Thursday 31 May 2012

Tomatoes planted out

I hardened off 2 Sweet Million baby tomato plants (red) and 1 Sungold (yellow) over the last week or 2 and finally planted them out. The reds are from seed and the yellow was bought young. I wasn't growing Sungold this year but I couldn't resist buying it for 50p since Sungold were so good (tasty and prolific) last year. All are planted in one polyethylene-type planter. My growbag with pots on top worked well last year, hopefully this will be as good.

Thursday 24 May 2012

moved house

Haven't managed to post for a while. Mostly because I've been moving house. I moved most of the garden with me (or tried to) since we weren't going far. Is interesting what's made it. The tulip bulbs have probably about 70% survived (depending on flowering stages, maybe I didn't dig them up that carefully) and allium have done well and are about to flower now. Some of these bulbs I planted in pots sunk into the flowerbed (knowing that I would be moving them), and these have done the best as I was able to transfer a big root system more easily. These bulbs were all from last spring/summer anyway so for them to repeat flower and survive a move is good. This transplanted lupin seems happy too!

My Russells lupins are a few years old and re-seeded themselves into multiple plants. I moved 3 of them - this one moved first into the sunniest spot and seems to be doing better than those in more shade. Actually it has 3 flower spikes now which is more than it ever at once had in the old garden! I think the dry weather has also minimised the growth of the others. I thought I'd try a few spots though as I like how they nourish the plants around them. The one above has lots of seedlings (love in a mist, cornflower, poppy) and a moved previous year's dahlia tuber doing well near it. I am prepared to put up with it popping up all over the garden for the benefits. :) I saw some blue bi-colour lupins recently and was sad not to buy them, but I knew I had enough of the current ones. Maybe next year.