Magazine style - all inclusive

[Perki]

Not a daffodil in site here they are only just really coming up . My snowdrops have appeared now and I am starting to get a nice drift.

Its a wet windy miserable day . Been GC and got some manure and a bag of compost . Looks like compost has gone up , used to get 4 bags for £10 now its 3 for £10 , its going to go up a lot when peat banned from use .

 

[alp]

The first 3 hellebores are gorgeous, the sunshine on the first one is magic. So much translucency. Magic! That red one is lovely with slender petals. You see, if you collect hellebores, you really can go bust.

I have 3 different kinds of daffs, but amazed to see Zenj's great success.

Perki: Are you serious, peat literally BANNED? That's a bit harsh. 4 bags for £10? How much does each bag weigh please? I'd like to do the maths. I mostly go to a diy and get 120L at reduced prices. But now there are loads of sticks and wood in it. I saw a man with a lorryload of compost in a gc. He owns 8 acres of land in Enfield.

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Watched Leaving Neverland: How could a human being do that to so many children and at 7 years old, too? You really need to educate your kids young. 7 year olds can be prey to evil .. Then, there is Barrymore! Can't go on and it can't be printed.

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Wendy's Gold

Midas

I was surprised by this and couldn't find the label. Turned out to be Flocon De Neige

Daphne Bholua

Heptica nobilis white - spared by the foxes

Fritillaria Reddeana: such an early sweet surprise! (I use Chrome here and am constantly being baffled by not being able to see what I am typing!)

Might have posted this Midas yesterday.

Night-time temperatures are not confidence inspiring!

Separated the Rudbeckia Laciniatas into numerous bare roots and planted them somewhere warm and hopefully I don't need to stake them.

Also put apple Fiesta down the ground by cutting a hole at the bottom of the pot so that roots can tap into the goodies of my clay soil. Amended soil with FBB. Moved the standard Ceanothus to the front and surrounded it with blue little crocus like flowers. I will sow some white allium seeds nearby so that blue and white can go together. I left my Lord Lambourne Apple and Red Rock apples in the allotment. I have a small garden and the idea of having mature tree root criss-crossing my garden is not enticing, so I followed Chris Beardshaw's idea by planting them in the allotment. I made sure nobody's sunshine would be robbed by my trees.

My aim is to put 2 more trees into the ground, especially the sweet Plum Tree Reine Claude d'Oullins and Lidl's apple tree.

I also planted out tower lilies Purple Prince x 3 and separated my beautiful Helenium Rubinzwerg into about 10 little bare roots. They are lovely to divide as you can tease the roots and they will form an independent plant. Unlike Rudbeckia Laciniata which tend to have a bigger fleshy root connected to the main clump.

 

[Perki]

Nice day cloudy with a bit of sun . I am still waiting for david austin to show the new rose varieties this year before I order , one been shown called Nye Bevan but not for me hopefully they are some other new ones.

Well I've recused 4 hydrangea macrophylla today , one of my clients wanted to bin them not on my watch , so I brought them home and planted two on the garage site next door in the very wet area / bog , I like to experiment with plants and this site is ideal to see how much water they can take .

I took another hydrangea round to my mum and planted it , pruned some roses for her and had a quick titivate round tiding various things up.

Got stuck into some weeding when I got home , you know the ground warming up when the weeds are growing .

 

[alp]

I can understand why your client wanted to bin hydrangeas as they can be very horrid looking when out of season. I have been very taken with purplish blue lace cap. If I see a homeowner with one, I will ask for some DONATION! Standing alone outside some paved area, with deep bluish purple, it's such a good looking plant.

I was expecting rain, but apart from a few spits, just a dull dank day.

I cleaned the path and today will raise the path and after that I will need to magic up some soil to raise the lower half of the middle planting area. I will stick the Rudbeckia and H Robinzwerg near some slabs so that I have 2 more big clumps to divide next year.

Potted up Costoluto Fiorentino seedlings. I think I have lost my sangfroid. Looking at the pathetic petunia pirouette seedlings, I nearly wanted to throw them away, Today, I have delphiniums to contend with and some even smaller petunias. Gee, I think I am a bit late with sowing seeds.

