Busy day

The picture is of my yellow Chilli (variety unknown) which currently has four tiny fruits on it. It's still in a 5" pot. Chilli Trifetti on the other hand is still only at the flowering stage but had to be potted on into 8" pots today because it's getting rather tall. I think it might have to go outside after all if it carries on growing at this rate.

Yesterday I picked the first four ripe Strawberries - they were soon gobbled down by my granddaughter!

I've been busy today. I potted on the three Physallis into 8" pots and noticed I have two fruits already. The three Tomato Micro plants were also potted on into 8" pots but there is no sign yet of any of the fruits ripening. The Box cutting I took a couple of years ago is doing really well. It's a nice healthy ball about 8" in diameter and I decided to pot it up today into a 10" pot before it became root-bound. The Sunflower seedlings went into 5" pots and one (the biggest) has been left outside to see if it can resist slug/snail attack. If not then I'll leave the rest in the greenhouse for a while longer. I pricked out the Milk Thistle and Tree Spinach seedlings too.

On the flower side I was very surprised to see that one of my Schizostylis is in flower again. This plant normally flowers from about September to December! The first flower on Digitalis Tinkerbell has opened and there is some colour showing on the Dutch Irises and the Lychnis versuvius. The Rue, Ox-eye Daisies and Alliums have all taken a bit of a battering with the heavy rainfall but I'm hoing that they will recover. And the first of my Eucomis has appeared above the gravel in its pot.

In terms of wildlife the garden is full of bumble bees busy on the Aquilegia, Sage and Dicentra. The tadpoles spend all day under the pond weed so there is no chance of taking a picture but I know I still have some because I see the odd one when I top up the water feature with rain water. I found one Lily Beetle (now crushed), one Rosemary Beetle (on the Purple Sage !) which I left alone and joy of joys one Ladybird larva.

Georgie

A quick note

This is my smallest Chilli, Thai Hot. The flower buds have started to open today and they are tiny compared to other Chilli varieties I grow. I got the seeds from a ripe fruit which had fallen from a plant at a garden I visited last year. If my plant turns out anything like theirs I will be delighted. It was covered in fruits and looked so attractive. Here's hoping.

A wander down the garden this evening revealed that most things have benefitted from the deluge of the last couple of days. Thankfully there is very little sign of any slug or snail damage - after three years of organic gardening could it be that the eco balance is now about right? - and there are some nice buds on the Digitalis purperea 'Tinkerbell'. The bees will be pleased when they open.

Georgie

Rain today

Yesterday I rearranged the pots in the shady border. The Aquilegia McKana's Hybrids had opened and were clashing horribly with the pastel shades of the Aquilegia Vulgaris in the sunny border. So I moved them further down swapping them with the Dicentra Formosa: the new combination is much more pleasing to the eye. This is the beauty of growing things in pots as mistakes can easily be rectified.

We've had rain over night and most of the morning and everything seems to have shot up again - it was very much needed. I've pricked out the Coriander, Sunflowers and Pennisetum alopecuroides and potted on three Pelargonium Quercifolium cuttings I'm growing for a friend. The Milk Thistle and Tree Spinach seeds have germinated but I still have about half a dozen pots of seeds that are doing nothing.

The photo is of my Tomatoes Micro. I've hardened off the two Chilli Sicily plants now but I'll keep the other four Chilli plants (all of which have buds or flowers) on the kitchen windowsill because they are shorter varieties and quite decorative. I still haven't sown my Beans, Peas and Beetroot but there's still time.

Georgie

Won't be long now

I was thrilled to see that the first of the fruits on my Strawberry plants are beginning to ripen. This plant is from a runner I rooted last year and which I kept in the greenhouse over winter. I'd heard that keeping plants undercover leads to earlier crops and this has certainly proved the case for me. The parent plants (which were left outside all winter) are still only at the flowering stage.

It looks like the next crop I'll be harvesting is Tomato Micro. Last year I grew these on the kitchen windowsill but this year they have been moved to the greenhouse to make room for other things. The fruits are only the size of small marbles but what they lack in size they make up for in taste.

All five of my Cucumber plants are growing well. I only need three - which I intend to plant out over the weekend - but I'll keep the spares back in reserve 'just in case'.

