Dereks Diary Part 2

Those Andrea look nice and big The 2nd flush will be even better. Pleased you got something with them.

As for decis, it's a specialised one but it does work. I tried all the commercially available sprays before using it and it was the only one that worked.

www.interhort.com/products/133003_decis_protech_1ltr.php

This afternoon and evening I have been cutting my flowers for Southport show from the allotment and the garden . I have not entered any veg, dahlias or chrysanths, just what I call general cut flowers-antirrhinums,calendulas,stocks and so on.I think I can stage all the classes I entered except asters which are not ready and phlox which aren't goog enough.I have some more to cut from my own garden in the morning then I will be off to Southport in the afternoon.

Been to Southport show today to see what I had won. There were a lot of entries in most of the classes that I was in and the standard of the competition is naturally higher than local shows like the one last Saturday.Anyway I got one first, four seconds and two thirds.I was second out of four entries in the flower championship class which calls for 9 vases of 6 flowers. What pleased me most was that I came first in a vase of cottage garden flowers. I have told you in the past that there is one person who always beats me and I always come second but this time I have beaten him! I was second out of 8 entries in a vase of perennials with golden rod and my other seconds were African marigolds and three vases of annuals.I am showing you pictures of some of them now.

Flower championship class

Second with vase of perennials(Golden rod at the back)This is the last picture for now.

Congrats Derek, the vase of cottage flowers is beautiful, not surprised they won for you!

Thanks for the congrats.
Almost a full days gardening today. Went to school first to feed the tomatoes then went on the allotment.Most of the carnations in the polytunnel are past their best as they are a few years old but I tidied them up and took some cuttings from them. If these root O.K.I will just grow these and discard the old plants.
 Harvested the potatoes that I grow in buckets and tubs.Tied up and side shooted the sweet peas which I have to do twice a week.Some other plants needed tying up too.
 I have no show this weekend but the following Saturday (the 24th )it is my own local show for which I am the show secretary. With this in mind I covered some Bryn Terfel dahlias which I think will be just right .I can't cover the whole dahlia bed on the allotment but only individual blooms.
 At home I harvested some potatoes growing in bags,