Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

It's been a while since I have had a Checklist to share, but hopefully now that we are nearing the end of February, weather depending, there will be a few things to do in the Garden!
Here are just a few suggestions that you could be getting on with this week ...

1. Divide Snowdrops - We all love Snowdrops so what better way of increasing your stock by creating some more! All you need to do is dig them up now whilst they are still in the grown, split them up into little groups or 'divide' then replant in various area's of the garden, spreading them out.

I have done this myself in the past few days.

2. Mulch - If you have a few borders in your garden which could do with a spruce up, one instant and quick way to do this is to give them a mulch. You can use Bark, Garden Compost or failing that just some regular Garden Compost. Not only will it make the area look much nicer but it will help improve the soil and suppress the weeds!
You can also give container plants a mulch too with either the same stuff or some Grit!

(If you are wondering why I have a brick in my 'Pond' it is because it will be used as a ledge for some Pond Plants when I have purchased some, hopefully soon)

3. Spring Baskets - As suggested yesterday why not make up some Spring Hanging Baskets for some extra colour! Also why not plug any gaps in existing displays where Winter Bedding has failed or just simply isn't looking as good as it could do.

4. Seed Sowing - If you have a Propagator or a Sunny Windowsill there are some seeds that you could get on with sowing now. These could have been started a couple of weeks ago but due to light levels where I live I decided to wait a few weeks.
Here I have some some Antirrhinum & Aquilegia Seeds. These needed to be sowed on the top of some pre watered seed compost which I then placed in a Propagator. I also sowed some more Sweet Pea seeds. 

5. Pests - Keep an eye out for Pests in the Greenhouse, you may think it's too early but when checking my Fuchsia cuttings a few days ago I discovered some pesky Aphids on the underside of the leaves!

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Spring Is In The Air ...

Good Morning!

As the title suggests, Spring is in the Air! Well I hope so anyway as I'm itching to get things going again in the Garden! 

Earlier in the week I visited a local Garden Centre and bought some bigger Hanging Baskets for the Summer ... however I couldn't resist getting a few bit's and pieces to make them up now!

I wanted to add some 'Permanent Structure' to these particular baskets so opted for some Box and Ivy Plants. These were added first towards to the back of the baskets. 

When making the basket I mixed some John Innes no.2 and Horticultural Grit together with some Multi Purpose.

For some instant colour I added some 'Tete a Tete' Daffodils along with some cheery Primroses. These can be swapped for something else in the Summer if I decide to take the Primroses out.

Some of the pot's of Crocus Bulbs I planted last year have come up so I gave them a little tidy along with a top dressing.

At the Garden Centre I also treated myself to a 'Fritillaria - Snakeshead', I divided up a few of the bulbs from the plant before potting up so I that I could have a few extra's!

Thanks for stopping by, I will have more to share with you later in the week!

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Things are Gearing Up ...

Good Morning!

A month or two ago I saw an offer in one of the Gardeners World Magazines that was too good to miss. 

It included 5 8 litre Bags, 5 'Charlotte' Seed Potatoes, a selection of 5 packets of Vegetable Seeds and some scrubbing gloves when your washing your home grown veg ... all for £5.65 inc postage!

Well I thought it was too good to miss and a great opportunity to try growing Potatoes for the first time this year.

I've read that 'chitting' seed potatoes is beneficial so decided I would give it a try. All you need is an egg box in which you can place your seed potatoes with the rounded end that has the most 'eyes' facing upwards. 

Place them somewhere cool but light.

I will keep you updated with my progress with the Potato Kit throughout the year, I can't wait to get going!

Before I go I couldn't resist sharing some more photo's of the Snowdrops in the garden, they're in full bloom and always a delight to look at!

Thanks for popping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

It's Cold Out There ...

Good Morning!

We've had some pretty chilly weather recently, including a few snow flurries! 

Although nothing like most of the country which part of me is rather disappointed about lol

We had bright sunshine all day yesterday so I went for a wander around the garden and saw these lovelies bobbing around ... I love the dainty blooms and toughness of Snowdrops and I know they are two words that you wouldn't normally put together! 

