Season's Greetings

The snow is melting so I brought the tree in and decorated it today and here it is, nicknamed 'George' by my daughter! No idea why!

Wishing everyone who reads this a happy and healthy 2010.

Georgie

Winter wonderland

This is how my garden looked first thing this morning. The plant in the foreground is my Christmas tree which is waiting to come into the house at the weekend. To be honest, nature has done a lovely job of decorating it and I'm tempted to leave it.

I haven't done any gardening for weeks and it doesn't look like I'll be doing any in the coming days either. Hopefully we'll get some drier weather over the festive season.

Georgie

Nature knows best

This year I have been toying with removing the Buddleia from the sunny border. I bought the plant back in 2003 from J.Parker, who I have since learned is not one of the most reliable suppliers, particularly for shrubs. But way back then I was impressed by the photo of the plant which was grafted onto a three foot standard trunk and was billed as ideal for a patio. However, it didn't thrive in a container so I moved it into the border where it proceeded to rocket to ten feet or more in height (that's seven foot long branches on a three foot stem), no matter how often I pruned it in a season.

Anyway, I had been dithering so last night nature intervened. We'd had very gusty winds and heavy rain all day and when I went out in the garden today (bright sunshine and clear blue skies) the plant was at a 45 degree angle. That's it I thought, it has to go! First I cut off all the branches to a height of about 5 feet and filled three garden sacks. Then I broke/sawed off a few more of the thicker branches and then I started rocking the plant to expose the roots. The border is very closely planted and I didn't want to dislodge other plants so this was a tricky task and very hard work. As the roots broke through the soil I severed them and eventually got the thug out. And wow, what a difference it has made, the garden looks twice the size! But don't worry about the butterflies, I have another self-seeded Buddleia in large container next to the compost heap and shed. That one is not in the way so it can stay - for now.

The photo is of one of the blooms on the Pineapple Sage. It's so vivid and is a firm favourite of mine at this time of year. In fact I'm very fond of a number of plants in the Salvia family. It's a shame I don't have room to start a national collection but removing one Buddleia isn't going to crack it I'm afraid.

Georgie

Still lots to do

I took advantage of the sunny, if cold, weather today and spent a good few hours working in the garden. But before I started I had a walk around, camera in hand, and took this photo of my Fatsia which is now in full flower. These blooms put me in mind of Myrtle (although they are not scented, unfortunately) and they provide much needed nectar for any insects that are still around. Indeed, just after I took the photo a bee came for a feast.

The most pressing task was to empty some of the summer containers to make room for planting more spring bulbs. So Tomatoes, Chillies, Tree Spinach and Basil made way for Narcissus Spring Dawn and Tete a Tete, all topped off with the Pansies I've grown from seed. I've still got some Tete a Tete left to plant as well as Tulips and Wallflowers but these will have to wait until more containers become available as the Heliotrope and Laurentia finally give up the ghost.

I thought I'd lost my Crocosmia 'George Davidson' as all the leaves went brown and it failed to flower this year. But as I tipped the gravel out of the container, I noticed lots of little green leaf tips coming out of the corms. So I potted it up into a new, slightly larger container, and hopefully it'll flower next year.

The Pansies I sowed in late September needed pricking out into individual pots so I selected a dozen of the largest seedlings and composted the rest. I'm hoping these will be the beautiful lavender blue I grew by chance earlier in the year. One of two had a spot of powdery mildew so I gave them all a good spray of bicarbonate of soda solution.

The Sweet Peas have finally finished flowering so I collected the remainder of the seed pods. I'll keep the seeds and sow them in spring rather than risk sowing them now and putting them in the greenhouse where they will be a tempting treat for slugs/snails or failing that get powdery mildew.

After this I was getting cold and tired so I called it a day. If it's nice tomorrow I'll be out there again as there is still plenty to do.

Georgie

A wet and windy weekend

Although it is unseasonably mild, quite heavy rain over the last couple of days has meant that there was little scope for gardening (and probably just as well as I'm only just over the 'flu). But the sun did come out yesterday afternoon so I was able to go out and potter for an hour as well as take some photos.

Many of my containers have a number of fungi in them in gorgeous shades of cream and brown such as the one in the photo. They are tiny but so beautiful. I know nothing about fungi so I'm on the look out for a good illustrated book to help me identify them.

I picked the last of the Tomatoes and Chillies and thought that was the last of the edibles as I cut the Raspberry canes down to soil level. But no. As I was tidying up the Alpine Strawberries, one plant had about half a dozen fruits just beginning to ripen and quite a few flowers too. I've moved it to the patio area by the kitchen in the hope I get to eat the fruits before the slugs do!

The Fuchsias are showing no sign of slowing down and are a riot of colour with both flowers and the attractive, burgundy-coloured fruits. I've tried eating them but they are pretty tasteless so I just leave them and enjoy the display. The Pineapple Sage flowers are just beginning to open and Salvia 'hot lips' has flowered again.

There were a few bees, hoverflies and ladybirds around but sadly no late butterflies, despite all the nectar on offer from the Centratherum, Verbena Bonariensis and Ivy flowers. I think this has been the worst year ever for butterflies despite my best efforts to attract them. Still, there's always next year.

