Six on Saturday

The Prop has an interesting assortment in his SOS.  Something for everyone, and my favourite the first rose!  Here are six things from my garden this week.

(1) Sometimes nasty things happen and one cannot decide what the best medicine would be, without incurring collateral damage to insects.  Plum leaf curling on Mirabelle de Nancy caused by Leaf Curl Plum Aphid?

(2|) Purple foliage is looking handsome in the garden and contrasts nicely with the fifty shades of Green in the garden.  Taking pictures has made me realise that a slightly different juxtaposition  would make a big difference.  I'm one of those gardeners who frequently repositions plants!

Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' and Geranium maculatum Elizabeth Ann are not doing each other a favour.  One of them will have to be moved...or both, but not next to each other. I think the Euphorbia was self seeded.


( 3) Persicaria Red Dragon is standing out nicely and will soon highlight the wonderful apricot colours of Rose Grace.

(4) Loropetalum Fire Dance is flowering once more 

(5) Androsace sarmentosa Watkinsii starting to flower....

and within a few days

Getting down low to remove a few leaves meant I found out where the wonderful scent was coming from.   Androsace sarmentosa Watkinsii has a really wonderful smell and not one that caused any reaction....




 (6) Red Campion: a native plant, planted as a plug plant, looking lovely in the conservatory bed.

Again  growth spurt means that daily walks around the garden are a must...

Well enough now to cycle

Glorious sunshine and a need for some gentle exercise.  The hills which I normally cycle up had got harder and steeper...all conquered by getting off and pushing the bike up.  First swallows of the season seen perching on the wires in this village.

Just had to stop...for a rest really...and take a picture of this Wisteria in Wookey.

Easy parsley growing

Have in mind where you want your parsley to grow.  It could be in the soil in your herby area, or mixed in with your flower border, in a tub, or window box.  Prepare the soil as best you can. Add a little fertilizer if you have any, remove any weeds.  It does need a little sunshine, four hours a day will do.  Water the soil well.

Choose your pot of parsley from the supermarket.  The better type for splitting would be one that is on the young stage that is not root bound, and not too crowded.  In these times you have to go with what is available.  Water it well the night before.

Take it out of the pot.  Decide how many clumps you want.  This one pot could have made six or eight.  I wanted four.  If you wanted just one in the garden, I would say still divide as you want the maximum of four little plants in each clump.  You can always put some back into pots to put on your windowsill or give away.

 Here I've put the divisions between my garlic.

Water well.  Remove some of the larger leaves carefully with scissors..use in your next meal...lovely on scrambled eggs.

If you have some fleece or old net curtain..use this to offer some shade for the first few days.  Give the little plants a good watering about once a week if they are in the ground, more freqently if in tubs.  Don't over water.

This way you have parsley for at least a year.  After that being a biannual, it will bolt.  Best start again. 

There is lots out there about parsley, this is just a short post to inspire you to grow easy parsley the easy way.


PS I took five of the fattest cloves off a head of garlic which I bought to use in the kitchen last August from Frances,:a local back garden grower of herbs and salady things, who has a small local band she supplies to.

In a vase on Monday - Bleeding Hearts and Baby clothes

Remaining cool and collected that is what we ought to do. .....

I am finding comfort in my regular home activities.  One being of course the weekly flower arranging and post.  The weather is glorious: bright and clear, a little on the cool side, which is my favourite type of day.

Centaurea montana alba, 

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' little forget m enot blue flowers

Hylotelephium erythrostictum 'Frosty Morn'

Lamprocapnos spectabilis Alba

The star performer happens also to be one of the most attractive plants in the conservatory border this week.  Much easier to say is "White Bleeding Heart".  Its flowering stems from which exquisite white blooms hang,  arch gracefully sometimes half hidden by the bright green foliage. 

Lamprocapnos spectabilis Alba

Many of us are putting on a brave face and adjusting to the new regime.  I realise that things out there are extremely serious, and for some very hard and dangerous.....

Another diversion has been 'emergency' knitting for twins boys yet to be born:all the baby merino yarn was already in my stash.

I may yet knit a full sized kimono jacket for myself.  The colours just happen to match the vase today, so I felt it had a place.

Cathy will be rallying  several of us...and for a few moments we can loose ourselves in the beauty of home grown blooms. 

Another Polenta Cake

So good I had to make it again!

This time, in the Polenta Shortcake,  I used dried apricots soaked in calvados, left over crystalised lemon peel home made from the freezer made for the Christmas 2019 baking sessions, chopped almonds, etc.  Baking cupboard items are slowly being used up. There is enough polenta to make a third with what fruit and nuts are left....