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

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

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

1. Rhubarb - If you are growing Rhubarb you will have noticed that it's been putting on some growth recently, for tasty stems cover any long shoots with a bucket or forcer now which will be ready to harvest soon. 

2. Prick Out Seedlings - Seeds that have been sown in the past few weeks should have germinated and be ready to pot on into single cells.

 

3. Cuttings - Cuttings taken last year should also be ready to pot on. If you are unsure tap them out of their pots gently to check the root growth. If they look like they need a couple more weeks then simply pop them back into the pot. However if you are confident that they are ready then pot them on into singular pots with a mix of either potting on compost or simply some multi-purpose.

 

4. Flowering Pots - There's always space for more plants, if like me you have no willpower when wandering around a garden centre, why not buy a few plants that are in flower now, or about to come into flower and plant up a pot.
Here I have used a Hellebore & Euphorbia which I purchased the other week along with a Pink Wallflower sown last year and a pink Primrose which is slowly coming into flower.

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

A Shopping Trip ...

Good Morning!

Another post from me today, you are certainly being spoiled this week! lol

Last weekend I made a trip to the Garden Centre to get some more compost but I couldn't resist buying a few extra bit's once I was there, well it'd be rude not to!

The Cyclamen and Conifer were for a large pot at the front of my house and along with them I have planted some 'Primrose - Rosebud' and a Wallflower. Not forgetting a couple of Dwarf Narcissus bulbs which should make an appearance next spring!

Currently it's sat alongside my 'Pittosporum - Tom Thumb' and a Dianthus. However knowing me I shall probably end up adding and re-aranging the display in a few weeks.

The White Cyclamen has been potted up and is currently sat in the GH. I love the clean white petals and this Winter I am hoping to keep some flowering plants in the GH so that it still feels as inviting inside as the Summer!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Getting Ready For Winter ...

Good Morning!

Okay so maybe the title is a little bit more alarming than it should be! 

Earlier this week I dug up the Dahlia's and Antirrhinum's from the front border as they were looking a bit tired and I wanted to get the Winter Bedding in whilst the ground was still warm to give them a good start.

However there was 1 or 2 Dahlia's that were still looking okay so I popped them into some pots and lined them along the front of the house.

Once all the plants had been pulled out and any debris picked up I gave the ground a quick turn over ready for the new residents!

As always I like to position the plants where they are to go before planting. 

As you can see here at the back of the border will be some Wallflowers and I also planted some dwarf Narcissus bulbs at the same time which will hopefully come up next spring.

These have been joined by a row of Bellis- 'Pomponette' in the middle and some 'Primrose - Rosebud' at the front! I then added a mulch of compost over the top to add some extra nutrients to the soil and also give a neat finishing touch!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's Monday so it is time for another Weekly Garden Checklist. 

Incase you missed it last week I have added a page tab below the blog banner where I will add each Checklist so you can find them in one place for future reference. 

Let's get started!

1. Dead - head Rhododendrons - This isn't the easiest thing to do if you have a large mature plant due to the size, but if you have one in a pot like me then it's pretty straightforward. Simply cut back the flower heads to the base where they meet the leaves.

Of course if there is still one bloom in good condition then of course you can leave it on for a few more days!

2. Cut back Aquilega's - Although they are pretty not everybody wants a garden full of Aquilega's. Once the flowers start to fade they produce seed heads which can spread around the garden. This is great if you have a new garden and wouldn't mind 2 or 3 more plants popping up the next year, but if you don't now is the time to cut them back to the foliage.

3. Prick - out seed sown Winter Bedding - Not all of the bedding types will be ready yet, but if like me you have sown some Wallflower seeds in the past 2 weeks you will have noticed how big they have gotten. Prick them out from the Seed tray into some cell trays. 

TIP - Prick out by gently teasing each seedling apart with a dibber / plant label to avoid damaging the plants.

You will also notice once you have done this that you have a lot more plants than you think. How many would you say are here? 20? 30?

Well it turns out there were 80! 

Whether they all turn into healthy young pants however we shall have to wait and see!

4. Keep cutting Sweet Pea's - By now your Sweet Pea plant should be producing lot's of lovely flowers.

Make sure that you keep cutting them every few days otherwise the plant will start to set seed pods, which results in it failing to produce flowers as it thinks it has finished flowering. 

