February 2023

The daffodils are looking lovely, I have some crocus too all sitting together in a pot. Tulips are starting to appear.

I’ve made a decision about the border. Following the mass destruction of various seedlings to heat or cold I am now just going to plant bulbs and tubers. It’s amazing how many bulbs there are that flower at different times of the year – I know you all knew that! So I’ve gone for some Dahlias and Lilies. Also I noticed that my Hebe’s did well, Snapdragons and Penstemon all survived too. In fact I have one seedling left and I think it’s a Snapdragon.. I’ll let you know!

The chillies and onions are growing slowly which is fine as long as they don’t stop like they did last year. My seed potatoes are chitting in the conservatory. I’m debating which veg I should grow this year. I’m going to make a container veg patch round the fruit trees and bushes. The kids want me to grow carrots, I have some Spring Onion seeds and more herb seeds than I know what to do with. I also have a lot of salad leaf seeds. Maybe a lettuce patch?

January 2023

Oh my it’s been a long time since I wrote a gardening post! So first of all a very quick catch up from last year.

The cuttings and seedlings that were doing so well through October/November fell foul of the very cold weather that December brought. Everything froze and then turned to mush. Not just in the greenhouse either, I lost a few plants in the garden. I’ve pulled those that were beyond saving and cut back those that might be okay. Time will tell. I ordered a rose bush at the end of the year as I’ve always wanted one.

This month has seen my Spring bulbs start to push through, I have early daffodils flowering and for the first time ever Snowdrops. Bulbs from last year that I put in the border are also coming up. The kids and I had planters for Christmas with tulips in them and we did those at the start of the month.

I also sowed onion and chilli seeds, both I am pleased to say have germinated. They are on a heated propagator in the conservatory.

I have another pack of chilli seeds and some Verbenas I could sow this month (February) I’ll keep those inside too since we are still in winter!

September/October 2022

Double the update! I just have to try and remember all the things that happened.

The potatoes didn’t really happen. There wasn’t very many of them and they weren’t very big, but they were tasty and I got a couple of meals out of them.

The tomatoes did quite well in the end though I did end up ripening the last few on the windowsill. In related news my basil plants are still going strong. It’s lovely to have fresh herbs to cook with.

Blueberry bush is looking very autumnal!

Because of the lovely weather everything is still flowering, far from putting the garden to bed it still looks like summer out there. I have self seeded Violas, Snap Dragons, Cyclamen, Sweet Williams, Carnations, Fuchsia all are in bloom.

The greenhouse is full of seedlings, cuttings and plants that I’ve got ready for next Spring, though if it stays warm the Dahlia may be able to go outside, it’s certainly big enough.

Also I’ve been collecting fallen leaves to make leaf mould. I’m not sure how successful that was this year. The top layer was bone dry and the bottom a soggy mess. However I put in on the border and round the trees anyway. Since it costs me nothing to try again I’m having another go.

Lastly I’ve been planting my Spring bulbs. Tulips and Daffodils. Hopefully the tulips will do better next year.

August 2022

I think August is more a month for sitting back and enjoying the garden rather than beavering away in it everyday. That is not to say I haven’t done anything though!

The flower chair is more or less complete with the addition of winter flowering pansies, which together with the apple tree, fuchsias, the completed section of wall and the little fox water bowl is probably my favourite corner of the garden.

The tomatoes are ripening slowly.. one by one….

My cuttings rooted and now living happily in pots on my windowsill, along with the best herbs I’ve managed this year. Plants do like my windowsill!

Finally put the last piece of edging on the border so it reaches the wall at the top of the garden. Just need to back fill with compost.

Today I bought some crocus and daffodil bulbs. Just one pack of each, enough to fill a couple of pots. I also got some cyclamen, not sure where those are going yet.

My autumn potatoes are doing really well.

The continued lack of rain dried my lawn out, however regular watering courtesy of my son’s water table means the collection of weeds that forms it are now green again! I don’t use a hosepipe, there’s no need. A watering can does the job just as well.

All my containers, the borders, the pots with trees in are all filled with peat free compost. Now I won’t lie, I’ve had problems with growing some things this year but that was due to my own mistakes, plants in the wrong place and exceptional weather. Not the compost. Peat free compost can be variable, I get a mid priced one, well under £10 and I have no issues with it. In fact the compost I used for the border was less than a fiver. The reason I use compost is because there isn’t any soil in my garden. The lawn was laid on builders waste, and it’s basically field grass. Excellent for pollinators though!

July 2022

Two of the hottest days ever put paid to quite a few of my plants. The greenhouse was a disaster zone. I now only have two chilli/pepper/whatever they are plants left, both are now inside the house on the kitchen windowsill and looking better for it. All my seedlings and cuttings shrivelled to nothing. All that survived were the two big tomato plants and the strawberries.

On a brighter note my potatoes were very successful. I harvested enough to not have to buy any for a month! So I have planted more for autumn/Christmas. This is the first lot.

I made a second sowing of carrots… something ate them.. I give up with carrots! I have also made last ditched attempts at lettuce, radish and herbs. The previous crop succumbed to the very hot weather too.

I’ve been taking a few cuttings, a bit of an experiment to see if it works. According to the internet it’s a simple process, and if I get a couple of “free” plants at the end of it even better!

I do have some very pretty flowers in the garden, especially the Fuchsias. I do like those.

The weather is still very dry. We’ve had a little bit of rain but nowhere near enough and nothing forecast.

