Well, it’s that time of the year when one simply HAS to make a start and begin the big clear up! Given it’s either snowing or raining I thought I’d crack on with the greenhouse.
As I walked into the greenhouse, I almost trod on this brown frog, brilliantly disguised it is!
Four painful hours later I had it looking a little tidier….and DON’T say it’s still a mess….
The first thing I do when the greenhouse is tidied is put a few herbs and bulbs in there to brighten it and cheer me up while I’m waiting for my seeds to sprout. I pot on the bulbs and keep them indoors over winter so they’re ready to flower in a week or so.
I left the water cress in the greenhouse over winter and forgot about it, so I was really surprised to find it still alive….marvelous, won’t have to buy any more watercress seeds this year.
I bought new bird feeders today too, the weather is so dismal the birds are really suffering. This feeder is for the smaller garden birds, they tend to get bullied off the other feeders by our doves and wood pigeons who are about the size of small turkeys!!!
I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before the dogs have that down!!!
I always get withdrawal symptoms over the winter, so to cheer myself up I buy seeds….lots and lots of seeds!
My favourite flowers are wildflowers and cottage garden flowers. I simply love everything about them, they’re great for the pollinating insects, they have a real oldy worldy charm and have the most delicious names. I’m going to create a new wild flower border this year and have chosen hollyhocks, marshmallows, also known as mallards, great mullein, also known as aaron’s red, lady’s bedstraw, also known as robin-run-the-hedge, maiden’s hair and strawbed, and musk mallow, also known as Billy button, and pancake plan, delphinium, and penstemon. Now aren’t they FANTASTIC names….especially Billy button!!! That should be one colourful border! And…wildflowers need hardly any care and most of these are hardy perennials.
I think I may have bought too many seeds though…..oops!
So…on to sowing a few seeds…..I absolutely love this time of the year when I can get a few plants going. Here I’ve sown some speedy cress, which apparently grows in a week….wow! I’m not sure I believe that though.
As well as the cress, I’ve put some salad leaves that I’ve grown on a window sill in the greenhouse, I’ll pot them on next week. And I’ve sown African marigolds,morning glory, stock,cosmos and chilli peppers. Yay! Now I have something to look forward to every day ….wee seeds a sprouting. Fantastic!
I’m impressed – we don’t even have a “real” winter in Southern California & my backyard looks far worse than yours at the moment. Nice work!
Thanks Debi, I’ve a long way to go clearing up! Still….I’ve made a start.xxxxx
You’ve been busy. I will be waiting ’til mid March before I enter the potting shed. It needs a good fettling. There’s a all sorts of garbage in there. I left a pot of cat nip in there and it has survived on moisture, the next door but one neighbour’s cat was in (we have a cat flap to the shed) munching tiny green shoots, the little bugger.
Being nearer the coast, our weather is probably warmer than yours so I can crack on a bit earlier.
Fettling…..what a wonderful word, I not heard that before…..does it mean clean/ lol….the raiding cat made me smile, they do love cat nip!!!xxxxx
I love cottage garden and wildflowers and I look forward to seeing pictures of your garden when your flowers bloom. And I agree the names of the flowers are wonderful; they just add to the character of the garden.
Thanks Wendy. Wildflowers do have that magic quality don’t they….and the names….so gorgeous!
I’m quite excited about the new border, I can’t wait for spring!xxxxx
That’s a lot of seeds, I think they will keep you busy. I am a fan of wildflowers too, the border should be good for insects.
Thanks Dessie, yes, I think I’ve gone a little overboard in the seeds dept!
I’m really hoping the new border works out!xxxxx
All great projects have to start somewhere, right?
They sure do Erik!xxxxx
Just lost a lot of comment
Sorry Menhir, my captcha was playing up, lots of people have emailed me saying they couldn’t comment so I’ve now changed it. It so annoying isn’t it?xxxxx
I’m so impressed with your industry. With cold drippy weather, all I want to do is grab a blanket and a book. Very smart of you to begin by placing the already-green-and-cheery plants in there. Yes, I can see that you’ve perhaps overdosed on seeds. But maybe you’ll just have a huge huge crop of gorgeous cottage-y flowers this season!
