Only the Perpetual Spinach (Leaf Beet) had survived as a complete row. The Turnips and Komatsuna (Japanese Mustard Spinach) had disappeared. Only a small number of Beetroot seedlings could be seen. I resowed the rows, covered them with small branches to stop the cats digging there. and crossed my fingers. In the same plot the Rhubarb is doing wel lin a slightly shaded spot up by the compost heap. I transplanted it last year from the border by the fence because it was too dry and the poor plant was wilting in the sun.

Allotment May 2012

The frame is for the climbing Snap Peas and behind it is last year’s sowing of Perpetual Spinach which will be removed once it bolts. The frames protect the salad crops from marauding cats and passing Badgers. The empty spaces will be filled with Outdoor Cucumbers, French Beans and Courgettes once the plants are big enough to go outside.

Allotment May 2012

In the greenhouse the Tomatoes, Chilli Peppers and Cucumbers have been transplanted into their final pots and I’ll erect supporting canes once I have taken down the plastic bubble wrap.

Tomatoes, Chilli Peppers and Cucumbers in pots

I still have some flower and herb seedlings in the greenhouse and while checking some Cosmos seedlings I noticed about five had suffered damage, stems still there but no leaves. They were on a shelf five feet off the ground….the culprit must be agile and not afraid of heights.

Damaged seedlings

Or perhaps not so agile but slow, steady and persistent! On a pot to the left of the seed tray I found the culprit. I carefully removed it and put it into a clump of Achillea in the garden where it could do less damage.

Sleeping snail

I quite like snails but for such slow moving creatures they can do a lot of damage. Nevertheless I admire their resilience and ability to turn up in unexpected places despite having no legs and only one foot.

Those of you with a Kindle and a relaxed attitude to snails might like to read a lovely book called “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating” by Elizabeth Tova Bailey. The author suffered a long period of debilitating illness and a friend brought her a pot of violets which was home to a small snail. This snail became the focus of her attention while she was bedridden. I highly recommend the book. It is available as a download from Amazon. You might also like to visit the author’s website too which has some lovely photos and videos.

Book

Of course her snail is a delicate little  thing while mine is more like the King Kong of snails….. but I say  but live and let live…..just do not come back into the greenhouse.

Now I have lots of space to put the seeds but am constantly worried about the tender plants outside when we  have a frost. So far they have survived and next year I will not be so impulsive. Here they are up by the house, covered with fleece. As I walk by I can here them grumbling “Why do we have to sit here instead of in our warm greenhouse”.

Tender plants covered with fleece

Inside the greenhouse all looks well. On the ground you can see my electric fan heater which keeps the greenhouse frost free. I have had it for over 15 years and it has served me well.

Seeds and seedlings

Here are the Tomato and Chilli Pepper seedlings.

Tomatoes and Chilli Peppers

The Digger’s Brassicas – Kale, Cabbage and Sprouting Broccoli. I like to eat them but tend to leave the growing to him.

Brassicas

The rest of the seeds include Squash, Courgettes, Herbs, Lettuce, and various Flowers.

Assorted seeds

I also have some cuttings mostly Pelargoniums and these Penstemons. I bought a few new Penstemons last year and wanted to make sure I had replacements if I lost any over the winter. As it happens the original plants survived so now I have even more!

Penstemon cuttings

How I wish I had two greenhouses :-)

I lightly watered the plants in the greenhouse. It can get hot in there when the sun shines even when it is freezing outside. I left the door slightly open to provide ventilation. The trick is remembering to close it later on otherwise the fan heater which keeps temperatures just above freezing would be on all night.

Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Here is what it looks like outside. Brrrrr…

Snow wonderful snow!

I am glad that this year I wrapped up some of my plants that had suffered damage last winter.

Protected plant

Yet there is still some colour in the garden even though snow blankets all the borders. Some plants take advantage of the extra warmth generated by a fence.

Ribes speciosum (species Currant)

Ribes speciosum (species Currant)

Some plants evolve with petals that shrivel up in the extreme cold and uncurl when the weather grows a little warmer.

Hamamelis 'Vesna' (Witchhazel)

And some plants refuse to accept that snow is even an issue. They look right at home.

Double Snowdrop and Cyclamen coum

Though I like the snow I would prefer winter to depart. I think it is time for Spring to arrive.

Frosted Dahlia

Though the foliage may be dead the tubers which lie under the soil are perfectly fine. I cut back the foliage leaving a short length of stem and remove as much soil from around the tubers as I can.

Dahlia tubers

I then place the plant in a pot and cover the tubers with dry compost leaving the stems uncovered. This worked for me last year so I am happy to repeat the procedure.

Tucked into bed for the winter

Each pot is placed in my greenhouse alongside the other tender plants I overwinter there. An electric fan heater keeps the temperature just above freezing and I will not water the Dahlia pots until next year. If the compost gets wet the tubers will rot so no watering until the first green shoots appear in Spring.