Georgie

Withdrawal symptoms

This photo was taken on 11 October, the last time I did anything remotely garden related! We went for a walk in Hilly Fields (which is about ten minutes walk from our house) and I took a number of photos of the glorious trees which at the time were just beginning to take on their autumn hues. It was a beautiful afternoon.

The reason I haven't been gardening is because I've had the dreaded 'flu. I don't know if it was related but it started with my neck seizing up on 15 October, a cold over that weekend and then all sorts of nasty symptoms leading to me being prescribed Tamiflu last Tuesday. It's not the worst 'flu I've ever had but it has meant that I've had very little energy and even 'though the worst of it is now over I'm still feeling weak. I walked around the garden yesterday for the first time since I'd been ill but I had to come in after ten minutes as I felt quite wobbly. And it was the same today. I never thought I'd be so worn out after dead-heading a few Pansies!

In my absence the lawn has grown a good 15cm, there are leaves that need raking up, spring bulbs are still waiting to be planted and the bird feeders are on the low side. But it's all going to have to wait a while until I get my strength back. Perhaps the Pineapple Sage which I noticed is in bud will be the fillip I need to get me back out there and on the road to recovery. I do hope so.

Georgie

Mixed up seasons

This is one of the hanging baskets I've planted up for winter to add a bit of cheer. The Pansies replace the Sweet Peas, Dianthus and Birds Foot Trefoil which flowered all summer and as you can see from the photo the evergreen trailing ivy-like plant (I must find out what it is) has taken on some nice autumnal hues.

More signs of autumn in the garden this week include some fungi, buds on the Fatsia, lots more seed heads on the Ivy, ripening berries on a number of shrubs and leaves beginning to fall. On the other hand summer is clinging on: the annuals continue to bloom; I have some flowers on the Jasmine (which is very late); the Raspberries and Alpine Strawberries also have one or two flowers and I'm continuing to harvest a few fruits along with a smattering of ripe Chillies and Tomatoes. And it's not only me enjoying all these late flowers, there are still a few bees around too.

I was at a work-related conference on Thursday and Friday where I knew very few of the one hundred or so delegates. Well, I'm not sure if I have 'gardener' stamped on my forehead but only a matter of minutes after I arrived I was chatting to a chap who had just acquired an allotment! Then the following day I got deeply involved in a discussion about composting techniques and the merits of Viper's Bugloss. Gardening certainly brings people together.

Now, I know I said in my last post that I was pretty well made up for seeds but a gardener cannot resist a bargain and I did rather well in the Chiltern Seeds sale (only buying things on my wish list). So on the annual front I bought dwarf Nicotiana 'Nicki Lime' and Tagetes 'Tangerine Gem' which I've read (but don't believe) is slug/snail resistant. On the HP front I bought Centaurea Montana (mountain Cornflower) and Dicentra Scadens 'Golden Tears'. And on the edible front I bought Onion 'Paris Silverskin' and Tomato 'Gardener's Delight'.

Georgie

What a difference a week makes

Last Saturday was glorious and I spent a very enjoyable day/evening by the Thames in Surbiton where I captured this sunset. Today by comparison has been dull and extremely windy and it's even threatening to rain.

There's not a lot to say about the garden at the moment as things remain much the same as last time I wrote. I'm gradually emptying containers as plants go over replacing the contents with spring bulbs and winter Pansies. I'm still harvesting everything I've grown this year with the exception of Physallis although things are slowing down. And I continue to gather seeds.

I am pleased to say that my local nursery is now stocking peat free organic compost (have I mentioned that before?) and I had a trip there today for a couple more sacks as I was getting low. I also bought a dozen cream and yellow Pansies for the hanging baskets as the ones I'd planned to use (grown from seed) have been used in the pots of spring bulbs.

The Organic Gardening Catalogue arrived this week and for the first time ever there is nothing I want. It's not that the selection isn't to my taste, just that I'm pretty well made up for seeds now and room is at a premium.

Georgie

Still gathering and blooming

I'm sorry that the photo is slightly out of focus but these are Cucumber Richmond Green Apple. I've only grown one plant but it has been prolific and these four were picked yesterday. They are the size of large Kiwi fruits and are beautifully crunchy with a good flavour. I've run out of seed now so it will have to go on my wish list for next year. And the other edibles are performing just as well as I'm still picking plenty of Tomatoes, Physallis, Chillies and Raspberries.

A day of rain in the week meant I could no longer put off mowing and edging the grass but it wasn't enough to satisfy the container grown plants so they all got a thorough watering today. Nothing is going over yet and I'm getting a lovely late show of colour from Fuchsias, Nasturtiums, Laurentia, Heliotrope, Dianthus, Pelargoniums and even a few Dianthus and Sweet Peas. This is of course good news on the one hand, but things are getting rather desperate in the greenhouses because there are lots of small plants in there waiting to be planted out and they are outgrowing their pots. So I was left with no choice but to pot on Ox-eye Daisies, Solanum, Polemonium, Aquilegias, Hesperis, Euonymous and Cyclamen.

On the seed front I pricked out Aquilegia Clementine White, Digitalis Tinkerbell and Blue Fescue. I collected seeds from Hyssop, more Sweet Peas, Nasturtiums and Tomatoes and sowed a few more Pansies. I've also taken some Fuchsia and Bay cuttings. I just can't help myself!

