growing

Creeping Woodsorrel

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This little plants creeps around the steps and although it is often called a pest, the little yellow flowers bring a bit of brightness.

Its seeds are rather fun though, and have a way to ensure they spread. You get little pods of seeds, almost like mini pea pods. But when you touch them, they pop and spray the seeds. It made me jump when I touched one last year before I knew what plant it was.

But this year, those seeds must have popped up into my pots, because its now creeping and covering as it goes. Its fun letting nature do its thing.

(c) K Wicks

Bigroot Geranium

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This is called a big root geranium. I didn’t know this when I got it, thinking it was just a normal geranium like my grandma used to have. Nope, this one is different.

Starting as just an ordinary small plant i bought for my wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. It’s growing and spreading. Creating a small little patch of green and pink. It’s lovely. Smells a bit weird when you touch the leaves, but the bugs like it.

The bees however, love it. There were 3 different types yesterday, but they move quickly so not the easiest to catch!

I have now taken a section of it and planted in another pot, so I can move some of that awesome pink colour around the garden.

(c) K Wicks

Strawberry patches

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I bought two strawberry plants a couple of years ago. One with white flowers, one with red flowers. I didn’t realise the red one was just ornamental, or must be as no strawberries on it last year. And so far this year, no red flowers on it either. Maybe the other one took over, as per the picture further down.

These are three different patches of strawberries now flowering. If you didn’t know, strawberries spread, going as far as you let them.

One box now has them all the way along. And, although I didn’t plant any potatoes in this one this year, we have potatoes coming up! I guess I didn’t find all of last years and they’re coming back. Funny because I’ve planted potatoes in the next bed along this year.

At the end of the strawberry box, we also have a mingled corner with rosemary, parsley and winter jasmine.

Lots of green at the moment in the garden with small spots of colour coming through. Another couple of months and I am expecting a lot of colour 🙂 One of last years strawberries below, so I’m hopeful of at least a few more this year!

(c) K Wicks

Buds in the garden

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Every day there seems to be more and more happening. Today was filled with finding buds, bugs and Bees 😁

Rose bud
Carnation bud
Wood Avens (St. Benedict’s herb)
Loganberry bud

These things are all a bit late on developing this year as the cold has slowed them down. But they’ll progress quickly now I think if we can have a few more days of sunshine and rain.

(c) K Wicks

This years garden #1

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Its all coming along nicely now. Some flowers giving it colour, tiny gooseberries forming and Bees starting to stop by. Lavendar, geranium and strawberries all seem to be a favourite so far. The nasturtiums and a sweetpeas are poking through, and I may have scattered more poppy seeds than I should have. We’ll see.

(c) K Wicks

Last years garden

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This year there have been changes, despite things working and not. This post will be the things that did to show in small garden you can have quite a diverse range of things growing. And still have some lawn for the dog to run around.

Yummy loganberry Bush, this one took straight away and branched out quickly. Although its was a good yield, I realised my mistake of planting it too close to the neighbouring fence and within another year it would be an issue. So its been moved into a big planter box. And a cutting taken which seems to be doing OK. Fingers crossed for this year.

I have a couple of types growing, one with pink flowers that didn’t do well, I think now maybe its just ornamental? But the other had lovely juicy strawberries I just had to get there before the wildlife. They photography well before they are ripe as well.

They have raged a bit out of control being honest, and are spreading. Even escaping under the back fence, but who doesn’t like strawberries growing!

I purchased two blueberry plants having tried before years ago and failed. But last year was different, working out where things should go pays off in the end, after years of trial and error. Only a handful of them made it, but they were delicious and thoroughly enjoyed.

I love redcurrants. I used to have a blackcurrant bush years ago and it was extremely plentiful. I just didn’t like blackcurrants!! So I have planted a red one and it looks to be doing very well this year so far and as you can see, last year was quite good on the harvest front.

I also grew some potatoes. A couple of supermarket leftovers that sprouted a bit too far, but they went into another meal, so not all wasted.

And cucumbers. They did rather well but I didn’t give them enough roof, of a solid enough structure to climb up (I ended making my own small trellis for them but it was too late, and it struggled with the weight once a number of them chunked out at the same time.

And some tomatoes. These were the first time growing them from seed on my kitchen windowsill and planting them out. I’m not that big a fan of tomatoes though, so rather than be wasteful, I’m skipping them this year. It’s different not going to garden centers anymore, I have to plan well in advance and have taken to saving more seeds and planting my own rather than just picking up ones that have been started. It’s good.

And it all helped to attract and hopefully feed some wildlife too. I had lots of lavender and nasturtiums too so the large and small white caterpillars/butterflies were happy and I got quite a smart little bounty out of it for a few days.

I also have some herbs growing, a rosemary plant slowly turning into a bush and flat leaf and curly leaf parsley. I did have chives but when we got a dog they had to go – if you didn’t know, onions, garlic, chives and leeks are all toxic to cats and dogs. I have only just found out it’s onions too, so that will be uprooted shortly (I had planted a supermarket leftover, but something else will have to go there instead).

I thought I might even try and be brave this year and eat some dandelion and nasturtium (if I get to them before the butterflies do that is). But we can share, I have planted lots of extra seeds this year for poppies and sweetpeas too and got a pack of bee friendly seeds as well, so we shall see what occurs over the next few months.

(c) K Wicks

First Bees of 2021

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The first few bees of the year have been passing through, as more of the garden starts to come to life, more are coming. The muscari has been helpful, and my decision to move the small gooseberry bush was a good move. It didn’t have any fruit last year despite having some the first year of purchase. So I figured it needed more sun, it’s doing well and already attracting bees! So maybe some gooseberries this year to go with loganberries if that plant also survives it’s relocation. So far so good.

Although I love Spring, this is the frustrating bit for me, where everything is moving along, but slowly. It will take another few weeks for more to happen. But it’s coming…

(c) K Wicks

More Muscari

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Spring is in full swing, slightly held back by this cold snap we are having now, but over the last few weeks the Muscari (Grape hyacinth) has bloomed nicely and started bringing in the bees. I have planted loads more seeds which are all now sprouting so hopefully soon there will be lots of colour in the garden. Some of the seeds are last years poppies, sweet peas and nasturtium I collected and put aside for the following year – and a new pack of bee friendly flowers, so not sure what else will be coming. It’s that exciting time of the growing season!

(c) K Wicks