Gilly's Garden 2010

[gill]

As we live in a first-floor flat I don't have a garden so have to make do with as many pots as I can cram into a space. This autumn just gone I was actually organised and planted my spring bulbs in good time....usually I forget!!!
But then came the weeks and weeks of snow and my poor pots were frozen solid and I doubted the bulbs would ever get growing! I had visions of daffodils and tulips in July But come February they began to poke through VERY slowly and I was SO pleased that they HAD survived.
Two weeks ago, on Sunday 14th March, my pots outside JUST had a few green shoots poking through. The two pics below show just how quickly they have shot up the minute a bit of warm weather shows it's face Excuse the mess of pots behind - I'll get them sorted out with fresh compost etc sometime this week in preparation for planting up ;D The square wooden tub next to the watering can has my Dicentra spectabilis in it and the shoots are growing well which I'm really pleased about as they are a must-have in any garden I have
Hopefully this time next year we will have found somewhere else to rent with a garden so I can grow more stuff - I'd love to have a bash at vegetables as well as just flowers

Thursday 18th March What a lovely birthday pressie - Iris reticulata


Sunday 28th March Iris almost going over now but crocus looking fabulous, tulips growing well and you can just see my Anemone blanda poking through...they should flower soon too.

[Ann]

What a lovely display of colour Gill. Crocuses are so delicate. I have a few here and they're always a welcome sign, along with the snowdrops, that winter is finally coming to an end.

[Ann]

I've been spending some time tidying up my front garden this afternoon. I think I've lost my lemon geranium this year, thanks to the particularly severe winter, but I was amazed and delighted to see tiny, tiny shoots on 3 of my 5 fuchsias. I really thought they'd be victims too as I'm pretty sure they aren't hardy.

[gill]

It's SO nice when you find signs of life merging once more Especially when you thought the plants might not have survived such a harsh winter.

I've just taken some more photos of my main tub - the iris have gone over now so I deadheaded them earlier this week but now the tulips are open wide in this morning's sunshine and the tiny daffodils have just burst into bloom from nowhere ;D If anything, the tub is bursting at the seams ;D Perhaps I put too many bulbs in LOL
My Dicentra spectabilis is also growing away at a rate of knots so I took a photo of that too......I think it will flower in the next week or so if this springlike weather holds
I think I need to tidy up the rest of my pots this afternoon in preparation for planting them up over the next week or two.

Oooh how frustrating!!!!! I cannot get the card out of the camera to work on the computer I'll try again later after my haircut appointment at 11am and if that doesn't work then I'll get Neil to sort it out when he gets up at 4pm Urghhhh me and machines!!!

[SaffiandJasmin]

What a lovely tub! Whenever I try to do that, the squirrels come and dig it all up! More pics to cheer us all up, Gill!
Lesley t x

[Ann]

There's getting to be more colour in the garden almost by the day isn't there! I seem to have an especially good display of primulas this year and they and all the daffodils are really brightening the garden up.

I was at one of the local Garden Centres today and just bought a packet of "Asparagus Pea" seeds. According to the packet,

"This ground-cover pea originates in the Mediterranean. It has been grown in the UK since the 16th century for its pretty red flowers and edible fluted pods, which have a mild asparagus flavour."

All news to me, but sounds interesting!

[gill]

Yes, Nature is bursting out everywhere now I saw my first swallow and butterfly of the year yesterday at Druridge Bay ;D And the golden Dandelions are starting to spring up in the verges too so give it another week or two of settled weather and it'll be a sea of yellow

FINALLY got my computer to accept my card from the camera First pic is my pot as it is today (those daffodils look HUGE but they are only a mini variety ) and the second pic is my Dicentra spectabilis - it's shooting away ;D

[Ann]

Doesn't it lift your spirits to see so much colour appearing!

I dug over my small vegetable plot this afternoon. I now have a lot of delighted blackbirds, numerous disgruntled worms and in no time at all, word will have spread amongst the cat population far and wide, that the 5 star deluxe litter tray is available again!

[SaffiandJasmin]

Those pictures make my day brighter! Thanks, Gill!
Lesley T x