Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Now, I have learned a new term: cloudy high! We have high pressure over us and yet it is cloudy, not the usual bright cheerful bright weather associated with high pressure. Yesterday, it rained until 3pm. And it was quite cold.

sowed some water melon, yellow melon seeds. Today, I'm going to sow 5 pots of lettuces.

I have the feeling that Anja Oudolf seeds are sterile. I don't seem to see seed pod forming properly.
This is called Harvington Picotee and apparently, tons of them are called Harvington Picotees! It's forming seed pods already!

This is the complicated double daff!

A lot of work in this beauty!

Somehow, I prefer this one to the bigger one above. It has a glorious and generous nectary!

I really love this little samsung - handy, compact, cheap as long as I don't think about Zenj's Troillius!

Euphorbia Martinii knows it's spring and has sprung into action.

 

[alp]

After a whole day of drizzle, can't believe this outlook

So it's 4c and not 1c. I will take that. Those sun icons really have cheered me up. Don't know how you folk can cope with the incessant p**s, not to say numerous cyan rain bands! If it were me, I would think I had done something wrong and karma was out to depress me with these terrible grey, hopeless overcast sky and continuous downpours.

The whole day I was watering the plants, cuttings in the lean to in order to make room for the plants from the other greenhouse to come here so that helper could start work. He and I are going to bring in a greenhouse staging bench from a mutual friend who was trying to get rid of her greenhouse, to put my excess plants in. In the process, I found out that I had been a bit confused about amaryllis, nerines bowedenii, and crinums and on top of that clivia.

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Read this article and don't be afraid. The end of the day, some people take one ecstacy and die whilst others pop them like sweets. One day, countries might weaponise viruses just as they use polonium. Who is to know if agents came in and spread virus or dangerous substances?

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So this daff is called Full House

What a let down: Perhaps Baroque Gold or Pugin's Palace as the flower is full of details! To call it Full House doesn't increase sales.

I am surprised some of the bulbs - all from the same packet, aren't even Full House, I've only got half deck. Some of them are the ones with a big flat nectary, which I prefer more.

 

[Perki]

Another dully day with a fleeting bit of sunshine . Just potted the rose Desdemona and placed it in the front garden for now . Its heavy so I doubt anyone going to run off with it.

Its funny how you say you couldn't cope with the weather up here , when I've been abroad to Spain and the sun out everyday after a while of it I start missing the rain .

 

[alp]

Good morning! It's so early, but I just woke up and remembered that I needed to switch on the dishwasher. This website doesn't pay for spelling or grammar any more. I keep missing the spacebar between words. I had to hammer the spacebar and really look at my typing.

That looks nice, Perki! If you live next to a busy road, there is a possibility that everything will walk. Funny you should say you missed the sun whilst in Spain. Yesterday morning, I was really hot, going in and out and planting out all the plants - crinum, nerines, aqueligias. Then helper came with a mutual friend to deliver a greenhouse bench so that I could move the plants in the greenhouse to the lean to so he could start work with the 2nd one.

Yes, too much sun and heat are also unbearable. Thank heavens that we had a reprieve yesterday. It didn't rain and was sunny and hot initially. After that, it was OK, but turned chilly in the air. Planted out some tall lilies. Anatasia will grow up to 2m tall. I can't wait. I love a bit of height. I wanted to plant out my delphiniums, but am worried about cold snaps. I also sowed some cucumber seeds.

After one whole year, I've got a deformed flower Camellia Japonica Brushfield

I bet this one is also called Harvington picotee

This beauty, though inperfect, is called Diana from T&M

Full House or Pugin's Palace, or Midas' Gold

Never would I believe that at this time of the year I would find a new hellebore - a green/yellow one

Shame about those pink bits near the base. Could have been perfect.

This is the best snapshot I can get for those I ordered from T&M Hellebore anemone selection

 

[Perki]

Diana is a very nice . Don't know whether to venture to the GC and pick up a couple of Lobelia Tanna or go tomorrow or not bother at all and play out in the garden which I planned on doing.

First I'll have to deal with a soon to be old client , Accused me of double charging them the hourly rate which isn't true ' its the same as last year ' I replied and show them invoices from last year to prove it but I don't think that sunk in , when they are applying that you are trying to rip them off which to me they are doing it breaks that element of trust and I wouldn't feel comfortable going back working for them even if they did apologise . I've never had to do this with any other clients , rich people are usually by far the worst people to work for , I think they are penny pinching after buying their brand new top of the range Range Rover and Bmw .

 

[alp]

Diana is a very nice . Don't know whether to venture to the GC and pick up a couple of Lobelia Tanna or go tomorrow or not bother at all and play out in the garden which I planned on doing.

