Update

I have decided to update my Marigold blog - this will be third time lucky I hope! - I think it will show the ups and downs -and highs and lows of my garden pursuits. I have joined various gardening sites but seem to always return to faithful Marigold. My garden is close to my heart and I can look through my window and immediately feel a surge of adrenalin and an urge to pick up tools and get out there. This week so far I have split several primulas and potted on my Aubretia seedlings and my perennial white stock seeds are through - I bought these at the Malvern Show - they are to be potted on - and are next on my to do list.

I am amazed this year of the variety of poppies - both in the garden and at the allotment growing in my wildflower gromat - the colours are so vivid - I shall try to save seed from these and also hope they will self seed as well.

Choices have to be made this weekend as to entries to be made into the Shrewsbury Flower Show - a bit hit and miss I think for me !! OH will enter some allotment produce and a window box - and me? well I have planted up a window box with basics and then I have some fuschias and bits and bobs in pots - and will add these on the day depending on how they perform - I cut them back earlier hoping for a mass of bloom but I don't think that is going to happen ! I also have 3 scented leaved pelargoniums - I shall probably enter these they are OH will also take Mickey alias Minnie the Scarecrow - last year Mickey was entered into the Burwarton Show but unfortunately that has been cancelled due to the site being waterlogged - UK weather!! This week the alpine sink has had a makeover - emptied and new crocks put in the bottom for drainage - refilled with John Innes No 3 - and a mixture of sand and grit added - replanted with alpine plants Of couse the list of things to do is endless - and I think this is the key to gardening and why we all love it so much - until next time - Jane

Sharing

I am posting this short video taken during my walk through the Snowdrop woods at Attingham Hall this week - I am linking up with Growsonyou - the snowdrops were stunning and the birdsong very therapeutic - Have a good day

Weekly or Monthly?

Well this blog was going to go weekly but it seems to be that it is going monthly, perhaps as the seasons warm up - the blog will speed up! Today I ordered 3 Patio Buddelia (Buzz Red)- they were out of the Sunday paper - they are plugs - well they were free bar the postage - so what the hec- if they bring in a few more bees and butterflies - then that will be magic. The tall Buddelia tree ( should have been pruned ) at the bottom of the garden attracts many butterflies and bees in the summer months ( see header pic from last year) I find this weather offers little encouragement for me to wander much further than to check on the bird feeders - or to top up the sultana dish - and maybe a peep into the greenhouse,

There has been a break this afternoon and the sun has shone through - ideal opportunity for a stroll around the garden - half the magic of a garden is I think - is to browse around trying to remember where and what you planted those few months ago and what comes up where and so forth.

Also for me to take a quick look at my special place in between the greenhouses - cuttings taken last autumn - hardy seedlings potted on - special bulbs in pots protected by mesh to stop damage from over zealous blackbirds scratching for worms - to be continued in a week or a month who knows!!

Buds are a Bursting !

This week - a trip out to Attingham Park and the walled garden - scrutinising the updated boards for January - and looking at the tidy garden beginning to wake up.- the picture above shows the parsley beds and the bell cloches cover the rhubarb crowns




Click on to read in detail -







My large pot on the decking planted up with spring flowers is doing fine - violas and bulbs - not sure what so it will be a surprise later on




Seed catalogues are popping through the letter box with endless decisions to be made . for choice of vegetables and seeds to grow for 2012.

Tour around the garden - showed that the Witch Hazel is about to bloom, this will be its first year in the garden. Red Currant and White Magnolia are in bud - but I can't find my yellow Winter Jasmine - the Japonica is starting to flower with the promise of more buds - see pic above.



On the kitchen window sill, cuttings are doing well and streptocarpus have rooted well - see the roots in the brandy glass = purely water I must add! they will be potted up soon and kept in a warm place to get established.

General tidy up of houseplants this week - but I must say there is definitely a feel of Spring in the air

New Year Garden Round Up

A New Year Resolution for 2012 - was to attempt to keep a weekly update of gardening stuff - ie plants flowering in the garden - jobs done - jobs not done - success and failure -mainly because I tried to get this blog up and running last year but failed dismally - and also that my 9 year old grandson has given me a RHS Allotment Journal for Xmas - where there are blank pages for entries on a weekly basis - now A will be watching closely to see that I am making full use of this book - last year he bought me a very nice flower vase.

So here we go ....

A tour of the garden .. and lots of summer plants are still flowering due to the mild winter so far - strands of blue lobelia - pot marigolds - the erigion rock plant - to name but a few - and the bulbs are beginning to push through - including a small snowdrop flowering in a trough.

My header pic is of the Camellia Japonica - it is flowering well and is holding its own amongst the variegated holly.

A quick look in my green house - shock horror - signs of mould and decay on my scented jasmine - and lo and behold a small green caterpillar - who I must say was hastily removed outside - I tidied up the plant and now I will keep a watchful eye - it may mean making more room in the conservatory for this plant - now the Xmas tree is down.
Peering closer it seems a Streptocarpus has had a bad attack of mealy bug - so another casualty otherwise everything else seems ok.

Planted up some Amaryllis bulbs - Xmas presents - I love them - so does all my family - so this is a well favoured gift by all.

B has been busy in his greenhouse - but I do have some stuff in there as well - reason being it is bigger than mine my green house and I am afraid there is a bit of an overspill.

B has planted a few pack trays with Shallots - varieties called Golden Gourmet and a French Banana Shallot (mild flavour - pink flesh) they are not in the propagator just on the bench - also B has sown all the year round lettuce - they are on the bench and Ailsa Craig onions are in the propagator but with no heat .

Just for the record - B has had a disaster in the Allotment - the garlic just coming through has been lessened -due to enthusiastic winter digging.

Bits and Pieces

We are now nearing the end of June and this blog is still not off the ground - I must say that does not apply to the veggies in the allotment they are flying - and so are the weeds!

B has a tremendous show this year - he is well pleased with his achievements and so am I- we are using our own lettuces, beetroot, potatoes and calebrese in the kitchen and picking sweetpeas - and what a gorgeous perfume they give to a room - better than any scented candle

Courgettes are in flower and butternut squash are looking good, peas have been hit and miss - as last year - although it is nice to eat your own peas - Sainsburys down the road have some good bags of peas in their freezers!

Purple podded peas bought from Delma at the Malvern Show are growing well in our do it yourself polytunnel - peas are in a large pot and are climbing up the canes - no sign of any flowers or anything yet - I wait in anticipation!

Hardy geraniums ordered last month have not arrived yet as we speak - I am looking forward to this - they are amongst my favourites in the garden - they never fail to surprise me by self seeding where least expected - fabulous colours too- I will list the names when I get the delivery.

Tomatoes - cucumbers and peppers are looking well in the greenhouse - fingers crossed for a bumper crop!




I have included the snippet above - by clicking on the pic I can enlarge the text -and refer back as and when required - I have already taken some primula seeds and followed the instructions - I have put them outside on the staging against the greenhouse in a seedtray covered by a wire basket to prevent the blackbirds scratching them out - something has already come through - could be primulas but is probably weeds we shall see!

Just Gardening

This blog is mainly a reference guide - so that I can look back on what was good and what was not so good in the garden over the year.

I shall use snippets from here and there - tips from fellow gardeners and friends, bits from magazines and own experiences.

Ideally I would have started to record events etc at the beginning of the year but it is now June and I can't wait to get started- cie la vie!

June - general overview - alls well in the greenhouses = I make this statement loosely - they need a jolly good tidy up - as ever - like pots to be stacked and a jolly good clean up.

As ever this blog has been interrupted - the school sports day that I thought would be cancelled because it has thrown it down with rain is now on so I must dash - camera at the ready - be back later to try and record June pluses and minuses - that is surely spelt wrong -

PS -the opening pic was taken this morning I love the aluims - it is made up with so many star like flowers - incredible and all from a bulb