Trying to keep busy!

I have been busy but I have had to do it slowly as I have Achilles tendinitis, it is bloomin painful, in fact it is the worst pain I have had in quite a few years and requires rest, gentle stretches and ice!! Apparently its quite common in 'middle aged women'  I said to the Doctor 'I am thrilled to still be classed as middle aged'!!!

So whats be going on here........

well the hydroponic system is doing well and as you  can see the roots are growing like crazy. What is being a problem are the PH tests I have to do, about twice a week. When I do the test it is always at the top end of alkaline, (7.6)so I add a half measure of 'downer' to get it down and this 'always' with out fail takes it down to acidic (6.0) so then I have to bail out some water and add tap water. After much too-ing and fro-ing I can usually get it to just about 7.2.
I did contact the company about this and they told me to do basically what it says on the instructions, but I haven't found this works. I have also found I must not add the 'full' dose of the 'downer' (yep thats what its called) as it will take me forever to get it balanced again.
So I am monitoring it and will contact them again, we obviously have strange water in Wiltshire!!

This is my front window box. my dad had it built on board ship at least 60 years ago, there were 2, they sat under the windows of the french doors of our lounge at our family home. When mum moved she took one but didn't want the other so I had it. Mums died, well collapsed actually,  I think because she put compost in the wooden box, I always use a plastic trough and sit that inside.
So it was that time of year when I always clean it and treat it, but I found the base was parting company from the rest of it. I was heart broken. Now I can do DIY but I really wanted someone who knew what they were doing to do this, so put a shout out on our village facebook page.

 Lo and behold a lovely man said he would have a look at it, so we took it round. After much discussion about what I wanted we left him to it.
This is what was returned, all fixed, new base and he reused as many of the solid brass screws that had held it together all these years. It is made of oak and now has many more years left in it.

Just need to plant it up now.

He even cleaned and oiled the old base and gave it back to me, it is such a beautiful piece of wood, I really need to find somewhere special to use it.

I just wanted to share a picture or two of my Paulowina's. I have 3, but 2 are up near the patio. I can't remember when I planted them but I have had them a number of years they amaze me every year.  As you will remember every year I pollard it, in the spring it starts budding in various places on the trunk. I usually wait till the frosts have passed until I decide which buds to keep and which to take off.
Well we have been really caught out this year by that really late frost we had, but, this last week I removed all but two of the buds and I just thought I would share with you a couple of pictures of just how fast they grow.

I showed you the picture above and below. back on the 15th May just after the bad frost.

The next 2 pictures where taken Monday 1st June.

The next few where today!! The first one is closest to the house and is relatively well protected.

I just cannot believe the size of these leaves already. Just love them.

This one is a little further down the patio, by next week I reckon it should have caught up.

All my seed planted plug plants have been planted out and it still amazes me that once in the ground the speed they grow.
I have also found a lot of self seeded plants popping up everywhere, this is quite exciting for me as this very rarely happens. So I have very carefully been transplanting them around the garden.

I am hoping this will be a good year. Next post will be about my new irrigation system I will be setting up. Which will be needed as for the first time ever at this time of year all and yes I mean ALL my water butts are empty!!!

Back soon.

Frost fried plants!!

It was just as well I protected my plants earlier this week, but as you will see from the following pics, I probably didn't protect them enough!!

This was the sight that greeted us early Tuesday morning, a -2.3C frost and what has caused most of the damage.
We had another lighter frost last night 0C

The tree ferns are a bit brown round the edges.

Both the Paulowina have been hit even though they were double bagged!!

I learnt many years ago when I first got these never to rub of the growing points until I am sure all frost has passed. hence all the growth points, as you can see some are ok and some are not!

Random buckets and tubs used for frost protection, fortuately my neighbours are quite used to seeing me dashing madly around the garden late at night because a frost is due.

As you can see Lobelia Tupa (left), Canna Cleopatra (middle) and a dahlia (right) have come through unscathed, but  had to dispatch a number of  unwanted baby slugs that had also taken shelter under the boxes.

The Cyphomandra corymbifolia has survived just, I think, we will see over the next few weeks. This was wrapped and bagged.

Good old 'Colocasia Pink China' only had a fleece sheet over it and seems fine.

Solanum laciniatum, wrapped in fleece is looking a bit brown!!

Canna Stutgard, has survived.

This TRex had a very large plastic plant pot over it and seems to have come through unscathed.

Whereas this one, further down the garden and double bagged has been 'fried' for the 2nd time this year!

The Gunnera had a whopping great tarpaulin over it and still got caught.

My Washingtonia filifera and Cyathea only covered by a tarpaulin came through fine. 

I must admit it is not often, we get such a heavy frost at this time of year. This is one of the challenges I have when I choose to grow these different types of plants!!

Lets hope the weather improves and all the plants I have waiting in my greenhouse will at long last be able to come out.

Frost Warning in May

Normally I don't worry about a frost but, after the beautiful weather we have been having in April the garden has really begun to sprout. The TRex, which had already been frosted earlier has really got going. The Canna, Dahlia, elephants ears, have really got going as well.
So we have a predicted low of 1C, Monday, 4C Tuesday and 2C Wednesday. But as you know living in a frost pocket I expect lower, quite a bit lower.

So we have been preparing, both the Paulowina's  growing tips of which there are a few, I usually let them grow until I decide the direction I want them to go.

 These would be easily frosted.

Canna and Colocasia (Elephant Ears) all covered, under the frame on the right which is wrapped in fleece is a Solonum laciniatum.

As you can see I have covers dotted round the garden.

Under this tarpaulin, is the Gunnera,

My Washingtonia filifera's and Cyathea are under the blue tarp. I would put them back in the greenhouse but there is no room!!!

I'm sure the arid bed will be fine  I am just being cautious.

The Trex, my lovely neighbour loaned me these fleece bags.

Looks funny from the other direction.

I expect, nothing will come of the frost, but I would be devestated if all the growing tips where damaged and set back the plants, especially after they have had such a good start.

We will have to see.

Wind Blown!

We may be having or going to have another wind blown autumn. First ex hurricane Ophelia hit, mainly Ireland but the affect on us was more in the colour of the sky and sun.

The sky turned an amazingly warm colour, the sun went from yellow through orange then red to pink. The next pic was taken by me and to be honest does not do the colours justice. It reminded me of when we had the partial eclipse a few years ago,

The following pic I pinched from the BBC website which shows a better colour.

This was all due to the sand Ophelia had picked up from the Sahara!

Then with in a few days, along came 'Storm Brian' (pic from of a friend on Facebook) now Brian has been very blustery for us personally.

This got me thinking, our storms our named and go in alphabetical order so when was Storm Aileen? Apparently it was around September 12th. I must have missed it, September was pretty full on here!

Its probably a bit early but we have covered the Arid bed.

It was a matter of having too, as again I have a hectic couple of weeks and had the weather changed I would have been caught on the hope. So in good Girl Guide fashion 'Be Prepared'!

I have also had a wood delivery, half the load we had last year. Though it still looks a lot.

But once in the log store you can see quite a difference this was last year a good couple of hours work which I did all alone.

Compared with this, which was done with the help of my daughter and her husband and took about 30 mins!

A bit more manageable and easier to keep dry!

Back to the topic of this blog post 'Wind Blown'  here are a few pics

Till later, take care x

I Love My Garden!

Especially coming into the autumn, this is when its at its best, everything is BIG & I think Beautiful!

Take a short walk with me.

The Brugmansia's are flowering, the scent from them is amazing and I had totally forgotten this one was white!!!

I haven't been down the garden for a few days due to the amount of rain we had had plus a number of hospital appointments as well. So when I wandered down today to hang out some washing I was amazed to see the Brugmansia San Guinea in full flower? Where did they come from??

I have no idea whats going on here this plant is ginormous, taller than me

So had a root around its base and found its label

It is bigger than 180cm!!! and where are the flowers lol!

Who planted a tomato plant behind the fig???? How did it get there?? I have no idea??

The last photo and the next photo are of Blue Salvia that I bought this year from 'Sarah Raven' so how do two plants grow totally differently. The last one is as expected 18inches to 2ft tall, gorgeous purply blue flowers.

This one also has the lovely purply blue flowers but is close to 6ft tall? Not sure whats going on here either?

This is my Cyphomandra Betacea, becoming a favourite, doesn't look much from here, great leaves though.

but look underneath the leaves and you have the sweetest little flowers on long stalks

they are definitely different.

The Ricinus communis 'Red Giant', not my favourite of this plant species, as it is most definitely not 'Giant'.

But the seed pods are the most vibrant red, to be honest the camera does not do it justice.

Below 3 Eucomis, such pretty ones, I think the flowers look like exploding stars.

and a pink one ready to flower.

Tree spinach, and yes you can eat it. This self seeded everywhere this year or should I say last year and has been popping up everywhere. Quite an amazing plant as it easily grows to 6ft+  not everyones cup of tea, but a great filler and looks pretty too.

My stripy Canna, sheltered by the Paulownia

another 'new' favourite plant Solanum laciniatum, (Kangaroo Apple) this is such am amazing plant

again rapidly heading for the 6ft mark, has really pretty leaves and the added bonus of these lovely blue flowers. A definate must for next year.
I have been doing some research into this and it can be over wintered in a frost free greenhouse, but the concensus is, if it grows 6ft from seed in one year why bother.

There are lots of these on the plant so I am hopeful I shall have my own seed and grow a forest of them lol!!

Back in May this little cactus began flowering in the greenhouse.

It is still going strong today!

Just to prove I do actually do things in the garden even when its raining,

well not in the garden...

more like in the greenhouse!! So I didn't get wet. I love being in there when its raining.

I now have 2 new sturdy shelves which should easily last my lifetime!

Off to do some sewing now!