Nikki, you would hate our climate!!!! I think all us Brits live with our noses in a book during winter so as soon as the nights lenghten, we off outdoors trying to make the best of things. Lots of seeds can be sown here at the beginning of feb. I do love to have a few plants thriving in the greenhouse, it’s so cheering.
Lol, I hope I do have a great crop, but I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew!!!xxxxx
Sounds like you’re a little hard on yourself. I love wildflowers too. Never thought of growing them myself, though…
I love wildflowers and they are just like herbs, they take very little looking after and are always so hardy and prolific! xxxxxx
Great job on your Greenhouse, which seems huge by the way, Lucky You.
Love all the seed sowing, the Wildflowers will be gorgeous, I can’t wait to see photo’s of them, the bees are going to love them. x
I got the greenhouse for an anniversary from hubs, it’s been a godsend, a lovely place to hang out in and escape to, whatever the weather is doing.xxxxx
I hope you haven’t gone mad too early! I shall be growing a lot more wild flowers this year as well, it will be interesting to compare notes later on.
Lol, I have a feeling I may have gone a little crazy!!! It will be lovely to compare notes. I’ll look forward to that!xxxxx
Good for you! It’ll be good when we can also all start outside.
I like the sound of a wildflower border and look forward to seeing it in full flower come the summer.
Are you sure that you have enough seeds! xx
Yes, our weather has not been kind has it….I really hope this year is better, weather wise!
I’m really excited about the new border, it should be a blaze of colour and great for the insects.
Lol….one can NEVER have too many seeds!xxxxx
Excellent! An early start does make life just a ‘tad’ less stressful….;)
Certainly prepares for Nature’s Spring Advent……:))
Well Done…..Looking really good! Hugs! 🙂 xx
Thanks Ell, it’s great to get going early. It gives me something to look forward to each day, I get such a buzz when the first seedlings pop up.xxxxx
Wow, your garden is like Eden – loads of luxuriant growth everywhere and lots of love and enthusiasm – absolutely love it although I am HOPELESS at gardening and a disgrace to my dear departed gardening-mad Dad …. that frog is amazing, I would have missed him if you hadn’t said!!
What a lovely comment, I wish my garden was like Eden, I son’t even have a lawn in the back…lol
I almost missed spotting that frog, he had a lucky escape!!! Thanks Gilly.xxxxx
Gracious, that frog is hard to see! Your greenhouse is wonderful; one of my dreams is to build one before too many years pass. How lovely to be sprouting seeds and watching bulbs grow: Joy to your February and the green life it brings to you! Thanks for another lively and happy post!
It certainly was. I’m glad I didn’t stand on it, I’d have felt dreadful!
I love my greenhouse, you can potter for hours, whatever the weather is doing and you get so much pleasure from growing plants from seed and it saves a fortune. I hope you get yours soon, you certainly have enough land to start several nurseries!!!
Thanks Catherine.xxxxx
I’m sure it’ll be looking beautiful and green in no time! x
Thanks Scarlett.xxxxx
I really take my (earflapped) hat off to you for planting seeds and growing plants and so on – I have the opposite of green fingers… and well done putting all the seed out for the birds.
You do so much in your garden and everything – must be a real joy and with all the wild-life and all your rescue creatures and everything. Must be very satisfying I imagine, and very creative too.
Hope all your seeds grow beautifully…..! xxx
Lol…..and I’ll take MY earflapped hat off to you too! Oh yes!!!
The thing is, when it comes to growing stuff it does suddenly all spiral out of control, I end up with gardens that need cutting back, plants that need pruning, and HUNDREDS off plants to pot on and plant out. I’m incapable of just selecting a few seedlings so spend HOURS potting stuff on, then I give most of them away to my neighbours!!!
Thanks Arose.xxxxx