(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Frost,, ice, pea plant on 2008-02-21, 08:28:00

Taken three days ago after the coldest Febuary night since 1979. There was frost on the ground and ice on the tree's and plants. The cold air blew the ice particles onto everything that was exposed from tree's to hedges to cars to the soil.
There was a little flurry of snow too just to whiten up my borders.
It has warmed up since then.I worked yesterday, chilled today.
The Seedlings I started are struggling with the cold then heat of the house. I was maybe too impatient to get busy planting seeds. We will see what survives the winter sowing.
I am going back to Harlow Carr next Wednesday with my camera. I looked through some photos from the August visit. I was amazed by the photos and had forgotten half of them.
I got some books today which I need to read then review on here. The blog has started off new things I would not have even imagined when I begun.
I am amazed always at how many people read it, and how many leave comments. Garden Rant showed a diagram of what happens to a blog post after you press publish.It really does go on a mini journey around the internet.
I'm impatiently waiting for March and warmer temperatures so i can start my seed sowing. None of my Vegetable grow bags or seed potatoes have come yet.I would like them ready on the side with the Seed packets stored in Envelopes.
The Rose bushes have started new growth, flame red Leaves appearing from the bare stems. The cold spell has caused a few casualties in the plants. The birds keep visiting the many feeders positioned on the right hand border.
I'm waiting for the Spring bulbs to begin flowering. That could be a month away at least.I look everyday at the Garden, and work out whats growing well, whats appeared in the soil.
I found between the Heathers a Pea, dried up, dropped I think by the Birds. I took the Pea, dried it further then planted it. I have a baby pea plant now growing in the kitchen, dreaming of Warmer soil, and longer light. The first Volunteer plant dropped by the garden birds, as they visited my bird feeders. Its like an exchange, a pea plant for fresh food and water!
I will photograph it when the leaves begin to unfurl. It has sent up a stem with the leaves folded up origami style.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Frost,, Sunday on 2008-02-10, 03:19:00

Some Frosted plants this morning. The Strawberry plants seem to hold the frozen droplets like diamonds on the leaf.
The Polyanthus is nearly flowering, and the frozen dew droplets cling to the tightly curled buds.It is still cold outside too.
I am watching Countryfile, so I know its Sunday morning.I have seen about Dutch greenhouses becoming greener using the Sun to warm the water that heats it. They were growing for the Dutch flower auctions. Thousands of Phalaenopsis flowering all year around in the greenhouse.

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to California, Frost,, animals, expiriments, farm, food, fruit, garden, girlgonegardening, holidays, hostas, roses, seeds, stealth gardening, trees, weeds on 2007-12-25, 07:23:00

26*, feels like 18*, 81% humidity, S 8 mph wind, fair Santa brought me seeds. He must of visited my home early in the evening. I got home to check the mail and I had a package from Angel Grove Tree seeds. WOHOO!! I ripped it apart and found 4 packs of seeds. These are more expiriments for me: Acer palmatum atrolineareRosa rugosa albaRosa rugosa rubraRosa virginianaWith the seeds, came some very

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Frost,, Primula, garden, ice, plans on 2007-12-14, 09:42:00

are of Spring and summer, and imagining all the new plants that will fill the frozen canvas that is the garden....
It remains cold today, and the brightest flowers show the icy weather on their petals. The top photo looks like little tear drops, or glass beads on the newly formed flower.
The Soil has frozen solid.I think I got my plants and bulbs into the ground in the nick of time. It is impossible to put anything in the ground at the moment.
Ice and frosts are good for breaking clods of soil down, so by the spring it should be much more workable.
I made a home made compass last night (sewing needle, some peat pot that was buoyant,a bowl of water, and my new frog fridge magnet to magnetise the sewing needle) to work out which was north. The needle spun around untill it pointed to magnetic north. The garden is facing North/North east. The winter sun does not reach over the tall houses.It is light however, with diffuse light.
The soil is Alkaline and very heavy clay. I used my soil testing kit the second week I was here. A plastic tube with a cap, chemical reagent, and adding soil sample and water. It changed colour to compare with the packaging with its multi colours.
I need to get a compost bin from the Council for £10. A 330 litre compost bin. I have two boxes full of garden refuse ready to be composted. Once its broken down it will go back on top of the two beds. It will enrich the soil, and hold onto moisture.
With the ground frozen and not much tidying needed I have gone back to planning for summer. I googled north facing garden. I will need plants that can survive on partial sunshine and not grow anything that needs full sun to flower.
A good backbone to the garden will come from the three H's.
Hostas, Heuchera's, and Hemerocallis. They are on my wishlist for the next time I go to Hampsons. Also I like Ajuga Reptans too as a first line plant in the creation of a garden.
I will be trying out African bag gardens in the late spring, maybe two of the bag gardens on the pavers by the outhouse, for vegetable growing. A lot of the garden will be movable, using containers to break down the hard lines.
My Mum sent me a xmas Card and some money.This will go towards the garden plants. A honeysuckle, and some trellis for it to grow up.
The two Festuca Glauca's are chilling in the cold frame with the Fuschia. I do not know where to put them at the moment. The garden needs some vertical plants too, maybe grasses for their form, movement, and noise as they blow in the wind.
I planted some Sweetpea seeds today, which will hopefully germinate before being moved into the cold frame. It will be a party in there soon with Iris, Hellebores, white onions,the three varieties of Herbs, and the sweet peas.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Frost,, cold frame, ice, weather on 2007-12-13, 12:55:00

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Frost,, Primula, fire, ice on 2007-12-13, 04:22:00

The first Frost I have seen in over a year on my plants! The Winter Primula seems to have taken a battering from the Icy frosts. The rough leaves were highlighted in glimmering crystals.
The Viburnum and Camelia had wet leaves, but escaped the overnight freeze.
Maybe the Primulas are closer to the ground so get frosted more easily.
I love the yellow colours on the flowers, with streaks of orange war paint, and pheasents eye in the centre.
I have been reading other blogs last night, trying to see what people write about in December.The cold and the dark drives us back indoors to read seed/flower books and other blogs!
To borrow Blackswamp girl's words the photo is a study in Contrasts, between metaphorical fire and real ice!

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Frost,, books, cheapskate finds, covercrop, fruit, garden, hostas, photos, seeds, shrubs, veggies, work on 2007-12-07, 06:39:00

28*, feels like 18*, 90% humidity, SW 12 mph wind, cloudy, 1.5" new snow fell over night Last night when I got home from a pretty rough night at work and a long slippery drive home, there was a package on my doorstep. Now, I was THRILLED to see this package. After all, it was the thing that kept me going last night. "Maybe there will be a package on the doorstep!," I kept telling myself. And Lo

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Dirt, Frost,, Winter, fruit, leaves, trees on 2007-11-23, 17:33:00

25*, feels like 19*, 69% humidity, SSW 5 mph wind, fair As you can tell from the temperature right now, I think winter is here! This morning dirt in the garden had that frost heave thing going on where the dirt is raised in bumps from freezing water in the ground. It's kind of cool looking actually. Most leaves are gone off the trees though the blueberries still cling stubbornly to a few bright

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Frost,, Winter, cactus, expiriments, links, photos, spring, succulants on 2007-11-16, 07:13:00

When I first planted it..... Now, after the first big frost----- It's grown a lot since I planted it in the spring. We will take a look again through the winter and in the spring to see how it is fairing.Link to the original post:http://girlgonegardening.blogspot.com/2007/05/hardiness-expiriement-and-garden-trash.html

(Via Girl Gone Gardening)

Posted by admin to Dirt, Frost,, Winter, composting, expiriments, food, garden, leaves, mulch, neighborhood, photos, snow, spring, veggies, weather, weeds on 2007-11-14, 12:49:00

54*, 34% humidity, W 15 mph wind, cloudy With the rest of the week predicting freezing weather and possible snow, I KNEW my time has run out for puttering around in the garden. It was all business this morning for me. I got up first thing and drove around the neighborhood to leaf piles and loading up on them. I didn't have to go far before I hit the mother load of maple leaves. I brought them