My Garden is My Space

Impatiens Downy Mildew has Devasted the Busy Lizzies

2011-09-12T14:54:00Z

The summer garden is coming to an end and the autumn garden should just be beginning. In a traditional gardening year maybe.

Yet again a disappointing summer. The summer this year came in April and the following months were either cool, wet, windy or a combination of these weather conditions.

As might be expected, along with this far from ideal summer weather came successes and disappointment in the garden. The greenhouse coped well and yet again the tomato crop has been abundant and tasty. In fact there the tomatoes are still ripening readily with plenty to harvest. The cucumbers had a shaky start with the first two plants being destroyed by slugs but the third has provided us with regular picking of small meal sized fruits with excellent flavour.

Keeping with the theme of kitchen garden or vegetable garden, the beetroot have been a success but the runner beans have really struggled to produce the abundance of beans we are used to in not just good years but average years. We are not alone; other local home vegetable growers are reporting the same with plants not producing flowers and crops until late in the season. Those we have picked have had good flavour with no strings.

But what about the flowers?

The Busy Lizzies, impatiens, have not done as well this summer. In the ground they have struggled and in the hanging baskets and troughs they have fared a little better but as September has come in they have suddenly collapsed. It seems that many gardeners have had the same problem this year and it is caused by impatiens downy mildew. This was first seen in the UK in 2003 and the very wet summer conditions have meant that 2011 has been a particularly bad year. There is nothing that amateur home gardeners can do apart from grow some alternative bedding for a while.

In contrast to the Busy Lizzies the fibrous begonias have been wonderful and still are. That is both in the ground and in containers. I grew them from seed and they germinated well but, as begonias do, they stayed tiny for weeks before deciding it was time to put on growth. The colours are form of this variety are good. I learned long ago not to pack begonias too tightly together when planting in containers. Giving each plant a little elbow room enables them to expand into a good shape to fill the container rather than compete against each other and push each other out of shape. This tends to create a high and untidy display rather than a neat rounded shaped display.

The dahlias are in their prime now. I lost all my plants over the last severe winter so I did not expect such a good show yet from the cuttings taken this spring from a friends plants.

One thing about rain is that you end up with a green lawn all summer. The only problem has been the last couple of weeks with the return of a badger digging a few holes. Thankfully not the terrible destruction of the front lawn of last year. I like badgers but not when they destroy all my hard work.

Looking ahead to next year I am going to have to make some changes to one if not two of the herbaceous borders. As happens with herbaceous borders they are starting to look a little jaded. One in particular has been brilliant for a few years but some of the day lilies or hemerocallis have suffered year after year with hemerocallis gall midge. I have tried taking off the blooms and destroying them at the first sign but the problem is not going away. The susceptible plants regrettably will have to come out and be replaced with different perennials or alternatively varieties of hemerocallis known to be less prone to gall midge.

As I write this diary, just into the second week of September, the pyracantha berries are in full colour and lighting up the garden, holly berries are darkening quickly, nearly all the leaves on my toffee tree have their autumn colour and the flowering cherry is not far behind.

After a disappointing summer maybe we can hope for an Indian summer and enjoy the autumn delights that a garden can offer. And I don't mean spending hours gathering fallen leaves!

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Mother Nature Can Inspire and Show Gardeners the Way

2011-08-03T10:01:00Z

August already, can you believe it? The gardening year moves so quickly. You browse through the seed catalogues, order your seed, sow and prick out with the anticipation that spring and summer cannot be too far away after the cold and dark days of winter. Yet in no time at all the garden is in full flow and it all seems to be passing much too quickly.

Being away for two weeks in July there is no doubting the fact that some things are missed when at their best. This year it is Crocosmia Lucifer which as the name suggests is a fiery red. This Crocosmia is many gardeners favourite and it is one that I wanted to grow. However there are other varieties that I grow now that have taken their place. I include a picture of the large flowered bright orange types that are not only top of my list but are what the rest of the family look forward to blooming. For one thing they stay in flower for much longer than Lucifer and I wonder whether any other gardeners find the same problem of a short flowering period?

Before learning how to vegetable garden there was only one thing that I knew how to grow to eat and that is tomatoes. The tomatoes in my greenhouse are now producing a regular ripening crop so that they can be on the vine one minute and on the plate the next. So I am getting mouth watering delicious tomatoes that are so much tastier than most of the insipid boring identical sized fruits that you buy from a supermarket. The best tomatoes for me are Harbinger and you never see those for sale, certainly not in a supermarket chain. Yes they ripen at different sizes but who cares when the flavour is so superior.

In the two weeks away a courgette has turned into a small marrow. Inevitable I suppose and it seemed I was going to have to give it away as my wife is not keen on cooking marrow. That was until I turned on the television ready to watch a programme and the previous programme had not yet finished. And guess what? It was a cookery programme and the last recipe was for spicy stuffed marrow. The recipe has been printed and will be attempted shortly.

The badger returned this year while I was away. Thankfully he or she only dug 3 small holes which hopefully suggests that last years infestation of May Bugs has not been repeated but it may be worth treating the lawn to make certain.

If you had the space would you allow a wild garden or meadow to grow and mature? It can be a temptation but as you are probably aware it is not without its problems and there is more work and maintenance involved than you might think. My holiday was spent walking in some out of the way places where sheep were allowed to roam and graze or moorland where heaths and heathers were dominant. The latter was a haven for birds and walking anywhere near could cause a small flock of small birds to panic and flee. Then there were the pheasant and partridge.

However the "wild gardens" that interested me the most were the edges of fields and verges that had been left to their own devices. Many were absolutely beautiful if you stopped to give them the time that they deserved. It was a good reminder of just what a good gardener Mother Nature is when left to get on with it and one thing it made me realise is just how many names of wild flowers I have forgotten or in truth do not know. I can tell you that there was an abundance of Geraniums, Scabious, Lady's Bedstraw, Vetch, Buttercup and far too many others to list here.

But also there were so many different grasses in flower. Although I have been a fan of grasses for many years I am still guilty of forgetting just how many different and beautiful grasses grow wild in our countryside. Many I guess it would be a big mistake to grow in my own garden. One thing about grasses is that they know how to produce seed and distribute them widely. I love my Bowles Golden Grass and that pops up all over the garden. Fortunately it is easy to control if it gets a bit much or in the wrong place but in spring it is a real star.

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Sunflowers and Poppies Brighten a Dull Summer

2011-07-12T12:52:00Z

July already, the gardening year seems to be flying by. Such a mixed up growing year that there are already signs of autumn before the summer blooms have had a chance to impress.

Yes it is true. Some summer perennial plants are blooming where others look like they are wondering whether to bother. A beautiful and hot April has given way to cool, if not cold, May and June. July so far is no better. Walking around the garden yesterday there are autumn flowerers that have buds swelling that look ready to burst open at any time.

But what about the summer bedding plants? Alyssum as usual is braving the elements and beginning to put on a show. The blue lobelia is only showing me the odd flower that should be teasing me for a great show to follow, I hope. The lobelia in containers is coming on at least but that put into the borders was devastated by slugs as the wet weather gave them the perfect opportunity to come out and gorge themselves.

It is not all bad news. I have grown a sunflower that grows to about 9 to 12 inches high and the first blooms have just opened brightening the containers with their beautiful yellow flowers. These too need protecting from the slimy swines as one I planted in a container next to a wall was chomped almost to death over night. Another success is a poppy. Last summer I had a great show of orange poppies. The seed was sown a few years before but like all poppies they decided not to bother showing themselves until I disturbed the ground whilst preparing some new planting. I say like all poppies but this year I have certainly had an exception to this rule. A poppy showed itself through a crack in between slabs on my patio. Obviously seed from last year’s terrific show but there is no way that I have disturbed the surface under the slabs or even in the crack.

Up came this one plant but the stem was a bit week and lay on the patio paving. I took pity and tied it up to the stand of a pot I use at the entrance to the patio. To say it has thrived is an understatement. It has been tied in a few more times since than and yesterday morning I counted 60 flowers. Once again Mother Nature has produced a stunning display far better than I could have planned and managed.

The cold weather has held back the tomatoes but the first fruits will be ready for picking this week and I cannot wait. It is always a magical moment when the first tomato is picked. Will I manage to be the first in the family to taste it? I doubt it very much but there is a first time for everything.

The inclement weather is not causing a problem to the lettuce. They seem to be growing before my eyes at the moment. A mixture that will produce a colourful picture on a plate as well as being tasteful.

My friend gave my some gooseberry bushes last autumn. Gooseberries layer themselves readily and he kindly gave me several that had layered themselves as my wife likes the fruit. I have never been that keen but whatever variety these are, the name has been lost in time, I have to admit they are not as sour as the ones I have pulled my face at in the past. This weekend has produced the first good picking and there are more yet to come.

Recently I wrote that I wondered whether the grey caterpillars would attack my Solomans Seal this year. Well yes they have but not in such great numbers as last year. When I last mentioned them I could not remember what they were called but now can say that they are sawfly.

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The Wolf Whistling Blackbird

2011-06-06T05:00:00Z

We are fortunate that every year we get visits to the garden by blackbirds and thrushes. The same family of birds of course and both have such beautiful songs. Some years the thrush will outperform the blackbird and other years vice versa.

Waking early one morning when the dawn chorus was in full swing and no other noises to mar it, loud and clear above all else was a shrill wolf whistle.

Starlings are famous for copying anything they hear such as telephone ring tones and my immediate thought was that this indeed probably was a starling.

However, one evening doing a tour of the garden before locking the doors for the night the shrill whistle seemed very close. Looking up I saw a blackbird at the top of the conifer and indeed he has included a wolf whistle into his repertoire.

We do hear him during the day but mostly first thing in the morning and last thing at night as he alights on various vantage points surrounding the garden to proclaim his territory. He may only be with us for this year so we will just have to enjoy this cheeky bird while we can. I am sure there are many ladies walking down the road that are either proud or embarrassed without realising who the culprit is!

The runner beans are ready to plant out but I am afraid they will have to wait a little while yet. The weather really is all over the place, wet and cold, sun but strong cold winds or dull and cold. It is not worth risking planting them out and giving them a shock that will put them back.

The tomatoes are coming on great with some fruit formed and swelling. I am still nowhere near my late grandfather’s record of always picking the first ripe fruit on 3rd June. Never mind, plenty of gorgeous tasty Harbinger tomatoes to look forward to.

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Where Are The Garden Predators - Garden Pests are Winning

2011-06-03T11:09:00Z

Where are my garden predators when I need them?

For many years now I have no sprayed insecticide on anything in my garden.

The only exception has been that for the last two years I have had to resort to spraying my Jacobs Ladders that were being decimated by grey caterpillars. Nothing seemed to predate them and there were just too many plants and caterpillars to o round removing manually.

The first two or three years were difficult but the no spray has worked well with the natural predators gradually overcoming the pests. However this spring it is different. I have never seen so many blackfly on my Achillea. I left it to nature to do its business but all that happened was that the infestations got heavier and more destructive. I used my early season trick of using the hosepipe to blast them off but they were back again in no time. The plants were suffering so badly that I felt I had no choice but to resort to the dreaded insecticide spray.

The spray has certainly improved the situation but they will have to have a second spray if the good guys don’t turn up soon.

So why haven’t the good guys turned up in their usual numbers to feast on my garden pests?

One reason could be the very harsh winter. Maybe it has killed off as many if not more of the garden pals as garden pests and the pals are just not breeding quickly enough to deal with the pests.

Or maybe the strange weather has something to do with it. We had an unseasonably hot April followed by a cold and wet May. Perhaps that unusual heat has caused an abnormal earlier than usual breeding of pests and the pals have been held back by the cold May.

Mother Nature has a way of sorting these things out and one pleasing sign is a ladybird now gorging on the blackfly on one of the Achillea. Just spotting this one ladybird means that the spray can will be hidden away at the back of the garden shed and hopefully forgotten about.

Incidentally, so far this year there is no sign of any caterpillars on the Jacobs Ladders. Perhaps the two year spraying regime has broken the cycle. I really hope so because I am always concerned that I may accidentally kill some of my pals while disposing of the pests.

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Gertrude Jekyll Has a New Home

2011-05-25T15:27:00Z

Gertrude Jekyll is without doubt my favourite rose. This pink English rose is both beautiful when in bud and full flower and the perfume is stunning. If there is one downside it is that it likes to think it is a climbing rose rather than a bush rose. But that is not a problem, rather than fight it I train it as a climber.

Gertrude Jekyll has been with me for quite a number of years and last summer I decided that, with other shrubs maturing close to it, it was not being presented at its best. At the same time it became clear that the Pineapple Broom (Cytisus Battandieri) planted in a large container might be fine in spring but looked a bit straggly in summer. The plan was hatched to remove the broom and plant in the garden soil and move the rose into the container. The container is against a south facing wall next to the kitchen window so in theory that delicious perfume will not only hit the nostrils when walking down the garden path but drift in through the kitchen window.

Deciding to move this old friend had it dangers. Of course I could have bought a new rose but that would take time to establish into the prize specimen I own. And after all my present Gertude and I have been good friends for a long time! I emailed David Austin Roses for advice and received a prompt and helpful reply. I am happy to report that Gertrude Jekyll is now happy in her new home and is looking healthy and in flower. I spread and trained the stems onto the trellis and what I would consider to be the central main stem did not burst into life and was cut out. Not a problem as new shoots are appearing on the other stems and will be trained across to fill the gap.

The evocative smells of the spring garden. What is the smell that makes you think that spring or early summer has arrived? Something that perhaps goes back to your childhood or own first garden. Mine? It is probably not anything that immediately comes into your mind. Wallflowers perhaps? Could it be a massed display of bluebells? No, lawn feed! Yes, I know, not the most romantic of garden smells but it really goes back to the time I started my own garden and voyage of discovery. Maybe the fresh smell of my grandfathers early season greenhouse is the earliest evocative smell but when I started my own garden I began searching out plant nurseries, not garden centres in those days, and joined my company's gardening society. Walking into the societies shed you would be immediately hit with what I think is the pleasant clean smell of lawn feed. Also I can be walking on a warm, not hot, early summer morning and be hit by the clean smell of creosote as a fence or garden shed is being treated. Sad I know.

It has been a funny gardening year to date. Unseasonally hot and dry in April followed by a much cooler and wetter May. Plants and shrubs have flowered much earlier but also gone over much quicker. And in the greenhouse of course young plants have come on quickly and then held back. The days may be much longer but the temperature is cool. The lawns have benefited from the May weather and gone from that sickly look they have in winter to lush vibrant green.

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New Life in The April Garden

2011-04-29T17:44:00Z

It is the end of April and the garden is full of new life.

New life is not only the plant life but the bird population has increased with the promise of even more to come.

The first to fledge to my knowledge this year is a family of Great Tits. This noisy brood appeared the same day that I found the egg of a freshly hatched Blackbird. One Pigeon has built a nest and is sitting while a couple of trees away a second is building. And today a third pair has started building. They are not my preferred choice of bird to have in the garden but it is nature and I reluctantly accept their presence.

The fresh green leaves of perennial plants have joined those of the deciduous shrubs but have at the same time have highlighted a few patches in my herbaceous borders where the winter has taken its toll. The previous year we also experienced a very harsh winter but managed to move a few things around and split perennials to fill gaps but this year a visit to the garden centre was called for.

I have purchased a couple of roses from a specialist nursery but it is several years since I bought anything from a garden centre. I followed the advice I give anyone these days and made a list of plants I wished to buy. To go shopping without thinking about even the number of plants you need only leads to expense that many of us cannot afford in these tough economic times. I am pleased to report that I came home with just one plant that I had not planned for but it is a new one to me and by description should be a perfect addition to my grassy herbaceous border. This is named so not because every plant in there is a grass but because the majority have strappy grass like leaves that provide an interesting structure as well as flower colour.

Pictured is one new purchase, Clematis Princess Alexandra, which attains a height and spread of 6 feet and is ideal to train up a Spotted Laurel which has been trimmed at the end of a border to create a full stop.

The tomatoes are really coming along well and the greenhouse is now almost full of pricked out annuals and perennials. The Sweet Peas have been hardened off and are in the ground which is just as well as they take up quite a bit of room in the greenhouse. The first leaves of the Runner Beans have broken through this morning and it never ceases to amaze just how quickly they germinate and grow. Maybe I could and should have left it another couple of weeks before sowing but this warmer than normal spring weather makes it difficult not to be enthusiastic!

Another project under way is a new area of lawn in a place where there used to be grass. A multi-stemmed Portuguese Laurel created dense shade that the grass could not cope with and in the past few weeks I have been gradually thinning this out to a point where light now gets in and I am in the process of preparing a seed bed for the grass. The grass seed is almost ready to go down and I have chosen a seed mixture suited to a shady situation.

Along with a new gardening year comes a new series of Gardeners World. The presenter of this iconic and long serving television programme is a very important issue to many long term viewers. Like me many viewers perhaps unfairly compare any new main presenter with their own previous favourite. For me that is Geoff Hamilton and for more recent recruits it is Allan Titchmarsh. Geoff was the gardener for me, preferring to construct a garden over time from seed and cutting to save money where Allan went for the instant garden approach.

Monty Don has returned after illness to replace Toby Buckland. Toby is a nice character and obviously knows his gardening and so it was a surprise to some to see him apparently unfairly discarded in favour of Monty; especially as the BBC had created a brand new garden for the team to work in. However in my opinion the new format with Monty Don working from his own garden is working, which in part is due to his personality but maybe the fact that it is his own garden he is working in makes the programme more pertinent to us developing and maintaining our own gardens.

I hope and am sure that there is more to come from the likeable Toby Buckland.

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A Pole Saw Would Have Been a Great Help!

2011-03-29T10:51:00Z

After the very cold winter it looks as if one large shrub is not going to make it. This is an improvement on last year when six large shrubs were lost.

I had a holly that had self seeded and grown into a sizeable bush to about six or seven feet high and wide and the centre well on its way to making a good sized tree. I allowed it to develop as it screened an unsightly feature. Thankfully that feature has gone and the holly needed to be trimmed so that it did not get in the way of cars going up the drive.

The loppers were put to good use cutting the bushy part back and I was thankful once more for the powerful shredder I purchased a few years ago which greatly reduced the bulk to be composted.

Unfortunately it soon became clear that further cutting back was required as quite thick exposed ends of branches were nicely placed to put deep scratches in car paintwork. Having carried out phase two and assessed the result the best course of action appeared to be to cut the whole tree down. Not a decision taken lightly as I value the trees in my garden or any tree if it comes to it.

The higher branches I lopped using a pole lopper that I have owned for many years. In truth a pole saw would have been a good tool to have at hand but a greenwood saw had to suffice. The job is complete but it has to be said that if the tree had been any bigger, for safety reasons, I would have asked a professional tree surgeon to do the job. Even so when lopping any tree it is always wise to read up on how to safely lop and trim trees.

The weather is so mixed at the moment. One day it is warm as a summer day and it is tempting to sow seed or plant out and the next it may be sunny but with a very cold wind that reminds us that it is still March. Patience is the watchword, trying to sow too early will only lead to disappointment.

The Magnolia Stellata is now in full flower. A magnificent bush that brightens up the garden with its brilliant white flowers and delicate perfume. I have known it for over twenty years and it was a fully grown specimen when I inherited it.

The tree blossom still dominates in the garden and is a joy to behold. It perhaps does not last that long and the mass of fallen blossom causes a bit of tidying up to be done but for me it is well worth the effort.

Last year I split my drumstick primulas and I am pleased to say they have survived their ordeal and are in flower. I first saw these in a large woodland garden that had a stream running nearby and the memory of the wonderful show they put on has stayed with me.

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There Might be a Chill in the Air but so is Spring!

2011-03-13T15:47:00Z

It may only be mid March but the garden is changing quickly. So much seems to have happened since last weekend and it certainly lifts the spirit.

Joining the snowdrops, daffodils, crocus and hellebores in flower are the Mahonia Japonica with its beautiful sweet perfume. Not everyone likes these, finding the foliage a bit of a dull colour of green, but for me the architectural quality of the leaves and the scent of the clusters of yellow flowers more that make up for it.

Also bursting forth is the chaenomeles with its brilliant red flowers that seem to stay for quite a while and of course later in the year comes the quince fruit.

The berberis have their new coloured leaf and flower buds and the buds are swelling on the Exochorda Bride. Not normally in flower until April and I do not mind waiting, the wait is certainly worthwhile.

The Red Robin is starting to live up to its name with the first red leaves opening to make a statement.

The first flowers are open on the flowering cherry with the promise of a superb display in the next couple of weeks.

The rhubarb has started to grow and I have covered one of the three crowns to force and provide early juicy servings.

In the greenhouse the young tomatoes are still small but coming along nicely. I have sown the courgettes and cucumber seed this weekend which seems to bring summer even closer.

What of the border perennials grown from seed this time last year? The good news is that the Achillea have bulked up nicely and are looking good and healthy. The bergamot are also coming through but the gaillardia are not yet showing. I am never sure of the hardiness of the latter so we will have to wait and see whether they are there under the soil and waiting their moment. Lastly are the lobelia. These are definitely borderline hardy so were lifted, potted and put into the bubble lined greenhouse to overwinter. A few have failed with a mixture of slug damage and grey mould. They are now sitting on the back porch which is open to the air to give a good air flow but are protected from the rain. Although we will still get some frost it should not be as severe as those suffered in December. There are still some good healthy looking specimens that hopefully can be split when the time arrives for planting out.

The garden bird song is definitely getting louder and you will hear no complaint from me. This morning I took a stroll around the garden and stopped to look at the bulbs that are in flower underneath the magnolia. Suddenly I was being serenaded by not one but two robins that showed themselves and flew over to the place where I usually put down food for them. Along with seed I add bread crumbs and crumbled cheese when available. This morning I walked over and put seed down on the stones. Both came out of the hedge to eat before I could move and the male began to feed the female. Of course they put on the performance when I did not have my camera at the ready. Typical!

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Snowdrops at Last and The Birds Think That Spring Has Arrived

2011-02-21T09:05:00Z

At last we have Snowdrops in flower. The very cold weather seemed to have put them off but they appeared and flowered in double quick time. Within a week of their blooms opening the first purple crocus opened. It will be interesting to see how soon we get our first daffodil.

The reason I mention the daffodils is that I have visited two local gardens and not only do they have snowdrops and crocus but they have daffodils in bud ready to open anytime while ours just have the leaves poking through.

Also just opening are the hellebores. One or two blooms are open but the majority are still in bud and I estimate it will be a week or two before they are in their full and gorgeous glory.

I woke early the other morning and the dawn chorus was magnificent. Who could fail to be lifted by so much beautiful singing? To be heard above all else was the thrush which once again has chosen the top of the tree near to the bedroom window to proclaim its territory. Blackbirds are starting their annual battles to claim their part of the garden, always fun to watch but a very serious matter to them I am sure. And as for the pigeons, left to the males I don't think it will be too long before there are nests and eggs. Must remember to clean out the bird nest box.

The lawns are looking a bit of a mess and it is tempting to start work on them. However, now is not the right time. True there does seem to be a little new growth but certainly that growth is not vigorous enough to start scarifying and aerating. Late autumn would have been a good time to take out some thatch but after the mauling by the badgers I decided to leave it be until the spring. Anyway, scarifying would only have pulled up the grass patches that had been clawed up by the badgers, they had not had enough time to put down fresh anchor roots. A common mistake is to scarify the lawn before strong growth begins. Raking thatch and moss out creates spaces of bare earth that the weed seeds would love to take advantage of and if the grass is not growing that is just what they will do. Scarifiers for lawns come in a variety of styles and power. I bought an electric powered lawn rake that has an interchangeable barrel to convert it to an aerator. It does a brilliant job.

Patience is a virtue in most things and gardening is no exception. Last year I collected seed from a hardy geranium and sowed some fresh to see if it would take. No was the answer and not one seed germinated in the three inch pot I used. The pot has been in the greenhouse all autumn and winter and not even watered. It was tempting to throw the compost out but the pot was just left on the top shelf of the greenhouse staging. Several days ago I went in to check my over wintering plants and noticed some green in the pot. Today I pricked out and potted on a dozen very strong seedlings with long healthy roots. They needed the period of extremely cold weather to break their dormancy and being patient should give me enough plants to create a great show of blue geraniums.

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Plug Plants by Delivery to Your Door or Grow from Seed?

2011-01-27T16:01:00Z

Have you ordered your seeds yet for 2011? Not only have I ordered them but have taken delivery. Of course the temptation is to start sowing regardless of the suggested sowing times on the packet. But of course that would be a waste of time and money.

Deciding the seed to buy each year is a challenge. There are certain seeds that I buy every year but on top of that there are those required for new projects or to replace perennial plants that are aging or have died. Going through the seed catalogue and jotting down candidates is the easy bit, the hard bit is getting back to reality and just ordering the seeds that I really need. With me it is a three stage process. Read through the catalogue and mentally recognise the like to haves. Go through a second time another day and jot down the varieties that still appeal on second look. Third day go through the list weeding out for a second time and writing the order. Sounds easy doesn't it but believe me sometimes it takes great willpower to exclude potentials.

There is an alternative to growing from seed and that is to buy plug plants. Of course you will pay more that you would for seed but cost is not the whole story. Buying plants online is not new. I first took the decision to buy online plants about 30 years ago. The reason was that it was my first garden and I did not own a greenhouse. The first large (seemed it then) border was ready to plant up and I freely admit that although I knew and had grown many annuals I did not have a clue about perennial plants.

From my favourite weekly gardening magazine I purchased about 50 what would probably be described as plug plants today that came with a planting plan and this was one of the best gardening decisions I ever made. Planted and careful labeled I could watch the plants mature and finally come into flower. I learned so much that would stand me in good stead later. The small plants arrived in a cardboard box, bare roots wrapped and packed in wet newspaper. The system worked well, but everything has changed.

New technology and methods of packing means that now very small plug plants can be successfully sent through the post, both annuals and perennials. This enables gardeners with a greenhouse to buy in plug plants of plants whose seed is difficult to germinate, push the little plants out of the plug seed tray and plant up to grow on. Also the gardener can pay that bit more and buy plug plants ready to plant out in their final positions.

So if you have not placed your seed order, get that catalogue and pick out your favourites. Alternatively choose your plug plants and take delivery of plants by post in early spring.

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How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables

Thinking of Next Year and Thanks to A Kind Gardener

2010-12-12T19:35:00Z

The interesting thing about gardening is that you can immerse yourself in your own little world when weeding, sowing seeds, pricking out seedlings, pruning and the other many jobs we gardeners do during the growing year. Yet most of us are not antisocial, we like to talk about gardening and help out fellow gardeners whether that is by using muscle power or by giving advice.

I have been writing this diary for quite some time now and have received many emails requesting help. The nice thing is I have also received numerous emails in praise of the content and suggestions when I have mentioned problems.

A case in point this week is an email received from someone who has noted that sometimes I have had trouble finding the seed of Tomato Harbinger, my favourite flavoured tomato. This is not an F1 hybrid and I know I should collect me own seed but many is the time that they have all been devoured before I notice that the last one has disappeared! Dr Frank Lea of Creative Mindpower wrote offering to send me two packets of seed that he had spare. They have arrived through the post. Thank you Frank, the seeds are most gratefully received and I can assure you that your kindness will be appreciated when the fruits ripen.

Autumn this year was very short. Fortunately I did manage to prepare the garden for winter faster than normal. One of my daughters really caught the gardening bug this summer and has been a great help. Her enthusiasm took her out into the garden even when the temperatures were dropping. It started to get difficult to find her enough jobs to do at the weekend! The great thing is I only have to explain what to do once and she is away, I just leave her to get on with it.

With a harsh winter coming so early, I would not have been able to lift all my tender perennials give protection to those plants and shrubs that are borderline hardy. There is no doubt that I would have lost the lobelia that I sowed this year and have nurtured to a healthy size this summer.

The one thing that is late this year is my favourite seed catalogue. It is such a pleasure on cold dark winter evening browsing through the pages and imagining the flower displays and vegetables maturing next summer.

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You Don't Need a Mini Tiller When You Have a Badger

2010-10-04T17:17:00Z

If you have a large vegetable garden and little time there is no doubt that a mini tiller can come in very handy. Turning over the soil with a Mantis Tiller to end up with soil a good enough tilthe to sow or plant is relatively easy and what is more you can buy useful accessories. One of those accessories is for your lawn but as I have discovered that is one tool you do not need if you have a visiting badger.

I have seen badgers on wildlife documentaries and like just about everyone else have though how wonderful it would be to observe badgers live in the wild. Well one morning I woke to find out what it is really like to have your own local badger. My front lawn looks as if it had been gone over with a mini tiller but I am sure the Mantis would have created neater lines. The turf had been stripped back so that it could get to the grubs it enjoys. How did I know it was a badger? My neighbour told me the day before that she had seen one on her front lawn the evening before.

I put the turf back as carefully as I could but two nights later another patch had been attacked, and that is how it has been ever since. I am told that badger disposal is out of the question so, a bit late in the season really, this weekend I watered on a lawn grub killer. The theory being that if there is nothing for them to eat they will go elsewhere. I can but hope they do otherwise I will be planting potatoes instead of growing grass.

The hanging basket and containers are looking a bit sad now. Colder nights and shorter days are having an effect. It does not seem five minutes since I planted them up but at least now I can start planning for next spring.

This has been a good year for roses in my garden. English Rose Molyneaux has been superb and is still full of bloom with buds to open. Large flowered dahlias are lighting up the garden and hopefully they will be joined next year with the cutting taken this spring.

It may seem strange to be talking about the plans for next spring when we are only just into autumn but for me this is the time that I can look to see what has been a success, what has failed as well as being able to visualise ideas to improve the garden next year. To be a gardener you have to have vision, enthusiasm and resilience. You can never be sure from one year to the next how good or bad the seasonal weather will be, what the winter or unseasonal weather and pests will kill off or what will suddenly thrive that has previously struggled.

So here's looking forward to next spring and if you would like your very own badger you only have to ask, I have one spare that you can have very cheap!

My Garden is My Space - Hints, tips and how to articles for gardeners. Reviews and offers of garden tools, gardening equipment and many other garden related items
Garden Diary - Stories, hints and tips by a gardener
How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
How toVegetable Garden in October - In October you will see that although the vegetable winter season approaches there are still many things to do in the vegetable garden
How toVegetable Garden in November - How to vegetable garden in November includes tips on harvesting vegetables and protecting our crops.
Badger distribution study - Information on the current distribution of the badger was collected from sighting reports from licensed trappers, federal animal control personnel in each county, and state and federal agency field biologists. ...

Not the Best Summer But the Best Tomato Crop for Years

2010-09-07T17:03:00Z

We are supposed to still be in summer but there are days when it does not seem so. I seem to remember we had a few sunny and hot summer days but it was so brief it is hard to say just when that was!

As said many times, one of my summer passions is growing, and eating of course, tomatoes. Now we may not have had the best summer but I have to say I have had the best crop of tomatoes for several years. They have come thick and fast, good sized tomatoes that not only look, good but taste delicious.

The variety certainly helps, back to growing my all time favourite called Harbinger. This variety is not an F1 so don't expect regimented sized fruits but who cares when they crop so well and taste so good. For the first time I planted out in their final positions using my own well rotted compost. You always worry when you experiment but this obviously has worked well.

Gardener who succeeds with every vegetable crop or flower in a season are a very rare species. I am no exception. Last summer I had so many cucumbers in the greenhouse I didn't know what to do with them. This year they have been a big disappointment. Two plants grown as usual of the one meal sized variety but one plant has hardly produced a satisfactory cucumber while the other has only produced intermittently. Is it the way I have grown them this year? Apparently not, it would seem that many people have struggled to grow them under glass this year. Probably the dramatic switch from cool to very hot and back again to cool has made them think that they would be better producing minimal seed this year rather than putting their energy into over producing. Whatever the reason it is disappointing.

The perennials flowers grown from seed this year are not disappointing. The Gaillardia and Lobelia have flowered their first year as promised on the packet. The Monarda have grown on well and should produce a good show of flowers next summer. The Lobelia have presented me with a dilemma. I had one that I left in the ground for several years that has survived and done well. however last winter was the worst for many years and sadly the extreme cold seems to have killed it off. Will this next winter be as bad? Should I leave my babies in the ground or lift them and overwinter them in the greenhouse? My current thinking is to lift them as I would hate to waste the effort of getting them this far and with a bit of luck they may have grown well enough to propagate by splitting.

In containers and hanging baskets this year impatiens, busy lizzies, have reigned supreme along with alyssum. They have put on a super show but with the very cold wind of the last week they are starting to go back already.

I have never had any problems with pelargoniums in the thirty plus years of growing them. This year a friend kindly gave me three plants that I grouped together in a large pot on the porch and they put on an absolutely great show until something started to eat the leaves. It is not slugs but the damage is very similar to that seen on my lilies a few years ago, so it may well be lily beetle that is the culprit. Whatever it may be it has made a right mess of them and as I am always reluctant to use an insecticide spray the plants may not recover this year.

When I first came to this garden I started to feed the garden birds, something that the previous occupants did not do. Apart from sparrows the first noticeable visitors were greenfinches and gradually more species were added to the list. The number of sparrow visitors dropped and his corresponded with news that there was a worry about why there had been a nationwide reduction. However about the same time we noticed that the numbers of greenfinches visiting were also reducing. The good news is that the number of sparrows has increased but the bad news is that the decline in greenfinch numbers has got to the point where we very rarely see one although just occasionally one can be heard calling. It appears that the decline is due to disease which is a worry but hopefully we can trust nature to provide a cure and restore the numbers of these beautiful birds.

My Garden is My Space - Hints, tips and how to articles for gardeners. Reviews and offers of garden tools, gardening equipment and many other garden related items
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Gardening and Wildlife - Gardening and wildlife stories, hints and tips...
How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
Monthly Vegetable Care and Garden Ideas for September - The month of September still provides a good harvest but the cooler air and shorter days tells the gardener this year’s growing season is coming to a close
How to Vegetable Garden in October - In October you will see that although the vegetable winter season approaches there are still many things to do in the vegetable garden

Spontaneous Gardening: The Art of Not Garden Planning

2010-07-20T09:38:00Z

The headline is a bit misleading. I do start by planning a new border and stick to the planting plan. However as time passes shrubs and perennial plants die and leave spaces. Sometimes those specimens are replaced by something similar but at other times there is this eureka moment! OK, sometimes that eureka moment turns out to be the wrong thing to do but at others it is a bit of wonderful inspiration. Never be afraid to experiment in your garden. After all it is just that, your garden.

For example, this year I have had a wonderful show of red poppies. I put the seed into the ground a few years ago and just one or two straggly plants made an effort. But early spring I had to move a few things around to fill spaces where the cold winter had struck and it was a good excuse to reorganise anyway. Poppies are famous for thriving on disturbed ground and these superb little beauties are no exception proving a block of red blocks dancing in the breeze. Don’t worry I am not turning into a poet!

I find the same principle applies to tubs and containers. Take this season for example; I have grown a number of coleus from seed. As usual I sowed too many seed and could not bear to dispense with those surplus to my requirements, after all they can always be give away to friends. I also had a standard fuchsia that needed to go into a larger pot and there sat a pot too large for it but ideal if it was joined by coleus. Result? Looks great!

This year I have planted my tomatoes into my own home made compost rather than buy proprietary compost. An awful lot cheaper of course but for someone who not only enjoys growing tomatoes but loves eating them there was the temptation to put half the tomato plants into proprietary and half into my own as a safeguard. I am pleased to report that I have the best crop of tomatoes for years. The problem is that I can never replicate that compost, kitchen and garden waste was added for months and then left for months. No scientific formula here!

We have the first hosepipe ban for years imposed. It has been very dry this year but as soon as the ban began down came the rain. My back lawn has not fared too badly but the front had some brown patches. The rain should revive the rest soon. That is the thing with grass; it is sensible and knows when to close down so that it survives in the long term.

In spite of the lack of rain the salad crops are doing well. Admittedly they have put on a spurt since the rain came but it is so rewarding to walk out into the garden and pick lettuce that will be eaten less than thirty minutes after being harvested. The first cucumber will be cut this week which is worth waiting for. My local market gardener is seeing less and less revenue from us as the summer season progresses.

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How to Vegetable Garden in July - How to vegetable garden in July is not only work but harvesting the delicious fresh vegetables that you have worked so hard to grow
How to Vegetable Garden in August - In warmer areas it will be possible to get away with late sowings but in cooler regions ....

The Chelsea Flower Show and Reality

2010-06-07T13:03:00Z

Another Chelsea Flower Show has passed by and it is time to reflect.

What did you learn from the show? We are told each year by television presenters and commentators that there is much we can take from the show gardens as inspiration for our own gardens.

So much is made of the expensively put together show gardens but I have to admit that many leave me cold. What is more it is not very often that I see anything to copy and put into my own garden. One big problem I see every year is that the planting is not realistic.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the planting is artistic but it can give a false impression to any new gardeners trying to recreate the scheme. Many plants in the scheme do not flower at the same time of the year and Mother Nature is not so kind as to provide perfect healthy plants and weather.

What I do like about visiting Chelsea is meeting the growers. I am a believer in using tried and tested varieties, some would say common plants but there is a reason why they are commonly used, but these are the people who can point me in the direction of plants new to me and more importantly the best way to plant and care for them.

It is hard to know where to start writing about the garden at the moment, so much is happening. I can walk into the garden and see something that I think is a star at the moment; turn around and there is something else competing for the title. For instance the neat and tidy Astrantia never fails to impress each year but along the border is the big and blowsy orange Poppies.

Rose Gertrude Jekyll is spreading its beautiful perfume everywhere and even after the severe winter I cannot remember the early clematis blooming so well.

In the greenhouse the tomatoes are thriving (touch wood, fingers crossed etc!) and the majority of the flower seeds sown this year are doing well. The Impatiens are a bit behind and I cannot imagine that the Monarda (bergamot) will bloom this year. I have decided to pot up the latter for planting out in their final positions in autumn and fortunately I have Nictotiana that I have been able to use as a substitute. I will have to think of some way to bulk out the area where the Nicotiana were planned for but I am sure I will find a way.

The blue tits have fledged from our nest box. Bundles of fluff following or better described as trying to follow their parents after food.

The bad news is that we have a cat that is visiting the garden and hiding under the shrubbery near the feeder. Not a lot that can be done in reality. Some holly prunings have been deposited under there to make its life less uncomfortable but it seems determined and has been spotted at 5 in the morning. Not a time of day for me to be charging out to chase it off!

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How to Vegetable Garden in May - How to vegetable garden in May as the soil starts to warm up
How to Vegetable Garden in June - How to vegetable garden in June and thoughts of salad crops for the summer!
Chelsea Flower Show Firmdale Hotels' boutique garden - Despite being about as green-fingered as a camel, I managed to wangle a ticket to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London last Thursday. Along with rainbow-coloured buds and blossoms, wacky water features and gorgeous garden paraphernalia ...
Chelsea Flower Show - Canadian Voices - The most news and entertainment portal from a Canadian perspective. Television, major newspapers across Canada, health, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, free email and more.
British Royals Visit Nongnuch Chelsea Flower Show Exhibit ... - Various members of the British Royal Family visited the last day of the Chelsea Flower Show 2010 where they commended the Thai exhibit from Pattaya's Nongnuch Botanical Gardens on such a beautiful and vibrant display of tropical plants ...

The Joy of a Spring Garden and a New Nasty in the Greenhouse

2010-05-18T07:43:00Z

This week’s diary is as much about the garden wildlife as the flora in the garden.

Everything in the greenhouse is taking off in spite of the unseasonable cold days and nights. I have only just taken down the bubble greenhouse lining which has helped to keep the young plants warm but does restrict the light levels. The only heat in the greenhouse has come from the propagator which is also now not in use.

Several large beetles appeared in the greenhouse, and I do mean large. Turns out that they are Cockchafers or to give them their common name Maybugs. I can only assume that an adult laid eggs inside the house and the hatchlings have matured and are trying to find their way out to wreak havoc. Reading about them it seems that they used to be quite a pest in grass crops such as wheat before chemicals started to be used to control them.

On a happier note outside in the garden our resident blackbird has brought his two fledglings into the garden to feed. What a lovely spring sight it is to see him stood by an apple on the lawn trying to feed himself and stoke up the two gaping holes in front of him! The best of it is that when he flies off they continue to feed themselves. To be fair they do appear to need him to break through the skin of a new apple presented.

For many years we never saw a long tailed tit in the garden then one year we heard a flock of them passing through. For anyone who has had the experience you will know what I mean. It would be a very short stay but as each year went by they stayed a little longer to feed on the peanut and fatball. Imagine the joy this year when a crèche of new noisy fledglings appeared in the magnolia. Definitely new out of the nest as when they tried to take off to follow a parent there was chaos as they tried to get to the height of the garage roof and failed miserably. One was even hanging upside down clinging desperately to a tea towel on the washing line while a brother or sister did actually manage to land on top of the towel. Thankfully the one on top of the towel did not leave a souvenir behind.

Maybe it is due to the much cooler conditions this spring but the rhododendrons are staying open longer and one is only just opening. In a hot spring the flowers seem to wilt very quickly in the sun.

After the damage caused by the harsh winter there is so much to do in the garden but there is so much colour at the moment that it is a joy to be out there. It is not just the bright red of the rhododendron or the pure white of Exochorda The Bride, the vibrant Acer Palmatum, the masses of blue forget-me-nots and the bottlebrushes of the laurel but the fresh luxuriant greens that you only get in spring.

We are promised that the cold winds will soon be gone and that the wind will not be coming from the cold north. Something to look forward to!

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How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
How to Vegetable Garden in April - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in April
How to Vegetable Garden in May - How to vegetable garden in May as the soil starts to warm up

How Do You Replace Shrubs Killed by The Harsh Winter?

2010-04-27T06:42:00Z

How many shrubs did you lose last winter? My total so far is six and other friends seem to have lost on average two. When we have had severe winters in the past I do not remember losing many or perhaps none at all so maybe it has come as quite a shock to the mature shrubs that have never gone through a bad winter in their lifetime. Thankfully the Magnolia Stellata has come through unscathed and is as magnificent as ever, lighting up the garden and spreading its subtle perfume.

My policy for the past few years has been not to buy shrubs or plants unless absolutely necessary. Last year I purchased a tree (very good price from a small nursery) and two rose bushes from a small specialist rose nursery. Losing six shrubs as you might imagine leaves quite a bit of space to fill and so an afternoon excursion was taken to visit a nursery and two other garden centres.

So how many shrubs did I buy on the shopping trip? None! It is a long time since I bought anything from a garden centre and the prices came as a bit of a shock. Don’t get me wrong, I know what is involved in growing quality plants to a size suitable for sale but my impression was that I was not being offered quality plants and that the price was inflated. There are reasons why this may be the case but I exercised my prerogative and kept my money in my pocket.

The question then was how to make up for the losses. The answer was to go back to my policy of taking cuttings, growing from seed and splitting perennials. The first shrub planted was from seed that had germinated in my drive (packed soil covered in shale) and grown to a very healthy little shrub. Last year when I pruned a dogwood I stuck three prunings into the soil and they looked as if they had taken. Lifting them I discovered that indeed all three had rooted and had good healthy root systems. This then totalled four and checking a Chaenomeles I found a piece had layered itself and so I was up to five. Digging up a dead Hebe I found that beneath it again a low branch had self layered and produced roots. Small but alive and quite fast growing it will do the job nicely. So there we have the six shrubs to replace the ones killed during winter.

Of course there are bare areas of soil until the shrubs get to the size of their predecessors but the perennials that are in the greenhouse being grown from seed will soon fill that space.

The tomatoes are still doing well and have been transplanted into 5inch pots. I sowed two cucumber seeds and in just a few days they had germinated and are looking healthy. About half of the seedlings sown this year have been pricked out; pricking out is a job that I don’t mind as I find it very relaxing, indeed therapeutic!

My Garden is My Space - Hints, tips and how to articles for gardeners. Reviews and offers of garden tools, gardening equipment and many other garden related items
Garden Diary - Stories, hints and tips by a gardener
Gardening News - Online garden newspaper with garden and gardening news from around the world
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How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
How to Vegetable Garden in March - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in March
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Horticulture Education Program » Blog Archive » Advanced MGV ... - Advanced MGV Training: Pictures from the plant propagation workshop. MGVs spent the day at DC Smith Greenhouse on the UW-Madison Campus, practicing various techniques in the asexual propagation of plants: Shoot, stem, leaf cuttings ...
Plant Propagation by Ground Layering - Ground layering is an easy method of plant propagation. It happens all the time in nature, when a branch touches the ground and grabs on, starting its own root system. Strawberries ground layer themselves. So does most ground cover. ...

Garden Winter Casualties but Plenty to Look Forward To

2010-04-06T10:00:00Z

I have not been able to write a gardening update for a few weeks but that does not mean that I have not been busy out there in the garden. The weather has not been the best but seeds have been sown in the greenhouse and nearly all the autumn leaves have been gathered. Where do they keep appearing from?

For many Easter weekend is the first big effort in the garden, the clearing away of last season to make way for new planting and maybe the time when the first construction and landscaping project is completed. Easter is early this year and if your garden weather has been anything like mine the ground is far too cold for any serious planting.

I started my clean up a few weeks ago as mentioned in a previous article.A few good emails came in suggesting that as a self confessed lover of garden wildlife was I clearing garden debris too soon. Firstly I am lucky in that I work from home and am able to either walk around the garden each day or to see things happening through the windows. For example I watched the goldfinch work their way through the seed heads on last years perennials and did not cut them back until I was fairly sure all the food was gone.These little beauties are now devouring my Niger seed at a rapid rate of knots! Also the dead stems are left on one side and later shaken to remove as many ladybirds etc before being put on the compost heap. I want to keep safe as many of the garden helpers that I encouraged into the garden last year; after all they are my good friends.

It is not just the insects and birds that we have to look out for. Tidying a heart’s tongue fern I found a large toad sleeping and then in some grasses were two large frogs. There are already some bumblebees around and the birds are getting very territorial. Yes the garden is alive but not all is well.

The Easter clean up has revealed that I have lost three Hebes this winter,two very large ones that have left significant holes. The other Hebe was about half their size but I have also lost a large potentilla. My first reaction naturally was anger and disappointment but this is the reality of gardening and Mother Nature. As in all areas of life there are no guarantees and nothing lasts for ever. Once the frustration passed I could look uponit as an opportunity. Two of the large shrubs have gone from one area so my brain is now in gear and the garden planning has begun.

The tomatoes are really coming on well. My perennial lobelia and gaillardia are pricked and annuals sown such as cosmos (through in just a few days).The gaillardia seed have produced 90 seedlings. What will I do with 90 perennial gaillardias I hear you ask? Firstly I suspect that there will be one or two casualties along the way to maturity. Secondly as previously mentioned I have had a few winter casualties and so the is more garden than expected to fill and thirdly I will be swapping with friends and giving residue to family. One friend already has a gooseberry bush potted up for me and I have given him some alpine strawberry plants.

The milder winters of recent years have meant that we have had blossom on the crab apples as early as January but not this year, it is only just opening. Again in the past few years snowdrops have come and gone, followed by crocuses which in turn were followed by daffodils. This year the snowdrops,crocus and daffodils were open together.

Continuing on with my recent pictures of birds taken in my garden I am including one of a long-tailed tit. Just come off the fatball and looking suitably full of goodness. With tails longer than their body, no neck and those tiny black eyes they are a joy to welcome into the garden. They have been spotted collecting nesting material as has a blackbird hen. Maybe it is spring after all!

My Garden is My Space - Hints, tips and how to articles for gardeners. Reviews and offers of garden tools, gardening equipment and many other garden related items
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Gardening News - Online garden newspaper with garden and gardening news from around the world
Gardening and Wildlife - Gardening and wildlife stories, hints and tips...
How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
How to Vegetable Garden in March - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in March
How to Vegetable Garden in April - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in April
Perennial Plants from Seed [Casaubon's Book] - Well, one option is to get division or other shared plants from friends, but you can also grow a majority of useful perennial plants from seed. And if you are prepared to wait a bit for them to hit maturity, and deal with a greater ...
Now's the Time to Start Perennial Plants from Seed - ... Planting a Perennial Garden From Seeds I have a question. The seeds were placed in an ice cube tray and frozen but she did not indicate using the frozen seeds. View original post here: Now's the Time to Start Perennial Plants from Seed.

Winter Returns but Snowdrops Give Hope of Better Days to Come

2010-02-24T03:32:00Z

Thank goodness I took advantage of the couple of day’s fine weather to do some “real gardening”. Since then we have gone back into the depths of winter with snow and cold temperatures. In fact the cold wind has made it unpleasant to do anything than to work in the greenhouse. However I you see the world news of earthquakes, floods and mudflows I realise just how lucky I am. Once the snow and ice has finally gone I may have quite a bit of work to do sorting out any damage and debris but at least I will have a garden to work in and many poor souls will not even have a roof over their heads.

In the greenhouse it is nice to see the tomato seedlings coming on, new life with the promise of warmer days to come.

Also germinated is Lobelia but not the annual (tender perennial) type that use as annual bedding but the perennial variety. I have chosen a packet of mixed colour seed but from the packet they complement each other and so I do not have to wait for them to flower before planting out and worrying whether there will be a colour clash. The packet says forty seeds and I have to believe them, the seed is like powder so there was no chance of counting them. I could not even be certain the seed had rested on the surface of the seed compost! The good news of course is that as long as I can nurture them through to planting out I will not have to buy any more Lobelia seed or plants. I will be able to take cuttings and eventually divide the plants, a continuation of my policy of only buying plants when it is a necessity.

My Standard Fuchsia has leaves. The dead looking twigs of the many past weeks have decided it is time to start into life again. I keep it in the conservatory which has no heat whatsoever apart from any weak winter sun. It is still only young but the stem and branches are looking much thicker and stronger. If I find another of my fuchsias vigorous enough to train I will have another go.

The renewed snow and extended cold has brought the Fieldfare back into the garden. It might be cupboard love but I will take it as he will not be around for much longer I am sure. Hanging a large fatball in the magnolia outside the conservatory has paid dividends. We have had close views of birds that we normally only see from a distance and maybe not even notice them visiting. The Blackcap for instance, a pretty little bird with as the name suggests a black patch on its head, and Long Tailed Tits that we see flitting through the bush in gangs but not sitting still very often.

It is not all doom and gloom outside, the Christmas Box has opened up even more flowers and the perfume is just stunning as I walk through the back gate. It may be considered a dull looking shrub the rest of the year but for me it more than makes up for it at this time of the year.

The Snowdrops are in bud at last and one small patch that are catching the welcome bit of sun today has opened a flower or two. Soon there will be swathes of these little white beauties – I hope!

Although it is only the end of February many of the gardening news articles have vegetable growing as their theme. Mainly about planning the vegetable garden but it will soon be time for that vegetable garden preparation. It is good to see so many column inches being devoted to vegetable growing again. Like all gardening it can be hard work, frustrating and so rewarding. And all in the same growing season!

My Garden is My Space - Hints, tips and how to articles for gardeners. Reviews and offers of garden tools, gardening equipment and many other garden related items
Garden Diary - Stories, hints and tips by a gardener
Gardening News - Online garden newspaper with garden and gardening news from around the world
Gardening and Wildlife - Gardening and wildlife stories, hints and tips...
How to Vegetable Garden - How to vegetable garden each month of the year with hints and tips on a variety of vegetables
How to Vegetable Garden in February - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in February
How to Vegetable Garden in March - Seasonal hints and tips on how to vegetable garden in March
Snowdrops (Galanthus species): A Letter from Sylvia ... - We've received a letter from Sylvia on a bulb I know very little about - snowdrops. And it explains why my few spasmodic attempts to grow them have.