Seeds and Cuttings

The above is a photograph of Penstomens taken at Geoff Hamilton's garden last July.

I love penstomen but they have over the last few years, disappeared from my garden and last year I was given some cuttings from a neighbour, which have mostly survived during the winter and yesterday I potted them up into bigger pots.

Seeing them at Geoff Hamilton's garden reminded me how much I like them and maybe I might try some in pots until they are established.

Geoff Hamilton's garden is a must to visit. it was a true delight and so well kept but still with the informal cottage style that I like.

I had been attending a conference on Lyme Disease at Leicester University so as I was in that part of the world I took the opportunity to set out early the day before to visit the garden. The garden was lovely although I was in considerable pain with my hips and legs and going by public transport was not the best way to get there.

The conference was amazing so informative and presentations can be seen on www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk. In fact anyone reading this blog would be well advised to get up to speed on what is happening by looking at this website. One day you or yours may well get bitten by a tick and would be well advised to know what to do. You may even, like me, start being ill and not realise that your symptoms related back to a tick bite some years previously. You are unlikely to be diagnosed or receive adequate treatment the way things stand at present so knowledge is important.

Well back to the garden. I spent yesterday and this morning sorting out the green house and moving seed trays about. Sweet peas are about 8cm so are now doing nicely in the greenhouse along with lettuces just germinating. The lupins and Ailsa Craig tomatoes are doing well so have moved to the lean to and still on the window sill are peppers, cucumbers which are germinating and many others not yet germinated.

I was disgusted with the small numbers of seed in the chilli and peppers packets, the seed companies should be ashamed to put so few in. I supplimented the chillies from last years fruit dried. I did that the year before and they did well but I have no dried pepper seeds to fall back on.

The green house if full of overwintering pots of nerines, lillies and agapanthas plus a few other things. These have all had a tidy and top dress and nerines divided and re potted but I have run out of large pots for now where do they all disappear to. I have grown lillies in pots for years but my favourites are regale and I meant to buy some new bulbs this year but have left it a bit late. I have such a problem with lilly beetle and so over the years the plants seem to loose their vigour although I cup my hands under them and catch them as they fall and then squash them must find a dozen a day easily. They always come in pairs so if you see one you know there's another one nearbye so just need to look a bit closer. I don't seem to have many photos of lillies which is surprising as I have grown them for years and I love then near the house the perfume drifts indoors and even through the bedroom window at night. But if you scroll to the start of my blogs I think there may be some on the doorstep in the first post.