Harrogate Spring Flower Show ...

Good Afternoon!

As promised I'm back today to share some photo's from Harrogate Spring Flower Show. I didn't take photo's of all the stands, that would've just been too tricky due to the amount of people around ... and the amount of stands! However I did take some snaps of the plants that caught my eye and it seems this year I am particularly fond of Alpines ... 

I'l warn you now, this post has a lot of photographs!

First up is this Alpine trough which was the very first thing that caught my eye as soon as I walked into the Plant Pavillion. The selection of plants used and how natural they all looked is what drew me to them, the stand was by Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries.

Alongside was the stall by Hardy's Plants which showcased this lovely deep red Pulsatilla along with some statement plants such as the Angelica and Rheum Palmatum. The look was completed by the pinkish Geum which complimented the foliage colour of the Rheum palmatum.

Now I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of Orchids but these two caught my eye over an another stand, maybe I do like Orchids after all!

Further along this Sedum added itself to my plant wish list ...

Along with these Soldanella's on the Slack Top Nursery stand, I just love their feathery petals.

I particularly liked the natural colours of this planting combination ...

especially the soft yellow of this Saxifraga, just a shame the photo is a tad blurry!

More plants for my ever growing wish list spotted on various other stands ...

More stunning Auricula's ...

Of course it wouldn't be Spring without some Daffodils ...

Outside some of the stands were worthy of photographs too, I especially liked these figures made out of bronze ... but they certainly cost a pretty penny!

Well I hope you've enjoyed looking at these photo's almost as much as I enjoyed looking at the real thing!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Purchases from Harrogate Spring Flower Show ...

Good Afternoon!

I had hoped to share this post a day or so earlier than this but due to one thing or another I haven't had the chance until now.

On Thursday I was lucky enough to visit the Harrogate Spring Flower Show, this was my first plant show as up here in the Yorkshire area there isn't that many. Today I thought I'd share with you my purchases and I surprisingly didn't buy as much as I'd thought I would ... in my next post I will share some photo's of other plants that caught my eye.

I managed to resist a few plants but these were my weakness ... AURICULAS!

The first 4 Auriculas were purchased from Drointon Nurseries which are actually located in Ripon, North Yorkshire. This isn't too far away from myself so maybe a visit to one of their open days will be on my to do list in the future!

 'Baggage' Striped Auricula

'Lord Saye-en-Sele' Striped Auricula

'Dovedale' Grey Edged Show Auricula

'Tay Tiger' Striped Auricula

I thought I was being rather well restrained just getting those 4 Auriculas, but then we came across another stall showing Auriculas and this time some doubles caught my eye! 

I purposely chose the plant with the most flower buds instead of open flowers on the following plant to prolong the flowering period for myself. As soon as it is in full bloom I will share a picture with you, trust me it is worth the wait as the petals have some lovely dusky tones! These two were purchased from W&S Lockyer.

'Nymph' Double Auricula

'Gwen Baker' Double Auricula

The blooms are a lovely yellow green shade.

Finally I also picked up this little Iris, the petals come in dusky shades of blue and brown which catch your eye right away. This was purchased from Bean Place Nursery.

Here's a snap of some in flower on a plant stand so you can see what can be expected ...

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy what is left of the weekend!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

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

1. Pinching Out  - If you've purchased plants for your Summer Baskets and Containers they'll be putting on good growth but are still too tender too go outside just yet. If you remember a few weeks ago I bought some plug plants and potted them up into 9cm pots. Some of these plants are developing flowers but the best thing for them right now is to pinch them out. It may seem drastic but this will help the plant produce stronger, bushier growth and prolong the flowering season.

2. Salad Seedlings - If your wanting to grow your own salad crops (e.g. lettuce and salad leaves) this year then now is a good time to get started. If the weather is fine you can sow them direct, if not or you don't have the space right now then you can start them off in trays under the cover of a Greenhouse. Start sowing now and continue to do so every 3 or 4 weeks to ensure a steady supply.

3. Potting On - Summer Basket and Container plants not only will be starting to produce flower stems, they will also be putting on good root growth, infact most plants at this time of year will be doing so. If you look at the underside of your plants pot and can see roots peeking through the drainage holes it's time to pot it on to the next size up.  

TIP - A quick and easy method for 'Potting On' 

First up you should only go up the next one or two pot sizes, generally speaking if you can fit your finger in the gap between the new pot and the current plant pot placed inside it is the adequate size. 

- Sprinkle some compost into the base of the new pot, place the plant your potting on still in it's current pot in the centre and fill around the edges with more compost. 

- Once you have firmed the compost in around the edges gently pull out the pot and you will see that your left with the ideal potting hole! 

- Simply take the plant out of it's current pot and place in the gap, firm in and water.

4. Pot Clean - If you haven't done so already it's time to clean any plant pots that have been used previously and left stacked up in a corner! Pests and Diseases can over winter in dirty pots and may affect any new plants planted into them, it's essential to maintain good plant health and hygiene if you want happy, healthy plants! 

All you need to do is give them a good scrub with a brush and some diluted washing up liquid mixed with hot water. It can be a bit overwhelming if you have lot's of things to clean so a good idea is to start with Terracotta Pots then plastic, moving onto your trays and finally items such as saucers.  

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

A Brief Pause in the Rain ...

Good Morning!

Today I thought I would share some photo's that I managed to take yesterday afternoon when the rain stopped briefly. As much as I enjoy taking photographs of plants there's something about those photo's with raindrops still on the petals that I love that little bit more ...

This little group of plants is currently sat next to my conservatory door. 

The three plants shown work well with each other as they all have the colour purple in common. The purple foliage of the Heuchera and the Primrose bring out the purple tones in the foliage of the Leucothoe.

The next pairing wasn't planned but I think it works really well together. 

The white of the 'Thalia' Daffodils and the pink of the Azalea Japonica 'Hino Crimson' provide a great contrast.

There's also been a slight change in the layout of the back garden. As you know the property I am in is currently rented so I am unable to make any dramatic changes, resulting in a large part of it being patio'd. Across this wall we originally kept the rather unsightly waste bins but I have now moved them elsewhere and positioned these pots here instead with the patio table just out of shot. A much preferable sight to sit next to in the warmer weather.

The only thing now is that I need to add giving the fence a new lick of paint to my to do list!

A close up of the feature pot in the centre, Ribes sanguineum

Erythronium Pagoda

Whilst over in the conservatory some of the Auriculas are in flower and the Echeveria Lilacina is producing it's flower shoots.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX