Tree Fern or telegraph pole ?

The Exotic Gardener (aka my partner) is celebrating his birthday today with a very apt present, which he chose himself a couple of days ago. He is partial to the exotics - palms, Tree Ferns, cordylines  etc - and wanted a new edition to his sub tropical garden

Across the great divide of the River Humber is a nursery which sells just what his heart desires, so we went along and he chose a whopper of a Tree Fern. When I asked if it would fit in our hearse-like estate car, his affirmative reply was not delivered with confidence, but with a bit of a squeak!

We made an interesting addition to the queue for the till -  him, me, a strong assistant and a horizontal tree fern on a trolley ! A couple standing behind us prodded it gingerly with their fingers, and enquired if it was alive or dead. Then I heard the man say, under his breath, that it looked more like a telegraph pole than a tree. I see just where he is coming from !

I then became intensely interested in a stand of birthday cards, until I saw from the relieved expression on the strong lad's face that the Tree Fern had actually fitted into the car. It may have fitted into the car, but I did not. I spent an uncomfortable journey home being sandpapered by the trunk every time the car braked, and squeezed into a ridiculously small space every time we cornered. Finally we arrived home and that is where the fun really began!

Yes, this is how we transported it , with one pushing whilst the other steadied ... and, yes, it is heavy !

I had a stroke of genius and positioned the little wheeled pot-stand for it to travel on, to its temporary destination. The idea was good, the pot stand was weak, and it collapsed straight away under the weight .

Also note, photo- bombing by dog number 1, while dog number 2 was hovering about behind us, hoping we would step backwards and trip over him.

At last, here it is in its temporary position, as, when all risk of frost has gone, we somehow have to get it all the way down the garden .

But, just look at the fronds on that ...

And just look at the Tree Fern dust in that ...

Take it from me, the birthday boy had to give the car an extra long birthday hoover ...

Still think a telegraph pole would have been easier !

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.

The Dark Destroyer digs indiscriminately...

If you want to grow these ...

and you have one of these ...

Don't turn your back for a second because he will do this ...

... IN THE NEW BED YOU ARE MAKING IN THE GREENHOUSE !!

Gus, aka 'The Dark Destroyer', is a lovely but, shall I say challenging boy who loves digging better than anything else in the world.

 We were in the middle of making this bed in our new greenhouse, in preparation for planting out tomatoes later in the season. We had just added barrowloads of lovely manure, when we turned our attention to something else for a nano-second and in a flash, he was in there, digging for England !

Needless to say, Ruby, the Border Collie wouldn't know how to dig, even if you handed her a spade .

He is such a handsome boy, though, I can forgive him most things , especially when he looks like this  ...

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!

Frilly pink bloomers ... !!

For a long time I thought that the only Annual Poppy was a single flower, in pink or red,  and I was glad to grow them and let them self seed in empty little nooks  and crannies.

Two years ago I was driving along a country lane when these caught my eye ...

Frilly Pink Bloomers ! Someone had naughtily fly-tipped some builder's rubble and heavy clay subsoil by the side of the road, and presumably these seeds had been in the soil and been triggered into growth.

Gardeners are patient people, by default, so I waited until I knew the seed had set, and then drove back to get me some free lovelies. The photo above is the result. Some were darker pink and others were paler, and I grew them amongst white and pink Cosmos. Of course I saved the seed and gave seed heads to interested people when we had 'Open Garden Day'. Everyone seemed mightily pleased, and I hope the frilly poppies are flourishing in their gardens too.

This season I specifically looked out for similar poppies when checking out seed catalogues and look what I found :-

I called them 'Frilly Pink Bloomers'' but now I see that they are called Peony Poppies. Look at those fantastic colours ! 

I sowed these packets today, direct, where I want them to flower, as we have, at last got a lovely warm Spring day which is perfect for planting.

Am I the only person in the world who didn't know about them ? 

Toasty warm is always best ...

I am no scientist but I do like to do my own little Heath Robinson type experiments in the garden. I like to find out what happens to similar plants subjected to different conditions.

