Wordless Wednesday – clematis
wendyswonderlandgarden
My passion in life is gardening and specifically growing flowers from seed
Category: gardening
May 18, 2019
Plastic free gardening
This is a much talked about subject and I would say at this stage a very unrealistic thing to achieve as there aren’t many viable alternatives but I’m happy to try new things. I would also like to say that I do reuse my plastic seed trays and pots until they fall apart. Anyway, today I have sown some seeds in fibre trays (as below).
I have followed the strict instructions which are that you water the compost before sowing your seeds and then cover with more compost. I never normally do it this way. I do have to say that the trays are already very wet and I’m sure how long before they disintegrate. Hopefully before I need to plant, this is different too, you tear the tray pots and plant the whole thing. Also, because you plant the tray it means that while it’s better for the environment it’s expensive because they can’t be reused but I’m happy to try it and see how I get on. I will update you when I have some news. I sowed some cosmos (a bit late I suppose but the last lot didn’t come up) and some wallflowers (rubies and pearls).
May 7, 2019
First Clematis of the season
Just a little blog with the first of clematis to flower this season. The white one is actually a rescue plant and this is the first flowering season. I love the large white flowers
May 6, 2019
Uncle Tom tulips
On the way back to our hotel from Keukenhof gardens last week we stopped off at a bulb stall and I bought some Uncle Tom tulips – they are darkish red doubles (picture below). I was told to plant them when we got home and they would flower in about 6 weeks. I got round to it today and although there were supposed to be 10 there was only 9 and some were mouldy. I’ve planted them and hope they come up in June!
April 30, 2019
Keukenhof Gardens visit 2019
I have been wanting to visit these gardens and tulip fields for a number of years as I love tulips and this year I finally got there. Apparently the display is never the same twice and once the 6/7 week opening season is finished they close and dig up each of the 7 million tulips and plant new for the following season. I would not fancy this job. Sadly, it was a cold, wet and windy day with sunny intervals. All pictures are taken on the same day although it properly doesn’t look like it. I think I loved them all but particularly a section which is rainbow themed and looks at different ways of container planting without plastic which is fascinating and I like the wicker basket idea! We went on a cruise of the canal beside the tulip fields first and then onto walk around the amazing gardens. I hope you enjoy the pictures, I took lots but I think these are the best.
April 13, 2019
Quarry Bank mill visit 2019
I’ve had a lovely afternoon visiting Quarry Bank Mill today with some friends visiting the area and apart from the extortionate entrance price (I’m not a national trust member). We went in the newly refurbished Greg house, it only became empty in 2013, the mill and of course the garden and greenhouse. Here’s a few pictures of the garden. If anyone can identify the plant in the first picture please let me know. I think it’s an alpine.
April 6, 2019
April 2019 in my garden
Greetings from my sunny but still quite blowy Cheshire garden. Just a couple of things currently blossoming/ flowering in my garden. The daffodils were transplanted from a neighbours garden as she had too many so I don’t know the variety but love them. I have a few more dotted about. The second picture is a Snowy Mespilus. Lastly a fritillaria which I’d completely forgotten planting
March 29, 2019
First tulip to flower this season
It was lovely to have the time yesterday to get some gardening done and see how things are progressing. I potted on my sweet peas that I sowed in October and are now about 1 feet high, weeded, cut the lawn edges and planted out an alstroemeria from the greenhouse. I hadn’t realised it was a hardy plant so doesn’t need the greenhouse space it was taking up and if it dies I have another exactly the same staying in the greenhouse for now.
I’ll leave you with a picture of my first tulip to flower this season. I love tulips and like to try different ones each year. I grow them in pots mainly but they don’t seem to last beyond 1-2 years.
wendyswonderlandgarden 