(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Primula, blackbird on 2008-02-03, 11:20:00

Sunday Rest is how I labelled the photos today. I only took about twenty pictures. I woke up late with a terrible headache, which even three mugs of coffee did not shift.
I went outside to see if sweeping the wind brought debris would help.
I moved a lot of the leaves and twigs into a pile at the bottom of the garden. They will eventually be thrown back into the compost bin.
The Yellow Primula flower is the sole survivor of the attacking insects. I spotted a small caterpillar on the flowers at night so I think they are the
culprits, as I have not seen any slugs or snails.
I think if I leave the Caterpillars they will change into beautiful Butterflys which are truly natures Spirits.
The Snails are being bashed by the birds on the pavers. I find the shells with holes in the side, as they have become a gastronomic delight for a hungary bird.
When I moved in there was a mini community on the Brickwork of the Outhouse. I think they have been ravaged by the birds and have moved slowly to places damp and shaded away from prying beaks.
In both borders the Blue Shades Polyanthus have flower buds on at last, which is good as the Primulas have been chomped on, and rotted by damp soil. As one flowering plant starts to end, another is just at the start of its flowering cycle.
I think the Red spears that are growing under the Viburnum might be Euphorbia. I will have to be patient to see what they grow into.
The Female Blackbird is one of my regular visitors now, feeding on the left hand border, and sitting on top of the fence.
She is tough and chases away all the boy Blackbirds out of her patch.
The benefit of the birds regularly visiting the garden is their natural pest control. I have been philosophical with the holes that are appearing in the Primula flowers and leaves.
C'est La Vie. I want the Garden to be Organic, a self supporting natural eco system. The mouse was back today darting out of the pavers to grab some nuts. He reminds me of Scratt from Ice Age. The mouse has more luck than Scratt though at gathering the nuts!
Sunday then was bee coloured. Yellow Primula, and Blackbird.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Primula, Winter, carex, heather on 2008-02-01, 13:03:00

My vegetable bag gardens will take two weeks to be dispatched. Thats only halfway through Febuary, enough time to prepare for March sowing of seeds.
I wanted to photograph the primulas and the carex grasses with the heather behind yesterday when I was off. It has been freezing today. No snow here yet but I read its coming down from the North East..
Artic winds froze me at work today, and caused Chaos around the UK. I hope to chill in the garden this weekend.
The weeds are taking the Winter weather as a sign to start popping up between the pavers and in the soil.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, Primula on 2008-01-14, 07:38:00

I have been chilling out today watching the birds feed almost all day. As one bird flys off another two, three, or four fly in.
Like Avian wrestling tagteams, hand slapping at the corner.
The Hellebores are reluctant to flower, and I check them everyday. The Primulas and the Heathers are the only plants in flower.
When the flowers are thin on the ground you start to look for other things. For me its the garden birds that have found their way into my small garden..
The Blue Tits have been feeding on the ground seeds. I saw a Wren hopping around my left hand border, ducking between the plants that are spread around.
A family of Blackbirds have moved in as well. Three males, and two females have been in and out of the garden, sitting on the fence.
The Great Tits, and blue tits have started flying into the cover of the Viburnum Tinus, using it as a base to dart out to feed.
The Blackbirds, robin, wren, blue tits, coal tits, and great tits all feed amicably, only sometimes scaring each other off.
The Golden flowered Primula had water in it. It made me think of a Golden cup, overflowing...
Bulbs are poking up slowly around the garden. I cant imagine what it will look like in full Spring Flower.
The Garden is a joy, even when not much is flowering. Winter days are short, and the nights long. I hope my seeds and bag gardens come soon so I can start the next phases of the garden creation.

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to Garden birds, Primula, seeds on 2007-12-23, 08:53:00

The Blue Flower of the Primula manged to escape the worst of the frost that coated the cars and pavements. The council gritting truck had been out last night as I went to work.
I looked this morning, but all the plants were wet and the water bowls had cold water in but not frozen.
All the staff cars in the hospital car park were covered in thick ice this morning
One more night shift to go before I can chill out and watch the birds.
By the backdoor tonight I found lots of moss and dry leaf mulch. I think a bird has been nest building somewhere on top of the house. With the light faded, and the temperature dropping I could not see where they have built their nest.
The bird feeders continue to attract garden visitors. I saw a female blackbird this morning, the resident Robin hopped onto the fence briefly. A great Tit spent five minutes eating off the table. I went to bed then.
The sweet peas have germinated in the kitchen. The White Lisbon spring onion seeds have come up in the propogator box. The herb seeds have started to germinate in the coffee filter paper.I have an extra large 84 cell which will be filled with row upon row of herbs and spring onions.These will be grown indoors for a few weeks before being moved to the cold frame.
Two days before Christmas....hope you are all prepared and happy :)

(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,, 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!