This was supposed to be a very beautiful yellow dotted one, but it has suffered badly this year. I'm thrilled that it's actually alive!

qaint daff!

Tomatos Costoluto Fiorentino

Melanie Broughton

Green Single - so serene!

Finally, I sowed my courgette seeds and I plan to sow beetroots. They were delicious roasted!

I think we are all in for a lovely dry day! Enjoy, everybody!

 

[alp]

After 10 years in a giant pot, my Lidl apple tree was finally planted in the ground yesterday, so was Fiesta and Claude Reine D'oullins. Tried my best to get rid of the winter jasmine. In the end, had to resort to stump removing gel.

After seeing Zenj's wildlife, I had bought sunflower hearts for birds, I actually saw 2 blue titis going to that feeder very cautiously. Never expected me spending so much money feeding birds. Next door had a very low bird feeder by the fence and a stray cat keeps sitting below the birders, trying to catch the pigeons.

Today, going to remove allthe grass in the front. Going to be a glorious weekend. Have fun, everyone!

 

[alp]

Apparently, trouble selling our plants to The EU

If true, we should do the same to them unless our competent incumbents (past and present) have failed to do their jobs!

If true, we should have cheaper snowdrops? Don't hold your breath!
Removed grass from the front the whole day and was so tired that I kept falling asleep watching Dangerous Company.

The edger that was about 3 years old snapped. We hardly used it and the plastic wrapper is still around the stick. It was ridiculous that stuff bought these days does not last.

This is quite a frilly and interesting hellebore

Camellia at the front. It was a lovely day!

 

[Perki]

Its been a glorious day today quite a hard ish frost this morning. I've been out on another trek over the hills opposite set off at 10.45 , first I want to one of the garden centres I go to which is about 7 mile away I went by normal footpaths by the road easy enough , I were looking for some dahlia's I've been after for a couple of years Waltzing matilda , they didn't have it like I expected so will order online, I did want some pots for some of my dahlias as well £4 for one 10 inch plastic pot outrageous price. They didn't have much in looked like they were just getting stock in and they extended the glasshouse, its part of another large garden centre group so you do find the odd gem but its never cheap expect for the sale section sometimes , I've eyed up the hellebores I expect to be in the sale section come summer .

I didn't get anything it were more of a scouting around before I put the bike back on the road tomorrow . I went and sat on the railway benches and had my sort of dinner , I carried on my long journey home back over the hills the extremely long way MUCH further than I thought it would be ,walked passed / round so many reservoirs / windmills which I barely saw moving so no leccy generated don't have solar panels round here . I didn't get home till it went dark about 7pm just over 23miles latter I wore my old boots as well my feet are sore with 5 blisters , I pop them I can't help it . I did take my camera so I'll put some pictures on later .

The red camellia looking very nice I think the frost has took most of the buds on my camellia again , i did move a redcurrant yesterday round the back of the shed so I'll probably move the camellia to where the Redcurrant was.

I don't know why the government hasn't been a lot more strict with plant imports from the EU with the amount of diseases harbouring there that have destroying native trees and landscapes here . They should do tit for tat in my opinion might concentrate minds . Shame really for a lot of EU citizens as well the British growers seem to have far more varieties of plants than any on the continent. I've seen on other forums EU citizens asking how to get there seeds from the UK cause they can't get them anywhere else it all a bit silly really it like who got the biggest stick diplomacy.

 

[alp]

27 countries V 1 and as soon as the EU all accepted the deal, I knew we were in trouble. We need tons of law men to sort out the rules and regs; and Boris has never been one for details. Now he and his want the taxpayers and donors to pay for his refurbishment, part of it probably caused by the dog. We should have whatever laws and regs the EU gave us. End of story. Now all trades suffer and firms which have done well after Breit had sent staff to training course to learn how to fill import/export forms.

I love your optimism, son! Unless your neighbours are not gardening-literate or too tight or non-hellebore lovers, they would have all gone. Enfield shelves disappeared very quickly every year as if there had been raids. Here, the only hellebore sales we had was the Spring Promise Anja Oudolf and that's because it showed black spot and even that the gc wanted £5. I'm not worried about the £5. I think I have lost some lovely plants, but I need to find out what exactly.