  I have always been a bit of a wuss where temperature is concerned, and have never subjected my seedlings/ young plants to goosebumps and chattering teeth (metaphorically speaking!).  I am not a risk - taker, so have always erred on the side of caution, and kept young plants in the kitchen/ conservatory, rather than my unheated greenhouses, until there is absolutely no risk of frost.  (See previous post  'My seedling guests are confused ... '). I want them to be healthy, happy plants and so give them optimum conditions to help them to prosper.

I have grown lots of 'Bishop's Children' from seed this year, dahlias with 'Bishop of LLandaff' parentage, but in a variety of rich bright reds/ oranges with dark foliage. I have grown them successfully before and the beauty is that you never know what you will get. Very exciting!

Because I had so many, I decided to try my little experiment and keep most inside whilst putting one tray in my unheated, but very solid, greenhouse.

These are the ones kept in the warmth and light of the conservatory by day and kitchen by night. Happy, healthy, growing on fast...

 I feel so guilty ... these poor little souls were left in the greenhouse to take their chance. Still alive - just - much smaller and stockier,  and with much darker foliage. They were sown on the same day from the same packet of seeds.

Then I did the same with some Delphinium seeds ('Pacific Giant') - these are the ones in the toasty warm :-

 Hmm , spot the imposter  in the seed tray above !

Below are the ones I was cruel to, and banned to the greenhouse. I know they are hardy plants, but all babies need cherishing !

All this experimentation has only served to reinforce what I already knew, that temperature plays such a big part in happy, healthy plants.

I will have to rescue the stalwarts from the greenhouse, now, and see if they catch up to the size of the others. Watch this space ...

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!

Reasons to be cheerful ... Part 2

Yesterday it was 'Reasons to be cheerful Part 1 (inside)' and, as promised, here is 'Reasons to be cheerful ... Part 2 (outside). There ARE reasons, honestly, despite the cold !

All these things are in flower today in my garden, and, whilst it is not really a Spring garden, there is still some colour. So, in no particular order, as they say ...

The beautiful Anenome Blanda, which looks far too delicate to survive in cold conditions.

Ever cheerful, bog standard daffie !

Cheating ? Maybe a little as, strictly speaking, these are new leaf bracts rather than flowers,  but this 'Euphorbia Craigeburn' is still very colourful as it bursts into life.

Self seeded Hellebores. I have just potted up about 20 little seedlings which I found lurking under the leaves of their parents.

These Iris Reticulata are my new babies and this is the first time they have flowered. The blue is the most fantastic blue ever.

Pulmonaria loves the conditions in my garden, so much so that it self seeds everywhere ... and I just let it. The bees love it too, which is another good reason to let it go crazy. I have got some lovely pure  sapphire blue which is not out just yet - nearly but not quite.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Marathon Man of the garden this year, deserving of a 'Long Service' medal, as these Snowdrops have been in flower for AGES. I have never known anything like it in other years. It must be the continuing cold which is keeping them flowering without going over. They go well with the Euonymus next door .

So, there are reasons to be cheerful out there, although there is still an awful lot of bare soil.

Do you think we have enough? Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of the saga of the logs, the plot is very simple ! We needed some logs, knew someone who had some logs, and a bargain was struck ! The logs were delivered and there were enough to start our own wood shop ! And, tbh, some of the logs were more 'tree' than log ! However, this is all cheering stuff when you have an open fire, as you can never have too much stuff to burn. The problem was, there was nowhere to put them and they were taking over a bit...

A lorra lorra tree trunks ...

... and a lorra lorra  logs !

So now they needed their own place to call home ...

Nearly there ...

Final positioning before the logs move in ...

The logs begin to move in...

Order is restored from the chaos ...

And of course, we were 'helped' at all times by one of our 'Ungardeners'! 

'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 !

It's Easter... they were going cheep !!

It's Easter and these shrubs were going cheep ... well, to be honest, they were going cheap!

