Magazine style - all inclusive

[Perki]

That fritillaria on the other page is nice. I don't know where they are getting the prices for the snowdrops they are nice but its a bit over the top . I got my jacks magic from B&M about £5 a bag which is quite dear for compost , I need to buy some more compost before the world stops turning and everyone isolated.

I don't know about using dead wood /trunk/branches , it will take donkey years to break down and you don't want it harbouring anything nasty like honey fungus. Best thing to use is a turf stack if you have one with homemade compost .

 

[Zenj]

Yes Jacks magic £10 for 2 ,seaweed meal from eiixer garden supplies had good results last year using jacks magic and looks good stuff this year .

 

[alp]

How many litres are there in the Jack's Magic in a bag please? I wonder if that big B&M along A13 has Jack's Magic. Need to go to fleabay to get some or go to the seaside to get some along high tide mark.

Snowdrop is expensive, but hepaticas are even more costly!

Yes, I do like the Fritillaria Reddeana and it's now as tall as the other Fritillarias. By the look of it, we are in for a period of less rain soon. It's going to be a very bright day here.

Turf stack has got grass on it though. Does it matter? Honey fungus is no laughing matter.

Some images of Myddelton House (googled) Didn't take camera with me)

Once a river, now a bond

There is also a stream near the end.

The orangery was locked yesterday

This Botanical Garden Is Home To The Bits Of London That No-One Else Wanted

...and it's all the better for it.

londonist.com

Have a look. Quite an interesting place.

When Bowles lived there, there was no electricity, no water or heating! Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

A very unfinished rock garden. Strangely enough, there were still snowdrops around
.
Tons of blue little flowers, either allium of scilla family. Not bluebells.

Going to extend the front and plant out all my echinaceas, iris and salvias. First thing is to see if I can get new plants from my clematis.

Have a very nice day!

 

[Zenj]

Morning all 50lt alp I think all b&m stock even with out garden departments I find buying cheap stuff dosnt pay.

 

[alp]

Thank you. I will call that B&M and find out if they have any in stock. It's along A13, a bit of a journey. Going to sell a lawn mower to pay for that! LOL!

I hope you need to wear this today!!

I have to! Such gorgeous weather here! Wish you were here! Off to conquer the newly bought plants!

 

[Perki]

It has been nice today but I haven't manged to get anything done in the garden .

Turf stack - most of the grass is dead ( depending on how its been stacked ) but if they is any still going put it at the bottom .

You'll have to be careful going out now alp , lots of cornavirus cases in the south east now.

 

[alp]

Where I live is a bit rural. Well, the borough is, but where I live is busy. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours weeding my front. I did perhaps 15 foot by 15 and it was slow. The vehicular noise and fume were unbearable. People coming down from the roundabout speed all the time whilst those going up always have to queue up and that's another reason I want to move. The air is simply not clean and the noise drove me mad yesterday. I used to say I live in Essex, but I actually live in a London borough. People fool you that house prices are falling. Elsewhere perhaps, but here they still hold firm. I will tackle the whole area tomorrow. Today, I need to pot up the dahlias and move all the alstroemerias outside to get some seeds. Trouble is the Cerinthes have taken over and the front is jam packed with plants.

I am piling up 4 or 5 areas and there is already one from the 50p a roll.

Not such a good day after all! But ideal for hard gardening labour!

This is the red Fritillaria Rubra - only one!

Here is the yellow. Lutea. One already dug up by foxes. So far,I have only seen one here.

Burncoose nurseries is reducing their trillium 3 for £40 delivered. Well, I don't think I will buy any more. I have spent enough and my only trillium hasn't shown any promise. I wouldn't want to mention the seeds from seed plant ?? I bought some Salvia seeds from them and one Moorcroftiana is already germinating - one only. So well pleased as I only sowed them last week. When I placed the first order, I didn't know there were only 6 seeds for one plant and that was quite expensive. The 2nd time, I asked them for the number of seeds as that didn't seem to be provided anywhere on the website. A lady, a much nicer person, replied and said that the number of seeds varied depending on how many they had received! By the time they gave me the numbers, the packets had already arrived. I have now a 10% off code. If anyone wants it, message me please!

What's that salvia you mentioned, Perki?

Salvia and penstemons are really 2 very good plants - long flowering interesting and cope with my weather very well. Love them so much.

 

[Perki]

Evening been a dry day but wet start, its lashing it down now though.

Emptied my compost bin today and turned the other heap into the just emptied bin , lots of worms which is a good sign with a little bit of heat in the middle as well. Been putting a extra dose of moss killer on the lawns , the moss has gone bananas with the wet winter February mainly.

The salvia i am trying to grow from seed is Salvia Hastata.

I don't think trilliums are suitable dry essex / london , are they not woodland plants.

 

[alp]

Might look grey, but GREAT for me! The lack of rain has already put me on panic mode!

Good morning, we were dry all day and in fact ideal for hard labour. I lazooed my millennial to scrape off the dirt on part of the paved area, which was a great help. I then extended the front patch by another foot and planted out alstroemerias, echinaceas, peony Primavera (the white green/yellow one)

The lime pink magnolia is called Magnolia Denudata, lilytree or Yulan Magnolia, as researched by Bonnetts gc. The manager said the flowers would turn white as they aged.

Before

After

I buried this variegated euonymus horizontally. so that it will root along the way. The tip is towards the west and hopefully it will go that way.

Yes, East London/Essex is far too dry. Besides, I will wait to see if my Trillium Grandiflorum comes up at all. At the moment, it's not promising.