The greenhouse

If the tubers survive I will plant them out in the garden once there is no chance of frost and there will be colour once more. Something to look forward to during the dark days of winter!

Dahlia 'Smarty'

From the right going clockwise: P. ‘Charity’, P. ‘Snowflake’ , P. ‘Lady Plymouth’ and P. crispum ‘Variegatum’.

Variegated Pelargoniums

But outside in the garden all is dark and gloomy. A camera flash is needed to illuminate this fading flower.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'

Thanks to Katarina at Roses and Stuff for hosting Blooming Friday.

Visit her to see more Blooming Friday contributions.

Before.

Big allotment (May 2009), before weeding

After.

Big allotment (May 2009), nice and tidy

At the back we have a decorative flower/shrub border by the fence. In front the allotment is divided into four plots which are rotated yearly to keep disease to a minimum and to preserve the viability of the soil.

From the back;
Plot 1 – Onions, Garlic and assorted vegetables
Plot 2 – Potatoes
Plot 3 – Broad beans and Sweetcorn
Plot 4 – Empty as it is being prepared for Brassicas.

Meanwhile, the small allotment at the bottom of our garden is also filling up. I’ve just planted out 3 Courgettes (zucchini) and 1 Squash in the middle bed.  I need to put up cane supports for French and Runner beans in the left bed.

Small allotment

Then we have the greenhouse which is full of Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Chilli Peppers and Aubergines waiting to be organised. I need to remove the staging on the left so that there is more room. Some pots will be moved out into plastic “mini greenhouses” during the next couple of weeks. I hope we  have a hot summer so that the fruits will ripen quickly.

Pots in the Greenhouse

Finally – a tiny garden! My salad hanging basket by the kitchen door. It has done really well and I’m very pleased.

Mesclun salad leaves

Everything is looking good so far. No doubt there are pests and diseases over the horizon but I’m looking on the bright side for now!

Chimonanthus praecox on December 20th

This shrub, which originates from China,  grows to about 4 metres high (13 feet) and it takes a few years before it is mature enough to flower. The flowers appear on bare branches. For me it usually  starts flowering in November and continues into early February. It is at its best at the moment (late December).

Chimonanthus praecox

The flowers hang in clusters and are vaguely bell shaped but with long narrow pale yellow petals and a reddish brown centre. They are waxy looking and almost translucent.  Above all they are intensely fragrant, and it is an advantage to have them accessible so you can appreciate the smell. A branch can be cut and brought indoors where it will fill a room with its sweet scent. The flowers can are often used in pot-pourri and to make perfumes.

Chimonanthus praecox

Although hardy in the UK (hardy to USDA Zone 6) the flowers can be damaged by frost so a sheltered position is better. If there is a downside it is that the bush is rather average looking once the foliage appears. It would be best to put it where something else grows nearby to provide interest for the rest of the year. Alternatively grow a climber over it (which can be cut back before the Wintersweet blooms). Although it can be pruned this does result in far fewer flowers. Mine has not got enough space which is a shame as I am forced to prune it regularly. On the upside I can reach the flowers easily!

The greenhouse, now full of tender plants for overwintering. Cosy!

Our winters are relatively mild here that I’m not too worried about frost damage although disease and pests can be a problem if they decide to hang out in the warmest spot in the garden. Good ventilation helps keep disease to a minimum and I’m carrying spiders into the greenhouse in the hope that they will eat all the nasties that the Carnivorous plants haven’t polished off. I do like spiders (except the one that insists on building a web across the doorway into the greenhouse). The spider in the picture is so named because it carries its eggs in a sac under its abdomen during the breeding period.

Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) on an Agave

The tender plants can now relax and some of them continue to flower in the extra warmth. These flowers are a rich velvety red.

Pelargonium 'Ardens'

Some just want to show off their foliage.

Solanum pyracanthum

Last of the Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Peppers waiting for removal

Once the plants were out I washed the glass inside and out and rinsed it off with the hose. Note to self – do not stand under the roof when spraying water, it ricochets back on a person in a very shocking manner.

Greenhouse all clean and shiny after its wash

Then came the installation of the bubble wrapping. This adds extra  insulation. A sheet has been cut to fit each pane of glass and secured with drawing pins as it’s a wooden greenhouse. I calculated that I used 150-160 drawing pins. If I hadn’t been writing this post I wouldn’t have thought about it – but now I have I’m shocked! No wonder my thumb was feeling the strain by the time I finished, and my back for that matter. Finally the greenhouse staging was installed along with the fan heater.

Bubble fabric in place and also the greenhouse staging

The two Chilli peppers ‘Krimzon Lee’ look a little overwhelmed with all the emptiness. That won’t last for long. Tomorrow I’ll start filling it up.

There are 14 tomatoes, 5 sweet peppers, 4 chilli peppers and 2 cucumbers. They are all in large pots with canes for support where necessary. One of the reasons I stopped growing bush tomatoes inside was lack of space as their foliage is much more bulky than cordons. I’ve also got my first flowers on the tomatoes – I do so love tomatoes!