Changes on my balcony

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I’ve pulled out all the Violas that have been flowering so nicely for the last few months :( Something I’ve been remiss to do all this month as they were flowering so well. I had seen that some had got mildew & some had tiny, tiny white aphids – not to be confused with whitefly that attack tomatoes & Fuchsias. When trying to shake the soil off the roots they flew off in their 1,000s! Perhaps “float” would be a better description than “fly”. They got in my face & hair but for as much as I tried to move the plants around as little as possible still 100s came off at the least movement. I pulled them out & put them into a plastic bag. I hope they don’t spread to the bowl of Violas my daughter gave me for my birthday a few weeks ago.

Some of the seed pods had ripened & split open holding out the seeds so I couldn’t help but sow a few of them! Now I shall find 100’s of Violas seedling sprouting up all over the place! As I have no room for dedicated seed trays for another week or two I sowed them in the pots where the Amaryllis bulbs are growing! The Viola seedlings won’t rob the bulbs of anything nor should they suffer for sharing “living accommodation” for a few weeks after germinating. The bulb roots go down to the bottom of the pot & the top inch or so of compost doesn’t have bulb roots, as I know from experience. After a few weeks I will move the Viola seedling into pots where they can grow on for the rest of the summer & autumn till I put them in their winter position.

This autumn I don’t think I will buy Pansies, I will use the Violas in their place. I won’t be able to have a colour scheme as I’m sure the Violas I bought as plugs last autumn were F1 varieties so there is no way of knowing what will come up!

I have 40 Ten Week Stock seedlings in individual pots – that’s not counting at least as many again that I planted in the square pots that are planted with golden Conifers. I’ll post a few pictures later in the year once the Stocks begin to flower. BTW, does 10 weeks refer to the time they are in flower or from germination to flower? I’ve always wondered.

This is what the these golden Conifers looked like when I planted them back in 2005.

This is the 2nd of the two I planted 4 years ago in May or beginning of June 05.

Compare the size of the golden Conifers after 4 years! They are twice as high & wide as when I planted them. This is the most recent photo I have at present of the Conifers. It was taken back in February when we had a heavy snowfall.

Last year I decided they took up too much room & that I could use the pots better if I cut away the lower half – which I did! It was a shame & had I had a garden instead of a balcony I would never have done it. But because space is at such a premium most pots must share their “accommodation” with bulbs at the very least but usually with other plants as well. I can never find enough room & am always “tucking” more plants into pots or containers that already have more than enough!

I have 100s of seedling Snapdragons that I’ve had to prick out in clusters in pots & seedtrays. I bought a packet of seeds a few months ago to put some in my sister’s garden but so many came up the seedtray looked like “Cress”! I shall plant some of these clusters in place of the Violas. I had already planted some of the seedlings in the pots where the Crocuses had finished flowering but the Pansies are now flowering. These seedling Snapdragons will take the place of the Pansies (I hope!). I’ve never done this before, in fact I’ve not grown them in donkeys years!

• 29 May, 2009
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