Fiery Colours And Green Heart

The flowers that are the showiest in the garden are all either red or pink. This is the Oriental Poppy that is finally in flower. It never did anything last year and died back over the winter. This year it is regrown with vigour and put three hirsute flower buds on. These are like green hairy cavemen and look quite decorative.

The centre of the Poppy is like a french Chocolotiers sweet. An Almond dusted in Chocolate sprinklings. I love the breezy petals, like red circus tents. They billow and move in the wind, and have the texture of a fine oriental silk.

In the fourth hanging basket on the static bird feeder station these Petunias are in flower. They are always such gutsy plants blooming away for the whole summer until the first frosts. They just need regular plant feeding, dead heading spent blooms, and a ready supply of water. These look exotic in pink with dark purple veins on the petals. They smell scented too during the evening.

In the big green planter tub there are these Dianthus Jazz Festival (mmm Nice..Jazz). These were bought at the 2009 Walton Plant Stall. They have survived the cold winter and the move and are blooming their socks off now.
They are electric pink, light pink, and white flowers. They all smell like Cloves (Imagine Pomanders). The leaves are very light and airy like ferns. There is a Teasel growing in the middle as the architectural plant.
Already photographed in previous posts are the Gertrude Jekyll Roses (pink coloured), and the Geum Mrs Bradshaw (Crimson red and orange). These strong fiery colours are a recurrent theme running through the green heart of the new garden.


The Football World Cup started yesterday in South Africa. England's first group game is today against the USA. The special relationship will be on hold for ninety minutes of the game. A large amount of team USA already play in the premier league here in England.
England is awash with red and white St Georges crosses. They are on Cars, Shop fronts, Flags on houses, in Windows, and England branded clothes. Cat thinks I'm a marketers dream as I have already bought my England baseball Cap, Key Ring, and Pin Badge. I also bought from Hampsons an England Gnome ready to support our team. Come on England! Who says you cannot combine Gardening and Football?

Flowers And Seeds

The Petunia in the hanging basket is made of strong stuff. It is flowering in January despite all the cold weather and freezing temperatures.
I looked around today at new growth on the winter survivors. The Sedum has grown at the base of the plant, compact green leaves that will grow upwards when its warmer.
The Verbena Bonarensis is growing at the base, and amazingly the Chrysanthenums are growing new plants at the base beneath the frost bitten flowers.
The soil has many bulbs pushing up from the ground now. I cannot remember what I planted where so it will be a suprise when they do flower.
I sowed the last of my Cabbage Excel seeds today ready for this years growing season at the allotment. I also sowed Parsnip seeds in my green container.
I harvested some baby Leeks Armor and Carrots Amsterdam Sprint which were lovely and long, and not eaten much by slugs.
There are already Cabbages at the Allotment. I want to buy some Leek seeds and start them off in the greenhouse.
I am still deciding what Vegetables to grow this year. The ones I enjoyed the most last year were the Potatoes, Cabbages, Onions, Courgettes, Parsnips, and French Beans.
I will grow herbs and soft fruit in the garden as it is nice to walk from the kitchen to harvest them for cooking.The pleasure from eating something you have grown is amazing..
Before all the growing I need to prepare the allotment beds.Digging over, and adding more compost to make the soil deeper over the clay.
The thought of cooking and eating the Vegetables will keep me going through the heavy labour of digging over eight beds at the allotment.
I enjoyed the soil on my hands today harvesting and sowing seeds. My garden spirits have begun to glow after the winter.

In Flower Prolugue

I am off today from work, a day off between four long days.I have worked two already.
This is a beautiful white/pink double flowered Petunia for the hanging baskets.I think white flowers look great against green leaves, and when the light is fading they stand out too.
The sun is out again this morning.I want to go to the allotment to do some watering and weeding.The garden is starting to put on its summer clothes.
The Dutch Iris have flowered by the Raspberry bush, the Geraniums have flowered, both the Upright ones and the bushy ones.
Flowers have appeared on the Catnip Six Hills Giant.The cat damage from Blackspot might prolong the flowering by having a second flush later in the summer.A feline version of the Chelsea chop (when Gardeners across the country cut back half of the perennials to leave two rows of diffferent sized stems.the shorter ones flower after the longer ones.Two displays of flowers are made by the judicious trimming of some stems above leaf nodes).
I put four fat balls last week in the feeder and by last night they had been totally eaten.I wander how many birds have been eating them!They had lasted weeks before.I will try to observe to see whats feeding in the garden.
My Roses have Rose buds on them.The climbing Iceberg Rose has White flower buds now nearly open on two.The other Floribundas and Teas have small buds on them but are a few weeks away from flowering.
I will do a second post today about whats in flower and photograph all the flowers.Many plants have flower buds on too.I can feel the energy levels growing in the garden.
Winters for gardening dreams, Spring for garden preperation, and summer is the Fireworks Finale when masses of flowers bloom.

Ps Hils needs healing vibes as her back has given out. Gardening is good when you are not injured with sunburn, blisters, cuts, or bad back after digging! Get well soon Hilary :)

Petunia in plant stall