I wish I could walk along a path next to running water or a pond with water tumbling down like Zenj's walk. Very enchanting. That's a long walk, Perki! Be careful how you poke your blisters, must have an antiseptic spray handy.

This year, I will either air layer or layering all my camellias. I so want to put my Cornus Controversa Variegatas to ground, but the thought of their size stops me in the tracks. Has anybody watched Carol Klein's gardening show on C5. She has the most glorious CCVariegata and Cirsius Siliquastrum, the latter she said was raised from a seed by her mother. I tried to raise it from a seed, but after the scarifying the seeds, there has been no joy. Then there were several of these trees reduced and I have had 3. One seems to be dying. I have to act quickly.

Funny you should mention red camellia and redcurrant together. I actually got rid of the redcurrent which had been next to the camellia for years. I don't fancy eating the sour things and so it had to go. In it place, I have a Wolfe Eye Cornus, some yellow daffs and a Primavera peony.

Finally, I got hold of my delivery from Harts which I thought probably didn't exist (the order had been long coming) and I had scaled one bit of the Himalayan Giant lily. I might yet take another piece out. The Altari, Anatasia (1.5m in 2 years) lily which I had scaled on 3rd January have already developed bulblets and roots. Very pleased. I used to put them in pot and never saw them. This time, I put them to ground next to the concrete base. I am sure the heat will spur them on. I hope to see them before I die.

Sorry, too many repeats:

Love this dainty daff!

Midas - a most beautiful snowdrop

Hellebore - Shades of night

Fritillaria Reddeana

Doncaster Double Charmer

Finally, the ruffled nectary is complete abd the petals well defined.

This is a Ducth grown one and has no seeds!

The one below looks like the one I so wanted to buy!

Feel like photoshopping that green spot away. It marrs the perfection of this hellebore.

I'm toying with the idea of buying some dahlias from Zenj's neighbour. £21 exclduing postage with 5 pompons - a bargain. But where am I going to plant them? Never heard of that dahlia, Perki! Any way, I must rein in my expense. Need to do the garden. Indian Sandstones won't crack easily, Perki?



Going to be very busy.

 

[Zenj]

Morning all the sun is out but a white frost overnight ,news from my oldest son in Sweden another grandchild due in August so I hope we can travel by than.Got 2 new meconopsis moon glow and Louise ,don’t think they will flower this year but first year you are suppose to debud them .

 

[alp]

Zenj: Congratulations! I wish I had both of what you mentioned - grandkids and meconopsis. The prospect of either is abysmal. I hope you can travel in August, too! Hope your grandkid is not going to school too young as he/she is a summer baby. No need to rush him/her to school.

I like the way Carol Klein said she would help us learn how to garden. She didn't tell us that she used a heat bench for seed germinating. Or perhaps, Devon warm air has helped tremendously. How many times have we felt cheated when the presenters come out with a tray of seedlings full of roots as if they had been hot-housed? Compared with mine, I feel totally inferior! I do hope they tell us if they use a heated bench or propagator and what emperature and how often do they use it.

Cleaned up the front driveway and planted out the cheaper Cornus C Variegata and promptly scraped off the cambrian layers of two branches, tooped up with good soil and 2 big concrete blocks. Hopefully, by September, I will have 2 new plants.

Although we have had a warm day or 2, the air was actually quite chilly.

Can't find the camera. Will upload pics later. Have a good day!

 

[alp]

The bit I was cleaning up. When it comes to cleaning and weeding, this is far too big and it took me from 9 to 3 on Sunday.

Was worried taking pic of red flower with this little cheap Samsung. Turned out to be very well!

This was a wonderful, sweet surprise! First time flowering. Bought last year at reduced price and even that wasn't cheap. But I knew if I didn't buy it, it wouldn't be there next time I went. Here she is - Williamsii

This is one of the tower lilies I bought in early January

This is a different camellia and here there are 3 different plants in this posting.

Difficult to book vaccination as, first time, I was offered miles away. Yesterday, I booked one nearer and then it said I could get the same jab in the same place. So that was out.

