Lights, Craft & Tango!

Lots going on today so I have to make this a quickish post!
K is coming home from Uni for the night for mothers day! Which is super, I always look forward to seeing her! My old friend C, is coming to stay for the night with her family, you may remember her from the wedding back in May last year!


The equestrian lights have become an issue again! I can't believe this is happening, since they angled the lights down they have been alot better, and although we don't like them we could live with them.
These are the lights angled down


Suddenly this last week up they went and we are bathed in a sea of light again!!
Angled up.

I think you can see the difference, even though they are not good pics!
Hubby went down and had a chat and apparently the light bulbs keep blowing! When they got the 'cherrypicker' in (cost £500, each time) they angled the lights up to change the bulb and loads of water came out, so this is why they are angled up again!! Hubby said to them had they got a specialist in, in the first place they wouldn't be having this problem, they sort of agreed!! The ironic thing is I contacted the Equestrian Lighting specialist, told him what had been happening and he roared laughing and said it made 'good bedtime reading' and is prpared to visit if they wish!

I have been crafting,





but what will it make, well I'm sorry you will have to wait and see!!

Finally I ordered some Cards from Joanna Twinn at Higgledy Piggledy. I have had some before and love them. They are great to jot a note on and post.





I am convinced she modelled these on my Tango!

Growing Things

Hey! Did you hear about the UK's earthquake? It measured 5.2 on the Richter scale has been felt across the UK.

The epicentre was five miles east of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, and about 15 miles south west of Grimsby about 1am. I didn't feel a thing I was sound asleep!!!

Yesterday I mentioned about my palms I grew in the 'Great Pip Challenge'. I forgot I had not shown them to you so here for your pleasure, tucked away in the greenhouse 3 Date Palms, grown from seed by me!!



After my success (not guarenteed until we get leaves, but hey it rooted!!) in the banana growing stake (still grinning) I decided to start of some more


these will be (please note the positive tone here)


Butia Capitata 'Jelly Palm' actually quite slow growing, so if I will ever see one, grown by me, looking like this... well your guess is as good as mine!!!


Musa mannii 'Indian Dwarf Banana' pretty isn't it! Not sure we have the climate for this, but its getting there!!!


Musa sikkimensis Daj Giant. I believe I have a fairly good chance with this one provided it survives in my heated greenhouse overwinter!

Oh and while we are on the subject of me 'successfully' growing things look...

its grown since yesterday!!

Growing Competition

Do you remember last year when I had 'The Great Pip Challenge' well I did fairly well and the date seeds are still growing merrily away in the greenhouse!
On the Hardy Tropicals we are having a competition using the 'Wilkinsons Alocasia Corms' (Elephants Ears)as to who can grow the biggest leaf, to be measured before the 30th September, from a corm bought this year!
So mine are in the propergator


I have 3 corms in here at the mo! The one on the left at the back is nothing to do with the comp, the label showed it had dark purple and green leaves, I thought a lovely combination. Sadly, when I got back and did some research it turns out the picture could be lieing and it may just be a plain old green!! We shall see!
The two on the right at the back are from Wilko's. One is planted in a pot I only bought that yesterday and its already sprouted a pink bud. The other is propped up on a pot as there is some discrepancy as to which way up it needs to go, so I am bideing my time to see which end sprouts first!
The other little pots have Basil and some of the very tall Nicotiana seed in.

The other competition is for who can grow the biggest 'Colocasia Leaf'. Because I have a heated greenhouse mine never really died back it just went dorment. So I potted it up and popped that in the propergater to but had to get it out when it lifted the lid!



This is my competition! Although its not yet planted it did get really big last year! But what I really, really want is one of these its a Alocsia macroriza. Do you see why I like these plants?

Now for some exciting news! Remember I started off some tropical seeds on the 8th February. They where given to me as an exchange for a brugmansia cutting. I didn't hold out much hope for the big seeds as the germination instructions go something like this:- Soak seed for 48hours. Sow in sterile seed compost. Daily temp cycle 9hrs @ 30-35C, 15hours @12-30C constant! Not being the most patient of gardeners I did what I always do and soaked them then put them in damp perlite and shoved them in the airing cupboard and forgot about them, but this morning I checked them, well look......



Dam things have sprouted, now what the heck I do I don't know but I will find out! I am sat here with a massive smile on my face, for having sprouted something that should have been difficult but also because I got two lovely parcels in the post

I received a gorgeous brooch from my friend Vallen all the way from California

Thank you so much, it is gorgeous!

and the Potting Shed held a February Swap and I got these

Lavender Bath Scrub, Peppermint Footcream, Orange and pumice soap 'ideal for gardeners' and a turquoise facecloth!

You can't beat 'Snail Mail' its so much nicer when small parcels arrive on your doorstep!