The three Pineapple Physallis are also nice and sturdy now with a number of flowers on each plant. I hope to get these planted out too as they are getting too tall for the greenhouse.

On the ornamental front the Aquilegia McKana Hybrids are now beginning to open, there are buds on Passiflora Caerulea and the Nasturtium Milk Maid seeds have germinated.

Georgie

Close encounters

This is Pelargonium Candy Dancer - a bee magnet with wonderful rose scented leaves. All these plants are from cuttings taken from the parent plant last year. I love it.

As I bent down to pull out a few weeds today I heard a rustling in the Ivy. I stood up to take a closer look and a small bird flew out, inches above my head. It was too quick to identify but a little later a Blue Tit landed on the Jasmine about three feet from where I was standing so I'm hoping that it's this bird which is nesting in my garden. I've made sure the bird feeders are well stocked so here's hoping.

I've potted on the Borage, Chilli Sicily, Heliotrope and zonal Pelargoniums and pricked out the Ipomoea 'alba' into a 12" pot which I've covered with a bell cloche. And I picked my first Radish of the season - the very reliable Scarlet Globe - it was delicious.

Georgie

Lots more colour now

Watering the pots last night I was pleased to note quite a few plants comings into flower, in bud or emerging. Allium Purple Sensation, Neopolitanum, Bulgaricum and Cristophii, Rue and Geranium sanguineum are flowering; Verbena Bonariensis, Buddleia davidii, Aquilegia McKana Hybrid and Fuchsia Lady Boothby are in bud; and the Spider Lily (Hymenocallis Festalis) is just appearing above the soil. Oh and the Coriander has germinated.

On the edibles front the fruit on the Strawberries are swelling nicely although there is no sign off any ripening yet. I've got quite a few Tomatoes on both Tiny Tim and Micro, a good few flowers on the Physallis and the Raspberries continue to shoot up at an alarming rate. I hope to get the Cucumbers planted out at the weekend and I also plan to sow French Beans, Runner Beans, Peas and Beetroot direct.

Georgie

Finishing off the sunny broder

This is the colour I expected the Aquilegias in the west end of the sunny border to be as I thought they would compliment the Lavender and Sage. Instead each of the five plants came out a different colour ranging from white to a very deep pink. Oh well.

Today I finished off planting up the east end of the sunny border. I've sown climbing Nasturtiums at the back, then three Nicotiana Affinis White, three Agastache anista and Fuchsia Hawkshead. They join other well established hardy Fuchsias, the standard Buddleia, Purple Sage and Garlic Mustard. The border is now officially full until I dig out the Aquilegias when they have finished flowering.

Georgie

Getting on with things

I've been gardening in steady drizzle today but some jobs just couldn't wait. The first was to tie in some of the Aquilegias (pictured) because at over four feet tall now they were getting a bit top heavy. Then I did the same with the Hesperis and now I can get down the path without knocking into one or the other.

At last I planted the Gladiolus callianthus in a 12" pot. After adding plenty of crocks in the bottom I used a good quality potting compost mixed with Perlite and slow release organic plant food. The bulbs were planted 6" deep on a layer of sharp sand and I gave them a puff of yellow sulphur for good measure to reduce the risk of rot. The top of the pot has an inch of gravel and I watered them in well. Now all I have to do is wait and hope they don't get eaten by the slugs and snails!

I sowed seeds of Arnica, Milk Thistle and Tree Spinach and pricked out a Mustard seedling (using the remaining seedlings for my cheese sandwich at lunch time - yummy). I also potted on (yet another) Pineapple Sage cutting into a 5" pot. That's five plants I have now so I really must stop there. The Ipomoea 'Alba' seeds have germinated already and the first leaves are huge. They will have to go into individual pots very soon and be hardened off. I might try them in a pot by the kitchen door this year as I'm rapidly running out of room in the sunny border.

Georgie

Rainy day jobs

This is Aquilegia Clementine White just opening. It's the only survivor from a number of plants I grew from seed last year (the slugs took the rest) and I think it looks particularly good growing through the Rue which is just coming into bud. I hope to collect seed later in the year.

