Plants are on a go-slow in protest at the weather! Pam Gray
The weather in April has been causing problems. A frost nearly every day, hardly any rain and not as warm as it should be! Some plants have just gone on strike and are growing so slowly – ageratum seedlings look exactly as they did four weeks ago, whereas other seedlings that germinated at the same time are now settled into their new temporary home until they’re planted in the garden. French marigolds eventually kicked off their seed cases and have been pricked out. I’m whispering this – I can see two tiny seedlings in the cleome pot – I just hope they’re cleomes!
We’ve been covering trays of bedding with fleece most nights but I’ve lost a few seedlings, so it’s a good job I pricked out more than I need. Once I knew the tomatoes, chillies and peppers had settled into their new pots I put a message on our local Facebook page to see if anyone would like my spare seedlings. Three ladies got in touch so all my seedlings went to good homes rather than in the compost bin.
I’ve been busy sowing veggie seeds – three varieties of beans – ‘Lady Di’, ‘Blue Lake’ and ‘Stanley’, green and yellow varieties of courgettes, squashes, cucumbers, mange tout, spring onions, lettuce, sweetcorn and broccoli. I’ve also sowed six varieties of basil and two varieties of sunflowers.
Barry has planted the ‘Charlotte’ potatoes, onion and shallot sets and sown seeds of chard, spinach, beetroot, carrots, spring onions and radishes. Leek and onion seedlings will be planted in the next few days. The apple and pear trees have been smothered in blossom so hopefully we’ll get a good harvest.
Plants looking good are photinia ‘Red Robin’, Akebia quinata and two amelanchier. In the oval garden it’s choisyas and lime-green euphorbias.
Pots of tulips are now blooming along with some late flowering multi-headed narcissi that I also planted in pots and they smell wonderful. When I open the gate to the front garden the scent of the wallflowers is just lovely!
My new hostas are growing well – I did give the ‘Mama Mia’ variety to granddaughter Lily as part of her birthday present plus a cake for her day themed around the film of the same name. She and her friends enjoyed her party in the garden.