A little bit of shopping!

I just knew I should never have bought those begonia plug plants, fortunately they weren't to expensive. Since my last post I just kept thinking and thinking about them. I have never had a reaction like this before regarding plants, I actually have a knot in my stomach just thinking about them.
So I did what all good gardeners do and searched 'Best plants for shady window box' on Google. Good old google. Right at the top you get 10 best flowers for window boxes in shade

Right at the top is Impatiens, Busy Lizzie, I have done these before and they where gorgeous and did very well. Then came the dreaded Begonia, I will say no more. Then we have Caladium,

not the best picture in the world but definitely different. Followed by Forget-me-nots, Ivy, Coleus,

 Petunias, Fuschia, Snapdragon and finally Verbena.

You can see where this is going can't you, I like Coleus I had never thought to grow them in my windowbox, I quite like this idea.

But ..... just look at the Caladiums, well not the ones i the picture above, these ones

How absolutely stunning are they!! So which have I decided to go with????????

I cheated, I have bought both lol!! I ordered  40 Coleus  plug plants £7.99, easy to bring on and if I decide against them they can go around the garden.
I ordered 3 bulbs of each of the 2 Caladiums photographed above. They are very different and I do like a talking point, a bit more expensive but they can be over wintered or dry stored, ready for use the following year. I am hedging my bets as I am not sure how they are going to grow, time will tell.

So the seedlings I started off just 2 days ago

have come through!! In just 2 days! I was gob smacked. I have never know any seeds to come through so quickly. The only thing I can think may have helped, is this year I stored them in a tupperware box in the fridge. Anyway, they need to grow on a bit more before I pot them on. Then once these are potted on I will start some more.

I am hoping this will be a good year in the garden. it is a great distraction for me, to all the issues the world is having with Coronavirus. My escape!

Stay safe xx

Stocking Up!

Everyone is going mad buying up toilet rolls, tinned foods, pasta rice etc all due to the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID 19).

With hubby being in an 'at risk' age group we will have to self isolate at some stage, but to us this does not mean sitting in the house, on our computers. We will be 'doing'! Well I will be doing, I have been planning on what jobs need doing.
I need to finish decorating our bedroom and changing the wallpaper on the chimney breast in there. The wall paper I have, so I went out to buy wall paper paste and a wallpaper scraper.
I need to finish decorating the dining room, paint I have.
If  am restricted, I can go out in the garden, so needed some spots for all the seeds I have sown,

I also had a large delivery of bagged farmyard manure, which our lovely neighbours allowed me to bring round via there side gate. So they are all positioned ready to be opened and spread across the beds.

Nearly killed me, they where so damn heavy and because they were so heavy, I only managed 2 bags a journey. Maybe I'm getting old??

In the greenhouse there are loads of seedlings being started off. I have also got some begonias for my window box in the front. Now this is random for me because I actually don't like begonias, so why choose them you may ask? Well I always like to try different plants in my window box and in the 30 odd years of living here I have never planted begonias. My mum loves them, me, well we will see. I will admit if I see something else I am quite likely to buy them. All we can do is wait and see.

Take care and stay safe xx

Time flies.

So here we are at the start of March, so much has gone on.

Mums house went on the market early January and sold to the 3rd person through the door. It is now going through the legal process of solicitors etc etc so hopefully all be sorted in a couple of weeks.

Hubby celebrated a 'big' birthday also in January so we did lots of lovely things. Followed by my birthday in February with more 'happenings'.

The happenings where a trip to The Eden Project in Cornwall

a room with a view, also in Cornwall.

I do hope to resume to normal blogging a bit later in the month. Where I will share with you my plans for the garden this year.
Until then TTFN!