The latest seeds to germinate are Licquorice (I'm growing it for the foliage) and Pennisetum alopecuroides (an ornamental grass). Today I pricked out the purple Basil, Borage, Calendula and Cuckooflower into 3" pots and potted on the Sweet Basil into 5" pots, moving the latter to the greenhouse.

I was pleased to see that the two Fuchsia Hawkshead cuttings I struck a couple of weeks ago have both rooted well and I've potted them up into individual pots. I wish I had the same success with Purple Sage. In previous years I've found that various Sages root easily in water but for some reason the cuttings I took a few weeks back have done nothing. So I've taken more today and again popped them in a wine glass of water on the kitchen window sill. Fingers crossed.

Georgie

Moths and more

I'm trying to learn more about moths and I've got a number of books about them now. Nevertheless I was unable to identify this particular moth who sat on the same leaf all afternoon on Sunday without once opening its wings. Fortunately when I posted the picture on the Allotments4All forum someone was able to tell me that it was an Angle Shades. It's rather attractive I think.

It seems that everyday there is something new to report as the weather continues to be warm and sunny. At last I spotted a few native ladybirds and the hoverflies are in seventh heaven as the Hesperis is in full bloom and smells wonderful. The Ox-eye Daisies are smothered with buds, the Dutch Iris is showing promising signs of flowering soon and the first flowers are out on the Sage and Garlic Mustard. The Cala Lilies are just peeping through as are the Galtonia viridiflora.

On the edibles front there are quite a few tiny fruits on the Tomatoes, a good few fruits on the Strawberries, lots of flowers on the Broad Beans and the Par-cel and Parsley are vigorous and looking healthy. Oh and my first Chilli flower opened today on Trifetti: it's white and tinged purple at the petal edges - very pretty.

Georgie

Things are really taking off

It's amazing what difference a few sunny days has made to the garden: everything has suddenly put on a huge growth spurt. The first bract on my Arum Italicum opened today. These plants do well in shade and the red fruits in summer are stunning. The Sage is covered in buds, as are the Chives, and the dwarf Broad Beans 'the Sutton' are in flower. The Raspberries are over a foot high now and I spotted the first buds on the Physalis 'Pineapple'. Seed heads are also beginning to form on Briza Maxima and Blue Fescue.

On the wildlife front I spotted my first Large Red Damselfly of the year, first Cabbage White butterfly and lots more Holly Blues. There is still no sign of any Orange-tips, even though the Garlic Mustard is in flower. I live in hope. The tadpoles continue to grow but I couldn't get a decent picture of them today.

The Borage, Calendula, Mustard and Sunflower seeds sown on 4 May have all germinated and I've sown Ipomoea 'Alba' which is supposedly scented. I've started hardening off the Cucumbers and Physalis so in a week's time the veg patch will really begin to take shape.

Georgie

Hurrah!

At last the first Tradescantia flower is out (pictured). The colour is so vivid that it stands out from quite a long way away and I think it looks particularly fetching against the Dicentra Formosa foliage.

This morning I received two lovely things in the post. The first was 10 Gladiolus Callianthus bulbs from a friend. I tried growing these once before but they failed so I'm hoping for better luck this time. According to my RHS book they are prone to all sorts of pests and diseases so they will probaby need a bit of tlc. The second was three free plug plants of giant Fuchsias - one each of Devonshire Dumpling, Royal Mosaic and Rocket Fire. I've potted them into small pots for now in the 'overspill' greenhouse until I have a chance to do more research on their growing habits and needs.

I potted on the three Fuchsia Lady Boothby plants and set them in their final position against the fence on the shady path. Last year they reached 7' high and were flowering well into the autumn and I'm hoping for a similar display this year.

I was pleased to spot the first fruit on one of my Tiny Tim Tomato plants today. They've looked a bit limp since I moved them into the greenhouse but that could be due to the heat. I'll keep them outdoors in the semi shade for a few days I think.

Finally I saw that the Basil Purple Ruffles and Physalis Violet seeds I sowed on 4 May have germinated already! Let's hope these do better than the ones I sowed earlier.

Georgie

Progress Update

The picture is of one of my winter hanging baskets. The attractive leaves of Ajuga reptans 'Braun Hertz' went well with the magenta cyclamen, trailing violas and dwarf Hebe but have now come into their own with their deep violet flowers which are popular with the bees.

