Wednesday 26 February 2014

Totally in the Dark!

I got up in the night (as you do at my age) and realised how dark it was. Well of course it would be, being the middle of the night and especially as we live in the middle of nowhere, so no light pollution! Normally my growing light in the greenhouse shines like a beacon, but no, it was pitch black!!!


Mine is the four foot one,sadly the nylon string which you use to raise and lower has rotted or something and fell apart, so I now use 2 meat hooks!! Anyway after much checking of fuses and trip switches it looks very much like the tube has gone! Unfortunately for me, in the middle of seed sowing trying to source a new tube has proved difficult as 'Root It!' are no more. Anyway I found a man in Trowbridge who could help and I should be collecting it tomorrow.
Meanwhile, we have had a number of good days with that bright, warm, yellow ball thing in the sky. This has enabled us to do quite a bit in the garden.
One of my Phormiums looks really happy in it's pot. I am planning on planting this in a new Jungle bed I am creating, but wonder should I 'leave well alone'?


The Butia, which had been very poorly when I bought it seems very happy at the moment. It has been out all winter and is sending new shoots up. I would really like to get it out of this pot. I am currently looking for a galvanised trough for it to go in, I even have a place for it to go too!


As much as I loved the box ball's in the corners of the veg beds, they did take up alot of 'root room'. This fence belongs to my neighbour and is so rotten that if you sneezed it would probably fall down! (well maybe not quite that bad) As you can see we have had to put up chicken wire to stop Mr Darcy visiting as its our responsibility to keep our dog in. So we decided to plant them along here let them grow into one another to form a complete hedge..... eventually. I am actually quite pleased and think it will look good.


I have now taken on the roll of 'Organiser' for the Village Open Gardens. They have no idea what they have let themselves in for lol! I have lots of ideas which I hope they will embrace. It looks like they will open either June or July (date to be decided ).  I usually start my 'nanas' off the 1st April so I thought I ought to start a bit earlier as I would really like to get some height going. Well if Chelsea can do it why can't I, how hard can it be? lol!!!!!
So yesterday I dug them out from the back of the greenhouse, tidied them up, trimmed them up and bearing in mind these have been stood upside down for 6 -8 weeks and had no water for all of winter it still amazes me how much moisture is held inside them. So they are now stood in pots of compost, which is just out of the bag, no water added. I have four heaters in here,  2 tube ones and  2 fan heaters.
Its quite scary cos if they do grow quick what do I do with them once they have outgrown the greenhouse???


Here we have 2 potted bananas that have again, not been watered all winter, but since it warmed up have started back into growth. I have been kind and given them a very little drink.


I have managed to jig stuff around to create space for more shelving, as the pricking out continues space becomes limited. As you can see I also keep the bag of compost in here too so it is already warmed up.


I do love this time of year, it is so good to be outside in the garden again. I am fortunate to have a daughter who loves it as much as I do. I look round and think there is an awful lot to do, that is the perfectionist in me, I think if I sort the lawn out then actually there probably isn't although I am very good at creating jobs for myself!!!

1 comment:

  1. Your bananas are doing very well and yes, such a lovely time of the year when the urge to start potterring outdoors is coming back again.

    Good luck with organising the open garden in your village, I'm sure you're going to do well!

    ReplyDelete


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