Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

I have never seen one of these beauties in my garden. By the look of it, I need to buy some OTHER seeds. I also topped up 3 of my feeders.

 

[Perki]

Its a cold day snowing on and off all day , warmest its supposed to be be all week is -1 C so I'll not be doing any cementing / pointing this week .

I've sowed some seeds today fill some pots and brought them into the house its a bit cold to be fiddling with seeds in the GH, sowed 7 varieties of petunia - thalictrum - agastache - verbena and busy lizzie.

 

[alp]

It's bitterly cold here yesterday and the snow kept giving. It seems to have stopped now, but the snow lingers. My fingers were frozen with pain yesterday. We took someone's polycarbonate offcuts to cover the hen coop and I still got 5 eggs yesterday, so pretty pleased. Got the chickens our organic brread left over and about 7 bags of diced swede and carrot, but they took ages to cook.

What Thalictrum varieties have you got, Perki?

My harvest of both rochebrunianum and Delavayi was miserable. The seeds didn't form well and they looked useless to me. I sowed some T aquilegiifolium yesterday and I am not sure the seeds are that good either, but it would be stupid not to give it a go. I also sowed some echinacea orange and some hepatica seeds which I bought long time ago. I will some red and yellow later today. Also sowed some salvia Patens seeds.

Gosh! This weather has been ruinous for my plants. I bought some tiny plants from my fav gc and they died because the radiator was turned up too high. Gutted.

My yellow melon nearly crawled out of their pot. I hope the weather stays stable after mid Feb! Today, it's the turn of water melon seed sowing.

 

[Perki]

The thalictrums are D.Album

Not sure what to do with myself today might go for a walk over the hills

 

[alp]

The thalictrums are D.Album

Not sure what to do with myself today might go for a walk over the hills

Hahaha! You need a gf! LOL!

Eh, I was surfing my photos and saw your black toms. Are they any good? I am tempted to buy some.

Zenj's Bessera is stunning! I still have yet to pot up the seeds. Looking at all our flowers, you would be forgiven thinking when this nasty weather would give us a break. I am dreading the casualties.

Hey, lovely photos, everyone. And DrCase's lilies are stunning.

 

[Perki]

I don't know alp I don't like being bossed around think I will go and tackle the hill opposite .

I don't know if the black tomatoes were good I never had one , I didn't know when they were ripe which didn't help I tried one when it wasn't ready . I did eventually notice they got a red ring around the top when they were ripe but I never had one I just looked at them , I give my mum some and she said they are nothing worth shouting about.

 

[alp]

Perki If you got bossed around, you could throw a strop or you could boss her around!

Just come in from feeding the ungrateful nuisance. I poured some hot water onto some cold water so that they could drink some nicely tepid water in this harsh bitter cold. As soon as I poured all the water in, some maniac toppled it and I came in to do the same. AND THE SAME HAPPENED AGAIN! Sorry, I couldn't be bothered.

Some Thalictrums which I sowed on 3rd this month have germinated. I don't even know what they are. They surely don't look like the Delavayi that I have. Very happy that they have germinated, but I think I would stop till the end of the cold.

Well, I think I will give it a miss as I like toms sweet and fleshy. Hope I will have some good beefsteak toms. Shame I don't have any Rosella seeds left. Love it.

 

[alp]

Some of the snow on the lean to conversatory has gone. The temperature must have risen.

Another fly in the oitment on Friday.

Son said it was so cold in California that the city put out heat stations.

Tower lily - one of them. At least, it won't have lily beetle in the bedroom, but aphids aplenty.

The tallest ones are Costoluto Fiorentino

Magenta Tanz Sunseeker echinacea

Some Thalictrum sown on 3rd this month. Strange looking stuff. Could they be salad?

Yellow melon one day ago. Even taller now.

How goes your sowing for this year?

 

[Perki]

Nice day today but cold . Been out for another walk today but took my camera this time . Only got lost didn't I multiple times, what was supposed to be a 5-6 mile walk turned into a nearly 13 mile walk . at least I got some good pics

 

[alp]

Stunning pics! I love the conifer one! Very atmospheric! Nice to see water. That must be a tarn. I learned that word when teaching my son Geography! Must be very nice to ride your bike and enjoy these panoramic views. No such luck for me.

Yesterday was dry mostly and very bright, but it's still cold, though not so as the day before. I just love bright and sunny weather and you can dry your clothes outside, a real bonus. I've decided not to watch Sandi detective series. The dark scenes drove me mad. Dark and miserable!

Only one kept indoors! Boy, I am so happy to have one standing. All the others are buried, cold and couldn't be seen.

This hellebore is more or less perfect. I have 2 of these and I will divide them as soon as it is warmer.

Had to dig up Salvia Black on Blue, a shorter version of Amistad, and involucrata because the cold terrified me. I didn't want to lose them. Forgot to dig up Phyllis Fancy. I also divided these plants and now I have at least 5 involucrata and some other. Very pleased.

Found some Bird of Paradise seeds which I bought nearly a year ago. Oh, dear! I used the towel method and hope for the best. I remember someone posting on this forum about probably watering too much! I didn't dare to say a word as I literally drown mine in water and it was so stinky (full of manure) that I had to leave it in the lean to as I don't live there. If I said that in other forums, I might be talked over as if I didn't exist (I wasn't the only one to have this experience) and my head snapped off by some "proper" gardeners or wise old owls! I often have this vision of being like some newbie wading into an aquarium, being watched by some fossilised sage oldies and if I said something wrong, these fossils would spring back to life and snap my heads off.