The flower buds on the Hellebore have been building up over the couple of weeks and I can't wait for them to bloom.

I also received a Plant Delivery yesterday which was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting it just yet. I've also been itching to do something in the GH recently as it feels like ages since I last planted something! 

I ordered 3 Primula 'Cobalt Blue' Plug Plants last month from Sarah Raven along with a few over plants which are yet to arrive.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

Well I bet you didn't expect to see a Garden Checklist post so early in the year, truth be told neither did myself lol However I had a few things to do around the garden these past few days so thought I might aswell list them for all of you, incase you needed to do them too.

1. Cut back Hellebores - It isn't essential and not every one does this,
but I like to.
January is a good time to cut old Hellebore leaves down to the ground when the new flower buds are showing. This helps the new growth get as much light as possible and also lessens the risk of disease. Here is a photo of the tidy up half way through, you can see it looks much more visually pleasing too.

2. Cyclamen - If you have been keeping Cyclamen in an un-heated conservatory like me recently, you might want to consider moving them into the Greenhouse. Due to the lower temps we've been having and heavy frosts it's been a bit too cool for mine in a north facing conservatory, but a day after moving them into the GH they perked up.
Also don't forget to remove any yellow leaves or signs of mould on the plants, it can soon take over!

3. Greenhouse Plants - Sticking with the Greenhouse theme it's also a good idea to look out for yellowing leaves on other plants such as Pelargoniums and Auriculas. Removing them as soon as you see them will benefit the plant and it's a good idea to check them as often as you can.

4. Feathered Friends - If your feeling the cold then you can bet that our feathered friends will be too. If possible why not set up a bird table or simply hang up a feeder with some feed in for them?
Bread is okay but other food stuffs such as Winter bird seed, Apples that are past their best and Chopped up Raisins, Currants & Sultanas are better for them, Robin's even like small piece of mild cheese! You can also buy specialised suet blocks with added extra's such as mealworms as you can see here.
Also don't forget to keep an eye on small ponds & bird tables, water can soon freeze over limiting their water supply.

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

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Frosted Flowers ...

Good Morning!

We've had a few frosty mornings where I live over the past fortnight and even though it's not ideal for us Gardeners, plants can look magical with a touch of frost!

Here's a few snaps that I have taken, I hope you like them.

The Rose 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' was still in bloom at Christmas and the frost gave the edges of the petals a sparkly outline.

The white Polyanthus are my favourite's when they've been frosted, the leaves also take on a magical look.

The buds on the Primroses also catch your eye.

The Cyclamen Coum, Hellebore, Heuchera and Azalea have all been given a frosty outline ...

Finally the one bloom on my 'Passion' Dianthus was given a sparkly transformation too.

Thanks for popping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

My Favourite Garden Photo's from 2014 ... Part 2!

Good Morning!

I'm back today with the second part of my favourite photographs taken in my garden during 2014.

I hope you like the rest that I have chosen ... oh and Happy New Year!

JULY

The front border during the summer months, a little tricky to photograph but it was full of colour provided by the Antirrrhinums and Dahlias, not forgetting the lovely rose at the end.

AUGUST

It's always nice to see the local wildlife enjoying the plants as much as I do.

SEPTEMBER

Rather unexpectedly this little Auricula decided to bloom at this time of year! The one thing I want in 2015 is an Auricula Theatre to prevent the rain getting on the leaves. 

OCTOBER

One of the things I enjoy doing is putting together pot displays. This is one of my favourites that I did for the Autumn using a Heuchera, Hebe and some white Viola's.

NOVEMBER

This year Cyclamen have become one of my favourite plants. Here is my little collection kept in the conservatory providing some much needed colour at this time of year!

DECEMBER

To end the year I planted some Narcissus - Paperwhites into pots which are kept in the kitchen and living room. The ones in the kitchen are blooming their socks off and are 29inches tall!

Thanks for popping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX