Its about as dark and damp as it could be around mid-day on this Saturday. If it had been crisp and sunny I would have been enthused with the garden, and have several ideas sufficient for Six on Saturday. However, Jon our Chief Propagator will have made an effort, so what could my excuse be this week?
Without further prevarication here are my Six and hopefully something interesting will come to the surface.
1. Winter view of the conservatory border:
I can sit inside and 'will' plants to grow, or else spy the damage the slugs are making.
2. Amongst some of things I observed from the warmth of the conservatory was a corm of Winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis on the surface showing small buds and roots: out I had to go and burry it back.
Then I noticed the Corydalis Integra which I bought last year from 'our' Andrew fellow SOS Kind Hearts and Corydalis, emerging. This may be a little early and was wondering whether I ought to mulch it. Maybe Andrew will comment.
3. I went to fetch some compost to 'dress' some plants, but instead found a bag of watery stuff. I must have left the bag of compost open. I vented my frustration by jabbing with bag many times with my pen knife and allowing it drain on some dormant moisture loving plants. Mr S tut tutted at the view this morning at breakfast.
4. Of the seeds I received from the Alpine Garden Society were four lots of cyclamen seed: Cyclamen purpurascens, Cyclamen confusum, Cyclamen intaminatum and Cyclamen maritimum.
After soaking and keeping them in the warm, I had only just put them outside, when I discovered that I had done the wrong thing, and they should be kept in the warm. So they are back in the house until next Spring, somewhere dark, and will be checked each Saturday. During the week I happened to be browsing through The Alpine Gardening Society Members' Group Facebook page, yes that changed it name to something new during the week. Someone asked the question about sowing guides and was directed to an excellent site, which is open to all and covers many plants in addition to Alpines. I would be selfish not to share the source:
Sowing guides for Alpine seeds as shared on The Alpine Gardening Society Member's Group on Facebook. The Guides are on the Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plants Society site. Many thanks to them for being so generous.
5. The slugs are still marauding, and the pretty white flowers of Primula juliae are being nibbled as fast as they are opening. The leaves have since been removed, but no slugs were lurking there.
As you could see, my primroses are also nibbled ... These poor little pests can do nothing but eat ... I can't wait to see your new cyclamens! Long and slow growth worth the wait
ReplyDeleteLots to get excited about, even if spring seems a long way off!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the C. integra is doing well. It's always one of the first to show it's head. Mine is just below the surface (I had a little furtle around out of interest). My garden generally seems to be about a week behind yours so I think both of our plants are at about the same stage taking into account the difference in latitude! Anyway, I would just leave it to it - integra is a pretty tough old thing!
I was just out trying to drain a bag of soil. I am very interested to see how the cyclamen do.
ReplyDeleteI've always been successful germinating my own seed freshly harvested in the summer.
DeleteIt was as dark and damp at the same time here Noelle and has been like that for most of the day and evening! It was lovely to get a glimpse of your polemonium 'Lambrook Mauve' - if the weather improves I will wade out tomorrow to see what mine is doing. 'Tom Thumb' must make for a fine companion.
ReplyDeleteIt also gives me great satisfaction that I grew this one from a cutting taken from a shrub before we left our previous home. Your recommendation was much appreciated, and it was serendipity that on my next outing there was a plant to purchase.
DeleteI think the foliage of polemoniums is just as lovely as the flowers. Almost fern like. I hope the broken off bit survives.
ReplyDelete