My excuse for not posting for months (and months) is that, in my guise as a web designer, I kept intending to put together a site that included my garden blogging, but which also held a calendar for me to leave reminders for myself on and record what I did when. But I kept getting side-tracked, building sites for money, getting excited by new technology, and suddenly it is Spring again and I have started sowing seeds again and I still only have this blog…
Ah well.
On 1st March I sowed tomatos (Sungold, Gold Nugget, Minibel), chilis (Pinochio’s Nose, Superchili, Tropical Heat) and they are all up but just with seed leaves so far. Much better than last year when (a) I left it too late (end April) and (b) didn’t have the wonderful windowsill heated propogater.
Also sowed some pretty things, missing the cutting garden at Outdoor Alternative. Morning Glory, sweet peas, Cleome (probaly too late), Echinacea ‘Pink Parasol’, Mondarda, Scabious ‘Black Cat’, Cornflower (‘Black Ball’ and ‘Blue Boy’), Foxglove ‘Pam’s Split’, and Aquelegia seeds from my favourite of last year’s seedlings.
Most of them are making a showing too. Thank goodness I picked up a couple of bargain cold frames at Aldi, and managed to resurrect the rubbish plant house I bought and filled last year, which then ripped itself off the wall and tied itself in knots, regurgitating lovingly tended cuttings and plug plants all over the patio. It’s now held together by canoe tape. Am amazed at how many of the casualties survived, which reinforces my belief that mostly, plants just really want to grow. Pity all the labels got lost – won’t be able to plant out primulas until they flower, as want to separate denticulata from candelabra…
Also planted lilies and crocosmia in pots, the former to then bury in my still stupidly heavy clay soil in their pots, the latter to decorate the patio and use as cut flowers with the Dahlias, assuming they arrive and I manage to plant them correctly this time… My first time, I planted them the wrong way up and way too deep and then watered them too much. Had to dig them all up and start again, but they rewarded us with months of wonderful flowers, and apparently did so again last year, though I didn’t manage to visit them – or Ian and Margaret – to see this for myself.