I'm always a bit impatient, and I see my Dahlias that I lifted & kept in pots are chitting like potatoes so I've decided to put them in the ground. Those I have left in the ground also seem to be alright - they were all the wrong colours and in the wrong place, so I have lifted and potted them up & will sell them for Charity later on if they settle.
The Dahlias that I have put in the beds are Molly Raven, Bishop Of York , a single yellow that I am pairing with Salvia Crystal Blue, Blue Bayou, Bishop of Auckland & Perch Hill.
With all this lovely weather, some of the Delphiniums, Lupins & Hollyhocks are between 6- 8 ins high so I was able to get some Hazel sticks from Wild Sussex before the lockdown.
Now it is turning colder again I'm pleased I resisted cutting down the potted Pelargoniums, and they are still being covered at night with their sacking blanket.
Some earlier flowerers are Geum ,Totally Tangerine & some Auriculas. The latter quite like the cold, there are blues, mustard yellow & one I particularly like, Jaffa which has gold centred orange flowers. Geum, Leonard's variety is also in bud, I could not resist this ,but in my eyes it is a poor colour,so it may not earn its keep long term!.
Another 6 bags of Compost Of bracken & sheeps wool from Dalesfoot have been spread over the borders as a mulch. So much is coming up a bit early, like Cannas which maybe caught with any frost. This extra mulch should help to protect the roots. This is Peat Free.
The RHS garden magazine this month points out that "most bags of potting compost on sale in garden centres still contain at least some peat". I am also going to try the Dalesfoot tomato compost this year. It claims no other feed is required.
Our neighbours have planted three lollipop (Prunus Lusitanica Augustifolia) along their front wall. They look really good, so I may decide to put three along our wall which will involve relocating some of the Delphiniums, hollyhocks etc. I can do this in the next few weeks. Our neighbours want the heads to be seen over the wall,they are slightly too short so
will plant them in pots to gain height . They we sourced at a Nursery near Iping,which was identified as a cheaper source than those on the Internet. I will have to be careful about height.
The sweet peas are planted up the Hazel Obelisks, again I hope not too early, they were selected for scent, and hopefully long stems, black knight, flora Norton, Matucana, Lord Nelson & Mrs Collier. I toyed with the idea of growing Ornamental beans up one of the Obelisks but scent and colour won out.
Some Lilly bulbs ( Candy club) have just gone in, they were already sprouting.
Three boxes from M&S of Acidanthera ,now known as Gladiolus Murielae will be planted later.
If there planting is staggered through Spring, those planted as late as May will provide an extended show even into cooler Autumn days when the flowers will last much longer .
This cold snap will slow things down again. The seasons somehow seem to adjust.
With best wishes from
Guy and Mary