The seeds of Welsh Poppies, Cuckooflower, Mustard and Greek Cress have germinated and the Fennel, Agastache and Basil seedlings are putting on good growth. On the other hand the Lemon Grass, Heliotrope and Swan River Daisy seedlings are very slow to develop.

I now have buds on the Garlic Mustard which I grew from seed last year and I'm hoping it might attract Orange-tip butterflies. I spotted quite a few Holly Blue again today but these remain the only butterflies I've seen so far this year. Less welcome visitors included a few wasps and lots of aphids on the Aquilegias. The latter got a good blasting with the hose pipe this evening as there are not enough 'good' larvae or ladybirds around to cope.

Finally the Chillies are taking over the kitchen window sill. There are flower buds forming on Trifetti and the yellow one (species unknown). Thai Hot remains small but very healthy looking whereas Sicily needs potting on and hardening off.

Georgie

Wild Things

The tadpoles seem to like the pond weed I bought for them and are getting quite fat. The picture shows just a few of them and I remain hopeful that some will reach full maturity.

There was still very little sign of growth on the my three Lady Boothby Fuchsias so I decided to discard them in favour of the healthy looking cuttings I'd taken. As soon as I knocked the old plants out I discovered the reason why - vine weevils. These nasty little pests can be a big problem when growing things in pots but they were soon squished. It's partly my own fault because I am not peat free when it comes to potting mediums and I gather vine weevils love peat. I must move to peat free compost soon I think.

The other bad news is that the only ladybirds I've spotted all year are Harlequins. They are easy to tell apart from our native ladybirds because they are considerably bigger. But they do good as well as harm so I've decided to leave them be. Like the Lily Beetle before them they seem to be spreading across the country and there's nothing I can do about it.

Georgie

More seed sowing

The Aquilegias grown from seed last year are still not fully out and they're not blue either! They are also much taller than I'd anticipated and hence look a bit odd at the front of the border. Never mind, I'll enjoy the flowers whilst they last and dig them up then they've finished. I've certainly got plenty of other plants to take their place.

Today I sowed Basil Purple Raffles, Borage, Coriander, Greek Cress, Liquorice, Physalis Tomatillo Violet (again), Mustard, Calendula, Sunflower and three types of ornamental grasses. I'm not sure where I'm going to grow most of these yet but I'll squeeze them in somewhere. That just leaves the Peas, Beans, Beetroot, Ipomoea and Nasturtiums to sow. Every year I say I'll cut down and every year I end up growing more!

Georgie

Lovely day

It's been a beautiful day here: warm and sunny. I spotted my first pair of Holly Blue butterflies of the year but they didn't stop long enough for me to get a photo. (The rather poor one above was taken last year.)

I had a good tour of inspection today as I watered all the pots as well as the new plantings in the sunny border. The heads on the Allium Purple Sensation are fattening up nicely; the buds on the Aquilegia Vulgaris should start opening tomorrow I think; the first flower on the Hesperis Matronalis is out; tiny buds are showing on some of the Lilies; the Galtonia candicans bulbs kindly given to me by a friend are showing through; the Tradescantia is still tantilisingly in bud; and the autumn fruiting Raspberries have sent up a number of new shoots which are about 8" tall now.

My Fuchsia Carmel Blue plants, which I grew for the first time last year, have all survived the winter in pots against a south-facing wall. I top dressed the pots today and gave them a feed with some slow release organic fertiliser. The Strawberries (runners from last year) have a number of fruits now and they were potted on into 7" pots. The three Tomato Tiny Tim plants were also potted on into 10" pots and spent their first day outside. I'll bring them in over night for the next week and then they should be okay outside unless we get any late frosts.

All the Pelargonium cuttings were moved into the overspill greenhouse to make room for more of the 'edibles' from the kitchen window sill. So the top shelf of the main greenhouse now houses three pots of Physalis, three of radish, three Tomato Micro, two of Spring Onions and five Cucumbers. This means the Chillies have a bit more room indoors and there's room to start off more seedlings. But that's a job for tomorrow.

Georgie