Spring - it is officially here

The 21st of March came and went and so did a partial eclipse....The evenings are getting lighter and the sun is warming the soil.

So I have planted some broad beans - The Sutton - a dwarf variety which is suitable for windy sites - which mine is at times.  I have 12 plants in - I got these from the market, however I also have 12 seeds planted which are just sprouting - I have to get better at successional sowing to avoid gluts and then lean periods. I have grown Witikem and The Sutton before but have decided on The Sutton only for this year.

I was seriously worried about my rhubarb.  Nothing seemed to be coming up.  However I realised my mistake whilst doing some research.  I gave the site a serious mulch which can lead to crown rot....I have removed the mulch and will mulch in summer around the plant.  I have today seen the loveliest of pink just peaking through the soil - sigh of relief, I love rhubarb crumble - after years of avoiding it!

Oh Garlic has been planted - Solent Wight (as in Isle of Wight) - which suits our climate - one bulb yielded x15 cloves - each I hope to grow! This is a soft neck variety. For ages I just heard hard neck and soft neck and was unsure what it meant - each has their own characteristics - see below for soft neck characteristics.....let me know if you want some garlic folks!

Does not produce flower stalks unless stressed

It is best harvested when the foliage starts going over

It has better storage qualities than hardneck varieties

If autumn planted it will keep until mid- to late-winter

If planted in early spring softneck varieties it can be stored until mid-spring

I haven't done much else....tidying and pruning....the shredder I purchased with my birthday money has been really useful.....But to leave us on a spring note I have some scented violets in pots - I love the scent and simplicity of these dainty flowers.

 

It's not all dahlias you know!

So, I have just mentioned Lemon Verbena to a lovely friend looking for a fragrant plant.  I really hadn't come across this plant until a couple of years ago, it can look rather insignificant with yellow green leaves and very small white flowers in a hot year.  Coming from Mexico I think? Therefore it is a tender plant.  I have grown it in a pot, and bring it in the greenhouse and reduce watering in winter to keep it ticking over. It is now in its third year.

Now I am so glad I read about this when I got my very small verbena. Lemon Verbena can be exceptionally late at coming into bud, it is normal for it to look a brown twiggyness of deadness! (see below) Folks have made the mistake of bining their verbena because it looks so dead, but a sure fire way is to snap a branch and you can smell it, see some green and you know it is just waiting for warmer days - and why wouldn't you. I sure as hell would wait until its warmer before I put my best leaves out!

Now lemon verbena is a truly beautiful smell, it reminds me of lemon sherbet almost fizzing as you smell it - not like say lemon balm for example which has that household cleaner more astringent lemon smell.

So what can you do with Lemon Verbena, well you can make your own herb teas, pick the leaves fresh, add some ginger and steep.  Or you can dry the leaves for pot pourri.  I just tend to leave mine in its pot and enjoy crushing a leaf or picking a leaf as I make my way around the garden.  I think this year I will pot the verbena on and make sure it has some fresh compost and food for the year ahead.

I agree it does look dead, but have faith.  I did give it a prune to reduce the straggly bits and promote new growth - watch this space......

39 is so last year (thanks Marg and Colin for the fab card)

Well since my last post I have turned 40 (1st March) been bogged down with a really nasty cold but I have been doing some bits here and there.  I have lifted the dahlias left in the ground and they seemed healthy.  I have potted these up and taken some tubers off the parent plants and just winged it and put these in some compost.  I have done everything backwards - but I picked healthy tubers with eyes showing and just went with it. (some great videos on youtube on dahlia propagation)  As I have ordered more tubers if they all take we will be over run!  The tubers I lifted and put in dry compost and stored in the shed did not survive, they succumbed to mould, perhaps a sign there to dust with fungicide next year, but an organic one of course.  Some people treat their dahlias like annuals, as do people with tulips.....I can see the ease of doing this, but seems wasteful, and I like trying to propagate  - plants for free why not!  But with tulips I can see why some people do it, you can change your colour schemes and especially if grown in pots and don't want to lift and store them.  You can reduce the risk of disease like tulip fire and such like.

Anyway pic below of some of the tubers I lifted from the dahlia border. They look healthy and have survived the frost!

My new dahlia tubers have arrived, need some more compost to pot up in the 3 litre pots.
Bit of a puzzle last year I planted some Hill Crest Royal tubers, they came up and were lovely plants but they were very different to the ones I thought I had ordered.  Well it appears several people have mentioned this and the lovely lady at Sarah Raven has sent me three more tubers as replacement this year.

The dahlia in the foreground is my Hillcrest Royal.  For info the dark red ball dahlia behind is Jowey Mirelle.

Compare this with the Hillcrest Royal one advertised - I really do think I got different tubers!