Theatre, darling, but not as we know it ...

There are some plants which have a special aura, and have a seemingly immense power over people. Think of dahlias, chrysanthemeums and sweet peas, for example, people love them so much, they change the course of their lives. There is also great flower power and magic in ... the Auricula.

The Victorians loved them so much that they built 'Theatres' to display them to advantage and apparantly miners and weavers in the North, used to carry the theatres on their back to Auricula shows . Now, I don't think that is how the Auriculas travelled to the display I saw today, but they were treated, I am sure, with the same amount of reverence !

We were in the North East for the weekend, and I couldn't resist a 'horticultural opportunity' when it presented itself. In a windblown marquee, in Saltwell park, Gateshead, the Northern Section of the Auricula & Primula Society, were displaying some lovely plants, and also selling some little guys !

They looked good enough to eat !

I have never grown Auriculas before, but have always thought I would enjoy them very much, probably too much ...  probably slipping into obsessive behaviour ...

I got 3 each of Red Gauntlet, Avril Hunter and Lilac Domino. They will probably flower next year, assuming I don't manage to kill them off first !

I was given lots of good advice about how to treat them nicely, and directed towards  www.auriculas.org.uk for further help.

My 9 new babies would be lost in a Theatre, but as soon as I have acquired enough to fill the 'stage' I would love to set one up. Until then I will overwinter them in my unheated greenhouse, putting them outside in the Spring. I was considering putting them into terracotta pots but was advised that plastic is actually preferred as they stop excessive drying out in summer.

Pansies pecked by pesky pigeons...

If you have these ...

And you want these ...

You may just have to accept that you will end up with these ...

I have about a dozen fantail doves and I really love them. They add a whole new dimension to the garden and I love watching them living their lives -  courting, nesting (they make rubbish nests !) and raising their babies.  

My doves are very sociable and often have parties and sleep-overs with others in the neighbourhood, so we can have up to about twenty loafing about in the garden, looking for things to interest them. Sadly, it appears that they have become far too interested in the new leaves of my pansies and primroses, growing in the pots at the back door. Over the last couple of months, these poor plants have failed to thrive or grow, and then, eventually, have turned up their toes and died. I have even been looking for signs of pests in the pots, thinking that slugs or snails were responsible for the demise of the plants. It was my husband who finally pointed out the true culprits were the innocent looking doves in the dovecote, who have been snacking on all that tasty young growth!

'Cinderella' and the old Broom !

I looked at this little corner today and knew there had to be some *sweeping* changes ! Brooms tend to be short-lived anyway, and this poor thing has been bending further over as each year passes ! I thought about staking it to hold it upright, but it wouldn't have any of it.

So, it had to go... Mercifully it was shallow rooted, so digging it up was an easy task.

The bed is just a blank canvas at the moment, but lurking just beneath the soil are various Hostas, with delphiniums behind them. There is a young hedge of Berberis Thunbergii Atropururea planted in front of the fence. So I wanted something to complement all those plants, and something to give a little height too.

Here it is when the Hostas are at their best, and just before the delphiniums began to flower.

Now, last year I took LOADS of rose cuttings, most of which are now growing on strongly, and some of which are ready to be planted out from the greenhouse, where they have been protected over winter.

I selected a healthy, vigorous baby 'Cinderella', a most gorgeous, full petalled pink climber, which is a repeat-flowerer from late Spring to the frosts. It will grow to about 2m if you let it. 

I planted it royally! I dug a deep hole, lined it with four year old well rotted manure, added a slow release rose fertiliser, planted the cutting (without any angst about whether the union should go above/ below soil level!!) and mulched with manure. 

It was only then I realised the fatal flaw in my planning ... 'Cinderella' is a climber and it had nothing to climb up ! Being a 'make-do-and-mend' gardener at heart, I got some canes and some wire and some old chicken wire ... then half remembered something that was lurking at the back of the shed !

At the end of last summer, ever watchful for a bargain, I bought a discounted obelisk, which I promptly put in a dark corner of the shed for the winter, then almost - but not completely - forgot ! It was flat- packed, but my man-who-does whipped his screwdriver out and built it pretty damn quick !

Just the jobkins !

