As some of you know I have developed an obsession with our new glasshouse. Me and Rascal (the dog) are often found there at 6.30 in the morning while i pot up the softwood cuttings collected from around the garden that morning and prick out seedlings before it gets too hot (!).
Somehow these little seedlings become precious. I suppose it is because we have spent time choosing the seed, planting the seeds, watering, pricking out and potting on these little vulnerable things, until finally they are ready for the big wide world.
And that happened to be this week for some. The first of the seedlings have now been planted and, after a good watering in, are left to fend for themselves against the elements and slugs.
So the first to go in have been Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green', Ammi majus, Salvia horminum 'White Swan', Matthiola bicornis, Nemophila menziesii, Verbascum phlomoides.
I want the formal gardens to be over run with flowers this year. If there is a gap I want it filled. I always describe the planting scheme in the formal gardens as a big flowery blanket that Jekyll has laid over the whole area, and that's the abundant feel I want it to have for the whole summer. Unfortunately we don't have any heat in the glasshouse and as this is the coldest spring for 30 odd years we haven't been able to speed up any plants and extend the season by much. But we have succession sown and we have used seed with varying flowering times which should help.
It's exciting times.
Other news- the Gladioli corms are in and the Canna's will go ion next week. I still think that flowering is a good 3 weeks behind. We still have daffs out and its nearly June! The paeonies have put on great growth but are still not ready to show us their ruffles. The poor delphiniums took a great battering last year in the rain and slug attack so they are a bit slow, but they'll get there.
A wise gardener once told me 'You can't fight nature'- and of course he's right, but we will give it a good go!
Somehow these little seedlings become precious. I suppose it is because we have spent time choosing the seed, planting the seeds, watering, pricking out and potting on these little vulnerable things, until finally they are ready for the big wide world.
And that happened to be this week for some. The first of the seedlings have now been planted and, after a good watering in, are left to fend for themselves against the elements and slugs.
So the first to go in have been Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green', Ammi majus, Salvia horminum 'White Swan', Matthiola bicornis, Nemophila menziesii, Verbascum phlomoides.
I want the formal gardens to be over run with flowers this year. If there is a gap I want it filled. I always describe the planting scheme in the formal gardens as a big flowery blanket that Jekyll has laid over the whole area, and that's the abundant feel I want it to have for the whole summer. Unfortunately we don't have any heat in the glasshouse and as this is the coldest spring for 30 odd years we haven't been able to speed up any plants and extend the season by much. But we have succession sown and we have used seed with varying flowering times which should help.
It's exciting times.
Other news- the Gladioli corms are in and the Canna's will go ion next week. I still think that flowering is a good 3 weeks behind. We still have daffs out and its nearly June! The paeonies have put on great growth but are still not ready to show us their ruffles. The poor delphiniums took a great battering last year in the rain and slug attack so they are a bit slow, but they'll get there.
A wise gardener once told me 'You can't fight nature'- and of course he's right, but we will give it a good go!
