My gardening Diary
MONDAY Plants are growing so rapidly they’re in need of regular feeding. For our mixed containers of ornamental plants, dahlias, tagetes, nasturtiums and agastache in our big pots it’s a balanced feed based on seaweed. Later on we’ll use a food higher in potash to help flower production.
TUESDAY One of the most exotic scents in the whole garden is produced by elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’. Despite the flowers being tiny, bees, honey bees and other pollinating insects home in on it, a racted by the fragrance.
WEDNESDAY Out with the shears to cut back some of our most ebullient geraniums. Geranium oxonianum benefits from a summer haircut. Even when it’s cut down to the ground, it’ll spring back within weeks with healthy foliage and a new crop of flowers.
THURSDAY Though it might seem late in the day, we’re sowing seeds of both sunflowers and sweet peas. They’re an insurance policy as we need them both for Alice’s wedding.
FRIDAY We’ve already collected seed from hellebores, now it’s the turn of the aquilegias. They’re a promiscuous lot and you never know how they’ll turn out, though white and yellow varieties usually come true from seed.
SATURDAY Everyone needs to muse from time to time, but sometimes the reverie is interrupted by the wiry sound of dragonflies’ wings as they circle to and fro, landing from time to time atop a bamboo cane or tall stem.
SUNDAY It’s not just penstemons but several other perennials can be increased from cu ings now. Salvias add such flflower power to the summer display and taking a few cu ings, far from stopping them flflowering often increases flflowering when tips are removed.