First I'll have to deal with a soon to be old client , Accused me of double charging them the hourly rate which isn't true ' its the same as last year ' I replied and show them invoices from last year to prove it but I don't think that sunk in , when they are applying that you are trying to rip them off which to me they are doing it breaks that element of trust and I wouldn't feel comfortable going back working for them even if they did apologise . I've never had to do this with any other clients , rich people are usually by far the worst people to work for , I think they are penny pinching after buying their brand new top of the range Range Rover and Bmw .

Lobelia Tanna - a perennial or an annual? I think perennial lobelias will love your conditions and might do well for Zenj's as well. They are literally marginals and love wet conditions - red, pink and purple. I think by the time I have built my pond, all mine will have died. They are lovely and erect, no staking needed.

Don't get angry with your customers and remember those flashy people are usually ahead of us because of being mean.. Don't throw away your baby with the pram, son! When they call you next year, send an estimated bill before you start work. The world is very small and you're still young, remember? This is your 3rd mother talking! LOL!

I have 7 lovely Defender courgette seedlings and once I transplanted them, 4 snapped in the middle of the stems. A punnet of Costoluto Fiorentino seedlings and now only one with shrivelled leaves left. I'm so gutted. Then I was standing in front of a greenhouse staging bench and the smell of fox's pooh must have come into with a tray. I have been feeling so sick. The KFC chickens have made me very thirsty and irritable. I just came in and drank more and more water. Last time I have KFC from up the road. Gee! I sound like a geriatric moan! LOL!

Thanks to HDclump, I was able to catch up with Gardeners' world, so I pruned the buddleia and another still waiting to be pruned. We moved the staging benches from the 2nd greenhouse into the lawn. There is so much to do that it's unreal. I think I am getting too old to bother about annuals; and next year, I won't be bothered. Too much hassle.

 

[Perki]

Lobelia is a perennial but is a bit fickle i do have to replace them now and again , a cat been going in that bed and its covered it up multiple times I can't find it now so it may of died.

I've already packed the job and he is refusing to pay the final invoices . He only got flashy vehicles etc cause they are to busy screwing everybody else over . Its ruined my day that I haven't done anything today to bad of a mood to go GC and go out in the garden .

 

[alp]

Oh, dear! What a nasty piece of work. Perhaps, ask all customers to pay half the money half way through the job! And if a very big job, get it by instalments. I can understand why you're so angry! Have you got any money from him at all?

 

[Perki]

Payment is hardly ever a problem for the vast majority of my clients , even they were good payers last year so I don't know where all this has come from , they owe £260 so I am rightly angry about the situation. He said he pay half cheeky swine as long as I rewrite the invoices practically admitting I am in the wrong . I've never had a such a nasty piece of work like them , I kept telling my dad they were something off about them

 

[alp]

Well, that's half of your weekend ruined and that's a lot of money as well. Go to gc and cheer yourself up. Was it the one with massive topiary?

I was very busy yesterday, but still did very little. sowed Costoluto Fiorentino, Brandywine Tom and Black tom, Tumbling Tom. Bought some Ariane Asparagus from Nutscones and nothing came out of it. Very annoyed. Moved 2 staging benches from the greenhouse to the garden. And there is still another table to come out and 2 nectarines or apricot to come out. All the apricots that I germinated in the fridge died. Must sow some savoy cabbage today as it is one of my fav vegs.

A lot of repeats here, but I know I really need to capture them or one day later, they won't be the same.

Midas' Gold, Pugin's Palace? Er, no. Full House (what a terrible name!)

Love this rich yellow crown!

Believe it or not, this is also called Harvington Picotee!

Stained Glass is so beautiful

Going to the allotment today to see what plants to take home.

 

[Perki]

I've been out in the garden this afternoon moving a few plants around and digging out more concrete , my pot hoard has grown again with veronica - phlox - nepeta potted up needing a home. Went to the GC this morning to cheer me up but they weren't much to be had, I did pick up a couple of lobelia tannas .

No not that garden that one of his friends which apparently is just as bad as him, I didn't take that garden on thankfully it the one I mentioned has a really big garden. I mentioned him to some older clients more like friends really I used to tend the garden to who moved away but I still do bit for , they were dropping some baskets and pots for me to fill up. They said if they'd know I were working for them they would of told me to stop immediately, they are know for ripping people off , said they tried it on with the local skip company ( owners mum lives next door ) piled the skip sky high using doors most skip are supposed to be level loads, if cost extra to remove the skip and he refused to pay and got lippy with the driver so they emptied the skip back on his site that did cheer me up a bit .

 

[alp]

That's exactly the kind of lesson this family needed. Well done to the skipper!

