In my Courtyard Garden blogs I often speak of what is going on in the courtyard itself and also on the allotment and among the house plants. I don’t often mention the disasters unless it is to explain how I got around them. In the case of my summer planting I will own up and say that I shall have to buy many of my usual stock…
The winter pansies I put in last autumn were also late to get going and are putting a fabulous show when they really should be past their best and ready to be replaced – but if I don’t replace them soon the summer plantings will never get started for july when the garden will need the colour that annuals provide between spring and autumn perennials.
Most gardeners will tell you that this year has seen a slow start for us all – whether that be flowers or veg. I am no exception in growing my own plants for the window troughs and summer pots from seed, but this year has been a bit of a disaster. I suspect this is because, due to the costs of gas etc, we have the heating on far less and turned many radiators down to a minimum – including the rear bedroom where I usually start my seeds off coupled with a cold, damp spring that never seemed to supply any sun on the window sills.
My petunias and diascias did germinate but suddenly dampened off a few weeks ago, by which time it was a little late to sow more. In consequence I have none at all to plant out. I’ve had things dampen off before but never on this scale!
Even the usually reliable lobelias are still struggling to reach out their second leaves and will never be good enough to plant on this year 😦
The tagetes and nemesias have done just a little better and have secondary leaves, and this week’s sun had brought them on a little more. But though they have attained a modicum of size it will be a month more before they are large enough to use in planting up those pots and troughs.
Nothing for it but to admit defeat. I have had to bite the bullet and get in some plants large enough to flower this side of September!
It really has been a weird old year so far!
Jan Edwards 