Saturday 14 March 2009

So pleased


Just look what has appeared in my new little pond overnight! I'm delighted as you can imagine and I really hope the tadpoles develop into baby frogs this year after last year's disappointment. I've also seen a couple of bees around the flowers and spiders scurrying about in the border so it's certainly feeling very spring-like now.
Wandering around the garden I have two Honesty plants in flower - at least three weeks earlier than last year - and flower buds on Dicentra Spectabilis f.alba, Kerria and Wallflowers. This is the first time I've grown Wallflowers from seed and I'm very pleased with them so far. I can't wait for their lovely scent to waft over the patio.
Watering the plants in the greenhouse I saw that there are flower buds on a number of my scented Pelargonium cuttings and on Fuchsia Circus Spangles. A few more of the Sweet Peas have germinated and I decided to pinch out the Dianthus ' Siberian Blues' plants I grew from seed last year to make them into bushier plants. The seeds were given to me by a friend and they are billed as 'the first blue Dianthus'. It'll be interesting to see if the flowers are as blue as they look on the packet.
The next job was the one I'd been looking forward to all week - planting out my seed potatoes. I added 15cm of New Horizon organic and peat free compost on top of the crocks in the compost sack and mixed in 10-15g of organic potato food. (This is a slow release feed from Vitax which I will be able to use for all my other container grown fruit and veg.) I popped the four seed potatoes in and covered them with another 15cm of compost, firming it down well and watering thoroughly. Then it occurred to me that the cat would think it was his new loo, so I covered it with a bell cloche, vent open, to keep him off!
Last year I grew one pot of Eucomis Autumnalis and I was so pleased with them I decided to get some more this year. They arrived in the week (along with the cocoa shell mulch I'd ordered) so I planted them up in two pots. They are called 'White Dwarf' and should flower in July/August.
The last job of the day was potting on. First up were two Hebe cuttings which went into 12cm pots then Chives, Parsley, Mint, Thyme, Hyssop and Allium Neopolitanum all went into 25cm pots. Lots of other things could do with potting on or at least top dressing but that was enough gardening for one day.
Georgie

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely entry Georgie! As usual you make me feel a bit of a slouch having read what you done.
Fingers crossed that you do get frogs.
It'll be interesting to see how you get on with the potatoes. You do realise that I'll be just a tiny bit envious if you do better than me!
Happy gardening! xx

Carole said...

Thanks for your comments, Flighty. How many potatoes would you expect to get from four seed potatoes? I'm hoping to get a few meals for two but I really have no idea!

Georgie

Anonymous said...

It is very variable Georgie but you can expect a yield of around a 1lb per potato.
I'm probably planting mine later this week. xx

Carole said...

Ah right, that's helpful, I should get a few meals then and I can't wait. I'm thinking of harvesting early June but I'll have a 'furtle' first. I do hope that's the correct term!

G x

Anonymous said...

So pleased to see that your pond is already in use. I hope you manage to get little froggies this year!

I love Dicentra. It's been on my wish list for the past few years. I believe your's is the white variety? I'm on the lookout for a pink and white one.

My potatoes aren't in yet but they'll be going in soon. They're chitting nicely.

Jo.

Carole said...

Hi Jo

The Dicentra I mentioned is the white one but I also have Dicentra Formosa which is commonly known as Wild Bleeding Heart and it is dusky pink. I can't remember where I got my white one from last year but a friend also bought me one as she knew I was after one and I think she maybe have got it from Wilkinsons? The Formosa is due to be divided up this year so if you'd like a piece I could pop some in the post. :)

G x

Anonymous said...

I would love a piece of the Formosa if you think it will travel ok. Thank you.

Jo.

Carole said...

Hi Jo

I've got some used plant packaging so it should be fine. I'll sort it out on Monday and post then.

G x

Anonymous said...

Dear Georgie

I love the picture of your little frog pond - could I post it to the Garden Pond Blog? (gardenpondblog@wordpress.com)

Maybe we could follow how your baby frogs get on?

Jeremy Biggs