We also went to Summerhill. Lordy, it was busy and there was the infamous QUEUE! Even Upminster British gc was busy and the car park choc-a-bloc. Very nice to see so many poeple happy1

Did a bit of food shopping and then went to the allotment 3.45 and came home 5.20 and totally exhausted. Immediately planted out 3/4 hellebores

Tulips floribunda coming up

Pugin's Palace or Full House

Fritillaria Persica Black Tower

Snowflake

30 pellet trays of Jack's Magic

Pagoda

Allotment finds

This one This one came home with me andI thinkI have lost a plummy one with white edges

This could be Tutu - not one decent hellebore in Summerhill. All gone! Only thing left is lantern rose white!

This is not the B&Q Tutu! Seems to be a new anemone. Gee! I'm confused. Dug up and chucked a lot of wishy washy ones in the allotment and the cull will continue.

 

[alp]

I was very lucky to have found one or two new hellebores in the allotment. I planted them in the ground asap as I would like to collect seeds. Yesterday, I planted out some dahlias as the weather was reportedly sunny for 2 days running. I was so fed up with looking at the buggy collarettes. They were smothered with aphids. I should have a collarette, pompon, yellow/gold/red corners in the front if they are not stolen that is. I had the black hellebore in the front and it has been flowering, I have to hide the plants with tubs, bags just to reduce the temptation.

When we went to British GC, we saw only one hellebore and we realised that we were too late. This anemone pink is quite endearing. I think the flowering is drawing to an end.

I had never thought I would be able to grow hepatics, but all 3 have flowered or have been flowering - white, pink and blue.

Farmer Gracy's muscari

When I looked around the garden, I realised all the double funky daffs that i had bought seemed to have disappeared and all I have was boriing trumpets or simple daffs. .. Even the funky pots showed only one or two complicated blooms such as Full House. Usually, you buy 5 to 7 bulbs, but only 2 have shown up so far. Perhaps, it's early days still.

After planting the dahlias out, night time came and it was awfully cold and it was then I wished I hadn't given my plants to such a shock in temperatures!

 

[alp]

You know when you bought daffs, you look at the glorious doubles and you bought 2 packets in different places and ended up with only Full House and Sunlover. Something doesn't seem to be right. So far, only Farmer Gracy has sent me what I really have bought.

So far, this is one bit of the great excitement!

This, however, is worth the money: early blooms, stunning red, floribunda, and variegated leaves!

This is Harvington Picotee

This is also harvington pictoee? I wish 12 Nunns would enlighten me!

Diana, Hellebore Anemone collection

Planted out more salvias - Purple in Bloom, Glutinosa, Dahlia Rejman's Firecracker, Fuzzy Wuzzie and just weeded some areas and label some hellebores which are beyond cataloguing as they are all similar, but not the same.

Have a nice day before the winds and rains come!

 

[Perki]

Well I've been out in the garden more a less all day

its probably the longest I'll be in the garden all year .

I started this morning taking the pots out of the greenhouse and around the GH so I could get the wheelbarrow in and out , I've emptied the tomato - cucumber bed of the old compost . Next job was to fill it back up, I use home made compost for that bed . I've had a rat in my compost bin by the looks of it but no sign of it so I did eventually fill the bed back up with 3 wheelbarrow loads, I did have a brew break in between barrow loads because the robbin was in the GH mostly likely rummaging through the compost. Also mulched my veg box - veg border out side the GH and partially mulched the two borders in the front garden with my compost , its a bit tricky mulching now with all the alliums growing everywhere . While I was in the front garden I decided to move clematis Miss Bateman to the other fence .

Also dug a big hole for a rose I were expecting today, I was replanting near a old rose I removed earlier this year. I didn't want to risk rose replant disease so I excavated two big buckets of soil from there and replaced with soil out of the veg bed, I did have too scrap the mulch off back off to get at the soil.

Then I set into the big job of the day the lawn, I started to spike the lawn with a fork and I hit something hard only a few inch's down so investigated and pulled out 2 stones and 2 lumps of concrete , how on earth the rotavator missed these two year ago I don't know . So I carried on spiking and hit something else and couldn't resist a look wish I didn't , pulled out another 2x2 stone slab along with another stone block I am plagued with stone and concrete , I had to raid the veg bed again to fill the holes back in . I did eventually get the lawn spiked. I then overseeded the lawn and mixed up some sharp sand and top soil and top dressed the lawn . I then did the same to the little front lawn.

By the time I'd finished with the lawn the rose which turned up around 1pm had seen sat in a bucket of water for a couple of hours and was ready to plant out which was duly done. The rose is Gabriel oak and I received another Desdemona which seem is a mix up , I cancelled the pot grown one I received the other day but it turned up anyway , so I didn't think I'd get the bareroot one but I've got that as well , dunno if I should tell them or what.

Thought I'd finished then remember I dug up the wallflowers from the veg bed so had to rush back out and plant them out.

It been a long productive day in the garden and I am looking forward to the rest of Spring