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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 5, 2013 21:22:00 GMT
 Two distinct kinds of annuals.Antirrhinum Mme butterfly and stock giant excelsior |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 5, 2013 21:25:44 GMT
 Vase of mixed perennials |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 5, 2013 21:29:17 GMT
 Taratahi Ruby.This is the last picture |
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Post by SueA on Aug 6, 2013 10:00:17 GMT
Lovely flowers Derek, a good start to the show season for you!  |
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Post by Tel on Aug 6, 2013 15:00:43 GMT
I will second that Derek. |
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 6, 2013 22:08:27 GMT
Thanks, Sue and Tel .
Had a morning on the allotment. Went to the tip first with 11 sacks of weeds. Some things needed tying up again particularly the sweet peas. Then I started staking the gladioli but didn't get time to do them all.Will finish them tomorrow.
This afternoon I have just done some tidying up in the garden .I planted some verbenas that I got from a garden centre in Wales to fill gaps where other plants had died.Also potted up some rooted fuchsia cuttings.
Been to the veg meeting tonight but there was no speaker so after the business side of the meeting we just stayed chatting for a bit the came home early.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 7, 2013 22:28:00 GMT
A full days gardening today--morning and evening on allotment but Rosemary needed the car in the afternoon so I stayed at home.On the allotment I finished staking and tying the gladioli . I have about 100 but only about 5 or6 are showing a flower spike so I gave them a feed of maxicrop to hurry them on a bit.Also fed the dahlias and cabbages.Spent quite a long time disbudding and side shooting the dahlias.This is one of the jobs that have been neglected a bit because of all the weeding I have had to do.If I have seen a shoot that needed disbudding as I have walked past I have done it but now that the show season has begun I thought I had better do it properly or I won't win many prizes will I? So I went through them all systematically .
At home I cut the hawthorn hedge at the bottom of the garden which runs behind both greenhouses. It is quite a job as it is about 15 feet high.Behind the grenhouses I store all my seed trays and plant pots which are in drums and buckets.All these have to be moved out to make room for me to get behind and to put my step ladder up to cut the hedge and put back again after.When we got married 55 years ago and were looking for houses I was not interested in gardening at all, but interested in wildlife, particularly birds as I had been since I was a child.This hedge was one thing that attracted me to the house.I thought it was ideal for blackbirds nests but 55 years later it has never had a nest at all!
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Post by scrumpy on Aug 7, 2013 22:42:59 GMT
Shame the Ryecroft Zoe didn't get you a prize. What variety beat them?
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 8, 2013 22:07:55 GMT
Hi Scrumpy. Oakwood Goldcrest came first and Ruskin fantasy second.Those that came third were not named. I wish all exhibitors would name their flowers. I always do. There were 6 entries in the class.I couldn't find 3 of the same variety so I put 2 Ruskin Andrea with one Rycroft Zoe.Ruskin Diane came first in the decs.I showed some of these as well but they were not quite as clean as those that won. Anyway there are plenty more shows.I have another this Saturday.
This Saturdays show is at Edenfield which is just North of Bury from where I live.I started making preparations for it today.Sorted out the pot plants this afternoon then went to the allotment for the veg this evening. I will cut all the flowers tomorrow
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 8, 2013 22:12:12 GMT
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 8, 2013 22:20:29 GMT
This is a heptapleurum that I have successfully air layered It was too tall to go in the car to take to a show but as you can see I have got roots on the top section so I have cut it off and potted it up and discarded the bottom.I have never tried air layering before and I had almost given it up because it is several months since I started it off.I don't think I will show it this year though.I will let it get established in its pot first.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 9, 2013 21:05:00 GMT
Been getting my exhibits ready for Edenfield show most of the day.Washed the veg that needed it and sorted out which I am taking.Spent the rest of the day cutting flowers from my garden and allotment. The car is all packed up ready for an early start in the morning.Staging is from 8.00 till 12.00 and I want to be there for 8.00 if I can.
Scrumpy,I have cut 5 or 6 each of Ruskin Andrea and Rycroft Zoe so I will put in a vase of each. The Ruskin Diane were a bit marked as they were at Knowsley so I didn,t cut these. I haven't grown this before. Does it usually mark like this?. Anyway I have got Hy Fashion for the dec. class so I didn't need them.There is a class for "3 any variety". I have got L'Ancresse and Taratahi Ruby for this . There is a class for a single bloom and I have a Rose Jupiter and a Kenora Challenger for it (Tel gave me both these varieties)
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Post by scrumpy on Aug 10, 2013 8:07:09 GMT
I would put markings on the dianes to insects. A few of mine are marked and in my case it is due to thrips that I always get.I think it occurs even before the buds are just starting to open. A spray of decis, including the blooms as they are opening, is the only way in my case of getting rid and saving the bloom.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 10, 2013 22:07:58 GMT
Hi Scrumpy. Thanks for the reply about the Dianes but will you please tell me what Decis is ?. It is something I am not familiar with.Anyway, you will be pleased to know that at Edenfield show today there were 6 entries in the cactus dahlias class and I came first with Rycroft Zoe and second with Ruskin Andrea. I thought that the Andreas were the better of the two. I was second in the dec class with Hi Fashion (Rossendale peach was first) and second in the class for"any variety"with Taratahi Ruby (Mary's Jomanda won this) I am going to show you pictures of them in a few minutes.
At Edenfield show today I got 18 firsts, 23seconds and 20 thirds. There were nowhere near as many entries in each class as at Knowsley last week except in the dahlia classes.I had a surprise though-an exhibitor who I show against often ,who was at Knowsley last week brought me the Banksian medal that I won there.I should have been presented with it but nobody told me that I had won it. The problem was that the presentations were not in the tent where the exhibits were.They were outside on a field. I was told to go there to receive my prize money from the master gardeners class but when I had got it I went back in the tent , not knowing that I had to be presented with the Banksian medal.For those of you who don't know what it is for ,it is for the person who wins the highest amount of prize money in the show but the winners in the previous two years are ineligable.
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Post by derekbrooks on Aug 10, 2013 22:20:56 GMT
 Cactus dahlia class at Edenfield |
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