5. Tie - In Climbers - At this time of year climbers are putting on lots of fresh new growth. Some of which, such as Clematis, can get a bit unruly. Ensure that they are tied in to their supports and have enough supports. You can use items such canes or stretched string for instant support.

.

I hope you have found this Checklist helpful!
Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

I thought I would start a Weekly post with little tips on things that you could be doing this week in your garden. Kind of like a Garden Checklist! We shall see how it goes for a few weeks and please feel free to give me any feedback, good or bad, so I can try to make it more helpful to you.

1. Cut Back Delphiniums - If your Delphiniums are going over after blooming for the past few weeks (e.g. withering up & falling over and flowers turning brown) then it is time to cut them back. Cut the flower stalk right down to the ground to help the plant reserve it's energy and you never know, you might be one of those lucky people who get a second flush of blooms later in the year! 

If there are some flowering side shoots that are still looking good and you can't bear to put them in the compost bin then do what I do and pop them in a vase, you can then appreciate them for a little longer.

2. Deadhead Iris's - Iris blooms don't last very long so once they are finished the best thing to do is to cut them down. The petals turn brown which isn't the nicest thing to look at so just like above, cut the flower stalks down to the base. 

3. Water Hanging Baskets & Pots - Now the weather is getting hotter it's essential not to let your baskets and pots dry out. Trust me it only takes forgetting to do it for a day or two and before you know it they're a dried out flattened mess! Check them every evening and give them a good soaking and if the weather is really hot check them on a morning too! If however you do forget simply dunk them in a water butt and leave to soak on the floor for a couple of hours to try and revive them.

4. Start Sowing Winter Bedding - I know it may feel like a long way off but now is the time to start sowing your Winter Bedding or ordering it before it sells out.

To start off with I have already ordered some Bellis - Pomponette & Trailing Viola's along with sowing some Wallflower - Aurora Seeds. To do this simply sow them in a seed tray, cover with a light sprinkling of compost and then place somewhere outside but not in direct sunlight to germinate.

5. Spray Roses - If you haven't done so already this time of year is when you should be spraying your Roses. I use 'Rose Clear' every 6 weeks which helps control diseases and aphids. Make sure you read the instructions before use, this is the only chemical I use in my garden, we can't all be perfect! lol

I hope you have found this Checklist helpful!
Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

In the Greenhouse ...

Good Morning!

It's been a while since I last shared an update on how the GH is looking inside so I thought now was the time to do it. All the bedding is coming along nicely and as you will be able to see it is itching to go out!

First up is a selection of Tagetes & Marigolds that were ready to go into the pots with my Tomatoes. 

You will see that some Tomatoes have bamboo canes to support them, these are the taller varieties and the ones without are of bush varieties. Don't forget there are still 3 more plants to come (TomTato) but as you can see that's not too bad a thing as I don't really have any free space! lol

I always plant 3 plants per pot but it is up to you how many you do, if you do so at all, as some people prefer to keep them in separate pots next to each other.

On top of my Work Bench you can see the 'Abutilon' that was previously sat on the floor has now been raised up and has quite a few 'lanterns' developing. This plant will go outside against a wall once there is no risk of frost.

The lanterns form a lower yellow half with another purple part forming just beneath. They are certainly a treat to look at and aren't something you usually expect to see!

Back to the sides of the GH and as you can see as I said before everything is coming on nicely! From the top shelf down you can Petunias, Dahlias & Ranunculus - Picotee Pink.

Mixed Bedding.

Field Maple, Basket Plants, Cuttings, Cucumber - Gherkin & Pepper & Mimulus.

Basket Plants, Marigolds & Dahlia's - 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' although a pesky slug enjoyed a nibble on these earlier in the week!

Pelargoniums & more Bedding Plants including a cheeky Cosmos that is already flowering! You can also spot 2 more Tomato Plants that are waiting to be potted up and given away.

 

And lastly outside the GH are some recycled plastic drums that were planted up with leftover Winter Bedding last year and are still happily blooming away!

Thanks for stopping by,

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, I hope the weather is better with you than it is here!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX