Cleaning in the greenhouse

Not me doing further cleaning just yet - although plan on getting some planting of seeds happening in the next couple of weeks. 'Cleaning' in two variaties via my 4 chooks using the main bed in the greenhouse for a dust bath and them ensuring that the greenhouse is clear of any bugs.

Columbian BlackTail overseeing the dust bath exercises of the three Speckeldy's

The chooks have had the run of the garden over winter but will need to restrict this soon as more tender shoots start appearing.

PS Weather this week has been a right old mix of sun with some warmth and rain with cold winds. Typical unpredictable week in February in the UK.

Sowing and planting in April

Weather today started off very unpromising - strong cold easterly wind - but developed by early afternoon into what was forecast, a sunny day with light wind.

Tiarella 'Braveheart' newly planted into the space cleared amongst the spurge

Tiarella is a member of the Heucheura family. I have much admired the small spikes of flowers in other gardens in previous years and now, finally, can admire them in mine!

In the greenhouse

Last weekend I sowed:

- Sweetcorn Conqueror. I tried these last year and they weren't happy with the wet windy summer we had. Seeds left over, so I am trying again and hope for better sucess.

- Courgette Defender F1

- Runner Bean 'Scarlet Emperor'. Sown in the cardboard inners from loo rolls

- 'Summer flowers' a freebie from a UKTI event I attended. A picture of a sunflower on the front but the seeds inside (embedded in a paper circle) look too small. Always nice to have a surprise... I think.


Today I sowed:

- Cosmos. I am taking part in a Gardeners Which? trial for this variety of Cosmos and also for a new mini squash (to be sown at the end of the month).

Just after the start of April I also planted summer flowering bulbs/tubers into large pots

- Dahlia Canary Fubuki - Height 130cm/52" - a tall yellow variety

- Dahlia Purple Haze - height 70cm/28" - picture shows more fushia pink than purple

- Dahlia Chic - height 40cm/16" - 'peony' yellow flowers with dark foliage

- Eucomis Bicolour, the Pineapple Lily - height 50cm/20" - flowers July to Sept - not frost hardy (as for dahlia really)

- Tigridia Canariensas - height 30-60cm/12-24". Plant 3" deep, 2" apart. Needs lifting and storing overwinter

- Leucojum Astivum Gravetye Giant (Summer Snowflake) - height 30 cm/12". Bought these bulbs in the autumn and never got round to planting them (they should be in flower now). Hope they will forgive me and flower next year!

In the flower borders
Today: Tairella - see above! Saxigrage in front of the Daylily 'Sunnybells'

In the Vegetable Patch

One row of Spring Onion 'White Lisbon' and another of Carrot 'Nigel F1 Hybrid' between the red onions. I have room for a couple more rows of each.

Two half rows of Beetroot 'Boltardy' and Turnip 'Golden Ball' in between the parsnip rows.

I will update this post over the next 2 weeks so I have one place to refer back to for April!

Clean dog and greenhouse

The weather yesterday turned out to be as promised and then some. If I hadn't been tackling pruning of the rose 'The fairy' I would have been in shorts! Made the most of the warmth and washed the dog and also the greenhouse - using different washing solutions for each of course! The dog now smells neutral and the greenhouse is ready for seed sowing to commence.

Frog and the first set of spawn (excuse the glare from the water)

Going to have to think quickly about how to protect the frog spawn from the fish (see Saturdays post). At the start of the day the first clump of frog spawn had been produced - see photo above. By the end of the day it had been significantly added to. My work on the border along the back wall of the house, which was my main gardening activity yesterday, was accompanied by a frog chorus and then some. They are still going today, and probably will do so for at least another week.

Dwarf daffodil in front of Spirea Goldflame which is beginning to show its colourful leaves