Dwarf Cosmos in profusion growing in a nearby garden had me reaching for both my camera and sunglasses today!
A bed of orangey-red geraniums right behind added to the eye watering effect.
What a traffic stopper!
Got your shades on?
Super Sweet Peas
Did you know that one wigwam of Sweet Peas will give you a bunch of flowers every day? All you have to do is remember to pick them regularly to prevent the plants setting seed. They are one of the most beautiful scented productive flowers I know and well worth growing. Each year I grow a few new varieties to see which I like best of all.
Fabulous Foxgloves
On a dull June day Foxgloves light up shady corners in the garden. Given the right conditions they are a doddle to grow and what’s more bees and other insects love them. So what are the right conditions?
Success with Cuttings
Woo Hoo! My Buddleja davidii hardwood cuttings from autumn have rooted. Not all of them… but probably a dozen or so. They have been in the greenhouse all winter so those that have taken have produced lush top growth as well as healthy new roots.
Dividing Perennials
I had a really good go at dividing my overgrown perennial plants last autumn… then I got rained off. So there are still one or two big clumps of plants that need my attention now. It’s not too late.
How to Prune Shrub Roses
Pruning used to worry me. A lot. I’d wonder when to prune and where to cut and then when the deed was done I’d wonder if I’d killed the plant. Then one day something happened that showed me how tough plants can be.
How to take Hardwood Cuttings
When to take hardwood cuttings
In autumn deciduous shrubs lose their leaves and become dormant. The exact timing of this event depends on where you live and your weather. In the UK this is likely to be either October or November. Early autumn is the ideal time to take cuttings as there is a very high success rate. All you need is a bit of patience.
How to collect Cornflower Seeds
Did you know that you can collect seed from many popular garden plants? In fact it’s often better to collect your own seed. Then you can choose plants that you know and love. If you time it just right you’ll find green seeds for sowing now or dry seeds to store for sowing next year. It’s good to be able to see the parent plants and choose the best specimens to gather seed from.
What are Biennials?
Biennials are plants that you sow this year for flowering next year. 2014 seems like a long way off but a bit of planning now can save you lots of money, time and effort next year. June and July are the best months for sowing the seeds of Spring flowering biennials such as Bellis perennis, Foxgloves, Forget-me-nots, Wallflowers and Sweet William.
Spring Garden Tidy Up
In the Spring Garden there are a few jobs for me to do this week. These would usually be jobs for May but the late spring here has delayed flowering.
The daffodils have finished flowering, keeled over and are finally beginning to turn yellow, a sure sign that all the nutrients from the leaves have returned to the bulb and it’s time to cut them back.