Stop Thief!

Well... finally I find some time to post something on my blogsite - recently there just hasn't been a lot of spare time, so many thanks for bearing with me!

A couple of weeks ago I felt very pleased having just sown 2 trays of one of my favorite summer flowers - Sweet Peas. I put them into small pots - 4 seeds in each, all of which I'd pre-soaked in cold water the night before which really helps with the germination process. I got this advice a few years ago when having difficulty in getting seeds to germinate and it really does help!

Anyway - 2 days later went into the greenhouse to check on them to discover that something had been in and had dug out every last seed... I was gutted..... all the shells had been discarded so the only thing I could think it could have been was mice... well I'm sorry to say that the culprit was caught! So it was back to the drawing board with another sowing - this time I covered the trays with propogating lids just incase there were any other hopeful thieving paws! I'm pleased to say that many of them have started to come through already so here's hoping for a lovely show of Sweet Peas this summer.

Hot Tips for March!

· Sow Sweet Peas early in March.
· Sow perennial flowers such as Hollyhocks, Verbena bonariensis and Lupins in a cold frame.
· Tie in tender new shoots of clematis that are starting to appear now to avoid them getting damaged.
· Remove dead Hydrangea heads left to protect this year’s flower buds.
· Plant Rhubarb crowns and Jerusalem Artichokes.
· Feed currant bushes with a fertilizer high in nitrogen.
· When conditions are suitable, sow crops such as parsnips, leeks, spring onions, peas, lettuces, broad beans and radishes.
· Sow tomato seeds in peat pots in the greenhouse. They will require about 20˚C to germinate. Allow 2 seeds per pot and pinch out the weaker of the two after germination. These will be ready to plant out in about 6 weeks.