Bellis , Sweet William and Cineraria

Started off seeds for the Spring this morning , Bellis pompom , Bellis Blushing Bride , Sweet William , Viloa and Cineraria ( these look really nice , dont know how tough they are though )
Got nearly everything outside now and its all growing well , I put out just one Datura just now to see how it gets on , will keep the rest in the Greenhouse for another week to be safe .

The Robin Familee

The weather is awful ! its far too cold and the rain just doesnt stop pouring down , on the bright side we have a couple of Robins building a nest in the old metal watering can in the back garden , not the safest place to set up home im thinking but im going to follow their progress over the next few weeks and post photo's as I can , the Woodpecker has just came into the garden to see whats on the menu at Cafe Culmore today , thankfully I bought a new bag of birdfood this morning !

Cucumbers , Tomatoes and Bleeding Heart

Moneymaker

Its cold , wet and windy again ! its been okay working in the Greenhouse though , ive got loads done and its looking nice and tidy , I lifted out the table and gave the slabs a good wash with disinfectant , I put the Tomato plants im keeping inside into big pots , got the canes and water bottles in , I find its easier to water the plants with a plactic bottle shoved in at the side of them , ( bottom cut off and nozzle shoved into the compost ) stops the compost getting too wet and the water goes straight to the roots , no waste .
What a bother I had getting a cucumber plant ! I had to go to 3 different garden centres , B&Q had none at all and Homebase should have been shot for what they were trying to sell , I got one at Klondyke and it looks nice and healthy , usually I get one from my neighbour Charlie but he has been so busy this year with work he just hasnt had time and I wanted to get mine going , next year im going to grow my own , I paid £1.29 for my cucumber plant you can get a full pkt of seeds from Lidl for 39p ! the Tomato plants on sale yesterday were £1.99 ive been selling mine for 30p no wonder people have been chuffed to bits getting them from me .
Ive got my Dhalia tubers planted in the front garden and planted out the Stock , small Begonia and Nicotiana in the back garden ive got the Godetia into the window boxes and it seems to be happier , I found a bit of Bleeding heart while I was weeding so ive stuck it in a pot . I also pulled out the garden seat which has been in the Greenhouse over the winter all I need now is a bit of sunshine to be able to sit out on it ! il keep hoping .

Happy gardening .

Trailing Begonia

Tomatoes and Hanging Baskets

I dont know about you but im at a "in between " stage , everything is looking great and racing on , there's not much to do , ive just gotta let em get on with it , its still too cold at nights to get them planted outside but its far too warm during the day to keep them in the Greenhouse ! so out they all come in the morning and back they all go in the evening . The weather forcast is rain for the next 10 days ! great just what I dont need , hopefully after that the weather will settle but you can never tell in Scotland !

Standard Fucshia / Tomato and Bedding Plants

Ive started to bring all the Tomato and bedding plants outside during the day now , its far to warm in the Greenhouse even with the door wide open , its a little breezy but I read somewhere its good for the plants to be blown a little bit as it strengthens them up , they are all coming on great and im so looking forward to getting them planted out into their final positions .

My first standard fucshia is growing well .

Strawberry Plants And Homemade Compost.

The weather has been awful the past couple of days , cold and wet and windy , Im not getting out into the garden much at all , still a previous neighbour e-mailed me and asked me for a couple of hanging baskets for her new house , although I like orders to be in before now I was happy to oblige , I enjoy making them up , the garden centres and supermarkets charge so much for them with very little plants for your money , mine are always bursting full of plants and look great in the summer ( hark at the learner ! ).


My friend and neighbour Christine asked me if I would like her large Strawberry Pot , oh yes please , so my son James moved it with the help of her hubby George and a trolley into our garden , my poor hubby Eddie nearly had a fit ! he has visions of the garden becoming a jungle ! Eddie emptied the compost bin for me and I must say im pleased with my very first load of homemade compost , I will keep making it as my garden seems to eat the stuff , all my plants grow well so I must be doing something right .


4 of the Angel trumpet seeds have germinated , I was going to be over the moon if I got one ! I just hope they keep going and I can look after them , I really need to try and get some Info on them so I know how to look after them and how to feed them .

Tomato Plants , Hanging baskets and Bags

Hi Folks , the hubby is away back to work after 2 weeks holiday so im free at last to get a shot on the computer .
The weather has been fantastic and everything is growing fast , unfortunately the weather has turned and its got rather chilly , its to go down to -1 tonight here in Scotland so the little heater will have to go back on .
Ive been hanging the hanging baskets out on the washing line every day and they are coming on really well , the hanging bags for the clothes poles and shed are looking good as well . ( Photo's below )
The tomato plants are just amazing , talking of Tomato plants ! Nick ( who I mentioned in my last entry ) e-mailed me and asked me if id like to get involved in a seed swap , well I was certainly up for that , yes please , I sent him some left over Tomato seeds and he sent me Garden Pearl , Red Alert , Oregon Spring and Minibel , not bad eh ?
2 of the Angel Trumpets ( Blackcurrant Swirl ) seeds have germinated , they took ages ! but now that they are poking their heads through the compost they are growing well , I see a difference every day , nobody has got back to me yet with any Info , does nobody in Scotland grow them ?
You all know im a huge fan of Christine Walkden , did you know she grew a Devils Tounge Plant in her living room , the smell from it was so bad she couldn't go into her livingroom , lol , there is a picture of her with it in Amateur Gardening Magazine.
My next door neighbour Christine went out on Monday and bought a coldframe, with the help of a glass of wine , a rather large glass of wine thanks to her hubby George , we put it together in the evening , she has all her little seedlings in it and it looks fab , I think there is going to be a little friendly competition between us and Im lovin it , we have been swapping seeds and plants and we have so many I think some of the neighbours will be getting freebies !

April 2007

Angels Trumpets Double Blackcurrant Swirl-Help.

Happy Easter !
What wonderful weather we are having here in Central Scotland , long may it continue ! ( till about November would suit me )
I was a very happy little person on Friday night , 2 yes 2 programmes of Christines Garden , a whole hour of the wonderful woman ,Im reading her book just now " A Year in Christines Garden " what a lovely lady she is , well worth a read so go out and get it .
Im going to have a go at growing Tumbling Toms this year , haven't grown them before , so I went on line to try and get some Info about them and found this good site by Nick on tomato growing. Nick e-mailed me back within an hour of me contacting him and he is going to send me regular newsletters so im well chuffed .
Im also going to "have a go " at Angels Trumpets ,Double Blackcurrant Swirl , mmm , really would like a bit of help on this one ! anyone out there grown them ? please remember I live in Central Scotland , I would love some advice on this one .

Christine's Garden & Fritallaria

Hubby is on holiday for 2 weeks so ive not been on line much ,he is hogging the computer ! The weather has been fantstic ! cold frosty mornings but by the afternoon really bright and warm , everything in the greenhouse is shooting up and is looking great !
Yesterday the book my hubby bought me for my Easter arrived ," A Year In Christines Garden" , its brill , I sat reading it last night till I couldnt keep my eyes open any longer , the woman is amazing , she really is an inspiration to me , did any one see her new programme on BBC2 on Friday night ? we are a week behind in Scotland so dont expect me to be up to date with the latest one .
I was out with my friend and neighbour Christine a few days ago and she bought me a Fritallaria ( Imperial Crown ) its beautiful ! Her Mum ( May ) gave me an old watering can and ive planted a bit trailing lobelia in the spout and im going to put either a Trailing Fucshia or Geranium in the top , should look nice ?