Magazine style - all inclusive

[Perki]

Another proactive afternoon was expecting it to rain but for a bit of drizzle it been fine.

Today I've been moving the raspberries from the back of the garage/shed in the garden to the side of the garage on the garage site , took a bit of digging out and more sorting out the site where they are going , chopped up some some logs for next door and binned more rubbish from the new raspberry site . It took me a while to get things how I wanted them but got there in the end and top off with a woodchip / conifer mulch , raspberry like a acidic soil so the conifer ideal .

Only problem is the garage roof doesn't have a gutter on it so will run off onto the raspberries , not ideal for them but if they snuff it they snuff it . This reminds me I need to cut more of the stems back to the base.

After planting the raspberries I potted up the rest must of had 15 ish plants give some to next door and mum wants some , it more bloody pots to add to the rest of the hoards of pots I've got laying around the garden . If want so bare root raspberry just ask .

Tidied up my strawberry plants as well just need to give them a fresh topping of compost and feed later on into March .

It is nice the metallic hellebore bit different . have you brought the snowdrops into a photobooth with the black background it does make a difference.

 

[alp]

Wow! You've done well. No gutter? No, NO GUTTER???? Shock horror! I would pick up the last drop of rain! Hehe! Only joking. I'm surprised you and Zenj are not swarmed by slugs and snails or even leeches! So much rain!

Now I have more than 10 pots, buckets loaded with water. I am so scared when the rain stops and it will! Well, I will just have to use tap water. I even diverted the shared gutter water to my own little front plot, much to the annoyance of my neighbour. I let it go to the drain for about one whole month. I only joined it back to my plot yesterday.

Yes, I do like the metallic markings on the hellebore petals. I initially thought Shades of Night meant it's not black, probably near black, but never total black. I googled Ashwood immediately after watching the episode, but they were like £23! I still haven't seen my double homogenous red with white edges, which was a most beautiful hellebores. A lot of casualties.

The background is a piece of backing material for something that we bought. I often see snowdrops photographed on black background and i improvised some white sheet, cardboard, but nothing came close to black background. I must say, I planted my snowdrops in aqua pots (which looked robust, but after one year, some threads are already snapping!). When they flower, I take them in near the window as outside is often windy! The heat and warmth and brightness will encourage the tepals to flare outward, exposing its inner intricacies. And snap I go, madly. I have to say LEmperor's iphone lets in more light, but there is something very flat about those photos.

Having written onion and autumnale on my left arm, I finally got round to separate the Helenium autumnal clump. There were 2 plants and I really love their zingy, zesty lemony screaming colour. I moved 5 of them to the front, next to thalictrum aquilegiifolium which could be pink or lilacy. I will take the rest to the frontso that can make an impact by having about 5 of them together. Then I found that I have Thalictrum Black Stocking, Thalictrum Morisonii Numbus Pink. Well now, yellow, pink and lilac just clash like mad. I might have to move the Helenium Autumnale again. Onion seeds are still to be sown the 2nd round.

I will split the rudbackia Laciniata and Herbstonne. I really don't know the difference, but boy, I love them.

Removed a strip of the grass outside as I don't want to be brothered with lawn mowing. I need more space in the front lawn as salvias set seeds more readily there. A lot to do.

I need to locate your Veronicastrum , Perki! It's in one of the greenhouses. I found my echinacea Kimet Yellow and split it into 3. Unfortunately, the red Kismet is still to be located. It could have died because of the snow. Some of the delphiniums I bought last year were throwing up new shoots in the greenhouse. Very pleased.

Most of these are probably repeats.

Phillipe André Meyer

This could have been a very beautiful anemone, but somehow it looks imperfect!

Every time I see this mauve one, I want to rip it up, but look at this, much better than those confused ones with uneven dots.

 

[alp]

Gosh! Really wish I could afford this place! 1.13 acres of land!

 

[Perki]

Wet windy day I've not been outside yet but may go and have a look in the GH in a minute . I am inundated with slugs and snails its the perfect environment here for them, Rudbeckia Hebstone got planted out in a 3L pot I had to dig it back out and grow it on again into a 5L to help against the onslaught , I used to use slug pellets a few years ago but I don't use any of the blue ones outside now and rarely uses the ferric slug pellets either I just put up with it, I see the slugs and snails crossing the garage site road towards my house , most of the neighbours just have grass so I think iam getting their slugs as well.

 

[alp]

Yes, any bricks or concrete blocks are welcome shelters to snails too. I killed 10 of them yesterday. I put a big concrete block in front of the bamboo to stop them from going foward to the sun. I planted along the edge 3 Honeymoon tower lilies. They won't be as delicate and exquisite as Zenj's or DrCase's, but they are TALL and that's why I bought them. I have tons of them being multipled and propagated. One of the Honeywell bought in early January is already 1 foot tall. Next to them are some bamboos and in front, I have decided to put a cherry tree and then snowdrops in front. That area is warm, sunny and hot and ideal for naturalising snowdrop. I will plant Pretty woman tower lily along that as well. Also Purple Prince tower lilies when they tall enough.

Sorry for the unpleasant weather for your guys. I feel bad bragging what a glorious day it was. In fact, it was one of the best after the snow and rain. Sunny, and it was almighty hot inside the car. It was so nice and civilised living in this country - tons of drives with a view and their air was clean and visuals rustic. Life's sweet treats!

Lovely streptocarpus on sale: Not so exciting as mine, but so good to see them. This could be Fernwood morning or Leyla

Doncaster Double Charmer a nivalis

Could this be Stained Glass? Gee! My labelling is atrocious!

This one below could be Ellen Double red

I would rate this one superior to the one above.

This one surely is a beauty, but all my hellebores show signs of stress. Saw a pathetic hellebore on sale for £17.99!

 

[alp]

Went to the allotment and found the groHouse blown miles away. Planted Red Rock and Lord Lambourne apples, some saffron crocsuses, some leeks and some asparagus there.

Friend's lovely orchid - orange is so unique to me.

This is like a moth orchid

Flowers from the allotment

This is most probably Desdemona - a Greatorex! So many details.

Allotmenteer, Mary, has had a lot of horror stories. She told me that her colleagues as young as 24 and 29 died from Covid and her neighbour's brother died from Covid and he had to clean out his house. After that, he died from Covid as well. Only 58! These are the most horrendous stories I have heard so far.

I was stretching my luck a bit. I turned one Helenium Moerheim Beauty into 6 plants. 3 Alstroemeria into 6. Lost one echinacea in 3. The upteem times I tried Table Dancer! Also potted up a pink Pompon.#

Rare Amazonian Cactus flowered for the first time in UK.

 

[alp]

Didn't do much as it was drizzling for quite a while. Planted out but still in pot the Cornus Wolf Eyes, with some of Perki's Allium Everest seeds immediately outside the pot, Then 5 Helenium Autumnale and a Primavera. Also a yellow rock rose to the front just to perpetuate the green, yellow, cream and white theme. At the back near the window, I planted the tower white lily Pretty Woman. Already in existence is an Anemone Japonica, a Phyllis Fancy and an Annabelle hydrangea.

Took some penstemon cuttings.

For the last 2 years, I bought tons of peonies, especially Bowl of Beauty. Never got to see a bud. This year, I bought Bowl of Beauty and Primavera and because of the snow, I potted them up instead of grounding them. Primavera is showing 2 buds and Bowl of Beauty one!

Ordered quite a few salvias from somewhere called Westonsalvia, a website with no address or contact number. The order was placed on Saturday and so far not a beep from this place. I'm very worried as I don't even know who to talk about about my order. I really shouldn't have placed the order as there has been no confirmation of order.

 

[alp]

Checked my bank account and there seems to have been no money taken out. That really taught me a lesson. Don't send money or place order when there is no address, phone number or email on the site.

 

[Perki]

It may be is a new company , I can't find any address etc either . Did you pay by paypal ? Usually get at least a name and I think they maybe is a address as well but I can't quite remember .

I always want more hellebores at this time of year it like a faze , alp doesn't help putting pictures of them on every year around this time When the warmer weather arrives I got other plants to think of so I forget about them them, think I'll clear the sale section this year of hellebores instead of dilly dallying , I got a double pink last year harvington for £2 and they were quite a few others as well I should of got.

