Still in the Greenhouse!

We had sunshine and showers today,



the showers where pretty heavy but not really heavy enough to refill my water butts. Because it was raining so heavily when I got up and I wanted to check that all the gutters where lined up to fill the butts and sort out the ones that weren't, I jumped into some joggers and just put a coat on over my nightie and charged off down the garden, good job all the neighbours leave early for work!
Anyway once that was sorted and I was suitably attired, I fixed the automatic opener on the second roof vent and generally just pottered around.

My Aeonium is still doing well, it seems to thrive on neglect, but it has lost alot of its leaves/petals so maybe needs re-potting or feeding.



I love the way the leaves go pink at this time of year!

I potted up two of its babies



This is my Ensete ventricosum Montbeliardii



with Tango sussing out the best place to be..........
he found it.............



on my chair in the sunshine!!!

Happy St Georges Day!

What a glorious day we had yesterday weather wise. I got alot done and am paying for it today with a dodgy back!
I did all the shopping in the morning, posted lots of parcels, a whole load of washing, prepared the tea............... then went outside..........

I unwrapped the greenhouses, which is quite a fiddly job as I take care in packing the bubble wrap away so I can use it again next year! The maximum high yesterday was 15.9C but obviously inside the greenhouses, even though all the windows and doors where open it was quite abit hotter.
The smaller one unwrapped with a piece of bubble wrap drying. I will have to tidy up my workbench abit now everyone can see in there!



The full view of the big one, I really must look into getting some staging.



All my Elephants leaves in full glorious view!



and finally my brugmansias got a very thorough soaking, my hat which should have been on my head, but my head got too hot and in the top of the picture a small radio and my chair.................. Heaven!!!!!!!!!!



Whilst I was inside the big one,unwrapping, I had done one side and the back and was steadily working my way up the other side,I kept catching movement out of my eye at the back of the greenhouse and when I looked on the other side of the glass (thankfully) was a Rat!!! Sassy was down with me but not close by as she usually is but sat just in front of the small greenhouse looking at a gap under the shed, I believe our rats have a new home, so we obviously still have a problem. So I think a trap will be purchased. Oh and to confirm the problem, I nipped in the house to get a drink and found



One reason not to have cats! But then we do live in the country and so far have not had any baby rabbits like we usually do!

I also unwrapped my bananas which seemed to have come through the winter just wrapped in fleece very well




I then went on and planted out my onions, peas and beans. As we have such a mild week, weather wise I thought I would grasp the moment! But have fleece on standby! We didn't shut the greenhouses up till 7pm last night! A first for the year! I have put greenhouse shading on my shopping list as I can see it will be needed!
Now it is raining which I am grateful for as I already have two empty water butts!!!!

Chickens, Cuttings & Things!

Eggs Laid This Year: 135

The chickens have been doing remarkably well this year, in the egg laying department! They will be 2yrs old soon,if they are not already, we got them in May 2006. I always though there egg laying dropped off as they got older!
This is three of them enjoying the sunshine and wrecking the lawn (if you could call it that)




I have taken to spending alot of time in my large greenhouse, the one behind the chickens, its like a conservatory. I have a chair in there and will often go and sit, to rest my back. I go in when its raining too, its like being in a caravan hearing the rain on the roof, I love the smell, the warmth, the brightness, just being in amongst the plants. I think I will look out for a little table then I could have a radio on when I'm in there and on cooler days maybe even read a book then maybe not.






How could you not enjoy leaves with such magnificent markings and colours, are you beginning to understand why I love them so much?

When I sit, I'm always looking and doing, seeing how things are coming on, are there any bugs that need destroying, has that plant grown since I looked at it 5 seconds ago, what can I do to make them bigger and better! You see this is my tropical greenhouse, the house with all the jungle plants with large leaves. I also overwinter my brugmansias in here.
I was sat in here on Sunday and spotted something that needed doing, can you see?



My standard brug had shoots growing from its stem


so not wanting to waste anything, I took them off and


potted them up. Well waste not want not. If they take I shall sell them on Ebay!! I have to pay for my expensive taste somehow!!!

A Lovely Week!

I have had a lovely week and spent most of it in the greenhouse.

The small one is full




I have pricked out and repotted loads, I'm not sure you could squeeze another thing in here! Once I've given away to people who want some, I thought I would sell the rest out the frontof the house, so if your around look out for a sign that says 'Plants For Sale' you never know it could be me!!!

I have just had to re-pot all my Colocasia's and Alocasia's (Elephants Ears)


there roots where bursting from the pots!

This is a pic from last year of one of my biggest leaves, maybe you can understand why I like them so much!

Catching Up!

I know I haven't got round to visiting your blogs, but I'm busy playing catch up at home. Apart from the inevitable washing, ironing, and housework, groan. I thought you would far rather see how things have been growing
The back of the small greenhouse!

T-rex on the right, the small tray of tomato seedlings in the middle, which need potting on desperately! Brugs and Gingers on the left!


French Beans and Peas! I now have a cloche which I bought from Good Old Wilkinsons, which I need to set up, if I do that this weekend, I should be able to get these in the ground!


The new caster oil plant for the front garden, is growing in leaps and bounds! You can just see the trays of onions on the right!

Plus my stand still in the small greenhouse, full to the brim with alsorts


Moving over to the big greenhouse, the bargain prop no longer wears its cover as everything has got too big!!!


The standard Brug is bursting into life!

the other brugs are also slowly coming back

I have lost a couple of my new ones from last year fortunately I had taken cuttings, although sadly I have lost both the mother plant and cuttings of my apricot one!

Outside thinks are bursting to get going, as winter hasn't quite lost her grasp,
but as you can see somethings don't want to wait

The Gunnera, raring to go!

Some new buys


and finally I must Thank Yolanda @ Bliss for this idea, she did it last year and I thought they where devine so went to my fav shop Wilkinsons (from where you can now buy online) and bought packs of tulip bulbs last autumn planted them and topped them with violas and pansies! I am pleased




but do be aware that when you buy from a bargain shop you do not necessarily get tulips of the colour named on the pack! I was annoyed at first but now I like the randomness! (if theres such a word)