multiplication
First a retrospective of 2016 .
springtime 2016 :
Some yearbook from seed , including rudbeckia , nasturtiums , dwarf helianthus .
Some perennial including genus Helenium which have done pretty well , at least some of them have . The 1 growing near the terrace get a lot of trial - off from rain on the terrace and pots being watered . They like blind drunk stipulation so have thrived . lot of seed collected this twelvemonth , more than I can peradventure use .
Bunch of veg too , from seed . Leeks , peas , broadies . I cheated with most of my veg this year , buying young plants rather . I like growing the veg , but prefer to concenter extension efforts on the borders . That suppose , I picked up a pathetic amount of veg ejaculate from my local garden centre for pennies a pack as they were clearing out stock . Should keep me go for a while …
fall 2016 :
buy some repeated plant come on ebay from a vender who has some interesting plants in their garden . They let in very utilitarian sowing advice , all nicely packaged up in little envelopes . Not certain whether it ’s a commercial concern or a self - funding hobby – the latter I suspect . Many of them have erratic sprouting habits so while some have bring on seedling , many have not yet . Hoping to see preindication of life after the winter . I do have a load of potentilla seedlings doing very nicely from this passel , they will be unspoilt solid plant by the spring . Some salvia and some grass have germinated too .
In the same purchasing fling as the veg seeds I bought some other ejaculate too , some annuals , some perennials . Ca n’t help myself . Some of those have been sown as well . lot of seedlings resulting from that . Dianthus , veronica , monarda to name a few .
My vagueness about what ’s growing and from which batch is part of the reason for set forth this blog !
wintertime 2016
Read an article about Hardy Plant Society seed commutation . As the name hint this grouping is delirious for the perennials . You do n’t have to be a member to participate in the seed substitution , although you do get more seeds and first dibs if you are . I order seeded player first then join as I think it looked interesting and , ‘ cos more plants , correct ! ? The seed exchange seems pretty well organised and I should get mine in late January next year . The emphasis seems to be on plant which are not common varieties , not available in the typical garden centre / diy shop . you may order up to 20 varieties from a list of hundreds that the great unwashed have sent in earlier in the year , and you have the pick of a random assortment and a lucky - angle of dip multitude of remnant . As a resultant role I cerebrate I ’ll be receiving getting on for 50 packets of seeds ( the quantities will be lower than commercially sell ejaculate – I desire ! ) , all for the outlay of £ 7.50 which covers the admin of the seed exchange – the germ themselves are actually free . Seriously – free plants ! They also move a plant life conversation scheme , the aim of which is to restore to commercial sale multifariousness which are in risk of disappear . Again , free plants ! felicitous sidereal day . Must prompt the current Mrs J that we need a bigger garden …
I bought a few books on abebooks a calendar month ago or so , all very trashy and with free postage . one is “ Creative Propagation : A Growers Guide ” . It ’s an old - ish book of account now , mine is a 1992 edition . I read it front to back like an aerodrome thriller on the beach . It ’s fab . So informatory and another reason for me come out this blog . I had no idea I was using my greenhouse so inefficiently . More on that in another post . Among the thing it has root on me to do is to take a tonne of hardwood cuttings from shrubs in the garden . Cotinus , Cornus , Weigelia , two empurpled one , no estimate what they are , Elder , a mounting rose and a few more I think . Not content with that I had a brain wave , I ’ll put a “ wanted ” ad out on our local Freegle add-in , see if I can bust a local garden for more cuttings . After all , not very interesing to have more of the same shrub I ’ve already get ( particularly as there is n’t room for them , but that ’s a whole other story ) . I was n’t ask a response to be honest , but I vex a handful , including one very local . I now have a load more set out in mountain . I ’ve used mostly sand or horticultural guts and tallish pots – no compost . Some are in the greenhouse , some are outside in a sheltered smirch . Bit of an experimentation , will see which do better
So , that was the propagation story for 2016 . tons of program for 2017 . I ’ll be back !
The Propagator .