Its very windy today I were going to go and do some work today a leylandii hedge but can't cope with them moving all of the place and all the bit blowing all over the road. So instead I trimmed my side of the hedge of the golden leylandii in the back garden ( not my leylandii ) , its a lot denser so doesn't move quite as much . I usually trim all of it but I haven't seen them for ages , they are normally knocking on the door early winter to remind me they want it doing more less now , think covid has put them off coming out.

I went to the GC yesterday but I walked instead over the hills it were a bit of a trek probably get lynched if the fuzz catches up with me did just shy of 19 mile. It were more of a nosey to see what was in , only got a few things I thought might not be there next time Dahlia Gabrielle ( google images says it orange mine purple ) some charlotte potatoes and some strong plastic pots that should last years unlike my others that are all breaking , I keep having to cellotape them together . That GC really put the prices up over the years think they are trying to go more high end unfortunately . Going to another GC tomorrow need some better compost for my seedling .

I were trying to remember who Zenji recommended for dahlias think I've found it Hwhyde.co.uk I've only got through a few pages of 27 and got to many in the basket already , RIP to my bank account .

 

[Perki]

Unfortunately I didn't take my camera yesterday so had to make do with my phone .

The Lesser half of Lancashire in the distance Yorkshire

Burnley in the distance

My reservoir where my drinking water comes from .

 

[Perki]

I finished up at my mum the other day doing the path pointing etc . Just need to sort out some gravel for the other area but it looks quite well and so much better than the decking .

 

[Zenj]

Perki it was https://www.hallsofheddon.com/ who are specialist dahlia growers not that far from where we live.

 

[alp]

Lovely views! Ah, views! I love A Room with a View! True! The movie and a view! I didn't win any lottery and so I can only dream about that house up the road!

That Salvia company has appeared in magazine, but it says Open Now and I put the stuff in the basket. Of course, over £50 no carriage. Whoa! I charged forth and put £55 in the basket as it did have some rare plants. Paid via Paypal, but no confirmation. As that site showed NO address, NO contact, NO email ... Something quite wrong with me! How could I trust a site like this! It's in Wales.

Perki You need to come and help your 3rd MOTHER i.e. I need a lot of work done in my garden!

I have been busy too. One of the Rudbeckias have been divided into 13 plants and a big clump. I moved it to the centre of the middle plot as they were hidden by the Amistad. Boy, the heat and dryness really helped that clump multiply.

Hellebores are not cheap. My metallic shade of night was about £13 (just under) Stained Glass (this I can promise as it was like dying because I sprayed too much Provado on it because of the bugs - too hot for hellebores here) the same price and they were bought in different places. if you two want any hellebores or even snowdrops, pm me, but don't get jealous. I don't want you 2 boys squabble. There is only one menopausal woman here! LOL!

 

[alp]

Watched Amish shunned, just to rest my feet in between gardening. I'm surprised such an archaic practice is still flourishing in the US. This woman said they didn't go to Church twice and the religious thought police came calling and they were shunned. That's big bullying and mind controlling. We are 2021 and still women have to be veiled when praying. A kind of brainwash! When religion is so ingrained, a lot of hidden controlling of mind is involved. When US president candidates mention G O D, I think they are under pressure to canvass votes.

Observation over!

Using son's MacBook from now on as he has a new one from work.

Midas but had to be taken inside as it was very windy here as well

This hellebore is bordering between beauty and beast

This year's good find. But my plummy one is nowere to be found.

This one is actually inferior as the petals showing the spots are random. I had a greyish one last year!

I do have a few clumps of this.

If I need to cull hellebores, most of them will be in the bin!

Blonde Inge

Stained Glass is now a miniature! Compare it with my finger sizes and you will realise how pathetic it is!

Blonde Inge

I feel like ripping this up

Doncaster Double Charmer

Wasp

I will take the pollen of this and pollinate others.

Wonderful Midas

For such a cheap and small camera, the photos are OK!

 

[Zenj]

A bit more like spring today and a few flowers out in the garden the male frogs are back in the pond croaking like mad to entice the females a few from the garden this am.