Planted out my territorial orchids and then watched videoes and of course, I have to re-do it again. LOL!

should have asked for a discount as the plant has some black spot. Was mad at myself as there were different coloured slipper orchids and I chose yellow! Would have been nice if I had a red one! Wanted to kick myself now. I already have had some whitish one.

Should have looked at the labels. MORAL OF THE story!

2 different camellias

My little camera has done me proud! Such tiny hepaticas!

I have never heard of this salvia. Where did you get your seeds, Perki? Mind you, I haven't heard of a lot of things. I actually ignore those plants which won't do well here. So no news there! Have a nice day. Reckon you guys will have rain. I remember when we were in Lascashire, cumbria area, it rained and rained and nothing else!

Now that you have your bike, a visit to Sizergh Castle will be quite rewarding. There were so many acers there. Simply amazing.

 

[alp]

There was only one shade of grey yesterday!

• Finally, found my Salvia Hians and sowed some more yesterday.
• Found my clerodendrum Bungei and found out that it is very invasive. I will plant it in a tub or a big pot and see how it goes.
• Planted out all the other dahlias in pots and the astroemerias in the front so that they can seed quicker as it is hotter there.
• Sowed some clematis,
• Some penstemon miniature bell
• penstemon Mexianus
• Lifted up more irises
• Planted out gypsophila paniculata pink
• thalictrum Black stocking

I must sow some more petunia. I sowed them on 22/2 last year. This year they hardly stirred. Been looking around for Jack's Magic. They do delivery if you live in Yorkshire or near Sussex. Shame I'm nowhere. 3 bags for £13. Email B&M headoffice and they said they couldn't track stock. I remember a man told me the stock level last year, but not this woman. Should have gone yesterday as I am after some camellia. My Williamsii has one bud which was bugged. No hope this year. £10 or £11 in Homebase.

Sweetcorn Organic Bantam

Not very successful and it looks like something has been attacking my verbena!

Do you do anything differently with this coronavirus lockdown?

 

[alp]

Went to B&M to get Jack's Magic. 60L for £5.99 and it was dead weight. Had to carry it with my son. Got 2 and the vultures were already queuing up outside Aldi. Went to Fenland nursery and outside the place, there was a big signing Clover sold here. I got 3 at £13 and 75L each and I could carry one bag myself. Tight and light. Will go there and get another 6. Very pleased.

She had some hardy orchids, but all yellow and white slipper orchids. She also had Zenj's Bletilla. I didn't buy any as there is no way of telling what they were like.

I love mine - Calanthe

First Fritillaria Rubra and I thought I would have 3 or them standing up proudly. No, only one and a half. The other is still thinking, emerging! Sorry for the coffee grinds.

An Erythronium - still thinking! Well, weather is getting cold again.

It was drizzly the whole day and in the evening, it was raining. Glad that I had a bit of constant drizzle which wetted all the plants I had planted earlier.

Lovely video. I thought the mum was going to sit on one of the babies!

Video for Spring Calanthe! 2013??!! I only thought of buying them when I saw Brian planting them in last year's Beechgrove Garden!

 

[alp]

Very bright here! It was very windy and cold yesterday. Did some more sowing, Read in the news that people are buying up toms seeds and compost to self-help. Going to dig up more area to start direct sow. I have direct sown some sweetcorn, spinach and beans and cover the whole area with tunnel, but some critters have been travelling across each segment and more or less flattened the whole thing. Very worrying as the weather is so cold.

Blue iris buds are showing and it's not even the end of March.

Magnolia Denudata!

I might have to turn on my heater in the lean to. I have tons of tealights going on last night. Normally, it's already very hot here in East London! My seedlings are struggling and the seeds have not done well.

 

[alp]

Good morning and hope everybody is keeping well!

1c and this freezing temperature will go on for days!

Erythronium - could be White Beauty and slugs have compromised its perfection.

First tulip of the year!

When the sun was out, it's fully open!

First aubretia

A pink camellia

Could be Camellia Williamsii x E G Woodhouse!

Hellebores are still going strong!


A Fritillaria Imperialis Lutea

Imperialis Rubra - both covered with coffee grind. I should have 2 more of the same.

Ex is coming up! Will go to the park to enjoy the camellias and magnolias and hopefully a handsome male - the Manchurian Duck. Shame it wasn't in the nursery on Friday.

For something light-hearted

Genetics is an interesting thing!

 

[alp]

Another glorious day and I think the whole country will be basked in sunshine!

We had a very fruitful day yesterday as visit was cancelled. Son made a raised bed and we put another already made next to it. I planted out Kale, kalette, Salad mixed. Shame that I had no more coffee grinds as my little Turkish restaurant has been closed since Sunday. Might go to Costa to have a look as it's doing takeaway. I have uplifted all my daffs to make room for my other plants.

B&Q is doing 20% off and I couldn't find any hellebore Tutu or camellia by-colour. Those left overs were expensive and / or very horribly looking camellias. Bought a kick-off last week in Homebase and they had quite a few good ones Williamsii Debbie / Anticipation, for £11 or £10 in Chelmsford. The Homebase here had none of those.

This is kick off stock pic. Sadly, the buds have been eaten at the tip!

I paid £7.99 for this Denudata last year! It had no name and I took a chance. Very pleased.

A new red Camellia!

Primula Auricula

 

[Zenj]

Hope you all have your gardening stocks compost etc as the lockdown as arrived .