My gardening Diary
MONDAY
Trying to take a few photos of each area of the garden week by week for reference, particularly when we’re thinking about what worked and what didn’t during the winter. Memory doesn’t always serve efficiently and making plans depends on recognising reality.
TUESDAY
Filming for our next ‘Plant of The Month’ – sedum. Loved by bu erflies, they’re stalwart border plants but they’ve other strings to their bow. Many smaller varieties are excellent for troughs or rock gardens and have become the ‘go-to’ plants for green roofs.
WEDNESDAY
If the day is fine, seed collecting will begin in earnest. Many of our umbels have set good seed but wet weather had put paid to gathering them. High on the list of desirables is Pimpinella major ‘Rosea’, the pink form of our native greater burnet saxifrage.
THURSDAY
Having cleared spuds from a few of the tree tubs we’ve grown them in, the rich compost that’s left is ideal for bringing on late-sown annuals, grown for cut flowers. It’s taking a bit of a chance to expect nigella, orlaya and ammi to grow and flower but it’s worth a go.
FRIDAY
Where the ground is moist on the shady side of the garden, several meconopsis we’ve grown from seed can be planted now – but not until the beds have been weeded. The weeds seem to have grown twice as big as usual!
SATURDAY
We don’t always deadhead as often as we should but it becomes more and more important as plants begin to run out of steam. With the whole daisy clan – rudbeckias, dahlias and cosmos for example – it’s important to cut the dead flflower and its supporting stem down to the next bud rather than just nipping offff the flflower.
SUNDAY
We’re feeding all our tubs and containers with a high potash feed to try and persuade plants to keep flflowering. We’re also making a home brew with ne les and comfrey but the trouble is it smells dreadful. Once applied the smell disappears rapidly. Perhaps a clothes-peg is the answer! Carol Klein