Georgie

My experiments for next year

Well, my Myrtle is blooming as you can see from the photo: it's so pretty and it smells divine. And I've made my decision about my experimental plants for next year and yes, they are fruits.

The first will be Pepino (Melon Pear or Solanum muricatum) which I will be growing from seed from T&M. The second is Melon 'outdoor wonder' from Marshalls, as someone has kindly offered to send me a few seeds, and finally I might try a dwarf Apricot from Bakker, another recommendation from a gardening friend.

Georgie

Annuals, Bees, Berries and Seeds

Over the last few years I have steadily reduced the number of flowering annuals I grow but there will always be some that I simply have to have. The bee pictured here is on a Centratherum plant (technically a short lived perennial I believe but grown as an annual). This plant has surpassed my expectations: it's drought tolerant; forms nice bushy plants about 40-60cm high; has pineapple scented leaves; doesn't suffer from any pests or diseases: and is still covered in these lovely lavender coloured blooms which will go on until the first frosts. And as I have no success with Asters, I think it makes a very good substitute.

Other 'must have' annuals are Laurentia, Nasturtiums, Poppies and trailing Sweet Peas, all of which produce plenty of seed to save year on year. In addition to these plants I will also be growing Ipomoea and Calendula next year and (if I can find it) a dwarf Nicotiana to grow in containers. I love Nicotiana but the varieties I've tried in the past have just grown too tall.

This week I've sowed more Pansy (in the hope of getting more of the beautiful lavender flowers) and Sweet Cicely seeds, a new venture for me. Some of the Sweet Pea pods have gone dry and crisp so these have been harvested, with lots more to follow.

I made a dreadful mistake with the self-saved seeds of Tomato Whippersnapper. I'd read that if you leave them in water for a few days the pulp around the seed goes mouldy and floats to the top of the water, leaving behind clean seed. This seemed preferable to my previous method of rubbing them around in a metal sieve until my fingers are raw so I thought I'd give it a try. Sure enough, after a few days some of the pulp did float to the surface which I skimmed off but some was left behind so I left them for another couple of days. Imagine my horror when I checked them again to see that every one of them had begun to root!

Finally there are further signs of autumn approaching with lots of berries on the Ivy, Honeysuckle and Jasmine and huge orange fruits on the Passiflora. The birds are in for a treat.

Georgie

Enjoying my leave

The weather this week has been much better than forecast so I've been able to enjoy the first week of my fortnight's holiday pottering in my garden and visiting much grander ones.

The picture is of Myddleton House Gardens, the former home of plantsman EA Bowles. The garden is a modest four acres and I enjoyed a few hours wandering around in the sunshine marvelling particularly at all the beautiful trees. I'll definitely be going back in the autumn to enjoy the colours and again next spring to see the national Iris collection and the wild flower meadow. As I left I couldn't resist a look over the plants for sale and it seems that Myrtles are like buses, you wait for ages and then two come at once! After my 99p bargain last week there was another one shouting 'take me home' which I did, for the princely sum of £1.75. This one hasn't got any flower buds but it's nice and bushy so I just had to have it.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours tidying up the front garden. The Pyracantha which my OH cut down to about 4 feet in the spring had shot up to about 8-10 feet again so that was given a further prune as was the Choisya Sundance and Lavender, both of which are growing too big for the space available. The whole thing needs a make over really but as we need new windows, I'll not do anything until next spring as I don't trust the builders not to trample on the plants. Then I think the Pyracantha and Choisya will have to go.

I've pricked out the Wallflowers which will be planted in containers with Tulips in autumn. I've also started potting up the Pansies in containers for some winter colour. There's lots more to do on that front including the hanging baskets.

When I was at the nursery last weekend I noticed that they are stocking a new Organic and peat free compost by Miracle Grow. It's not cheap at £4.99 for a 56 litre sack but I thought I'd give it a try. When I opened a sack yesterday the compost was black and crumbly with no unpleasant odour (unlike the New Horizon compost I bought earlier in the year which was woody with the odd sack smelling a bit unpleasant). I'll be using it for my spring containers so it'll be interesting to see how it fairs.

Georgie

Late Summer

There are a number of signs that autumn is not far off: the mornings are noticeably cooler; the nights are drawing in; there are glossy black berries on the Elder; the leaves on the Tree Spinach are starting to turn; and there are spiders' webs everywhere.

This weekend I've harvested Coriander, Physallis and Tomato Whippersnapper seeds and the Fennel isn't far behind. I pricked out Chives, Parsley and Hesperis and the Wallflowers and Aquilegias will be next.

This has been my best year ever for Cucumbers and Raspberries, the Tomatoes have also been good (although I won't growing 'Tumbling Tom' again as the flavour is poor) but I only got two Beetroots which was disappointing. I'm still pondering what to grow as my 'experimental edible' next year but I suspect it will probably be another fruit, as these seem to do much better in containers than vegetables.

I had a trip to my local nursery yesterday and picked up some bargains. First was Cordyline 'Torbay Red' shown in the photo. I've long fancied owning one and I love the colour of the leaves of this particular variety. It was only £5 and I think it looks rather good in this terracotta container. I've put it in the semi-shaded border (a bit of a risk as they like full sun) to add some autumn/winter colour. If it looks unhappy I'll move it to the sunny patio.

