The Seeds are Starting to Grow

Spring is definitely on the way now. The weather has not been spectacular but it has slowly started to warm and night time temperatures are around five or six degrees Celsius. I decided that now was the time to take the ceramic pots out of their bubble wrap, for all the plants, the hardy ones such as the pear tree and the more tender such as the Olive tree. Although temperatures could fall back down to zero, it is unlikely that they will plummet below that, so the pots are probably safe from cracking and the plants themselves are unlikely to suffer too. I put the Jasmine back in its spot next to the decking and removed the protective fleece. It had dried out again. For some reason, I keep forgetting to water the Jasmine but I gave it plenty today, with some feed. For the next few weeks at least, rain should meet its water needs.

A video showing what I am growing in the cold frame

In the cold frame, seeds are continuing to germinate with signs of life from Cosmos, Sunflower, Chard and Cornflower all growing. I have planted more seeds. Today it was the turn of Mina Lobata, a exotic climber which I tried to grow last year without much success. I soaked the seeds for twenty four hours in warm water and planted them out in the cold frame today. They grew quickly in the early stages last year, but I started them inside and that was their downfall. When I moved them outside they did not respond at all well to the temperature change and although they did not die, they did not grow very quickly and only one flowered. It is possible that the soil did not suit their needs also, so I will keep them in pots this year and place them close to the fence for them to climb. 

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

A picture I took last year of Cosmos in the garden

I also planted two varieties of Pine Tree seeds. They are botanical specimens and I do not know the variety as I collected them from the local park last year. I kept them wrapped in foil in the fridge for a year and have put them put in the cold frame now. Hopefully the contrast in temperature and light will get them to germinate but it is a complete experiment and I will be both extremely surprised and pleased if they grow. My plan would be to use them as Bonsai if they do grow as they are both massive trees in the local park and definitely would be too large for our garden if planted out in the soil.        

Pruning Grasses and Planting Seeds

We still not have seen much of the anticipated spring weather yet here in the garden, but I have had one good day of gardening this week. I started off by having a good look around, which I do most days. I found that the Blackbirds must be starting to nest as they have been taking compost from the pots and doing a good job of pulling up some Begonia tubers and Nerine bulbs. Last year they did the same to my seedlings, but I have them well protected in the cold frame this year. No real damage has been done as the Begonias and Nerines are not actively growing yet, so I have just pushed them back down into position and replaced the more fibrous compost with finer loam-like soil to try and deter the birds.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Despite the cold weather, some of the tulips are forming their flowers

I checked on the Dahlias I had left outside enclosed in a good layer of bubble wrap, they were actually quite damp inside so I decided to remove the bubble wrap and place the container into the bottom of the cold frame to allow them to dry out a little. Inside the cold frame, the Cornflower seeds have sprouted but that is all. The cold weather has not not been ideal for the approach of starting most of the seeds in the cold frame this year, but I will not start to worry or change my plans until April.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

There are some other signs of spring appearing in the garden too 

I have pruned back the deciduous grasses. We have two in containers and now is the time of year to make space for new growth. I repotted the larger one into a new container, next year I think I will try separating it into two plants. We have one small evergreen grass in the borders and this does not require cutting back, but I did tidy out any growth that had died back to make it look more presentable.  

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

I have cut back the deciduous grasses, leaving any new growth

I have planted more seeds and put those into the cold frame too. I did six more Cornflowers, some Nasturtium, Trailing Daisies and some other cut flowers the name of which I only know in German, from where they were kindly donated. Hopefully soon, some more will begin to sprout through.

 Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The cold frame is starting to fill up with seeds

I also planted the first fully outdoor seeds of the year too, I decided to grow Chives at the base of the apple tree that we have in a large container. Last year I put Nasturtium in the same position and they were attacked heavily by Black Fly. I am hoping that Black Fly do not have the same love of Chives and also it should provide us with some herbal crops for the salads and other bits of cooking throughout the year.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The home for the chives this year 

Back From a Trip

We have been away for a few days, visiting Iceland. It was a great trip, but there was not a deal to see in terms of gardens and gardening, which is perhaps to be expected at this time of year so far north. I would be interested to find out more about gardening in such places, whether it is a popular pastime, which plants do well in the volcanic geology and also the limitations such conditions can bring.

Leaving the garden can often be a stressful affair, especially later in the growing season or in summer when regular watering is essential. At this time of year all I did before I left was to water the seeds in the cold frame, which made for a worry free trip.

We were away for less than a week so I didn't expect too much to have happened in the garden while we were gone but I was still quite excited to get back and see what had changed.

