Category: Six on Saturday

Well we’ve survived for another week.

These narcissi are doing well in the front border. Not sure of the variety – could be Minnow with that little point to the petals (and the name does seem vaguely familiar) –  each flower is no larger than a 50p

 

 

 

 

The peonies in the Shady Border are about 18 inches tall now, and they are starting to bulk out.

The woody herbs survived the winter and are putting on growth. Need a tidy up though.

I’ve been working on one of my raised beds; dug it over and removed even more bricks and builder’s rubble, but added lots of bulk in the form of raked moss from my brother’s lawn. I was pleasantly surprised at the sheer number and variety of worms in the soil. No photos though as they can’t half move when they want to.

A big shout out to one of our local garden centres who are now doing home deliveries. Most of my order arrived yesterday – 6 bags of compost and 9 potato growing bags (there should have been 10).

As I can’t get to the allotment to plant my spuds, these will have to do. They are made of a material similar to a bag for life with a couple of holes in the sides – 12 inches x 12 inches x 14 inches. The label says THREE seed potatoes in each, which I think is a little excessive; I’ll try two.

So that’s my not very exciting Six on Saturday (which turns out to be only five, but there you go. I’ll try to do better next week).

 

 

 

Whatever else is going on in the world, those of us who live in Wales and England can’t complain about the glorious weather we’ve had this week. This was Wednesday. It’s a lot duller and colder today.

Monday and Tuesday we worked on my new greenhouse – to be known as the Tiny Greenhouse – (to the right of the picture below). You can read about that here – if you have a spare minute or two. Continue reading “Six on Saturday: 28th March 2020” →

The sun is out, but there’s a cold wind blowing. So much has changed on just one week; either Spring really is here, or I’ve just had more time to notice what is happening around me. Building a greenhouse (more about that in a separate post), making rabbit-proof cages for the allotment, sowing seeds . . . all mean I have spent several hours outside each day.

First, clematis montana – the pink one on the left, the white on the right; though they are the opposite way around on the fence.

 

This fuchsia was a cutting taken this time last year and buds are already appearing.

In the front border, more dwarf narcissi. Not sure which variety. They’ve been in this border for at least five years and are clumping up nicely.

 

As is Autumn Joy, which I’m still going to call a Sedum! I finally got around to taking some cuttings.

This astilbe is also unfurling, and it has reminded me that these did not do at all well last year, yet they haven’t grown large enough to need dividing. Maybe they are just coming to the end of their natural life. An excuse for some new ones and/or a change of planting scheme (fuchsias and hebes perhaps?).

Finally, a look along the seldom-seen side of the house. The VERY SHADY side of the house.  While my neighbour’s forsythia may be pretty and colourful, all this will grow over the wall and we will have a constant battle to prevent it rubbing off our render.

Whether you’re self-isolating in the garden or indoors, have a great weekend and find some time to check out The Progagators blog to see what everyone is up to.

10th March already and hardly a seed sown. Of those that are, my curly cress is doing well!

I’m really pleased I rescued and planted all my narcissi bulb – and a few daffodils – as they really brighten up the area by the back door (especially on yet another wet and windy day), as does the mixed pot. The narcissi are destined for the front border later in the year.

Sheltered from the prevailing winds in the rear Shady Border, this peony doesn’t seem to realise that it’s too soon to be sending shoots of this lenght up. The clematis Montana, also in this bed, are full of buds – you’ll have to take my word for it as my little camera preferred to focus on the trellis behind the buds instead.

With the coronavirus now confirmed in North Wales, we made a last-minute bid for freedom yesterday, calling at the Builder’s Merchant to order the timber for our new greenhouse (the wood arrived this morning); then on to the supermarket for our monthly shop (no loo rolls). ASDA were selling 3 packets of vegetable seeds (Unwins) for £4 and medium-sized square pots 10 for £1.

We then called at our local Charlies store (a down-market version of The Range – with less furniture and more animal feed –  for those who don’t have one) where I bought some cat-litter trays (excellent to stand pots and modules in at a fraction of the price of a ‘proper’ gravel tray) and a 5 pack of large module trays for £2.49, which I thought reasonable as they’ll last more than one year.

Charlies were selling some vegetable seeds at 99p a pack – so I stocked up on salad leaves and Kale. I sowed some in one of my new modules – I just hope they germinate in this compost soil muck.

Though they look a little rough, there is new growth on these lavender cuttings. I expect they appreciate being in the greenhouse/shed after being outside all winter!

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, have a good one and – if the weather isn’t so good – take a look at The Propagator’s Blog to see what everyone else is up to – or not!

Last Sunday, after a wet morning, the sun came out for the afternoon. Though there was a cold wind, it was lovely and warm in my ‘shed’, so I took the opportunity to spend a couple of hours pottering.

First, I emptied the two sacks that had contained Charlotte potatoes destined for Christmas Dinner, but not needed. There weren’t many, and some were quite small, but at least they hadn’t all rotted away.

Second, I pruned and repotted the rosemary cuttings I’d taken last year.  I’d lost eight, but still have twenty-one left. Continue reading “Six on Saturday: 29 February 2020” →