|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 9, 2013 21:18:05 GMT
This afternoon I have potted up another 70 odd rooted dahlia cuttings.
This evening I have finished pricking out the bedding petunias then did some cascade petunias, statice, pansies and dwarf bedding antirrhinums.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 10, 2013 21:36:20 GMT
Went on the allotment this morning and finished what I was doing with the compost. I have spread it on the dahlia, chrysanth and potato beds.
This afternoon I have potted the rest of the rooted chrysanth cuttings.
6 coleus that I had ordered from Dibleys arrived and I potted them into 3 inch pots.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 12, 2013 21:35:07 GMT
Yesterday,3 more lots of plug plants arrived from Dobies-6 bidens, 6 trailing geraniums and 12 trailing verbenas. potted them all into 3 inch pots.
Today I have been at Blackleach country park.I spread fish,blood and bone fertiliser on the nursery beds, the fish shaped bed and the border alongside the visitor centre. I would like Billy to rake this fertiliser in next Tuesday. I won't be there but I will leave him word. It will give him something to do.I couldn't find anything for him to do last Tuesday because it had been too windy to put the fertiliser on and he had finished the weeding the week before.
I planted some Teucrium on the border that I had split from the allotment.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 13, 2013 19:44:30 GMT
Raining this afternoon so I went in the greenhouse. Potted some more dahlias. Then took 30 cuttings each of white bacopas and diascias.
This evening I have pricked out some antirrhinums and African marigolds.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 14, 2013 20:49:08 GMT
This afternoon I have fixed up most of my aluminium frames (I have 5 ) Couldn,t finish them because I am some glass short, the pieces at the ends.
Pricked out some more antirrhinums, some penstemons and some alyssum.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 15, 2013 21:00:47 GMT
No gardening time today but this evening I have finished pricking out the alyssum. Like I said for lobelia ,I am always glad when I have finished the alyssum because it is fiddly because I put 3 or 4 plants in a clump.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 16, 2013 22:02:47 GMT
Nearly a full day today but no pricking out because I had to go out this evening.
I told you I had fixed up some of my aluminium frames.They are on what is a ulility area in front of the shed which is covered with ash.I use it as a standing ground for all sorts of things when the frames are not in use.I roughened up the ash inside the frames and put slug pellets in and then began to put some plants in -just the hardier bedding plants. The chrysanths will, I hope be going in tomorrow.
I started sorting out the chrysanths into varieties which I am hoping to finish tomorrow. I will then pot any into larger pots that need it before I put them in the frames.
Three grafted cucumbers came that I had ordered from Dobies for school. I potted them into 4 inch pots and I will leave them in my greenhouse to grow a bit before I take them to school.
I have also mowed the lawns for the first time this year. I won't tell you every time I do them because once I start I do them every week and you will get fed up with me telling you.
I have a full day tomorrow , and evening so I hope to get a lot done and I am not going anywhere. My next job on the allotment is to put fish, blood and bone on some of the beds and get them ready for planting. However it is so windy that the fertiliser would finish up on somebody elses plot so I will stay at home till the wind drops.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 17, 2013 22:30:49 GMT
Some more plants arrived that I had ordered from Dobies. 3 more cucumbers for school which I potted into 4 inch pots and 16 lobelia "Queen Victoria" which I potted into drinking cups.
Spent the rest of the day seeing to the chrysanths.Finished sorting the disbuds into varieties and potted all that were ready from 3 inch to 5 inch pots and put them all into frames including those still in 3 inch. Put a small cane and twistit on all those that I potted. I also "stopped"all that were ready. They have to be about 5 inches tall before they are ready for stopping.
Then sorted all the sprays into varieties but didn;t have time to pot any up.There are not as many ready for potting up because the cuttings are taken later than the other varieties.
This evening I have pricked out some cosmos and godetia.
Won't have as much time tomorrow ,as I have the health walk in the morning and school in the afternoon.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 18, 2013 21:44:05 GMT
Just had a bit of time before going to school so I potted up a few spray chrysanths.I have a full day again tomorrow so I am hoping to get them finished
This evening I have pricked out some more cosmos and godetias and done some cleome and nicotianas.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 19, 2013 21:53:37 GMT
A full day in the greenhouses today so I have got a lot done.
Potted all the spray chrysanths that were ready into 5 inch pots and put them and all the rest of the chrysanths into frames. This has of course given me more room in my overcrowded greenhouses. Put all the boxes of plants that had been under the staging in the other greenhouse where the chrysanths had been.
Sowed zinnias in inverted bottomless drinking cups. I have told you about this method that I use before and shown you a picture.The purpose of growing them like this is to prevent root disturbance.
Sowed 36 "show perfection"peas in drinking cups.
Sowed 2 packets of "show excelsior "stocks.
Took some more cuttings of bacopas.I have only managed to keep one surfinia over winter but took 13 cuttings off it.
Potted some schizanthis into yoghurt pots
This evening I have been pricking out nicotianas and calendulas.
Can't go to the hut tomorrow because I am leading a bird walk round Blackleach country park.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 20, 2013 22:18:32 GMT
I organised the weather perfectly for the bird walk this morning. It was beautiful.  .When Rosemary and me walked round last Saturday we didn't see or hear any summer visitors so we were hoping that they would arrive for today. Well some of them have.We heard willow warblers and blackcaps and saw a house martin. No chiff chaffs though and they usually arrive first. Went on the allotment this afternoon. Spread fish, blood and bone fertiliser on both herbaceous borders, the onion bed and the potato bed.This was the first day for a while that I could put fish,blood and bone on without it finishing up on somebody elses plot. Raked these beds and got them ready for planting. Went in the polytunnel then and re-potted and tidied up the carnations. |
|
|
|
Post by Cherry on Apr 21, 2013 6:09:05 GMT
Our chiff chaffs are here. It will be interesting to see when you hear yours.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 21, 2013 20:53:06 GMT
Not as nice as yesterday and it rained in the afternoon.
Potted another 70odd rooted dahlia cuttings. Removed all the other dahlia cuttings from the warming bench because they are all rooted. There are 80odd I think.
Put away the bird table for the summer because I wanted to put another frame in its place.Filled this up with hardy bedding plants which gave me more room in the greenhouses.Had to do this to make room for all the dahlias. We still have seed and nut feeders and fat balls hung up for the birds so they are not being neglected.
This evening I have been pricking out annual chrysanths"Eastern star", mimulus "little devil", cosmos"polidor", salvia "Victoria"and antirrhinum "royal bride".
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 22, 2013 22:08:20 GMT
Had the morning in the greenhouse and afternoon on the allotment.
Potted all the rest of the rooted dahlia cuttings. Had a job to find room for them all on the staging.
On the allotment I planted the shallots and garlic . Also some perennials on the herbaceous borders--Verbena bonariensis (bought from Dobies)and 5 Phlox (bright eyes) Bought these from Morrisons a few weeks ago and grew them on in the greenhouse.
Went in the polytunnel after and re-potted and tidied up the pinks (didn't get time to do these when I did the carnations on Saturday)
Had to go out this evening so no pricking out.Not going out again in the evening till next Monday so should be able to get more done this week.
|
|
|
|
Post by derekbrooks on Apr 23, 2013 21:17:56 GMT
This afternoon I painted the fence at the front between the two houses.My next door neighbour had accidently damaged it and he repaired it . Obviously the wood that he had repaired it with needed painting but I thought I may as well do it all.
This evening I have pricked out some more African marigolds and mimulus and also some nemesia.
|
|
.When Rosemary and me walked round last Saturday we didn't see or hear any summer visitors so we were hoping that they would arrive for today. Well some of them have.We heard willow warblers and blackcaps and saw a house martin. No chiff chaffs though and they usually arrive first.
