4. Pots & Containers - Permanent Pot Plants that live outside could do with a bit of a spruce up at this time of year, as you can see here by Hardy Fuchsia had developed moss on the surface of the compost. Simply scrape back the surface and revitalise with a fresh layer of compost. Not only does it help the plant but it's also much nicer to look at!

5. Support - Plants such as Clematis have leapt into growth over the past week which requires support. Why not place a few stakes together, tied at the top with string for them to clamber up. Once the plant has outgrown this support I will be replacing it with something larger, but for the time being it does the job and adds interest for the eyes!

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

A Spare Half Hour ...

Good Morning!

I hope you have all been enjoying the sunny weather we've been having recently. Typically I have spent it at work and now it's my day off it's decided to cloud over!

Today I just thought I'd share with you what I did when I had a spare half hour with all of those Pelargonium plants I bought a couple of weeks ago.

I bought some 25cm pots that were on offer for them and filled with some John Inees No.2 Compost.

All of the plants had developed a good root system already which was why I was able to pot them on. However if you also have some and you can't see the roots peeking through the bottom just yet I'd hold off on potting them on until you can.

I teased the roots out gently and placed in the centre of each pot, firming in.

They were then given a top dressing of Horticultural Grit, this helps keeps moisture in along with giving a neater finish.

Here you can also see the cuttings from last years Pelargoniums sitting on the top shelf.

Before I go you can see that the Fuchsia 'Black Prince' and Pleione Formosana have bloomed in the Greenhouse.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist & Blooms ...

Good Morning!

Happy Weekend to you all, I am back with some things you can be getting on with in the garden this weekend ...

1. Daffodils & Tulips - The blooms are slowly starting to go over in my garden so once this happens to you it's a good idea to pick the faded flowers off. Do this by simply nipping off this flower head and this will help focus  all the plants energy back into the bulb instead of setting seed ... along with looking much tidier!

2. Delphiniums - The fresh young shoots should be putting on good growth so now is the perfect time to stake them before it's too late.

3. Sowing Seeds - This is the prime time to be getting on with your seed sowing, so don't delay much longer if you haven't started already.

4. Primroses - Once Primroses have finished flowering, why not divide them up giving yourself more plants? I will be doing this and then potting them up, which will give me extra plants for next year.

5. Summer Bulbs - Now is also the time to get bulbs such as Lillies & Gladioli planted in time for the Summer!

Finally I thought I'd leave you with a few snaps of what is looking good in my garden right now.

The Euphorbia's are looking striking with their contrast of Red & Lime in their pots ...

The Pink Wallflowers I sowed last year are starting to come into bloom...

My dark foliaged Primroses are blooming ...

Cowslips and Daffodils are looking cheery, I really like these dainty Daffs, they look much more delicate to the usual larger varieties ...

My Outdoor stand of Alpines and Primula's is providing a colourful display ...

The Azalea next to the back door has also come into flower this week with some striking pink blooms ...

And finally more of my Auricula's are starting to flower, I can't wait to see what colours the remaining 40 odd will produce!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Absolutely No Willpower ...

Good Morning!

I took a trip to a couple of Garden Centre's on Friday and surprise surprise I couldn't walk away empty handed! So today I thought I'd share with you what I bought.

First up are the Primula's, at 60p a pot they were more than tempting. As you can see I bought 2 Primula Denticulata in White & Pale Lilac, along with 2 Cowslips in a Red /Yellow and 

Lime / Yellow colouring.

I've been tempted to buy a Ribes for a while now, another Plant that was just on the Wishlist, until now. All I need to do is find a home for it! You can also spot the Orange Dahlia I picked up at the same time sitting alongside it.

The Tomatoes for this year have been bought and paid for, along with a Cucumber & Chilli plant. I also need to sow the Tomato 'Golden Sunrise' which is a lovely yellow one that I grew last year. I've left it rather late though!

Here are the Begonia's, Fuchsia's and Diascia plants I bought to go in some Hanging Baskets along with Nepeta, Surfinia's and Trailing Fuchsia's.

Finally temptation got the better of me and I decided to build up my Pelargonium collection!

Which should go nicely in the following pots ...

As you can see I am going to be rather busy!
HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Easter Gardening ...

Good Morning!

I hope you are all enjoying the Easter Holidays, it's the prime time to be getting on with bits in the garden! As you are reading this I will be at work along with tomorrow too, but here's what I managed to get done in the Garden yesterday.

This year I have decided to try growing Strawberries in Hanging Baskets kept in the Greenhouse.

I bought 3 Early Season 'Christine' and 3 Main Season 'Hapil' plants this week and planted them up yesterday.

Along with these baskets I also -

* Potted on some Evergreen Shrubs that had outgrown their current pots using John Innes no.3 Compost.

* Sowed Some Dahlia and Cosmos seeds in the Greenhouse, along with some Carrot & Swiss Chard seeds in the Raised Bed.

Lastly I couldn't resist taking a few snaps of the plants in the Garden that caught my eye during the day. 

First up is the 'Silver Lace' Primrose I bought along with the Strawberries earlier in the week.

I really have a fondness for Primula's this year, and this is no exception. The delicate flowers on the 'Primula Veris' have slowly appeared over the past couple of days.

There's also some pretty spring blooms on some of my spring flowering Alpines ...

Finally the flower spikes on my 'Carex - Oshimensis Evergold' have appeared and unless you look closely they're hard to notice, but when you do spot them they're a pleasant surprise.

Thanks for popping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX