Six on Saturday - trying to brighten up

 Yes the daylight hours are increasing, but what I and the garden would like is a little less rain, and when it is not raining, a bit of brightness.  The lack of light is really affecting the growth on plants, and I am holding back from sowing seed on account of this. Despite this, I have been out in the garden and here find six things worth mentioning, so that I can join Jim and other gardeners, keeping a log of our gardens.

1. Bright yellow stands out against grey overcast skies, and I am thankful for the yellow Mimosa Tree growing on the other side of our fence.

2. Down in the border the yellow hellebore could also do with some better light.

 3. This week I noticed that the Chrysanthemums which had all been packed together in some compost, and sheltering from any possible frosts were starting to sprout.  They were all tipped out of this pot, and were repotted individually in fresh compost.  This is the first year that I have carried out this task for the new Chrysanthemum I bought last year,  and I am not sure of the next steps, so that will be something for me to look into this coming week. 

 

Even Chrysanthemum Picasso which Brenda gave me last autumn, after I had lost mine over then previous winter, received protection, and now is in new compost.  Should night time temperatures threaten to fall, they will spend the night in the shed.

4. I think the Corydalis would have benefitted from a good cold spell then some bright sunshine., rather than the warm wishy washy dark days we have been having. However perhaps I am being impatient.  I have placed some of the tubers of Corydalis solida subsp. solida 'Beth Evans' in a bowl and they are just starting to show a little colour. 

Corydalis solida subsp. solida 'Beth Evans'

As I write this it has just dawned on me that I have forgotten what I did with the Dicentra cucularia. I had loads of of the little tubers, and they probably got planted in the garden. 

Properly labelled when sown as soon as the seed of Corydalis Malkensis was harvestable, this week  it was a joy this week to see the tiny seedlings emerging. I remember it was a case of harvesting the seed almost hourly as they soon fell out of their seed pods.  At this size the very soft seedlings would soon be devoured by the S & S brigade.

Corydalis Malkensis seedlings

5. I took the bus and went on an adventure yesterday: Shepton Snowdrop Festival!  I went on the walk from the town centre to the home of probably the first Galanthophile James Allen.  Since I cycled to catch the bus, this meant I wouldn't be able to buy a whole load of plants. In reality the garden is already perhaps overstocked with snowdrops. 

Galanthus 'Heffalump'

I managed to find the cultivar Galanthus 'Heffalump' I had been trying to source, from the Avon Bulbs stall, it is now planted close by the dwarf yellow Forsythia. The other snowdrop is a replacement for Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice' this time from Jenny at Elworthy Cottage.  

I was pleased to receive her assurances that this was from a strong and very long lived acquisition of hers.  

6. I had intended acquiring a few more violets.  At this stage I was going round the stalls with my lovely friend Alison Mayal, who is a very experienced and knowledgeable gardener, but horror of horrors, she cannot see what people see in all the varieties of snowdrops. She does of course enjoy swathes of the G. nivalis and Flore Pleno. 

Anyway when I asked to smell a violet, I just could not smell it, but to Alison it smelt lovely.  Apparently my genes predispose to not smelling violets,  so for now until a find another violet whose flowers wow me, I shall stick with Viola odorata 'Kim'.  Since added to the garden last year, it has made good growth, and the flowers are very pretty at the moment.

Viola odorata 'Kim'

If only I could find a really good way of controlling slugs and snails!  I haven't felt up to night patrols, but when I am out there, I do check places where they often hide, and despatch them.