One Bird of P is throwiing up buds, but no brown leaves. To me, it's a swamp plant. But don't follow my practice although I have been doing this for years. I have about 3 plants and it's a shame they don't throw out new branches as I would be the first one to divide it into new plants. Stunning beauty but tough as old boots!

And now, I have to prepare another stinky box/pot for my yellow melons seedlings. They are getting very tall.

 

[Perki]

Its been a grand day again today sun been out and melted the snow /ice off the greenhouse roof which in turn warm the inside up , so sowed my next batch of seeds Cleome - lots of lobelia - nemophila - nepeta govaniana and some I got a off a magazine last week.

I grow some strelitzia from seed a few years ago , I didn't know at the time but hey can take up to 8 years to flower so I lost interest . I kept one for myself and neglected it and give one to my mum which she still has.

Its a reservoir they are everywhere around here and plenty of under ground ones as well .

 

[alp]

That nepeta is different. I saw a lovely one with big blue blooms in Blue Diamond, but as usual, their price was sky high. Out nearest reservoir should be Hanningfield where James Oliver has his grand house. If you watch Our Yorkshire Farm, the children swan in a tarn in their back yard. That shepardess is most patient and it's a shame that the docu now a bit scripted.

Yes, it's quite bright and sunny, but still colder than the day before.

As it was sunny yesterday, I took 2 flowering snowdrops in and tried to take photos, but these are blurred. I will keep them until I have better pics. Now that the room is warm, I can see Miss Prissy staring at me: ie no upskirting is needed to appreciate this beautify. This plant boasts a very well furnished innersand the inners flare outwards. and only 3 outer tepals which do not touch at the base of the bloom, thereby exposing the inner markings.

E A BOWLES: A poculiform ( Having the shape of a goblet or drinking cup) albino snowdrop; found at Myddleton House, the former home of “E.A.Bowles”. This is the house we visited last year and it's in Enfield. It has 3 outer tepals and 3 inner ones with no green markings at all. A very robust flower.

SEE HERE: 3 OUTERS AND 3 INNERS

Well, can't find my little Samsung and so no more to upload.

Seeing the buds from my Peony Primavera, I brought indoors all the peonies and will take them to a warmer place for them to have buds. Very encouraging to see buds coming out of a tuber bought in early January. Hope it's not too late!

 

[alp]

Can't wait till mid Feb!

The camera is so compact that I didn't realise it was sitting on the right of the laptop!

 

[Perki]

Been for another walk / hike today, it all started off well until you get near the top of the hill then the wind tries and rips your face off , that's when I realised it possibly wasn't a good day to be out for a walk. While walking through the snow drifts and the wind seemly following me I start questioning what can get frost bite hands / feet hmmm maybe other tackle . I did get home in one piece and had a nice cup of tea and biscuits. I took my camera again so your in for a treat

I've seen far to many paths like this today.

Can just see Manchester in the background

Another Reservoir

Res 2

Res 2 again

 

[alp]

Perki: Your camera is very panoramic. Love the ponies. When sun shines, everything looks hopefully and happy. Might be a good idea to take a pair of gloves and a proper scarf when you go for a walk. The wind did pick up a bit and it was cold. We kept buying paraffin. It has been stinky in the greenhouse.

In the paper, I saw tons of icicles in the most ridiculous of places and even branches became frozen spikes. Every day my son drove to and fro work, I got worried. I sincerely hope the worst is over and that might be a relief for all parents.

Some more of Miss Prissy

This could be a Margery Fish

Funny that all the hellebores seemed dehydrated in the snow

This was a lovely flower the day before yesterday.

I bought some snowdrop which came with some scribbled labels. They turned out not to a Heffalump which started my addiction. And then I saw another scribbled label which said Franz Josef with no bud. I have to send them back to get a refund. The seller said I should state specificially that I need bulb with flower or buds. To tell you the truth, I think it unreasonable as the prices I paid for them, I should have one with a bud/flower. Having said that some of my snowdrops have just thrown up a bud whilst others have gone to make seeds.

Last year, I bought a Rosemary Burnham and it came in pure white papery form. I emailed to complain as for that price, I'd love a proper flower/bud. Thank heavens I did complain although I binned that email. This year, I pulled out the label only to see it had no relation to the flowering bud which had only one inverted v mark in the inners and no stripes on any of the tepals. In doing so, I smudged the tepals. So after the first complaint which she said she retrieved from the bin, I waited for another day or two to make sure I was not robbing her. I checked the flower again and surely there were no green stripes on the outside of the tepals. The smudge was still the smudge. I googled Rosemary Burnham in my email and found it in the bin and I screen printed the part about papery flower and sent it to this seller. Don't get me wrong. This is a nice nursery. Her prices are always much better than others. I would have bought some had I not been too late. I literally couldn't buy any this year as when I first checked the website, I couldn't find snowdrops. A week or 2 later, all those that I wanted sold out. Gutted. Any way, I chose a cheaper one to replace this one.

Be careful when you buy snowdrops. Always ask the seller to send plants with bud/flower or you will never know what you end up with. It takes a year to find out and worse still, if you plant it too deep, it won't flower the following year. I've found out to my cost that I have had no Wendy's Gold in one pot at all. All I saw were 2 lots of tiny yellow leaves!

To all those trying to buy snowdrops, always insist on having bud/flowers to see upon delivery and you should worry if they came from nurseries (not private seller) with hand-written labels.