I was looking for plants for winter hanging baskets to complement the Pansies I've grown from seed, but I couldn't find anything suitable. So it looks as though I'll have to use the existing grasses and greenery again and refresh the compost. But as I wandered around I couldn't resist a few of their 99p herbs and bought a Salvia 'hot lips', another Monarda didyma and to my absolute delight a Myrtle in full bud! I also picked up an unnamed Hebe which has purple stems and young leaves.

I hit lucky in the container section too as many were half price. I wanted six for my plant stand and I managed to find five of the right size and colour. I decided to get them anyway in the hope I'll be able to pick up another one to match on a future visit.

Finally, I couldn't resist a wander around the spring bulbs. I think the shorter varieties look best in containers and I already have plenty saved from last year but I was certain I could squeeze in a few more. So I bought Narcissus Spring Dawn (a nice early variety), Narcissus Bellsong (one of my favourites) and Tulip Freeman, a nice apricot colour with the added bonus of fragrance.

Georgie

Super harvest time

This was my harvest a few days back and I've been picking pretty much the same amount every other day with the exception of the ridge Cucumbers which are much slower than the crystal lemon varieties. I've also been picking quite a few Raspberries but these never make it as far as the kitchen!

Apart from harvesting, my time in the garden at the moment is dedicated mainly to watering, dead-heading and cutting back. My Primroses and Buddleia are enjoying a second flush of flowers and rather late in the year, the Allium tuberosum is now out.

So there's not a lot to keep me occupied which is why I've taken up playing Farm Ville on Facebook. It's a bit of fun but rather addictive - so it's just as well I've only just discovered the game now I reckon!

Georgie

A passion for Passifloras

I just love Passifloras and this 'caerulea' is now five years old. It grows through the Forsythia and arches over wires to the shed and fence, attracting bees and hoverflies and producing the most lovely orange fruits.

Georgie

Wildlife friendly garden update

I made this insect house yesterday. It's an old terracotta wine bottle cooler, stuffed with hollow twigs and canes of various diameters, wedged into the forsythia about 60cm off the ground above the log pile and pond. (An old 2 litre water bottle would work just as well but I think the terracotta is more aesthetic.) I'm hoping that lacewings, ladybirds and possibly solitary bees will like it and make it their home for the winter.

I think it's safe to say that using peat-free compost has been a success as my Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Physallis have grown as well this year as they did last year: I just wish is was easier to got hold of supplies. And I still haven't been able to source a peat-free seed and cutting compost either so once I'd run out of leaf mould I had to resort to JI No. 1.

There is no doubt that bees love my garden but my attempt to attract a wider variety of butterflies has failed miserably. As I don't grow brassicas the whites are always welcome but it would be nice to have some of the prettier ones too. That said, I do have some lovely little day flying moths so I guess I'll have to be satisfied with them.

The wildlife pond, after a promising start, has also been a disappointment. Yes, there are frogs in the garden, I see the odd one and find their droppings everywhere, but little else seems to have taken up residence and the pond plants have been pretty unspectacular too: the Caltha palustris died; Veronica beccabunga only flowered for a very short time; and I've had no flowers/seed heads on the Typha minima.

To end on an upbeat Mr and Mrs wood pigeon still visit at least twice a day and other birds are using the feeders although I rarely see them. And something is nesting in the Ivy - possibly blackbirds, although I've only heard noises so far.

Georgie

Another reorganisation

The patio plants were looking a bit dull because the Lilies have gone over, the Heliotropes are taking an age to come into full flower and the French Lavenders have not grown anywhere near as big as I'd expected, so I decided to have a reorganisation. So I moved the pots of Lilies and Lavender, put the Skimmias in their place, put Hyssop, a purple Chilli and Basil in front of them, then the Heliotropes and finally a window box of blue Laurentia in the front. Flanked by the box balls and blue Fescue it all looks a lot more cheerful now.

I've had a good harvest of three Cucumbers, about a dozen Tomatoes, and lots of Raspberries and Physallis in the last few days. But on the down side the Courgette didn't survive the snail attack and the Beetroot are still at a stand still.

The trailing Rosemary cuttings have rooted well so I potted them up into individual pots today. The Parsley and Chive seedlings are almost ready to prick out as are the Wallflower seedlings and they were only sown a week ago! The young Pansies in modules are starting to flower - all yellow this time so far - and the Polemoniums and Ox-eye Daises are looking nice and sturdy. Oh and I cut the grass at long last.

Georgie

Taking it easy

This is the pretty Calendula 'Sherbet Fizz' which I managed to rescue after it was severely attacked by the slimies. I've had two flowers out so far and there are quite a few more buds to follow. So it's not going to be spectacular but it's special all the same.

August is a fairly quiet gardening month for me which means I have plenty of time to sit and watch the insects and plan for next year. Today for instance I think I saw my first ever humming bird hawk moth. That said it wasn't making a humming noise so perhaps it wasn't but it was certainly fascinating to watch on the Buddleia. There were plenty of bees and hoverflies around - the latter favouring the Fennel - and the usual white butterflies. I've even spotted a couple a native ladybirds this week which cheered me up after all the Harlequins of late.

