Here we go Again !!

I got so fed up looking at the horrible, sad, sickly looking Tomato Plants so out they came , put out of their misery in one fast swoop with the secateurs , actually im exaggerating just a bit , there was only one plant left in the Greenhouse the rest had been chopped a few weeks ago , this weather has been awful , I think I got one Tomato this year !! the cucumber plant was doing ok but I didnt see the point of keeping everything on hold for one plant so out it came as well !
The bench , plant pots , everything was brought out in to the garden and I washed the Greenhouse from top to bottom , the bench and pots were all washed and the pasting table put up for all the seed trays , its nice to see it all so clean and tidy ( if only I was so keen on housework !! ).
Ive started off some Fucshia cuttings , im going to need a lot more though as ive already got a few orders for hanging baskets for next year , it made me feel good to know people have enjoyed their hanging baskets so much they want them again .One lady has asked me to make her up 3 hanging bags , I did tell her they take A LOT of watering but she seemed okay about that , I think her hubby is getting that job ! So here we begin all over again for next year with cuttings , never a dull moment eh ?? Happy gardening !

Im giving up on Tomatoes !

Ive got to say im a bit happier with the garden this year , everything has been very slow to grow but I do think thats more to do with the weather than anything ive done , its now the end of July and things are just starting to flower ! im hoping we get a late summer and things can look good for a few weeks , considering this is only my 3rd year with this garden , with a year out because of the hip operation I think im doing not too badly , im starting to reaslise what grows well in each area of the garden and God willing next year it should get a bit better , might even go in for the housing garden competition ! The things that grow well in my garden are the old favourites , like Dahlia's , Nicotiana , Begonia , Taggettes ( great in the hanging bags ) Marigolds , Lavatera , and the Dwarf Sunflowers in the pots look great , ( 2 to a pot next year would be better ) the Perlagonium did not do as well in the bags as I expected it to , might have to give that one a miss next year .I will stick to the Fucshia in the hanging baskets next year as the trailing Begonias havent coped too well with all this rain . As for the Tomatoes !!! well , I really think il give the big plants a miss next year and concentrate on flowers , I will however grow the Cherry type Tomatoes in pots and hanging baskets with Marigolds in beside them to give colour and keep the Greenfly away .

Begonias , Taggettes and Tomatoes

It just keeps raining !! the weather has been awful , so far ive only lost one tomato plant ( Moneymaker ) but the others are looking pretty sad , I know a lot of people are loosing plants to blight its just so wet . The hanging bags are doing well , the Taggettes and Begonia are growing well , im just waiting to see how well and how long they last in the hanging bags , all the other plants are struggling sitting in puddles of water , funnily enough slugs have not been much of a problem this year I think its too wet even for them , if we just got a few days of sun I think it would bring everything on into flower .



Begonia and Taggettes in hanging bags.

Strawberries appearing at last ! thats a little Tomato plant at the top . Minibel, its looking good and covered in tiny Tomatoes .

In the picture below is Lobelia and Alyssum in a puddle

My poor Sweetpeas have been doubled over with the constant rain .

The Robin Family part 5

My little baby Robins have flown the nest , its been such a privilege to watch this little family , I hope they all survive , be safe little ones , bye bye

The Robin Family part 4

What a difference a few days make , the baby Robins now have feathers and are obvousily being well fed !

Robin Family part 3

I looked in the watering can this morning ....and .......yes !! the little bundles of ..chicks have arrived , I didnt want to move anything in the can but I was pretty sure I could see 5 chicks , you can see 4 together in the photo with one off to the left hand side , Mum and Dad have been so busy all day flying back and forth feeding them , its a joy to watch .

Wet Wet Wet in the Garden

My Drookit Garden


Its so wet just now , cant get out to play in the garden at all so im just adding some photo's today

My first Tomatoes , yipeeee ( Tomato Tigerella )

The Lavender is looking great

Begonia in hanging bags

Charlie looks after the garden for me during the night

The hanging bags on the huts

I have made a Strawberry tower at Greenhouse door with black pots

This is the Lily I got from my neighbour

Sunburn

It was cool and overcast here yesterday so I put my 6 foot Yucca plant out at the back door for some air , I went out for a while and the sun came out in all its glory , my poor Yucca plant has serious sunburn , I've spent the morning repeatedly telling it im so very sorry , it looks awful I think im going to have to chop it right back and just hope it forgives me enough to grow again .

The Robin Family part 2

Well it looks as if we may hear the flitter flutter of tiny wings , there are at least 3 eggs in the nest , I wake up during the night at every sound I hear outside , im scared a cat gets to them , I dont care how cold Eddie feels , the bedroom window is staying open till these little Robins are safely away !!

My elderly neighbour is moving house so yesterday I raided her garden for some plants that I really like , most of them I had planted anyway as ive been looking after her garden for the past couple of years now , I will be so very sad to see her go I just hope the new neighbours like the garden I would hate to see it get into a mess , I also moved my Strawberry tower over nearer the Greenhouse as last year the birds had more Strawberries than me ! My tomato plants are growing quickly now with lots of little tomatoes appearing , its nice and warm here today but its overcast , come on sun come out to play !!

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 .