 

[alp]

Air layered the Camelia Williamsii and another one which has had no flower this year.
Sowed echinacea twisters again, yellow /orange Moodz echinaceas, Pallida
datura,
Repotted some snowdrops
sowed brandywine pink Tom seeds (Think Perki's birthday is up and coming! Happy Birthday, Perki!)
Repotted Pansy/viola dark coloured Clear Crystal and very pleased that the leaves are already showing their proper shapes. Amazing that such a tiny seed has turned into a seedling with well defined leaves. Very pleased. Wanted to make a dark corner with my black aeonium, dark violas, beetroots, black sedum if I can find some and Black Honka dahlia and hopefully red kale.
Opened a white tub which had been 1/3 filled with compost and saw some leaves which turned out to be dahlia seeds. What a sweet surprise!
Sowed some Cosmos Apricot Lemonade
Penstemon Cyaanthus

At 2.30pm, it started to spit and then 3 hours of solid rain. Very pleased as we were overdue for rain and it was literally pouring down.

Philipe André Meyer

Have a nice day!

 

[Perki]

Most fine day today but frost over night like most of the week and its supposed to be colder in the coming days . I've been out in the garden for a while mulching and feed the roses and I give the rhubarb a good mulch as well .
I need three pots to plant up the rest of my dahlias, I found some candidates which had some plants in a blueberry ( never fruited ) so I planted that on the garage site. I dug up a clematis I got given from Richard he's called if I remember correctly he holds the national collection of vitcella clematis, unfortunately I wasn't keen on the clematis it was a newly bred seedling plant so didn't know the colour etc . Anyway I planted that clematis on the garage site to grow up some pear trees, I replaced it with another clematis Walenburg I had in a pot which was round the front that didn't do so well scrambling up a buddleia , the buddleia that is no more now . And I got my 3 pot from repotting a salvia into a smaller pot , so I got all my dahlias potted up now until some others turn up tomorrow hopefully called Waltzing Matilda .

You've got a good memory Alp it my Birthday on Saturday unfortunately , I've never liked my Bday if anything I resent it . Do you reckon if a send David austin its my Bday they suddenly find a Gabriel Oak rose in stock ? I've been waiting months to get one , I've been waiting on the new varieties to come which arrived on Tuesday which I am not interested in , Gabriel Oak sold out on Monday or Sunday not happy.

Some pictures from my walk last weekend .

 

[alp]

Watched Divorce: Sharia Law and was horrified when the imman or chief offered sharla law to the British society. Oh, no! Thanks. Just the thought of someone having to chop off the hand of a thief or pelting an adulterer/ess with stones was barbaric! I do hope these people realise that no sane person would want to carry out such a heinous act. No better than the thief or adulterers! Having high concentration of a single people living in another country always spells troubles. They want to re-arrange the furniture, have their own laws (offering us their mediEVIL services), their language (no need to learn English as they all live nearby).

I have never seen the meaning of having a walk until now! Such lovely and varied landscapes: I love the 2nd photo where water's tumbling down. Are the stones/rock man made or natural exfoliated? Also the water tumbling down the arch. What took you so long to snap these beauties, Perki? Ah, I know, you're getting one year younger! LOL! Love to see more of these watering features. Here, our biggest watery attraction is the park with a fountain where people got wedding photos taken using an iphone and a drone! So many ups and downs, vales and dales your way, Perki! I remember our Nissan Note going up the mountain up when we were on holiday. So glad that we went that far!

Salvia Patens 8th of January!

Really love this Fritillaria Reddeana : so early flowering AND I didn't have to dig it up.

Spring Promise series Anja Oudolf

I am going to divde this green beauty

Williamsii was air-layered

My airlayering. I have also airlayered a fruit tree. I will airlayer the Fiesta apple tree today.

Yesterday, I plonked a Cercis Siliquastrum in the front garden. I was awake in bed, worrying that it will compete with the Corus C Variegata in 5 years' time. I will swap this will a slender acer today.

Zenj: I placed an order with Heddons 3 days ago and yesterday, all the collections were sold out. Apparently, all online nurseries are having a good time and I won't get them until MAY!. By the way, I saw Alauna Clair-obscur and Edinburgh on sale in British GC! What a sweet surprise!

 

[alp]

Good morning. Zenj

Someone has pinched my 2 pink roses from the front lawn. including the stick. I fashioned them into standards myself. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I'm returning all my precious plants to the back now.