Some of the seeds I've sown in the last couple of weeks have germinated including Ox-eye Daisies, Evening Primroses, Chives, Radish, Parsley and Spring Onion. I've potted on three French Lavender plants I grew from seed earlier this year but I have to say they are looking rather sickly. I've sown seeds of Wallflowers and Digitalis 'Tinkerbell' and newly in flower this month are Galtonia, Centratherum, Fuchsia Carmel Blue, Birds Foot Trefoil, Sunflower and Hyssop.

Tomorrow I'm going to Regents Park for a wander around and a picnic. It'll be interesting to see how their plants are fairing in this strange summer we are having in London.

Georgie

On closer inspection

Wandering around the garden first thing I was pleased to see that my first Crystal Lemon Cucumber of the season is just about ready to pick. This fruit is on the 'spare' plant I couldn't bear to throw away and it's growing in a container squeezed into the sunny border. But this set me wondering why this plant was doing so well - it's covered in small fruits - whereas the Courgette in a container next to it seems to be struggling. So I decided to pull the container out of the border for a closer look.

First I discovered that the three little fruits (each about 10cm long) had been eaten from behind. Then, moving the foliage back I spotted the main problem immediately. The slimies (snails I think) have gnawed the growing stem so that it is only about half the thickness it should be. I can't help thinking that this means that the plant isn't able to take on board as much water as it needs for the fruits to develop properly and I suspect it also explains why the leaves are so badly affected with powdery mildew. I am so cross! Anyway, I've moved the plant to 'the sanctuary' but I don't hold out much hope for it. I won't rule out growing Courgettes again next year but I'm going have to have a rethink about varieties and location.

Georgie

View from the kitchen

This is the long view of the garden taken yesterday and yes, I know the grass needs cutting! I spent most of my time weeding the driveway (again) yesterday as well as having a general tidy up, dead-heading and cutting back things like the Jasmine which has been making the most of the rain.

On the edibles front I'm harvesting Tomatoes, Physallis, Chillies, Raspberries and Alpine Strawberries and I think the first of Crystal Lemon Cucumbers will be ready in a matter of days. I'm still waiting to pick the first Courgettes and Beetroot as they both seem very slow to develop. Oh and the seed of the purple Radishes I sowed last week have germinated so I'm looking forward to trying them in a few weeks time.

Georgie

Having a rest

I've caught a nasty cold so I'm resting at home today. But the sun came out this afternoon so I decided to take a walk down the garden 'to clear my head'. There were lots of small and large white butterflies around but what caught my eye was a number of speckled bush-crickets, the one pictured is on a Tomato plant. I've always wondered what the difference was between a cricket and a grasshopper but my trusted guide to British insects put me straight. Crickets have fine, hair-like antennae, often longer than their bodies whereas grasshoppers have much shorter, fatter antennae. You learn something every day. Time for another lie down now!

Georgie

The rain held off

This is the second of the three types of 'experimental' hanging baskets I'm growing this year, with Dianthus 'Siberian Blues' replacing the Cyclamen from the winter arrangement.

Today's gardening started with yet more seed sowing, this time Parsley, Chives, Hesperis, Radish and Spring Onions. I took half a dozen cuttings of scented Pelargonium 'Candy Dancer' and after giving the Tricolour Sage a 'haircut', I put about 10 cuttings in a glass of water to root. I have no need for 10 new plants of course but if more than a couple take then I'll pass them on to anyone who can use them.

I rearranged some of the containers (again!) and as I did so, I found quite a number of snails lurking. I threw them in the sack of woody cuttings for recycling and hope they don't escape! I also discovered that the slimies had completely eaten one of the Nepeta plants (which was about 30cm tall) leaving just the stalk. On the other hand the last of the Calendula plants - which I thought they'd also completely ruined - has made a come back and has three flower buds, one just beginning to show some colour. It's in the area I now refer to as 'the sanctuary', a narrow passageway which runs down the side of the house where I have one of the greenhouses and my potting bench, pots, compost etc. It's concreted there so less 'slimy friendly' and it's the only place where I can grow Tagetes with a reasonable chance of success.

But the main job of the day has been painstakingly pulling out all the dead flower heads from my various grasses. This must have taken the best part of two hours but it was well worth it as they look a lot better for it. I've saved some seeds which I'll offer in a swap on A4A.

Georgie

About to reap what I have sown

This is the first of my Tomatoes beginning to ripen. It's a bush variety called 'Whippersnapper' and I can't wait to taste it as I've not grown this variety before. I've eaten my first few Physallis this week and continue to pick Alpine Strawberries and Raspberries. Some of the Courgettes are nearly ready to harvest and the Cucumbers are going great guns too, particularly 'Crystal Lemon' which is one of my favourites. The Beetroot has fared less well but I reckon I'll be lifting my first two or three next weekend.

I've had lots of seeds germinating in the last week or so and have pricked out Welsh Poppy, Polemonium, Dicentra Alba and Aquilegia Chrysanthia. And at long last, on the third sowing, I've managed to get some Ox-eye Daisies to germinate - fresh seed sent to me by a kind poster on A4A. But it doesn't stop there. Today I sowed seeds of Evening Primrose (thanks Lorna) and self-saved seeds of Aquilegias Goldfinch, Clementine White and McKana Hybrid.

