Garden Checklist ...

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

1. Spring Bulbs  -If you had any leftover bulbs from last Autumn that you potted up into small pots then now is the time to find a spot for them. You could simply put them together into a decorative pot as a focal point or use them to plug any gaps in your borders!

2. Herbs - Fresh herbs are important in the garden if you like to cook or simply love the scent. Right now Garden centres have small pots of herbs at an extremely low price so now is the time to get stocked up! I recently purchased some Apple & Chocolate Mint, Hot & Spicy Oregano, Marjoram and my favourite of them all ... Lemon Thyme. 

Pot them up into pots the next size up and finish with a layer of grit.

3. Soil - If your hoping to get started on sowing direct soon then it's worth helping your soil to warm up. You can use Cloches or if you don't have any a layer of fleece, I have kept mine in place with plant stakes.

4. Pests - This may be something I mention a lot but it really is worth checking daily for pests in a Greenhouse. As you can see here some Aphids have taken a liking to one of my Fuchsia's! The easiest way to deal with this is to squish them with your fingers!

5. Re Potting - If you have permanent containers featuring Shrubs / Evergreen it's worthwhile re potting them every 2 or 3 years into fresh compost. The easiest way to do this is to scrape away the top layer of compost and ease the plant out of the container. Pot them on into a pot slightly larger if the roots have filled the previous container, not forgetting a layer of crocks at the bottom. Use John Innes no.3 or Ericaceous compost if the plant prefers acidic conditions (such as Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons). 

I also like to add a little Fish, Blood and Bone into the mix to give the plants a bit of a boost! Water well and cover the surface with a layer of Horticultural Grit to prevent weed seedlings .... plus it's a nice finishing touch!

4. Borders - This time of year is also a good time to get any borders mulched that you didn't get the chance to do in Autumn. You can use good quality garden compost or composted bark. I always like to mix in a little Blood, Fish and Bone in too to give the plants a Spring feed. 

This also gives you a chance to see if there are any gaps that could be filled with Spring flowering bulbs instead of just having bare spaces of soil next Spring! You can also remove any plants that you're not overly happy with any more which is something I will be doing after looking at the below photo lol

NOTE - Always mulch when the soil is moist, never dry.

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

It's Time To ... Plant Spring Bulbs!

Good Morning!

I thought I would give you a little break from the Checklist today (don't worry though it will be back later in the week) and write a post about something we all need to be doing right now. Planting Spring Bulbs! If your a little unsure on how exactly to do this then hopefully today's post will be of some help.

I planted my 'Narcissus - Thalia' Bulbs yesterday and this is the way that I chose to do it.

If you are planting some in your Borders then it's always best to dig a deep hole where the bulb can be planted about 2 - 3 times the depth of it's height. 

You can plant them at a distance of your choosing, but try to keep a width of at-least 1 bulb between them.

Ideally bulbs like to be in a well drained soil, which reduces the risk of them rotting. If you are unsure on whether you have this type of soil, add some grit to act as drainage when planting.

TIP - When deciding how to plant them, odd numbers is always more aesthetically pleasing. Also if you simply throw the bulbs onto the ground before planting, the positions that they land in tend to look more natural rather than a planned layout.

It's a good idea to plant your Nariccus bulbs in the Autumn, ideally by the end of September. 

When buying bulbs in person make sure you check them for any signs of mould or disease, if like me you have chosen to order online, then always try to buy from a good, well known supplier.

TIP - For bulbs such as Tulips it's a good idea to plant them in November, which reduces the rick of them getting the disease Tulip Fire.

Once you have finished planting outside, if you have any bulbs left over then you can plant them into pots to save them going to waste. 

Seeing as these are not their final pots (I will make my mind up about where to plant them in the Spring) I have used a mix of Multi - Purpose Compost with some added grit. Place the bulb at the bottom of the pot to maintain the ideal height then simply cover with the compost mix and a layer of grit on top. 

These can then be left over Winter while you decide where they can be planted out next year.

I hope this post has been helpful, thanks for popping by!
HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!
I know it's been absolutely AGESSSSS since I last posted and I certainly didn't plan it to be. What with work, course work and rubbish weather I haven't really had the chance to get much done in the Garden recently apart from the occasional dead-heading over the past few weeks.
However I'm back today with my Checklist and a few other photo's for you!

1. Feeding - What with the low temperatures this Summer my Tomatoes haven't really got going until recently. There's still a few weeks left for them to ripen so don't despair too much! Carry on feeding them once a week and remove excess foliage to allow plenty of light at the fruits. If the weather turns and we have yet more cooler days keep an eye on your watering and make sure you don't give them too much.
You can also give your Chilli's a feed to help give them a bit of a boost too.

2. Pests & Foliage -Keep an eye out for Pests and Foliage problems. For example just yesterday I spotted Viburnum Beetle all over my Viburnum Tinus, the little blighters!

In a GH you may come across Aphids which can be dealt with simply by squashing them.

Make sure you remove any yellow / brown or mouldy leaves on plants as this can help spread grey mould. Don't forget to keep an eye out for Caterpillars too which can be found hiding between leaves!

3. Winter Bedding - If like me you ordered some Winter Bedding and planted it up in trays a few weeks ago they will soon be ready for potting on. All you need to do is pot them on into bigger trays to all the plant to grow and develop a good root structure before eventually being planted out.

4. Plan Ahead - You may not want to hear it but now is a good time to take note of what did and what didn't perform well this year. This will help you decide what to have in your garden next year. For example I really liked the Cosmos that I grew this year and although I have decided to cut back on the amount of Annuals next year, if there is only one that I grow it will be this one!

'Cosmos - Double Click Snow Puff'

My 'Agapanthus - Queen Mum' will also be sticking around as after sharing no flowers last year it made up for that with not one but three giant blooms this time around, they haven't stopped flowering for weeks! I have the plant in a pot next to the back door and is at a perfect height to greet me at eye level every time I go past.

5. Cyclamen - If you have been looking after last years Cyclamen then now is the time to start giving them a water after their Summer break.

TIP - With Cyclamen it's always a good idea to water them from below instead of the top as this can cause the corn to rot if it's left wet.

6. Bulbs - Now is the time to start thinking about buying and planting next years Spring bulbs!

As you know I bought 60 - 'Narcissa Thalia' which all need planting in the borders. I'm hoping to do this soon when I give the borders a good mulch!

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Winter Bulbs ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is short and sweet about something that you can do this week, will take you 5 minutes and ensure some well needed colour in the Winter months!

As I mentioned in the Checklist now is the time to plant Winter bulbs, especially if you want something in bloom at Christmas. Well why not try some Narcissus - Paperwhites! These can be planted in pots now and will bloom in about 8 weeks, giving you some great indoor blooms.

I decided to try three different techniques of growing them. The first is one I saw on-line of planting them in a clear vase with just a layer of stone / grit in the bottom. Add some water to about a third of the way up of the layer and ensure this is kept topped up. I haven't tried this before so it'l be interesting to see if it works!

I also tried them in some plastic vases with some compost and another layer of grit. 

Along with these techniques I planted the two left over bulbs in just compost. It'l be interesting to see which way performs better, if any!

Thanks for stopping by & have a good weekend!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX