Magazine style - all inclusive

[alp]

Dark and not that warm! Ah, sun is just showing its presence.

Did a lot of watering yesterday and to my absolute delight, there were blue tits flying everywhere in my garden. Up fence between neighbour and us, on the raised dwarf walls, on the ground and mid level flying. Never realised that 7pm watering could be so much fun!

Echinacea Twisters - very small

lavender

These flowers are so small. There should be a warning scale gauge on adverts. It's pretty, but tiny!

Broadway Star

Trying to capture the shiny bits near the end of the petal!

Either Niobe? Ville de Lyon? Ernest Markham Red? I'm hopeless!

Cirsium Trevor's Blue Wonder

 

[alp]

A very bright day and yesterday, I watered quite a lot of plants as we changed some of the butts.

Nurseries open on Monday!

Salvia Nachtvlinder

This is Salvia Greggii Ultra Violet

Just when you think you're going to have a new iris. One bud is on the floor and the blooms are buggy!

Such wonderful detailling and markings in this little astrantia!

Have a nice day!

 

[alp]

Just to see the new chocolate iris that I have in flower

today!

 

[Perki]

Hello been rather busy with work etc especially with this weather its been lovely .

Keep getting more jobs which is kind of good but bad because we've already got to many as it is and I haven't got the heart to say no especially if they are quite nice . Going to another new job tomorrow just weeding mainly of geum urbanum big garden or massive compared to everybody else garden, I thought it were two house at first but ones his garage its bigger than my house and next door put together where he keeps his Ferrari and other cars the joys of having money eh, and his giant topiary Pinus Sylvistues which he says were a gift ( most of cost around £10,000 ) I wish santa were that generous with me

Not much happening in the garden took a few pics the other day I'll pit on tomorrow, bit worried about the weather change to frost the coming weekend . I am going to have to bring a few plants back into the house , my Brugmansia Maya already got a flower bud very excited

Your dark coloured Iris & broadway are nice I keep meaning to check to see if mine are budding up yet. The echinecea are small but look good plants get them potted up until they fill a 2L pot then plant out, otherwise the slugs will devour them in no time.

 

[alp]

Good morning!

It was hot last night. I woke up in my birthday's suit and I didn't even know why I took it off. Did a lot of cleaning of the front of the lean to. Wish I had at least a bifold door or a 3 pane one.

Perki - some people can be very rich, but your happiness might be happier than his and your soul richer! I hope you charge well. Remember, he's a different league! My brugmansias have been doing nothing. They were at the top shelf enjoying plenty of light. What can I do to make it flower please? This year, I have had no bird of paradise flowering. My old Wisteria is sulking me! A Cherry tree is not happy, showing its sting by carrying ONE fruit! I don't want to put any fruit trees in the allotment as the birds are very hungry there. Vegs are not happiest there as they are covered with holes and spots. So only beans, sweet corns, potatoes,, carrots and parsnips.

Heat has brought on thousands of bloon in this pure white cistus

Quechee??

I was gutted to see some nasty snapping the stem of this beautiful iris - resembling Tulip Festival but it's quite a bit shorter. What a daff idea to call iris tulip Festival!

Broadway Star!

This is supposed to be ORANGE! A shame!

Stipa gigantea very happy!

You might help your irises by watering them. If the plants are ready to bloom, a bit of watering will always help. This year, all my irises are bigger, happier because of the rain. Even the blue ones come in a cluster of blooms. I think the chocolate one is called Quechee - apparently very popular with Chelsea. I am glad that there is a virtual tour of Chelsea rather people losing their star shows and us twitching our fingers. I think you might need a lot of fleeces! I am dreading it too, but the vehicles outside and the terrible 13 hours of heat will mitigate it a bit. At least, no frost is predicted. I am going to use a lace curtain to cover my new plants outdoors.

Fasciation in this peony

Yesterday, I thought I was in Butlins - it was so noisy. You see, before this renter came along, we didn't go out in the garden, but this year, we spent a lot of time in the garden and have had now 6 raised beds and it was soooooo noisy. I so wanted to escape to the country, especially when some idiots turned up the bass of their amplifiers! Typical idiot who didn't know it would do irreparable damage to his/her eardrums! It was about 4 doors away. A lot of renters here in this area, mostly self-employed. Before, we wouldn't be able to hear people talking to their children. Apparently, all houses might have been split and a lot of 2nd floors have now been let out and loads of children live around here and they screamed and screamed yesterday. Lockdown didn't apply here! I kept hearing one woman shouting, "Now, guys, ....." several times

Lordy - all hot days and no rain!

You're too late, Perki! The Twister are already in various borders. I will have to dig up some lilies to make way for the plants that I want. Very bad but land is at a premium!

 

[Zenj]

What a beautiful day weather wise not a lot flowering in the garden at the moment but lots in bud a lot cooler from tonight .

 

[alp]

Zenj: The last one is so beautiful! A pond plant?

Son was always exaggerating that the metal frame double deckered shelves (2 mini greenhouse frames joined up without the covers) would fall without 24 hours. I just dismissed it. The day before yesterday, I heard a snap. True to form, the thing collapsed and thankfully it had the plastic one to lean on to. So yesterday, we spent most of the day clearing the trays from the shelf and he repaired it and assembled one from b&Q. He cut off the rotten bits and put the whole thing back. Well done, son!

Magical that this flower has so many tiers of petals or bracts!

This red is spilling over - quite dramatic!

This one was a blue butterfly when it opened its wings. Sadly, when it did so, it flew like a maniac!

 

[Perki]

Afternoon, back ache after yesterday in the warm sunny day, today though blimmin heck very windy and cold feels like its going to rip my face off with the wind chill, I've got some weeding to do and tie in a clematis but I can't really be bothered just come back in from doing a bit of watering and mowed the lawn.

 

[alp]

Are these the same tulips showcased by Monty please, Perki? I really loved them when I saw them on screen. So beautiful! What are they called? The black and white combo looks very nice. I bought a Black and White Dahlia combo with Verrone's Obsidian (posing! LOL! Black Honka!) and a very boring white one. I ripped up the white one and there's only Honka.

Just came back from allotment. Those seeds I sowed last week had no show and I reckon I was too impatient as there had only been 7 days.. Any way, I took the potatoes to the allotment and dug a hole and sunk of the growth box which cost me £2.50 or £1.50! Ideal for potatoes as this might stop them going everywhere.

Then it went all cloudy and of course, after 1 spit, it's just grey, cold, windy and miserable. We're now waiting for the roasted chicken to get totally cooked. Nice to have a roasted dinner when it is this cold.

 

[alp]

Wonder if Zenj is home!? Must be freezing his way!

Last night, it was viciously cold and I had to put a bubble wrap on top of my newly planted seedlings. I have never bothered to bulk them up in 3 L pots. Perhaps, I should try.

This could be pumila Dwarf Iris Tickled Peach!

A different iris

Camassia al;ba

Wiegela freegled crooked variegated leaved plant smothered with flower this year!

A purple bearded iris

Coral Fay peony

 

[alp]

I reckon a lot of people die from heart attack on Monday! My heart attack continues until I can find some stuff!

To mitigate the shock, watch this. I like them all except the last one! I love the leapold one most.

 

[alp]

It was so cold yesterday and by the look of it, it's not warming too much today. However, in the lean-to, it was very hot yesterday morning. It was only when I ventured outside did I feel the chill and the wind had managed to topped my spiral Thuja, 230L empty butt .. and as usual the miracot tree, the hibiscus in the pot as well. Meanwhile, the plants in the cold frame were dying because of thirst. I poured water on them and might have blasted them to death.

First seeds to be collected. Don't really know the name - a snowdrop seed pod with yellow skin. I took a risk and squeezed the pod and out came these beauties. I had about 8 pods going, most of them dried out, attacked by some critter or fell onto the ground. I knew if I left it there for too long, the ants would have had a delicious meal. So ants 0 me 1!

I think this is Mont Blanc

This is supposed to be egg yolk yellow and white from Sarah Raven and Johnson's Chrysanthemum like this

But I waited and waited since this one has successfully overwintered and it turned out to be like some last year - yellow. I don't think I would buy this yellow one if it appeared on the package cover.

I am thinking of getting rid of this centaurea, but as you can see, simple and beautiful!

An Austin Rose - Harlow Carr with a lovely scent! A nice pink Damask!

Remember this? Found in the allotment and I collected the seeds. Before the flower appeared, I was piqued as to what this was as it had a giant stem and stood up very proudly with loads of branches and now I know. It's called s???? I actually saw some along the road and there was a yellow version. I pulled them from the wasteland in what was previously the gas works, now probably earmarked for more flats. But all 3 seem to be dying despite me pouring water on them and this cold and chill certainly haven't helped.

 

[Perki]

Evening , had frost for the past 2 nights but to early for me me to see , a gentlemen said its got all his spuds fortunately mine haven't been nipped but will cover for Wednesday night supposed to be -1 or -2 C .It rained as well today surprisingly just showers but wet everything through .

Had a plant delivery today , just a Miscanthus Memory it looked a bit lonely in the box on its own , I would of bought more plants but they didn't have anything else I fancied.

 

[alp]

Oh, gee! -1! When we left the allotment, we left with a torn lace curtain all over what we had just sown. Didn't look pretty, but at least it allowed the seeds to breathe. I shuddered to think how cold it was the north had been. Even here, 5 foot tall plants fell sideway, so were the roses which was about 2 foot tall. But in the lean to, it was boiling, baking or roasting. I had to open all possible windows, doorways.

I hope it's going to be grey. That way, I wouldn't worry so much about the plants in the lean to being constantly thirsty.

I was trying to sow my seeds and felt the B&Q compost very lumpy. On a hunch, I sieved the 50L bag. It was unfortunate that the compost was wet. We got it reduced to £3. Come and see what I got after a reamful (not even a whole sieve of compost) of compost. That piece of wood was used to squash the lumps. Well, no, it didn't help as these lumps wouldn't break up, refused with resolve not to be smashed. Then there was the coir substance.

After sieving about 50L, I was totally exhausted. Then I followed Monty's method of replanting the big beefsteak toms. I didn't incorporate garden soil though as this would introduce slugs, snail and I had already discovered a few lurking around. One big one under the sheepskin carpet. (what a strange place to hide! Dry). After the first pot, I realised that it was not sustainable - it was like filling the void with bags and bags of compost (I added perlite and a bit of sand and a bit of grit). So only the first pot was of 5L. All the other 3L. I had Black Russian, and Pink Brandywine Toms. The C. Florentinos were a bit on the small side.

To cut cost, I also have been immersing upturned turf in a a tub to get the goodies out of the clay embedded and using it in my watering.

Saw someone's comfy in the allotment and when I can CATCH that guy called Paul, I would beg, and beg and beg for it.

Ah, my favorite Crinodendron Hookerianum! So cute!

Rewatched some earlier episodes of GW and Frosties said his allium had a fragrance. So yesterday, I walked around and sniffed and found these 2 to be perfumed. Allium stipitatum 'Violet Beauty'

I think this is Clematis Polish Spirit!

Globemaster!

A vignette of my garden - Crinodendron Hookerianum (which I finally planted on the patch with proper soil, rather than being stuck in a pot) with acer (standard), scented iris and Cornus Kousa rubra as neighbours. Coming up from the cane will be Princess Kate clematis. At the back cistuses . The nearest cane is for Arthur Bell - a standard. First time it has had buds!

 

[alp]

Woke up early. Thank heavens for the invention of tea. It's a bit on the chilly side even though I have a top on.

3c is a bit low! I have discovered some seedlings and I have lost the labels again. Now courgettes? Cucumber? I'm baffled and replanting is eating up all my compost, not to mention the lumps in it.

Normally, I would rip this candytuft up, but I will grow it for seeds.

Out of nowhere comes this geum - Lady Stratheden

Peruvian Lily

Mont Blanc

Wonderful Astrantia Major

Yesterday, my Blackie which I have renamed Ebs for Ebony as I don't want the black people living nearby to feel offended, had a lucky escape. I heard neighbour's daughter shooing something and she gestured to me. I went out and she told me that the fox had made a cameo, but that she saw Ebony jump over the wire fence. My heart missed a bit as I couldn't find the bird. In the end, I saw him on neighbour's side next to a metal shed. I took him back but before that I saw tons of his feathers (some downy ones as well) inside a box and on the ground nearby.

I examined him and his feather seemed to be OK. Later, I found out that he did have a chunk missing. The poor thing must have put up a fight. Son saw a fox and her cubs playing in the back they day before yesterday. It's all very sad as I really don't want to lock the rooster in, but have to keep his safety in mind. Now that the fox had a taste, there's no stopping her.