This week I've noticed far more hoverflies about who are enjoying the Lilies, Dianthus, Laurentia and Fennel in particular. The Birds Foot Trefoil is just beginning to open, the first flower on the Soapwort is out but the Centratherum and Heliotrope remain stubbornly in bud. But at least they are doing better than the Typha mimima in the pond - there's still no sign of any buds whatsoever.

Georgie

Six hours in the garden - and still more to do!

I am in love with this plant, Monarda didyma, despite the difficulties in growing it due to slugs/snails (the slimies) and powdery mildew. The leaves are aromatic, it's happy in semi shade and bees love it. And it sets seed freely I gather so hopefully I'll be able to grow more plants next year.

Well, standing pots of Tagetes on saucers of horticultural sand didn't keep the slimies away I'm afraid. I had to throw three plants away today which means I've only got three containers of these plants left. The slimies have also ruined two out of three of the Sunflowers, the Mustard, the Watercress (again, third sowing) and one container of Garlic Mustard.

At last I've finished pruning the Buddleia and I have a huge vase of beautiful blooms on my dining room table as a result. The plant looks a bit bear now (although it still has some flowers) but it'll bounce back I'm sure.

It's been a day of mainly sowing, pricking out and potting on: satisfying, but time consuming. I've sown seeds of grasses blue Fescue and bronze Carex for my winter baskets/containers. If they don't put on much growth between now and autumn I'll plant them in small 'bunches'. I pricked out more Viola seedlings into modules and planted out the larger two plants into a container along with a remaining Birds Foot Trefoil which was a 'spare' in the greenhouse. I also potted on some Fuchsia cuttings into 5" pots, two of which have flower buds.

On the edibles front I potted on the four Tomato Micro plants into their final, three litre, containers and these are on the top shelf of the greenhouse with three Greek Basil plants, potted on into 5" pots. The 'spare' Tumbling Toms were getting too big for the greenhouse so I put all three into a 12" container where they will have to take their chances. The Strawberry runners were well rooted in their little pots so I cut them off the parent plants and popped them into 5" pots. I've got eight plantlets which I will keep in the greenhouse until spring. Finally I potted up the purple Chilli plant into a three litre pot and that sits along side the yellow Chilli and Chilli Thai Hot on the kitchen windowsill.

Georgie

Hanging baskets

I've mentioned before that my winter hanging baskets kept so well this year that I decided to keep them going and just replace the Cyclamen (which rotted in the wet) with plants raised from seeds in the greenhouse, giving them a top dressing of fresh compost mixed with slow release organic fertiliser.

Well Jo, one of my followers, asked for a photo so here it is. In the centre of the basket is bronze Carex which has very attractive seed heads. I have no idea what the trailing, Ivy-like, green plant is and the colour is provided by trailing Sweet Pea 'Cupid mixed'. I have two basket like this. Two others contain Dianthus 'Siberian Blues' which are also looking good. The final two have Bird's Foot Trefoil in and these, so far, are the most disappointing as the plants are taking a long time to put on any decent growth and have yet to flower. But the plant has very pretty leaves and if it does eventually flower then I think it will be fine. Ever the optimist!

Georgie

A trip to the Nursery

I needed a few bits and pieces - seed compost, organic tomato feed, pea shingle and six ornamental containers for my pot stand - so I took a trip to my favourite nursery, Clockhouse, opposite Forty Hall, yesterday. Sadly they didn't have six suitable matching containers and slightly disappointed, I decided to treat myself to this beautiful Fuchsia instead. It's a hardy bush type called Gartenmeister Bonstedt and is already over 60cm tall. I love everything about it from the distinctive leaf colouring and the ruby red stems to the wonderful coral/brick colour of the flowers and the way they hang in bunches. (It's very similar to 'Thalia', a Fuchsia I've always admired but never thought about buying before.) I've placed it at the house end of the shady border to replace two Lilies which have just finished flowering.

I gave all the edible plants a good liquid feed yesterday. I haven't bothered with this in the past because I always add a slow release granular feed to the containers at the start of the season but I thought I'd give it a go and see if it makes any difference to the yields. I think I'm doing this partly because I'm slightly sceptical about the peat free compost after the low yields with the first early potatoes and partly because everything I read seems to suggest regular 'quick acting' fertilisers.

I've continued pruning back the Buddleia and Jasmine as the flowers go over because both continue to grow at an alarming rate. Newly in flower this week are Eucomis, Lily White Paradise, Passiflora and Fuchsias Hawkshead and Rocket Fire. The Agapanthus will be out any day and I have tiny buds just appearing on Centratherum and Heliotrope.

I'm still harvesting a variety of seeds although my Wallflowers seem to be taking forever to dry properly. And it's cutting time for lots of plants. I've taken a dozen from the prostrate Rosemary as I have it in mind to try them in the winter hanging baskets with Violas and Bronze Carex, both of which I'll grow from seed. (The Violas are already pricked out into modules and I'll sow the Carex this week.) The next task will be taking scented Pelargonium cuttings and then Fuchsias, as I find non-flowering stems.

Georgie

It's worth having a few spare plants

This is the 'surprise' Pansy I mentioned in my last post which came from self-saved seed of a very simple yellow-flowered plant. I think it's rather beautiful so I am going to try and breed it. I'll gather and sow seeds and also attempt some cuttings when I find out how to do them.

