Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Thank you, Perki! I think I have about 6 of them. I am so pleased with that tree! Some podcaster suggested having a cornus in every front garden. He must have lots to sell. Only joking. I have also wolf eyes, variegated and another one which stands there and stare at me, doing not a lot. I can see the berries though!

I was referring to that tiny tray hanging up! Thank you for sharing your secret! What kind of feed do you use please?

Was panicking over the situation of compost supply. Son cleared out the garage and we discovered we have had 5 bags of Livingstone Tomato growbags! Now 4 only. But well chuffed.

Enjoying my brew whilst waiting for the photos to upload! Been very busy!

Aster

Euphobia Martini! So cute!

Ooops! Get carried away!

Salvia Coccinea Summer Jewel Pink! 5th attempt, probably!

Some nice lady's Lily of the Valley!

 

[Perki]

Afternoon another bright sunny day .

Bit envious of all your bearded iris alp , shame they don't flower for longer. Your top photo is a Cistus as well.
Do you mean my plant troughs on the fence ? they not that small 1 metre long . I use miracle grow pellets and I've been using chempak no 4 potassium feed recently , not sure if its better than tomorite probably similar but it defiantly a lot cheaper

 

[alp]

I have heard of Chempak. Seemed to have good write up. I just make my banana skin sauce. I am so tired. I have been removing the cistus right at the front. Don't know why I typed Aster. I was very busy right from getting up. Then I went out to clear the half dead cistus. The one with the flower at the top of my previous post. Planted out Dahlias, penstemons, salvias. Then add half a foot of strip to the existing front border. Tomorrow I will chuck some agapanthus and echinacea on top of that strip and let the rain do the business. After that, I had to shift 15 buckets of soil to fill the raised bed. I am just too tired. to type.

I do hope the rain comes. I am BANKING ON IT!

 

[alp]

I thought I would sleep like a log and woke up 7.30. No. Woke at before 4 and now enjoying my strong tea with TWO teabags in it!

Rain? Where is it?

Trying to delete some photos and saw Goldie. Remembering Goldie and the others!

Purple Sensation - just love the vibrant colour!

Wisteria

an Azalea!

Trillium Grandiflorum

Cornus Kousa Chinagirl!

Cornus Kousa Wolfe Eye

At the front where alstroemerias thad taken over. I had to hack them back to reveal the forgotten Convolvulus and Callicarpa!

This cistus (I nearly typed Aster again!) was trimmed yesterday only to let the light into my osteospermum and bearded irises!

A very confused tulip!

A statement making clematis - Josephine!

My town is supposed to be inside the blue

But where is the rain?

I went outside and yes, it's raining! So happy!

 

[alp]

Good morning to all! Finally, a good night's sleep! Only drizzling and the water butt levels have stayed the same since midday yesterday.

I was so desperate with my germination that I actually used jiffy pellets yesterday. The temperatures have wreaked havoc with my germination. All the pots ended up with nothing. Yesterday, I sowed Trollius, Penstemon Mexicanus, and some others in jiffy pellets left from last year. I'm going to buy a lot of stuff from Zenj's favorite internet seller! Going to get rid of most of the lawn, but would leave some areas for wildlife in the front and at the back and use the manual push mower instead.

As you can see, there might not be substantial rain at all. We gardeners are optimists!

You will be surprised what these 2 photos are about!

Down pipe at the front, both of them. I have diverted the water from the top to the front part which is west facing, i.e. being baked all the time. I fashioned a reservoir in both areas, just catch the liquid silver!

My 3 precious peaches - this plant has been indoors to avoid leaf curl. One nectarine has 2 tiny fruits and the leaf curl is terrifying. Another one, sadly, has died on me!

When you have too many pies going on, some get burnt! This one was rescued in the nick of time - Tomatos San Marzano F2

Another one is my Cosmos Sulphurus or Bright Lights. Some of the leaves have rotted at the top. The cosmos Apricot Lemonade has made not a whisper and I am whinging!

 

[Zenj]

Good morning all
A dull day cool nights but have had no rain for sometime unusual for us ,looks like with such a wet winter here lost all my aliums ,easily quiet here as we are on Newcastle flight path but no planes just the odd military ones flying cargo I think ,my cosmos apricot lemonade germinated well and are doing well will nip the tops out shortly.

 

[alp]

Good morning, Zenj

I am so jealous. I can see perlite in your compost. What is the compost and what else have you added to work the magic please? I am sooooooooo desperate. All my pots are empty. It was only last night that I started heating my propagator. Can you sense my desperation?