So, there you have it ... the story of Cinderella and the old Broom !!

Making babies the Hellebore way ...

I played at creation today ! I helped my Hellebores to get it on and do their thang ! I have read about how to create your very own, unique Hellebore, but never had a go. I am aware that the majority of the flowers are beginning to fade, and time is running out, so I got out in the Spring SUNSHINE  and got creative ! I took the tools of the trade out with me - a ribbon and a biro ! This is my first attempt, and I had very rudimentary instructions from a friend. I am sure there are lots of you out there who have lots of knowledge and experience to pass on !

First I selected a good looking flower, one that I felt was worthy to use as a parent of my brand new strain. I love the spotty ones, so chose a pale speckled flower to be 'dad', in the prime of its life, with very luxurious stamens, hopefully loaded with pollen.

Then I chose 'mum', a darker purple with cream stamens. I rubbed the biro to create static, then brushed it into and across the stamens, hopefully taking lots of pollen with me. Then I transferred the pollen to the stigma of the 'mum; plant by wiping the pen (and pollen!) around the stigma. I did this three times, just to increase my chances of success. Just for the record, the pen in the photo is 'posed' nowhere NEAR the stigma, which is central!

To identify 'mum', I tied a ribbon around her neck, so she is very visible. The next job was to carefully remove the stamens from the flower, to stop self- fertilisation. The advice I had was to cover the flower with a light cloth, like cheesecloth, to stop any bees getting to it - but there ain't no bees in this cold !

 I will keep checking to see the progress of the ripening, fertilised seed, and I will harvest it when it is ripe. I will make sure I do it on a dry day, just before the seed is ready for dispersal. Next job is to sow the seed in May/ June when it is fresh, and is surface sown and not covered. Then, all I have to do is keep watered and wait for my new and unique little seedlings.

If Monty Don says it, then it must be right ...

Right at the bottom of the garden are about 25 red Cornus (Dogwood), planted in a horseshoe shape, to provide an inner band of planting around the boundary, to give interest and privacy. They are just starting their third season, but have had a poor start due to dry conditions, and more shade than I initially thought there would be.  Because of this I have left them to their own devices - until yesterday !  I cruelly pruned them all hard back - why ? because Monty Don said so ! And whatever Monty says is right as far as I am concerned ! Pruning hard back should make for stronger, branched growth this season. I have also cut back overhanging branches over the winter, to reduce the shade.

So, there I was , with an armful of prunings and what did I do ? What Monty Don suggested, that's what ! He said to just push the prunings into the ground in the likelihood that they will root. Job jobbed !

I still had a (smaller) armful so I potted up smaller prunings in pots of about 8 and put them in the greenhouse, to take their chance. I potted them up in general potting compost, dipping them in Hormone rooting gel first. If I am unsure of what to do, I always use my mum's mantra, which is  "They have 2 chances - live or die, so let them take it !" I won't have lost anything if they fail to root so it is always worth a try.

I still had an (even smaller) armful of prunings left, so I put them all in a vase in the house and they look so lovely. So there was nothing left from my pruning to go on the compost heap!

'Illumination across the nation ...'

Whilst these 3 young plants might not look very exciting at the moment, they are the all- singing, all - dancing new Foxgloves which took Chelsea by storm last year.They are 'Illumination Pink' and my friend and I have been waiting for them for a l-o-n-g  time. We ordered them from Thompson & Morgan very soon after Chelsea and of course, everyone wanted them, so we had to wait in line. Although they were delivered about 6 weeks ago, I have only just taken delivery as my friend has been growing them on in her conservatory, her greenhouse being deemed too cold for such special (and expensive) charges.

They are a hybrid, so are sterile and will not set seed, thus giving a long flowering period. One of the parents is the Canary Island Foxglove, which has supposedly given 'Illumination' its exotic colouring. It is a semi evergreen perennial, unlike most Foxgloves which are biennial.

I will wait until it is warmer before planting it out, even though it is hardy, and will harden it off a bit, as it has been in a heated environment.

Although I have read about this plant I have not spoken to anyone who is actually growing it, so I don't know if the claims for it are wildly exaggerated or not. Is anyone out there nurturing one as we speak ? I would love to know how it is doing !