A good afternoon's work- ish.
By pennylane
8 comments
Okay so I am feeling really rather smug now. It’s Half Term; the other half is on a school trip; the eldest offspring likewise; the youngest offspring is glued to a computer game with his mate so they’re not going to bother me for hours.
So I got out into the conservatory and started potting things up. I’m such a sucker for those dormant plants that you buy in plastic bags in garden centres, supermarkets and, round here, Poundland. Over a period of a few weeks I seemed to have bought loads of them so I decided to pot them up, just to see how many of them were viable. If I’d put them straight into the garden they would probably have disappeared without trace.
The garden is clay, and anything that goes in sulks for the first year, usually don’t show at all the second, but then comes back like Godzilla (if it’s still alive) in the third. And I thought that these poor dormant roots needed a bit of a headstart before they were forced to take on the clay and all the other plants I’ve put into the garden (and then forgotten where they are because I have a very bad habit of forgetting to label where I put stuff).
So a couple of hours later the Gro-house is on the way to getting nicely full, and there are several pots getting a little more protection in the conservatory.
Then, carried away by a desire to ‘get things done’ I spray painted a couple of metal containers. This is one of my favourite activities for feeling like I’m actually doing something productive. Some of my metal containers have been through 5 different coats of paint. This year they are going to be zinc coloured to go with the galvanised tin baths and buckets I’ve got on the patio for the container garden. I contemplated spray painting the enamel jug and ‘gazunder’ as well – but decided I was getting carried away.
Realising that the next job that really really needed doing was tidying up the herbaceous beds, I decided that I’d done enough for one day, and retired to the teapot for refreshment. Tomorrow (forgetting clearing the herbaceous beds) it’s planting the new Hellebores!
(Memo to self: Do NOT buy any more hollyhock plants – 11 is enough).
16 Feb, 2012
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Comments
Sounds like you've got loads done today. I'm envious, I was stuck at work all day :(
I've been having a tough time just lately stopping myself buying a few (ok more than a few) of those dormant plants. But I've already half filled my new plant house with lillies and my free perennial collection and I've got seeds on the go and planned. There's still room left, but I ran out of pots lol.
fingers crossed for good weather this weekend, I'm determined to talk OH into starting work on the front garden :) 2 big connifers to come out first. It almost seems a shame, but while they might be good for the birds, they aren't quite so good for the foundations :S
16 Feb, 2012
You've done well. I've just purchased my first dormant plants....potted them up so it's fingers crossed for most of us then :)
17 Feb, 2012
Everyone keeps talking about all these amazing bargains to be got at places like Morrisons and Poundland - it's not fair! They will be my number one stopping off point when I'm back in the UK. If the prices at GCs keep rising, they'll go out of business.
17 Feb, 2012
Ive just started buying from these places Gattina - I would never have done so before - but was noticing all the positive comments from various members :)
17 Feb, 2012
I shall certainly be making visits.....
17 Feb, 2012
Dear Gattina - Not all these packaged dormant plants actually 'live' - but even allowing for a 50% failure rate they can be cheaper than garden centres. And it is just something about the picture........ and that element of 'travelling hopefully'.
And Samjp - I had enough pots - but ran out of labels.... so in a few weeks time I am going to be looking at some of these plants and wondering what on earth they are!
Now it's raining so can't plant out the hellebores - I'm such a fair weather gardener - but did get some pruning (or more precisely hacking back) done yesterday.
18 Feb, 2012
A very productive time and one I would enjoy as well, we don`t have Poundland in my town but did get to visit one a while back when on a visit to my sons town, I got gladioli and dahlia`s, buy one get one free so shared with him, I potted the dahlia`s up yesterday so fingers xx for both of us....
18 Feb, 2012
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our schools are not on half term till next week.
but wow you have had a lovely day potting up.
I too have to avoid all these platic bag goodies. I have a 'few' dahlias waiting to be potted up.Oh and a box of lily bulbs too. Weekend hopefully for me.
16 Feb, 2012