springtime gardens

[mint]

At last, no rain and no sombre skies, at least for now.

Was delighted to see daffodils, crocuses, anemonies and violets out enjoying the sunshine.

Pip24, if you are reading this, I want to tell you I haven't forgotten your advice about pruning roses:  I have my gloves and secateurs at the ready[:)]

[pip24]

Yes Mint, get some oil on the secateurs its time for the gardening cycle to start again ! And the days are getting warmer. I think that the people that prune the vines have the right idea when they have a half drum barbecue behind them to keep themselves warm and keep throwing the prunings into it to keep it burning. My gardening year started last Saturday when I took some xsanth cuttings. I am going to chit some sweet peas this weekend the first time for years.

[mint]

I can see I am talking to an expert[:)]

Hey, your full name is not Pippa Greenwood, is it?

[woolybanana]

Sweet peas coming through nicely in the greenhouse. Most roses pruned but may do a bit more if they dont look quite right.

Expecting some standard roses on Tuesday afternoon so will get them in on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, back to doing a few bits of neglected weeding then dig the veggie patch a bit more.

Most plants overwintered in pots are coming up so will plant them out In a couple of weeks when they are stronger.

Bulbs are a bit slower than down south but getting there, thenfirst probably gonna open in a couple of days.

Get ready forSpring backache!

[pip24]

I am no expert Mint ! Just someone that likes growing veg and flowers. Like you l am pleased to see the spring flowers are out. I split my time between uk and France . At the moment I am in Yorkshire and the plants that are in flower in the garden at the moment are crocus, anenome, primula. Dwarf wallflower and pansy. When we bought our house in France (2005) the garden had lots of spring flowers in the borders. As we were both still working we never saw the daffs in all their glory but when we went at Easter we had all the knotting of the leaves and then had to wait for them to die back before we could plant any thing else. It was frustrating so I decided dig out the early flowering bulbs. I now have the pleasure of seeing summer flowering perrenials in their place. In our garden the loam turns into rock in the summer months and can be unworkable. The way I get over that is to have large pots with compost and gel crystals to retain the moisture usually planted with large flowering begonias and other pot plants.

[mint]

As my area was once vine country, the soil is poor and made up of mainly calcaire and mud.  So hard and ungiving in summer and muddy and squelchy in winter.

In our plot the house has been extended by the previous owner and there is builders' rubble about 2 inches below the surface.  Still roses thrive and bulbs.  We have had scant success with most other things we have tried growing.  Geraniums are grown in pots and troughs but increasingly, we are doing less and less.

We live in a small village in the countryside and there are not many gardens where people spend time and money.  They cut the grass and plant some bushes or small trees and that's about it.  The plants in garden centres look pathetic because they are not properly watered or looked after.