The Camellia Japonica continues to begin flowering, it has been quite slow to do so, but the weather has stayed reasonably cool recently. It was nice to see the first open flower on our return and the leaves are looking good and healthy.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The first opening flower of the Camellia  

The Tulips have grown and one or two have started to form a flower bud but they are still in the early stages. There are plenty of Tulips in the borders and they should be putting on a wonderful spring display soon. The Roses continue to grow well and the climbers are covering the arched bench and should cover the entire structure this year.

The Dogwoods have begun to form leaves since we left so perhaps now things will speed up as we get longer day length and more warmth. 

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The leaves forming on one of the Dogwoods

I got up this morning to check in the cold frame and found that five of the six Cornflower seeds I planted recently have sprouted and are beginning to grow. They are the first of all the seeds in the cold frame to grow and was great to see as I wasn't expecting anything to have come through quite yet. I will soon be looking through my seed collection and deciding what to plant next.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Planting Seeds for the Cold Frame

I have prepared my Cold frame for this years seed propagation by taking out plants which I was protecting over the worst of the winter and moving the frame into the spot of the garden where it receives the most sun. Last year I planted my seeds earlier indoors in February. It was not altogether successful, the short day length and lack of good window space in our small house meant that the seeds became 'leggy' did not grow well. I planted a second batch which I started indoors but immediately moved into the cold frame as soon as they germinated and these did better.

A Video of me planting the first outdoor seeds of the year

My plan this year is to take a different approach. I planted my seeds last year in seed trays, sprinkling the seeds in lines and then dutifully pricking them out and potting them on through the early growing season. It was a lot of work and not all the plants responded so well to being moved from pot to pot. I ended up with lots of Cosmos and Rudbeckia, which did not mind going through this process. By the time it came to flowering the garden was full of these two plants and it looked great, but this year I want more variety. This means planting less seeds per plant variety and more different types of plant.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The first batch of seeds in the cold frame

Instead of planting lots of seeds in rows, in trays, this year I have started my seeds by using a small pot for each seed and putting them into the cold frame. Although they may not germinate quickly as it is still not so warm outside, they will not catch frost in the cold frame and when they do germinate it will be more naturally and should result in a stronger plant. Hopefully over the longer term they will be more productive, whether it be in flowering or crop yield. The idea of planting one seed into each pot is that I will not have to pot on some of the plants at all and others less frequently. This means the plant roots are less disturbed and should grow more strongly when put out into the garden.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The Crocuses are looking beautiful, especially when the sun shines 

I have chosen seven plant varieties which are suited to early sowing; Cosmos Picote, Morning Glory, Sunflower, Chard Bright Lights, Castor, Californian Poppy and Cornflower. I have planted five of each seed, except for the Castor as I only had four remaining from last year. As they germinate and the growing season continues, I can resow any that need their numbers increasing and choose other varieties to plant too. If I can get two or three strong plants from many different plant species then the garden will be a strong and varied mixture of foliage and flowers and hopefully provide interest and look great too.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

 I have tulips in the borders and a few in containers too

This time of year is one of the most exciting times for me in a British garden. It is full of activity, choices and sometimes dramas. You never know quite what the weather will bring and it is great fun choosing what you want to grow and rewarding to see the seeds coming through. For the gardener I think this can be more enjoyable than in late summer when you are reaping the rewards of all your earlier work, when all that remains is some weeding, relentless watering and looking at your triumphs and failures. This experience is wonderful, but for me, by that time the creative spark has ceased and my thoughts are already starting to turn to designing next years garden in my mind.       

Moving the Cold Frame

Today I prepared the cold frame for spring and planting seeds. The cold frame has been used all winter to protect tender plants but March is here and the cold frame is needed for seed cultivation. At the beginning of winter when the risk of frost began I took the shelves out of the frame and stored them in the shed. I put a tender Jasmine in the frame which took up most of the space. There was some remaining room for a Chocolate Cosmos that we had in a pot and a Grape vine. In the winter we were given some Canna Lily and Trailing Begonias which I also stored in the cold frame.

A Video of moving the cold frame ready for seeds  

I removed the Jasmine from the frame and replaced the shelves. I protected the Jasmine in a fleece and used some bubble wrap to protect the roots. Although we are now heading into spring, frosts can still easily and frequently appear at this time of year in the UK and it is still worth protecting tender plants for at least another couple of weeks.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The cold frame in its spring position where it will receive the most sun

 

In the spring we put the cold frame on the front corner of the decking. It is where the garden receives the most sun throughout the year and is therefore the best place to position it for cultivating seeds. It is not the prettiest place for it to be located, but having a small garden means making compromises, such as potentially causing damage to tender plants and not always having a garden devoted to aesthetics but sometimes function.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Plants such as this Chocolate Mint we pruned are coming back strongly

Now everything is in position for planting seeds. The tomatoes that I had already planted and placed next to the window inside the house has sprouted and are looking healthy. I have limited space inside so I have decided to start the majority of seeds outside this year in the cold frame. I will plant as many different varieties as possible in relatively small numbers to provide interest and excitement in the garden during the flowering season.   

