red mum

I bought these chives in aldi or lidl last year and they are doing great.

(May 30th)

(April 23rd)

THE yarden got a lot of attention over the weekend, more planting, this time of flowers. I also attempted, foolishly, to move my sweet pea plant which I grew from seed last summer. Unfortunately it took in one of my planters where I am growing sugar snap peas. I planted them together last year with the idea of lovely colourful popping up in and around the gorgeous green flowers of the sugar snap peas. Unfortunately only one took hold but was spread out over the trellis of the next planter box (am I losing you here).

I decided that I would try to move the sweet pea before all the peas came up (the ones I planted before Christmas are doing great, and I have staggered other planting to get a long summer of peas) but it wasn’t happy and half of the plant was droopy by the next day. When I checked earlier it was mostly droopy. I knew it was a risk but still thought it was worth trying. Anyway I’ll find something to replace it. Its just a pity as it was pretty big and went back and forth.

Among the other things I did was sort out my hanging basket. I was overrun with nastershums last year drowning the other flowers which I had to move never mind making a great feast for some small black pest so I have gone with other things this year, alyssum, petunias and a small white flower called snowflake. Anything left over from the planter trays I planted into pots. Hopefully I will have an explosion of lovely colours over the summer. (April 21st)

WITH all the recent good weather and with lots of planting to do I got out into the yarden last Monday evening.

It’s mad how much stuff gathers over the winter months and given that I have lots of little bulbs coming up here and there it was more than time that I made it presentable. So I emptied all the dead plants and sorted out all my pots and bits and pieces, brushed up, pulled off dead leaves, hung up my hanging basket of daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinths – not your normal hanging basket but it looks great.

The strawberry plants are coming back but I might add to them, as they are tiny, with more plants. I decided not to bother growing tomato plants from seed, so bought four lovely plants and hopefully this year I will get more than one tiny tomato. I have already planted some sugar snap peas again which were brilliant last year and will plant more. And I also intend to get runner beans, courgettes, salads and other things going.

Unfortunately I had to replace the plastic on my green house thanks to next door’s cat who was lucky not to impail itself on the stakes inside pots in the greenhouse. So I have put stuff on the ledge on the yard wall in a probably vain attempt to stop it coming this way again.

I also noticed little white and green fly enjoying my spring flowers, wee buggers and hopefully not a sign of things to come, I was beseiged by all sorts last summer. I’ve been spraying them with soapy water but it doesn’t seem to be bothering them in the slightest.

Once I manage to get rid of the rubbish bags, I’ll take another pic to give you an idea of how it looks. I can’t wait for warmer weather to get out there and chill.

(365 – March 16th)

THIS little daffodil is a fighter, it’s bulb was discarded following a planting I did before Christmas. And I was amazed to see this sprout, even though its not planted and there isn’t any soil other than a small scattering in this container. Its all open now, I should get a pic of it before it keels over

(Sunday, March 1st)