Thank goodness I grew two Courgette plants. The bigger of the two in the veg plot was attacked by slugs/snails and the growing tip was completely eaten away. It had about half a dozen flower buds in various stages of development but as they were all male I decided to ditch the plant. Fortunately the one in a container in the sunny border is doing well(filling the gap where I was planning to grow Ipomoea but not one seed germinated) and I think I have two female flowers although it's hard to see with all the foliage.

Removing the Courgette plant I noticed that the slugs/snails have also had a good nibble of the leaves of the Passiflora edulis I planted out in its final container last week. I'll give it a week or so to see if it recovers, otherwise I'll have to bring out the spare which is still in the greenhouse.

None of the seeds I broadcast in the sunny border have come to anything so I planted out Knautia and Red Valarian which I have been growing in small pots. If these take then the border is full for this year.

I was cross to see that two flower stems of the Monarda had been completely snapped off. The culprits are either my cat, Timmy Tiger, or the wood pigeons I think. Timmy is a large, daft and clumsy cat who is forever chasing things real or imaginary in the garden. The wood pigeons are also clumsy and the plant was rather too close for comfort to the bird feeding station so I've moved it back a few feet.

Georgie

A good tidy up

A little bit of rain and plenty of hot sunshine in the past week has meant lots of plants are in bloom or bud and some of the shrubs have gone berserk! So this weekend I've had a good tidy up and a bit of a reorganisation.

Ornamentals

The first of my longiflorum Lilies, White Heaven (photo), opened yesterday. This plant has a very strong, lemony scent which is just gorgeous. It has been a bit of a Lily beetle magnet this year I'm afraid but I've just about kept on top of them by squishing the beetles and removing the larvae with damp kitchen roll. A disgusting job but very necessary.

Another plant out this week was Monarda didyma, also known as Bee Balm. It has the most beautiful flowers which bees love but sadly is very prone to powdery mildew. I've been spraying the leaves regularly with a bicarb solution which helps but doesn't cure the problem.

I've had four surprises on the flowering front this week, only one of them pleasant. First was the Dianthus 'Siberian Blues' which was billed as the first true blue Dianthus only it isn't: it's deep lavender. Second was Nasturtium 'Empress of India' which is supposed to have deep wine coloured flowers. I thought this would look lovely in front of some of my Fuchsia Beacon plants but unfortunately the flowers are deep orange so there's an awful clash. Third was Fuchsia Ant & Dec which rather than white and dark purple is in fact pink and pale lavender. Then finally the self-saved seeds of simple yellow pansies came up the most wonderful creamy-yellow with a lilac tinge to the petal edge and with very distinctive markings. You win some, you lose some.

I have finished potting on the last of the Tagetes and these are now dotted around the Tomato plants, each one standing in a tray of horticultural sand to see if this will deter the slugs. I also potted on Hebe, Fuchsia Rocket Fire, Calendula and some Sage cuttings I'd rooted in water.

Now that the Strawberries have finished I've taken them off the ornamental iron pot stand and replaced them with six Pelargonium Quercifolium plants which are in full flower. They look really attractive there and as you brush past (something you can't help doing in a garden as narrow and packed as mine) you get a lovely whiff of their Cedar scented leaves.

The shady corner needed a good reorganisation as some things have gone over and others (like the Monarda and Fennel) are coming into their own. As I moved the containers around I found dozens of slugs and snails clinging to the pots so I 'rehoused' them over the fence!

As the first of the flowers on the Buddleia are fading I'm cutting the stems back by two-thirds. This will bring the plant back to a more manageable six feet of so, rather than the ridiculous 10 feet plus it's reached in the last week. And I've also cut back some of the Jasmine nearest the house as it was casting too much shade over the plants on the patio. This has also had the added bonus of letting more sunlight reach the Passiflora which I have growing through it.

There are quite a few plants temptingly showing colours to their buds now including Agapanthus, Eucomis, Galtonia and Centratherum. A few new Poppies open every day but I do wish they would last a bit longer. It's been quite breezy and I'm lucky if they last a day.

Wildlife

The garden has been full of large white butterflies in the last few days, favouring the Nasturtiums and Buddleia. The bumble bees are enjoying the Digitalis and Jasmine and I have too many Harlequin ladybirds to count. The latter is good news on the aphid front but bad news for our native species and lacewings too I gather. I've read that there's nothing that amateur gardeners can do about them to make any difference so I'll leave them be.

Georgie

Edibles update

I have never grown Courgettes before so I was pleasantly surprised by the size and beauty of my first flower which opened yesterday. There must be at least ten buds on both of my plants so far so hopefully it won't be too long before I get some fruits forming. They do take up a lot of room though, so the acid test will be in the taste.

I harvested my first Broad Bean pod this week: it contained three delicious beans which I ate raw. The other pods are still tiny but I'm ever hopeful that they will reach harvesting size.

Another first of the season was a ripe autumn fruiting Raspberry, hopefully the first of many from my half dozen or so canes.

I've got quite a number of good sized cherry tomatoes on Whippersnapper and Micro now but they are all still green. That said, if only half of the flowers out so far set fruit and ripen I'll be giving bags away because they are just so prolific this year.

My Strawberries have finished now so I'm waiting for the runners to put down decent roots before I discard the old plants. On the other hand the Alpine Strawberries are only just beginning to give a decent crop so they should keep my granddaughter going for a while!