The Weeding Begins

I have attempted the first bit of weeding in the garden. Mainly removing moss and grass which have worked their way into the borders from the lawn and under the fence from next door. One of the great things about having a small garden is being able to control the weeds organically without weedkiller, though even in our small space it can still be challenging. I have made a video about the basics of weeding, what a weed is, how to try and spot them early and whether to remove them.

Once I had done the first bit of weeding, I had a look around the garden to see what is starting to grow. The mild wet winter has started to draw to an end and is being replaced with a colder and slightly drier start to spring. As many of the plants are ahead of themselves in terms of their growth this year it may well be the case that some of our plants could suffer from this sudden cold burst. We shall wait and see if the frosts cause the plants any trouble.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Tidying the borders ready for the tulips which are coming through nicely

We have our first narcissus in the borders, I have seen many out early in other gardens but the shade in our garden means that it always a little behind many of the other local gardens in terms of flowering, which may be a good thing for our spring plants and flowers as some of the early spring flowers were damaged badly by wind and rain.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Narcissus Staring at their reflections with their golden nodding heads

Roses have really enjoyed the mild winter and are already looking strong and should grow well this year. They all flowered for a really prolonged period last year and were great. Hopefully we will have a repeat of that this year too. We have seven different roses on the back garden so they could produce a lot of interest for the garden.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

New shoots on one of our climbing roses 'Summer Wine'

We have an apple tree and a pear tree in the garden and they are both producing buds. Four apples grew on our Braeburn tree last year, which is not a massive haul of fruit but it is a young tree and planted in a reasonably small container. We shall see how it grows this year and decide whether we should replant it into a bigger pot. The pear tree we bought late last year, it did not bear any fruit so it will be interesting to see how it does this year. We have it planted in a ceramic blue pot so it should look great even if it doesn't fruit heavily.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Buds are emerging on our pear tree

Our most mature Hydrangea, that I recently replanted into a forty five Litre pot seems very happy. It is near the house which is sheltered and warmer than the rest of the garden. Leaves are already coming through quite strongly, which is impressive but slightly concerning as we have had a couple of nights of strong frost, which may damage this new growth and potentially impact the performance of the plant later in the year. We shall have to wait and see what happens.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

The new growth on our Hydrangea is looking healthy at the moment

I have already planted my tomato seeds and they in our bedroom next to the window. There is no sign of growth, but it has been less than a week so I am probably a bit optimistic to expect any growth yet. I will be planting more seeds soon, I will have to plan what I plant carefully as we have limited space inside and in our cold frame outside. I am going to concentrate on producing quality plants rather than sheer quantity, which was my general approach last year and although it worked well enough, there is always room for improvement. 

Moving a Blueberry

Not only do blueberries provide fruit, but they are also beautiful plants with great stem colour, delicate white flowers and stunning foliage in the autumn, when the leaves change colour into a range of delightful autumnal shades.

We have two blueberry plants in the garden. The first one I got was bought in the supermarket a couple of years ago. I knew that they required acidic soil conditions but I did not know the soil pH in our garden. I bought the plant anyway. I measured the pH of the soil in our garden and it was very mildly acidic so i decided to plant it into the soil with a blackcurrant and redcurrant plant. 

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

A close up of  one of our two blueberry cultivars

A little while after, my mother gave me another Blueberry as they fruit best when you have two different cultivars. I kept this one in the container it came in to compare the success of both my plants. The one in the container has produced new growth, flowered and produced  a few berries too. The plant that I put in the soil has survived but has not grown, flowered or fruited.

A video of me moving and repotting our blueberry plants

I decided that my experiment was conclusive and for whatever reason; soil pH, the clay or drainage, the cultivar I planted in the soil had done much worse than the one I had left in the pot. I dug up my first plant and potted both of them into new pots as the newer blueberry in the pot had been in there for a while and I decided it would benefit from a slightly larger home. I used ericaceous compost for the plants and I also have ericaceous feed which I add to water occasionally throughout the year. 

We have no way to collect large amounts of rain water in the garden. We have considered buying a water butt but the only drain pipe we have is on the decking and there is no real space for one there and it wouldn't look great either. In the summer we filter our very hard tap water to give to the acid loving plants in the garden and it seems to have worked well enough. 

We have to water the whole west side of the garden daily in the summer as it is raised above the natural ground level and with presence of the large tree of the neighbour's garden, with its roots spanning throughout our garden, it dries out very easily and plants can wilt in the space of an afternoon.

Copyright Robert Widdowson 2016

Both of our blueberry plants in their new matching containers

I am looking forward to see if repotting the blueberries leads to at least improved growth and hopefully improved crops of berries, which are a definite favourite of both of us to snack on!