June 2022

June was quite a good month for the garden. Two of the tomato plants now occupy a whole greenhouse. We’ve had strawberries, what they lacked in size they more than made up for in taste and I’ve managed to propagate a third plant. There were blueberries also delicious. Blackberries are starting to ripen but no sign of raspberries. Might be Autumn fruiting though. The potatoes look nice and leafy, onions are still growing. Carrot seeds sown at the start of the month germinated which is an improvement on the last lot. The apple tree has an actual apple on it! a very nice surprise. Chilli plants remain the same.

Had a change about in the border, the fuchsias were not doing very well, seems that the border is full sun and they like some shade. Dug them up, put them into pots and moved them to the other side of the garden. They seem much happier now. Successfully took two cuttings from the “big” fuchsia, those are in the greenhouse. Took a Nemesia from a pot and put that in the border as it likes the sun.

Got rid of some plants that weren’t doing well at all and well that left me with space on the border and empty pots. Can’t have that! so I treated myself to some new plants today. Geraniums, Snapdragon, Carnations and a conifer. Nothing exotic but I know they will all be happy in my garden. When my ancient Garden Lilly bulbs have died back I shall put the conifer in their place. I guess that’s how gardens evolve. You put something somewhere, maybe it doesn’t work, move it somewhere else and Bingo!

The two Dahlia plants that I thought had died are now looking lovely. One has started to flower and the other won’t be far behind.

May 2022

The weather certainly improved this month, which wouldn’t be difficult! Even managed to sit out there a few times too.

The chillies, peppers and tomato plants all seemed to have reached a plateau. They are not growing but there’s nothing wrong with them either. Just lots of seedlings that refuse to grow into plants. Like kids that don’t want to become adults! Maybe it’s a Peter Pan variety..?

My trees by comparison are more than happy going about their business of growing, new branches and leaves are appearing almost daily. It’s a lovely sight to see. These are the apple and pear trees in their corners amongst the containers – which are also doing well.

My border also looks nice – If you ignore the Spring bulbs that are still dying back and the fact there isn’t a discernible colour scheme! I want to get another piece of log roll fence to finish it off properly at the top. There are Rudbekias and Sunflowers coming up alongside the Violas and shrubs.

My little “fruit patch” is doing well, the plum tree especially.

And the vegetable patch!

Can’t believe we are almost half way through the year.

I have sown some Cosmos seeds for late summer colour and also some Foxgloves for next year. Seems to me growing flowers from seeds is a lot cheaper, you get a lot more for your money.

I will let you know how that goes (or grows!) next month.

April 2022

How cold was last month!!! and dry. No April showers. I really started to wonder if I’d ever get anything planted out or indeed if any of the many plants in the greenhouse would actually start to grow.

May has so far provided the rain and the warmer weather. Suddenly everything in the garden is looking lovely.

I bought a “mini orchard” I like trees and I like fruit so win win. I have an apple tree, pear tree and plum tree. So far the pear tree is doing best. Here it is in my little fruit orchard LOL!

The greenhouse on the left of the photo is full of strawberries – which have fruit on them! tomatoes, peppers, chillies, lettuce and some flower seedlings. Everything in there has suddenly picked up.

I’ve set aside my Spring containers, leaving the tulips to die back. Daffodils, Crocuses, Muscari are now in my border so they can flower there next Spring. Once they’ve died back the fuchsias will be out and I’ve planted Rudbekias, Sunflowers and some Cosmos too.

I made a Summer container with some of them, no idea how it will turn out!

My little “Veg Patch” is doing well too. Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Spring Onions and Broad Beans.

Finally one of the Dahlias grown from seed last year has started to grow back. Hopefully the other will follow suit.

March 2022

Well now, after all the storms at the start of the month March has decided to go out in a blaze of sunshine. I’ve taken advantage of that to get another project finished.

The border I’ve been creating at the side of the lawn is finally finished. I bought some log roll fence pieces – the ones with stakes at the end so you can just hammer them into the ground – some cheap peat free compost and by Wednesday afternoon the job was done. I’ve planted some Winter Flowering Pansies that had been in containers, some Snowdrops “in the green” my friend’s Mum very kindly gave me and a couple of other odds and sods. I intend to put all this year’s bulbs in there once they’ve died back and in the meantime get some bedding plants for instant colour.

The spring bulbs I’ve been (im)patiently waiting for are now in bud! Tulips, Daffodils, Muscari and Crocuses.

I planted my seed potatoes into bags, I also planted carrots, onions and spring onions as the bags can be used for any vegetables. So we will see!

My strawberry plants are doing well in the greenhouse, the blueberry bush is covered in little flowers and both raspberry and blackberry plants have new growth. Hopefully I shall see some fruit on there this year.

The most important thing I’ve done though is to sit outside with a coffee at a table and chair set my parents kindly gave me. Lovely 🙂

February 2022

I had hoped to post many photos of my snowdrops in full bloom – but they haven’t flowered yet, or pictures of lots of chilli seedlings and onions starting to grow. That hasn’t happened either. I’m not sure what’s going on but after a flying start everything seems to have come to a flying stop.

Maybe it’s the weather, let’s face it we’ve really had some weather this month! also my garden seems to be about two weeks behind everyone else’s so I’m hoping that it will pick up soon.

Because of the strong winds my two mini greenhouses are currently residing in the conservatory. They both blew over, I needed to get replacement fixings – which I now have- and it was a lot easier to put them in there than chase them round the garden! Hopefully this weekend I can get them back outside.

I had planned to finish the other side of the wall this month but the weather has put paid to that too. I have the stuff to do it, I just need a half decent day.

Here’s a photo from this time last year instead when apparently we had a BBQ!

March