Undeterred by the recent snow and sub-zero temperatures, spring is starting to make a show on my patio. It’s such a good feeling to see your treasured plants make it through and bulbs planted at the end of last year making an appearance.
My Six on Saturday hosted by The Propagator Blog are:
1. Crocus and daffodils
The crocus have been around for a few weeks now and whilst I’ve seen others already in flower, I am beginning to wonder when mine will flower. Gardening sometimes pushes the bounds of patience! However, the daffodils which I don’t remember planting in this pot (!) are coming along well, I hope they don’t choke out the crocus.
2.Hyacinth – ‘Woodstock’
I have a constant battle with squirrels and magpies who seem intent in digging holes in my pots. I have, in general, mostly won the war by covering the pots with pea netting, occasionally the critters have found a way in. The bright green net makes them look a little unsightly but when needs must etc. Hyacinth ‘Woodstock’ has a plum/purple fragrant flower on a dark stem, so should look very striking when fully out.
3. More daffodils
I’m not sure if you noticed the little yellow bee in photo no. 1. I bought it, along with the little red ladybird above from Tesco in the summer. They have little windmills behind their heads and I thought they were fun, just a little folly – ‘little things please little minds’, as the saying goes. There are more daffodils coming through in this large deep terracotta pot at the back of the patio. If I remember rightly I planted ‘Dutch Master’ a solid no nonsense, tall, bright yellow daffodil.
4. Tulips (already)
I’m not sure why I don’t have a label in this pot, but poking through the pretty apricot pansies tulips are appearing. There is a probability they will be of the orange variety because I do try and color match my container planting. Wait and see!
5. Rescue plants
I am an advocate of rescuing sick plants from the clearance section at garden centres. More often than not, with care and attention, they pick up and you find you’ve got good established plants at a bargain price. Next time you visit a garden center don’t dismiss the Clearance Bench. I bought two Hemerocallis ‘Pink Damask’ for £2 each and a Sedum ‘Red Cauli’ for £4, which I have nurtured on my patio at home. They are substantial plants ideal for my cottage garden bed on the allotment. When they look a bit stronger, probably mid to the end of March, I will take them to their new home – if I am able to wait that long!
6. Sweet Peas
I can’t end my Six on Saturday without showing my baby sweet peas. I am growing ‘Mammouth’, ‘Painted Lady’, Beaujolais’ and ‘Skylark Mix’. The first three I sowed on 29th January and Skylark went in last week, so only tiny little green nobbles of the Skylark are beginning to poke through. I did include my sweet peas in my last Six on Saturday Six on Saturday – 02/02/2019 ‘Purchases’ and the photo showed just a tiny shoot of ‘Beaujolais’ appearing. Just look how they’ve progressed in a week! I have them in a cold frame on the patio and during frosty or really cold nights I bring them inside overnight.
Thank you @cavershamjj at The Propagator Blog for hosting this weekly meme. Please peek over the fence and take a look at what is happening in other peoples gardens, not only in the UK but all over the world. Also join in if you would like to.