Flighty's plot

I need to rescue Foxy, the plot guardian, from being smothered in the ivy which grows around and up the rose Pretty Lady.  As you can see at the moment just his nose and ears can be seen. I was given him by a plot neighbour not long after I took the plot on and he’s been keeping an eye on things ever since, mostly from where he is now.  Once I’ve rescued  him I’ll make sure he’s okay and give him a clean before putting him back.

The picture on the right was taken back in December 2014.

As it’s Mother’s Day here is a picture, which I took back in July 2012, of a rose Pretty Lady for mums everywhere.

Have a good week, and take care!

the most of the dry weather this week and been to the plot every day.  I’ve just about finished digging out, and sieving, the compost heap but lost count of how many barrow loads I did although it was well into double figures.  I hoed the vegetable patch where I’ll be growing the French and runner beans along with the sweet corn. Apart from weeding I can now leave that area until I start sowing seeds which won’t be until mid May onwards.

I’ve started clearing and hoeing the flower patch and so far done nearly half  of it.  By today it was dry enough to walk on so I should be able to do the rest in the next few days.

Last year I grew some red valerian in the stone feature but it didn’t impress me so I’ll be growing  something else this year,  perhaps nasturtiums.

The space in the centre is about 6 in/15 cm square and the same deep and one day I’ll find a plant that does really well in it.

In the black plastic, half barrel, container by the shed I’ll be growing  pot marigolds again.

The old upturned wire hanging basket is to stop foxes and squirrels from digging in it.

 

Have a good weekend, and take care!

started with more rain over the past two days but today, after a frosty start, it’s dry and sunny.

This morning I wasn’t surprised to find the plot was very soggy with some icy standing water down at the south-west corner by the crocosmia.

 

The coming week looks like being mostly dry, and warmer than it has been, so I’m hoping to make a start on the flower patch which needs clearing of some unwanted annual flower seedlings and weeds. During April I’ll be sowing Candytuft, Cornflower, Poached Egg Plant and Pot Marigold seeds.

Cosmos, Nasturtiums and Sunflowers I grow elsewhere.

I had hoped to hard prune both the Dog Rose and Rose Pretty Lady over the winter but the continual unsettled, wet weather stopped me from doing so and, apart from some general tidying up, I’ll now leave that to the autumn.

Have a good week, and take care!

I went to the plot yesterday after lunch and soon after I’d arrived I had to shelter from a couple of heavy showers.  They made a soggy plot even worse and it was pointless trying to do anything so I headed home for a welcome cup of tea and a couple of biscuits.

Today I’m not in the mood to even go and have a look round so I’ll be mostly browsing through some of my gardening books.

Creamy-white pot marigolds Snow Princess from September 2016.

Have a good week, and take care!

On Monday I donned my heavy duty gardening gloves and very carefully cut out all the dead stems on the very prickly blackberry bush back to ground level.  I then pruned it where needed to keep it in bounds.  It was a worthwhile job but I’m glad that it only needs doing once a year.

The remaining live stems are showing lots of new growth which is pleasing as I do like these berries.  Blackberry and apple crumble has always been one my favourite puddings.

On Tuesday I dug out, and sieved, a barrow load of compost which I spread round the raspberries.  The next load I’ll be putting round the strawberry plants.

One of the adjacent plots hasn’t been tended for some years and has turned into a wildlife paradise.  This forsythia grows on it by the edge so that when it flowers it’s still visible from my plot.

It’s been dismally damp and dull again yesterday and today so the ground remains much too soggy to do any plotting.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

I only went to the plot a couple of times last week as it was mostly damp and dull.  It’s the same this morning, and looks set to continue throughout next week.  The plot will be well soggy again so that even if it’s sunny I can’t do much, if any, plotting.

I did manage to hoe and weed the patch where I’ll be growing the onions Sturon this year, and also did Cosmos corner.

I also cut off all the dead stems and flowerheads on the clump of Sedums (Iceplants) which is already growing well again.

I still have some flower seeds – Cornflowers, Cosmos and Sunflowers –  which I saved to sort but haven’t been in the mood to do recently.

Here’s an archive picture of some pink Cornflowers Polka Dot from August 2017.

 

Have a good week, and take care!

I’ve nearly always grown nasturtiums on the plot in a small area at one end of the double row of strawberries where they provide a welcome patch of colour.  I generally grow a dwarf variety, such as Tom Thumb or Whirlybird, and once they’ve finished both collect some seed and also let them self-seed. (This archive picture is from September 2020.)

Last year there was plenty of foliage but not many flowers, and some were trailing plants which must have been rogue seeds so I didn’t let them seed. I’d forgotten that and will have to buy a packet.

I like the colourful mixed colours, apart from orange which I’m not keen on, and my favourite ones are mahogany with the glowing centres. (This archive picture is from September 2015.) I’m often reminded that the flowers, leaves and seeds are all edible but I’ve never tried them and happy to leave for the bees, and other pollinators, to enjoy.

Have a good weekend, and take care!