I think I'm going to give up trying to grow Coriander. Of my three plants, two just wilted and died over night and the third I noticed has started to run to seed.

But to end on an positive note all my little Greek Basil plants are looking good and the one Sweet Basil plant is growing really well. I love the smell and taste so can't wait to get picking.

Georgie

Wildlife update

I have lots of ladybird larvae in my garden this year (first photo) and they are turning into ladybirds like the one shown in the second photo. At first glance they look like 14 spots but I'm pretty certain that they are Harlequins as they are too big for our native species.

The Buddleia has been out for about a week but the only butterflies I've seen are large whites. I'm really disappointed. On the other hand I'm still getting plenty of bees and hoverflies so it's not all bad news.

I have not seen my second froglet all week so it's either dead or it's turned into a frog and hopped out of the pond. I do hope it's the latter. The pond plants look healthy but there is no sign yet of seed heads on the Typha Minima.

And on the bird front the only regular visitors are the pair of wood pigeons who are eating me out of house and home! They are comical though and their regular visits cheer me up, if only because they take absolutely no notice of my cat who sits under the feeder lashing his tail at them and mewing pitifully!

Georgie

Another busy day

We had one or two short sharp showers here this morning but since then it has been a perfect day for gardening. So I had no excuse and spent the best part of the day outside.

Ornamentals

This week has seen a number of flowers come into bloom including Borage (photo), Passiflora, Verbena Bonariensis and Fuchsias Tom Thumb, Lady Boothby, Beacon and Ant & Dec. I moved three of the Tagetes plants into the greenhouse to join the Tomato Micros and hit on the idea of standing them in a tray of horticultural sand as an experiment to see if it will deter the slugs and snails.

In the sunny border I planted out three Centratherum plants behind the Aquilegias which I've cut back now they have finished flowering. The Centratherum is billed as 'attractive, fluffy, lavender-blue, button-like flowers produced all summer on bushy plants with unusual, pineapple fragrant foliage. Very heat and drought tolerant, attracting butterflies and adding fragrance.' So I just had to try it! The border is parched so I made the planting holes much bigger than the size of the pots, filled them with water and once they had drained added potting compost and bone meal before I popped the plants in. Then I gave them a very good soaking to ensure they were settled.

The Pansy seeds I sowed a few weeks back have germinated well so I pricked them out into modules and popped them in the greenhouse where I hope they will make nice sturdy plants for my winter hanging baskets. I noticed that the Solanum (Winter Cherry) had self-seeded everywhere in the window box so I pricked out some of the seedlings into modules to make more plants for winter containers. I sowed self-saved seeds of Dicentra Alba and collected Aquilegia and Pulmonaria seeds as the cases were beginning to open. I'll let them dry out completely before sowing.

The Pelargonium Candy Dancer plants have all had a growth spurt so I potted them up into their final containers for the year. I potted on a few other things too including three Box cuttings I took last year which now have nice strong roots.

Edibles

I've pegged down more Strawberry runners into small pots to increase my stock for next year. And with a bit of reorganisation I've manged to find room for the two Courgette plants - one in the border and one in the veg plot. I had a good look at the Broad Beans today and I've got about ten pods in total. I hope they'll reach eating size soon because I really could make much better use of the space the two containers are taking up. There are lots of fruits on the Physallis, a good few green Raspberries and some green Tomatoes on Micro and Whippersnapper. But sadly I've had to throw away most of the pots of red onion sets as the slugs have eaten all the foliage and I've had to move the Parsley too for the same reason. Grrr!

Georgie

Yes, it's a rose!

Ornamentals

I know I'm unusual but I'm not a great fan of roses: some smell beautiful and the simpler forms can be pleasing to behold but quite frankly I don't think they 'earn their keep' in a small garden so I don't grow them. But the one in this photo caught my eye at Hatfield House yesterday because it was such a delicate shade of apricot. Mind you, it was covered in tiny black beetles which I had to blow away before taking the snap. So typical of roses, if the wind and rain doesn't ruin the petals the pests and diseases will get them!

It seems that almost every day I have something new in bloom. Over the weekend the first of my dwarf Sweet Pea 'Cupid mixed' flowers opened and they are a lovely shade of deep purple. The Jasmine is a 'white froth' now and smells heavenly, particularly in the evening. I have massive flower heads out on the Buddleia which is far too big for the garden at over 9 feet high, even 'though it's on dwarf root stock and was heavily pruned back in February. I haven't touched it since (apart from reducing wayward branches blocking the path) because I wanted to see if it would bloom earlier, but it hasn't made much difference. So next year I'll go back to pruning out the growing tips after every four leaves in the hope of a shorter, more managable shrub. And all the Tagetes on the kitchen windowsill are out too. I'll be moving them to the greenhouse and outside over the next few days as I find room for them - then watch the slugs and snails arrive. :(

Wildlife

Some good news and bad news. Thanks to a thread I saw on A4A I've noticed that I have a number of ladybird chrysalises in the garden. They will probably turn out to be Harlequins but that's the way of things here in London these days.

The sad news is that I found one of my froglets dead in the pond today. I gave it a checking over but couldn't see any obvious reason for its demise. It had back legs and tiny front legs and the tail was beginning to wither. It's such a shame that it got that far but didn't make it.

Georgie