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It’s been a cold and very blustery week out there, quite a change from the previous weeks. To make matters worse, it seems that many people experienced quite a frost last night with some damage to crops. That old saying "Never cast a clout till May is out" is still relevant and I’m glad I’ve waited despite having very itchy fingers. I believe that there are more expected so if you can wait a few more days it would be worth it. If not get the fleece ready.
Although there has been a lot of growth in the Rhino, many of the flower plants and seedlings seem much happier with the cooler temperatures. It's also allowed some more of the seeds to germinate. My Snapdragons and Helichrysum had completely put on the brakes during the hotter weather but as the temperature dropped they started popping. The sweet peas put on a lot of growth but the hot weather may have had an impact on bud formation. I may have to think about getting some shading blinds for the Rhino. I will have to see what difference the cooler weather and some feeding makes. I am really looking forward to the sweet peas flowering as they will end up in bouquets for people. They will make a wonderful fragrant treat to share out.
Inside the Rhino - a view through the sweet peas
Now that the tulips have finished flowering in the garden, or have been picked, there is a bit of a lull while their accompanying flowers finish and the next ones, that are waiting in the wings, come into bloom. I have loved putting bouquets together over the last couple of weeks and during the current times they continue to mean so much to the recipients. Flowers are used to say so much from “hello” to “Happy Birthday” to a treat for yourself, just because you love flowers and need a pick me up.
Fragrant Bouquet for VE day - lilac, alliums, lily of the valley, clematis, Raspberry, tulips, aquilegia, forget-me-nots
Should everything go to plan, I hope to be adding in the sweet peas along with sweet williams, roses, nigella, foxgloves, telemas, gladiolus byzantium, and the quaking grass (briza maxima). As the month progresses and moves into June, more and more flowers will be added in. Seeds such as zinnias will also be sown and cosmos will be planted out. As July approaches, dahlias will start to flower. I have a few dozen pots of them in the Rhino at the moment, all putting out roots and shoots quite happily. When this cold snap is over I will start taking them outside for hardening off. I also have a few dahlias that have not yet been potted up and they will have to go straight into the ground. It will be an interesting experiment to see if there is much of a difference in shoots developing and flowering times.
How is your garden looking and what have you been putting into your vases? I hear that Garden Centres may be opening soon, or is that wishful thinking? If they are, take care.
Follow the flowers and happy gardening.
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