WHAT TO DO...THE JOYS OF GARDENING

Just as I was leaving sis-in-law, with my arms laden with a variety of seedlings, I was offered a few Livingston Daisies.  I could have had loads more of everything, but where would I put it all.  No, I had to be sensible about this and just accept limited bounty. "I could find space", I said, "for just three more little plants".  Easier said than done.  Seedlings happily sitting in pods will not be counted out that simply.

So it was that I planted out ;

• Half a dozen Holly-Hocks,  they can grow very tall given the right conditions and time;
• Double the number of Cosmos seedlings I reckoned I had suitable space for;
• Too many Livingston Daisies to count, (they were bunched up);
• Some Petunias;
• An unknown... Penstemons.  

L-base of tree trunk a Holly Hock: R-Livingston Daisies...closed

The planting advice, sun/shade etc  went by the board, these seedlings were going to have to take their chances wherever there was a space. I did try and give them the advised spacing  and some of them seem to require quite a lot.  It is very tempting to enlarge flower beds and yes, I admit it, I did create a small additional area in which I planted Cosmos, Penstemons and two of the Holly-Hocks. That's it now, no more new spaces.

More closed daisies and varieties of Primulas.

Because of rainfall, I nearly drowned some of the Livingston Daisies in a ceramic plant pot without a drainage hole. Accidents do happen! I rescued them and they are now living, a bit overcrowded, with their siblings. The flowers, vibrant and pretty though they are when you see them, only open in bright sunlight. We've not had much of that.  Blink an eyelid and they've closed up.

New small plant patch-established Mimula, three Cosmos, Petunias & Penstemons. Two small Holly Hocks...maybe for next year.

OF MY ECOLOGICAL GARDENING AND JUST GARDENING.

Primula Candelabra- A Thriving Gift

The friend who gave me this Primula has not had the same show with hers as this one gave last year, in its second year with me. It sprouted three vigorously flowering candelabra and attempted a fourth.  Another bunch of leaves just like this one has appeared this year.  It would be lovely if it becomes a successful relative and companion.  I have recently planted other types of Primulas in the same patch. I would love to see a natural spread of Primulas. I want them to be a part of the perennial natural garden corner I am trying to create with a variety of seasonal flowerings plants.

Some ecological (eco) flower seed packs I have purchased in the past, have provided what I would call weeds, a constant in gardening, which, I for one, would like to reduce upon. I know some plants generally described as weeds are to others, 'interesting'.  One good thing that came out of an eco [with weeds] seed packet,  was lots of lovely growth of flat parsley which, for me, would be a kitchen herb not  a flower. The parsley peered out of the ground and stopped still over winter. The parsley has put some energy into growing in the last month or so, giving me an opportunity to use a little in my culinary preparations already, together with just a smidgin of garlic chives, (it hasn't 'bushed up' yet, so I daren't take too much) and few young peppermint leaves.

Moral of tale: read eco seed packet carefully if you do not want to re-seed your garden plot with weeds.

 

Chard An Elegant Vegetable Leaf  - Grown In 2011

Last year, I also planted really old Cornflower seeds from the remainder of a packet I had in a drawer; to my surprise they eventually produced a lovely little show, though, not for long as with late flowering, late Autumn, which can be very chilly here, and  in the words of Eliza Doolittle, (My Fair Lady) Autumn is, "as what did 'em in"!

My Borage plant, a gift -a  dreadfully ugly thing when fully grown - produced fabulous bright blue, little star shaped flowers, which were lovely in salads. They can be crystallised for food decoration and eaten that way, if anyone fancies doing it. 

The Plants Just Before They Got Hugely Out Of Hand. Young Borage At Centre. 2013

The two Lovage plants I bought are not much prettier than the Borage, I mentioned.  Their abundant leaf growth is a dominant feature and the leaves are what you use for flavouring home-made soup. Someone described the smell as certain well-advertised internationally known vegetable stock cube ingredient. I bow to their superior Knorr-ledge.  I can't vouch if it's the actual taste.  I can say Lovage leaves work okay to give a soup that extra ooomph.