Spring Flowering Pots ...

Good Morning!

Today's post is about a quick job you can in 10 minutes to ensure some Spring colour next year, Spring flowering pots!

All you need is a selection of bulbs, here I have some 'Crocus - Blue Pearl', 'Dwarf Narcissus' & 'Tulip - Black Parrot' bulbs.

Think of your pot as a layer cake, add some crocs over the drainage holes at the bottom and then a layer of compost. Place your first layer of bulbs on top, for me this will be the Tulips as they will be the last to flower.

Add a layer of compost on top and then place your next set of bulbs, Dwarf Narcissus, these will be the second ones to flower.

Repeat with another layer of compost and then add your final bulbs. These will be my Crocus's as they are the first one's out of this selection to flower.

Top off with a final layer of compost and place in a sunny but sheltered position outside.

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

It's Time To ...

Good Morning!

I can't believe that tomorrow we are starting October already, this year has flown by! However this month is my favourite and not just because it's my birthday on Monday lol I love seeing Autumnal foliage coming through and the cooler days are a lot easier to cope with!

Back to today's post and it's about what I have done this week.

First up was finding some time to take some Penstemon Cuttings, just incase I lose some over the Winter, it's always good to have some back ups! I have a lovely deep purple and white Penstemon of which I have taken the cuttings from.

First off when taking Cuttings I like to prepare the pot they are going into first. I use a mix of Compost and Perlite for drainage then wet the compost.

I collected 4 cuttings just incase some of them fail.

Stripped them off their lower leaves, dipped into Rooting Powder and then placed down the side of the pot.

I will keep these over winter in my GH and hopefully I shall have some healthy plants for next year.

I also sowed a selection of seeds for next year, can you tell the colour theme?

I'm going for a mix of Reds & Pinks!

This year I thought I would try sowing the Sweet Pea's in Toilet Roll Tubes. Due to their depth they are recommended for Sweet Pea's so that they can develop a good root system, might aswell give it a try!

Lastly it was also time to compost the left over Tomato Plants which included my 3 TomTato Plants! I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with the total amount of Potatoes from all 3 together, especially the size of a couple of them, but it's always worth trying something new.

However there was one Potato that caught my eye, don't you think he looks like a Whale! He even has an eye! lol ... I don't even think I can bring myself to eat him!

Thanks for popping by, what are you up to in the garden this week?

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Weekly Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

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

Incase this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Aerate Lawns - Lawns may not be looking at their best at the moment, well mine certainly isn't due to the recent rainfall. To help aid drainage aerate the lawn with a Garden Fork.

2. Old Bedding  - The majority of Summer Bedding will be looking rather tired by now, why not spruce up your pots with some fresh Autumn / Winter Bedding.

3. Plant - October (I know it's not technically until tomorrow but hey ho) is a good time to plant new Fruit as it gives it time to get established in the warmer soil before Winter.

4. Top Dress - If your plants have developed a lean and the visable soil doesn't look too appealing, simply top dress with some Horticultural Grit. I also like to add a fresh layer of compost before adding the grit just to give the plant some fresh nutrients. It only takes a minute and the finished look is a lot nicer.

5. Leaves - Keep on top of collecting Autumn Leaves, try to do this at least once a week. If the leaves are left they can smother young plants and cause lawns to turn yellow underneath.

Thanks for stopping by,

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

Autumn Planting Onions & Garlic ...

Good Morning!

On Monday's Checklist one of the points was to plant Onions & Garlic. Well this is something I have done myself this week and I thought some of you might like to see how to do it if planning to do so yourselves. 

This is my first year doing this so it'l be interesting to see how they turn out, and apparently Red Onions are one of the easiest to bolt, but at least if that does happen I can say I tried!

I have used Garlic - Macro and Red Onion - Electric.

When planting it's always a good idea not to plant these in the same place as you have done so previously with them or Leeks. I have planted mine just to the side of where my Leeks were so fingers crossed they'll be okay! Ideally I would have done them at the opposite side of the Raised Bed but that is currently taken up.

When planting make sure you go over the soil and remove any weeds first. Using a Bamboo cane mark out a line or a drill as it also known to mark where you would like to plant them.

To start off with I am planting my Garlic which needs to be 1 inch deep and with 4 inches between them. Position them so the pointy end is facing upwards.

I then marked out a 5 inch space along and repeated the process with the Bamboo cane, planting my Onions also at 1 inch deep but spaced 5 inches apart this time. I have also heard that some people like to plant them with the tips showing, so it'l be good to see how the technique I've tried turns out.

TIP - Label your bulbs with the name and variety before you spread the soil back over. That way you will know exactly where they are.

Water the soil and make sure it kept moist for the following few days, also check that the soil hasn't been disturbed by pesky birds, replacing any if you need to.

I hope you have found this helpful!

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 this is the first time you have seen this particular themed post, it's a quick list of jobs you can be doing in the garden this week.

Let's get started!

1. Botrytis - Check for Botyrytis or Grey Mould as you may know it by on your plants. With the warm yet damp weather this will spread easily amongst plants if not checked. Simply remove affected leaves as soon as you spot them.

2. Divide  - Now is the time to divide your perennials, not only does it help stop the plant become congested but you also get free extra plants! Tease the roots apart with two garden forks (pushed in the opposite direction) for large clusters.

3. Rose Cuttings - Take cuttings of your favourite roses now. You need a healthy shoot about 20-25cm long and cut it on a diagonal just above a bud. Place the cutting into the ground and leave for about 18 months, which by then the cutting should have developed a root system.

4. Clean the GH - If your GH is looking a bit empty and your ready to start bringing tender plants back in, make sure you give the GH a good wash, inside and out. This will help rid of any pests that have made themselves comfy during the summer months. Also don't forget to check the plants when bringing under cover so that you don't bring anything in!

5. Onions & Garlic - Now is the time to get Autumn planting Garlic & Onions planted! Just make sure you don't plant your Garlic in the same place as Leeks if you have grown them recently. 

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX