Winter Arrivals ...

Good Morning!

It's been a bit quiet over here recently as during this time of Summer all you can do really is enjoy the garden and the occasional maintenance that I share in the Weekly Checklist.

However yesterday there was something to tell you all about, the arrival of some of my Winter Bedding!

Of course trying to find space in the GH around the Tomatoes was a challenge but I managed to squeeze them all in! First up are the 'Bellis - Pomponette' which I ordered from T&M.

They also arrived with the 'Primrose - Rosebud' Plugs! 

You wouldn't think there were 70 plug in this little tray would you ...

Just like with the Summer Bedding you need to make sure that you prick out your plugs straight away into fresh compost and trays.

I still have some Viola's to arrive but hopefully I will be able to make some more space before they arrive!

Before I go I wanted to leave you with a few little photo's I haven't had the chance to share with you all yet.

First up are the 'Cucamelons' and if you are growing these too then they should be about ready too, make sure you pick them when they are the size of a grape and are still firm.

My last remaining Hollyhock (thanks to the hungry bunny earlier in the year) finally flowered last week and I was pleased to see that it has lovely white flowers.

The garden has also experienced some winged visitors which seem to be enjoying the flowers too :)

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Welcome To The Family ...

Good Morning!

Last week saw the last of my recent purchases arrive that I'd ordered off the internet. The first was a big box from Crocus containing a Fuchsia I'd had my eye on for a while along with a Double Auricula to add to my collection.

Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple' and Auricula 'Crimson Glow'

 

I potted up the Auricula straight away into a Teracotta pot. You may remember how to do this from a few posts ago but if not here's a quick reminder of the best way to do this.

Mix some soil-based compost (I use John Innes no.2) with some Horticultural Grit.

Add the plant and then top it off with some more soil and a layer of Grit on the surface.

The second arrival was the last of my order from Thompson&Morgan. 

5 Dianthus 'Crimson Rim' plug plants!

Potted up straight away into some pots of compost, I can't wait to see them when they bloom!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Mail Order Plants ...

Good Morning!

Today I thought I'd share with you a little bit about Mail Order Plants. Apart from getting plants from my place of work I also buy a few online. Now I know a lot of people are put off doing this due to the thought of how plants can be posted to you safely and kept in a good condition throughout the journey.

The best way I find not to worry about this too much is to always use a good and well - known retailer, this way you can usually count on the plants being well packaged and in a good condition. On the off chance that they don't arrive in  the best of health, in my experience I have always found that the retailers I use are happy to send out a replacement straight away or offer a refund.

TIP - ALWAYS plant your order immediately after it arrives, this will give your plants the best chance of success. If this isn't possible try to make sure you plant them within 24hours and keep them in a cool dark place for the meantime.

Here is what I received this week, the first parcel is from Thompson & Morgan and the second is from Crocus. I have used both companies many times and are usually my first port of call when it comes to online shopping!

From Thompson & Morgan I received one part of an order I placed last month. You can usually expect orders to be split as we all know that some plants germinate and grow quicker than others. I am still waiting on 3 other varieties to arrive and you can usually check how long they will be if you view your order history on the wesbite. To be honest though for myself I just think it all adds to the excitement if you know something is still on it's way! lol Back to what I received this week and these are 48 Petunia Plug plants, I chose them for the beautiful colour combination.

Click the photo to read more about them over on the retailers website.

As soon as I opened the packaging I filled some seed trays, made some holes and pricked them out into their new home!

This week I also invested in some more Greenhouse Staging. I already have two of these stands along one side of the GH and with space running out I thought it was best to buy two more for the opposite side! When it comes to Summer I shall simply put these against the former two on the other side in order to make space for the Tomato plants. If only I had space for a bigger GH! 

Well thanks for stopping by today, I hope you are all enjoying the weekend and managing to get things done yourselves. I shall be back on Tuesday to share with you what was in the other box!
HAPPY GROWING!

XXX