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!

Seed Sowings in March

I am going for 95%+ use of module planting this year. About 75% of seeds in the greenhouse were planted this way last year and I still managed to not get seedlings sown in trays pricked out on time. So have invested in a few more modular planting trays

.... and then sowed:

21st March in the greenhouse

Vegetables

• Perpetual Spinach - last year sown direct but ended up with no spinach due to slugs so starting off in greenhouse this year.


• Flat leaved parsley


• Lettuce various


• Kale 'Scarlet' (T&M) needs protecting this year from Cabbage White butterfly


• Purple Sprouting (Suttons) - ditto re Cabbage White butterfly

Flowers all new (ie haven't tried these before) annuals/half hardy flowers all of which are for planting out after last frosts:

• Cerinthe major purpurascens - a hardy annual with blue-green foliage and bracts that, in theory (haven't grown them before) appear through the summer. Height is 12-18inches and they need to be planted out 12 inches apart. 10 seeds in the packet (from T&M) so ideal for my module planting only resolution!


• Canary Creeper (Trpaeolum peregrinum) - yellow flowered annual climber. My plan is to cover the trellis around the oil tank with yellow flowers (promised summer - autumn). Long germination time for these seeds of 21-30 days. Plant out 12inches apart.


• Chrysanthemum 'Summer Festival' - mix of colours and double/semi-double/single flowers. Good as, and my reason for growing, a cut flower. Gap between plants 6 inches min. Meant to be sown in situ, but sown in modules in greenhouse as slugs would adore the seedlings.


• Cosmos All Sorts Mixed - half hardy annual that will grow to over 1m (40 inches) tall. Germination 7-14 days. Plant out 12-18 inches apart. Plan is for these to grow in the bed at the base of the Leylandii hedge.

31st March in the vegetable patch

Parsnip F1 Albion. Germination is long (10-28 days) and seedlings should be thinned to 6 inches between plants. In practice I sow thinly and thin out plants so gaining some baby parsnips.

In between the parsnip rows - from the RHS:

one full row of Radish Cherry Belle. I will thin seedlings as the thinnings are good added to salads. Thin to 1-2 inches between plants.

Two half rows of Rocket. Thin to 8 inches between plants. Needs watering frequently

'Bottoms Up'