There I was cruising round 'The Range' looking for 'things - other - than- plants' when they caught my eye. They were tucked away on a 'bargain shelf', calling out to me to give them a home. How could I refuse ? They cost me £6.50 for the lot ! Two of them cost £1.00 each, and the other two cost £2 . Alright, I know they need a little tlc and a little love, but they look no worse than a lot of the shrubs in my garden right now.

The Pyracantha is as tough as old boots and is always a stalwart to grow against a wall. It will stand a little shade and won't mind the cold, so I won't waste it on a South or West facing wall. It is described only as 'Pyracantha red' so I know no more than that, but I think it is a fair assumption that the berries will be red !

The Perovskia 'Blue Spire' has silvery stems and leaves and so would look really good alongside the red stems of Cornus. It is also hardy and has, as the name suggests, lovely blue flower spikes. RHS advice is to prune it hard in early Spring to keep that lovely silver colour.

The evergreen shrub is 'Arbutus Unedo' - and I will admit to having one before and killing it off rather speedily. The RHS describe it as 'hardy' and 'large'. It is also known as the 'Strawberry tree' as it has cream flowers followed by red fruits, which resemble strawberries.

The last of my bargain buys is 'Lorapetalum Fire Dance' (say it in a Cilla Black voice!) which is a new one on me but it looks quite special. It is related to Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) and has quite similar flowers , those lovely fragrant, stringy, spidery ones, produced in late winter, early Spring. It is evergreen (ever-red), so it has a lot going for it. Hardy, but needs a bit of protection during the first few winters.

So, by my reckoning I have saved at least £20 which I can spend, with a clear conscience on yet more plants ...

My seedling guests are confused ...

Usually my seeds and seedlings know where they are in the grand scheme of things. ! They are allocated their place in my growing system, and they usually stay there, moving gently along from stage to stage, in the fullness of time. Not at the moment, however, - they are shuttled between 1 star and 5 star accommodation with dizzying speed. Usually, when all is right with the world, my seeds start life in the propagator and stay there until the majority have germinated. That is full-on 5 star accommodation, that is ! They have everything a pampered, small guest could require - warm, even temperature, heaps of light, no cold draughts, room service, the lot.

5 * -Tigerella tomato seedlings keeping their feet warm !

Then they move to the 4 star accommodation aka the Kitchen Windowsill. Admittedly, the temperature is not quite so even, but they still have daily room service and they are draught free.

4* - 'Bishop's Children' Dahlias, Aubergines and chillies 

When they are a little bigger and a little tougher, they are moved to 3 star accommodation in the conservatory. The lucky ones have a place away from the draughts of the doors, which are constantly opened by the dogs, Ruby and Gus (aka The Ungardeners). The most favoured 3 star guests can nestle up to the thick stone wall between conservatory and house, which tends to retain heat and is a bit of a micro-climate.

3 * - Delphinium 'Pacific Giant'

2 * - 'Bishop's Children' Dahlia seedlings

Less lucky seedlings have to cope with 2 star accommodation -  being on the table in the middle of the conservatory, it is draughtier, but at least it isn't near a window with the fluctuations of temperature that implies. The room is heated on cold nights like these, so it never falls below about 6 degrees.

1* - sweet peas (mixed) in the unheated greenhouse

Then there is my 1 star accommodation - the unheated greenhouse. At the moment, the only young plants braving that are my sweet peas, as they are as tough as old boots ! I am growing Cupani, T & M 'Ultimate Mix' and some native Alpujarran cultivars. The Spanish ones seem to feel the cold more than the ones bred for the UK climate, but they are hanging on in there !

Every dusk sees me running around like a loon, carrying all the seedtrays into the kitchen, so that they can all spend the night on the kitchen table, in the warm ( the equivalent of sofa- surfing I suppose!). They are ferried about mornings and evenings and are probably very confused by it all. I am finding it difficult to keep them all growing well, as, not only is it very cold, but light levels are low as well, and so windowsills are not easy either. I am constantly having to turn seed trays, and move them away from cold draughts at night. Growth is slow and I am sure I am having more casualties than usual. Because growth is slow, there is a queue of seeds waiting to go into the propagator, so the whole process is delayed.

Normal service will resume as soon as possible ... come on Spring!