Wow! Those are sturdy plants. I will keep all sorts of allium seeds for you if you keep some those those Cosmos seeds for me please? I have Globemaster, Giganteum, Purple Sensation, Cristophii (only if you want this one! I have been pulling all of them out. The bulbs stared at me and I have suffered from sporadic guilty pangs!) and some others. The seeds with very long name that you gave me have germinated. I must transplant them before they are toasted in the lean to. Suddenly, the sun has come out and looks angry over the lean to.

 

[Zenj]

Nothing special alp just jacks magic multi ,perlite ,and a tablespoon of Epsom salt well mixed in a bucket I have noticed some of my alliums have self seeded so I will dig a few out and grow them on

 

[alp]

Talking about epsom salt, I discovered a bag in the workshop and son was complaining he couldn't walk inside it. I added to each butt a lump and also some banana sauce. I needed to buy some. Thank you for the secret tip. I wonder if my pots are too wet and the lean up fluctuates too much in temperature. Ordered a Romneya Coulteri for under a tenner and got a phone call, saying that I couldn't collect and that B&Q was very irresponsible. He said he might have some after lockdown (???) and delivery charge was £20. And I thought Farmyard was steep. £10 for p&p.

Just woken up. Before the rain, went to add another foot to the front garden. Was totally exhausted. Did it under 2 hours and stripping turf really wasn't funny.

 

[alp]

Good morning! Very bright now, but the rain seemed to have been heavy, but brief. Window pane full of drops, but not much in the butts!

By the look of it, I won't get a lot after this. We are always on the wrong side of 49%!

Glad that it rained, but not much. Can't complain or I am a miserable boring nag! Perhaps, I already am!

Want to add another foot to the front, probably tomorrow. Glad that weekend is coming and son doesn't have to work on Saturday. Very lucky that he'd got this job contract in January and they backdated it for him and gave him HOLIDAY! Very little money, but it's a good place - charity. I have never heard teaching kids music without mentioning quavers or semiquavers! Well, what do I know? Throughout the week, I hear nothing but Mary Had a Little Lamb or Frere Jacques! Nut these kids are quite amazing. Son increased the metronome speeds several times and these kids could catch up!

Tulip icecream

Honeybell

Stipa Giganteas, according to Perki!

Trillium Grandiflorum

Josephine Clematis

It's amazing how the green receded in these tulips.

Have a nice day!

 

[alp]

Have no idea why I woke up so early - too many unfinished and unfulfilled sowings pernaps! LOl!

Yesterday, it was rather windy and the rain did come down seriously for about 20 minutes. My miracot tree and even the bamboo toppled. I worked some horse manure in to my newly added strip and planted a penstemon Volcano Etna. My stock of horse manure is dwindling.

Sowed some Uchiki Kuri Winter squash yesterday. Watched Beechgrove episode 2 - a very balanced programme. Would you spend £180 on a compost making?

Took some cuttings of various plants using jiffy pellets. First of May and I am nowhere happy with my seedlings.

Need to go to the allotment tomorrow when son is not working.

First time it flowered in my house!

 

[Zenj]

Very overcast day but no rain yet, still cool nights for a while yet according to the forecast ,cut the back lawn this morning and took a few photoes

 

[johnny canoe]

Hello alp, please tell me about banana sauce. Your flowers are wonderful. Very slow start to spring here, tulips are just coming out of the ground.

 

[alp]

Zenj Stunning photos. Loooooove the daffs - and the pink in the tulip is simply stunning. Now, how would you describe that crown colour!? Simply unique and pretty.

We had sleet, rain and the two have made me very happy. My butts are nearly all topped up to capacity. I am ssooooooooooo happy! Just before sleeting, I planted out my dahlia cuttings - Omega, Teesbrooke Audrey, ... and then heavens chucked down round grains.. They were dancing and bouncing on the lawn. Now one of the flextubs has acquired a swimming inhabitant - a frog which flogs on the water as if it were dead! LOL! I had to poke it twice to confirm it's alive.

Hi Johnny! Like your bulbs, you're coming out of ground! I just put banana peels into milk bottle and let it stew. A method suggested by some Russian lady. Can't recall the name now. Because of that, we have bought more bananas than we used to. If I can top up 10 more tubs, I will be very happy. Our lawn is now teeming with tubs, pots and trays. It's like I lived in India!

PS: I tried my hardest to remove the Spanish bluebells. Then I planted some daff Martinettes near where they used to be. Boom! The Spanish bellbells are out in full force. Thankfully, my pink Spanish bells are here as well. I really have a soft touch for the pink bells. Zenj glad that you have some as well!

 

[Zenj]

First flower open on my habernaria