I have had a bit of a re-jig in the greenhouse over the past month. The top level gravel trays have been taken out and there are now four tomato plants on the lower gravel trays. A slightly strange configuration I grant you but it means I can maximise the use of my tiny greenhouse without having to remove the whole staging framework and store it. The tomatoes are accompanied by three Watsonia that are about to flower – I am checking on them twice a day at the moment since it is more years than I care to remember since I sowed the seeds for these plants so the first flowers will be a real triumph. Also nestling on the lower gravel trays are some pots of lemon basil (below) which are doing better than any basil I have ever grown before. I am frightened to harvest any in case I kill the plants off! Oh and also some tender ferns which I bought a few years ago and which until this year have struggled in the greenhouse. I do think the gravel trays are excellent as they help keep the humidity up and red spider mite down and also help with retaining moisture to the plants so I don’t have to water quite as much.
The other side of the greenhouse is still housing a ridiculous amount of seed trays. I have sown my biennials this month and the sweet williams and wallflowers have germinated within a week meaning more seeds to prick out and I still have annuals to plant out so this weekend is going to be busy even if it does rain again.
I have an aubergine which I rescued from a garden center where it was falling out of a very small pot. It has really bulked up and is now flowering but having never grown them before I have no idea if it will get bigger or if it needs to be potted up. There are also a number of peppers and chillis which are bigger than I have managed before but I suspect need potting up which beggars the question, where will they go!
These photos were taken last evening when the sun was going in and the greenhouse had cooled down so the passion flower had closed but they add a real punch of scent to the greenhouse. This is added to by the two species pelargoniums I have managed to get through the winter. I still have Pelargonium australe (below) and Pelargonium sidoides and they too give off scent. I think I would like to add to these so I might keep an eye out for some more on my travels.
If you would like to share the comings and goings in your greenhouse why not join in this meme on the 20th of each month and post a link to your post in the comment box below
