Plant me now drop

A bit of a family crisis whizzed me away for a few days.  I suppose this will happen from time to time now with my father's illness.  It is always hard to know whether the right thing to do is to drop everything and go or whether to sit it out up here.  This time I did drop everything and went and that was undoubtedly the right thing to do.  I ran around sorting things out and sat around keeping both my parents company and my sister and I shared some of the problems and felt, as always, how lucky we are to have each other.  I left still feeling I could stay and that there was more be done.  And now I am home again, feeling torn as ever, and also feeling out of touch with my normal life.

Time to take stock of what has been happening in the garden.

Just before I went I received another load of plants from Plant me Now, the online garden centre which has been asking me to test and review plants.  This time it is bedding plants, something I don't normally use a lot of.  It does however include pelargoniums, which I do use in pots in front of the holiday cottage, and dahlias which I have started to use in the cutting garden.  They really work well there.  I can feed the soil enough to make them much happier than they are in the garden and I can grow them in enough  profusion to cut them with abandon.

I had three forms of Geranium Maverick, red, white and star.


 

I shall use these in pots of a single colour.  As usual the plants came well packaged and well watered.  I potted them on as soon as they got here and they are currently in the wooden greenhouse and growing by the day.  They come as large plugs and put on a lot of growth very rapidly.  I have been overwintering my geraniums for a few years and it is only now that I see these new cuttings that I realise quite how tired looking my older plants had become.  I will take cuttings from these later in the year and make an effort to replenish my stock more frequently I think.

The other plants in this month's delivery were dahlias:

 
Dahlia Labella Piccolo Lemon
 
 
Dahlia Labella Piccolo Coral
 
 
Dahlietta Rachel
 
 
Dahlias are fabulous hardworking plants which flower and flower but which aren't easy for me to incorporate into my foliage heavy, naturalistic planting in the side garden.  This way I can have them as a big burst of colour.  Again these were good sized plants, beautifully packaged as always, and growing away strongly in the greenhouse now they have been potted on.  I will try to get these out over the weekend. 
 
All these photographs are from the website.  The plants are still quite small.  I have tried various internet based plant buying and I am really impressed with Plant me Now.  They won't wean me from my love of nurseries and it remains as true as ever up here that plants which I propagate myself from stock which is already growing up here cope best with our conditions (altitude, stony soil) but for bringing in a boost to the garden or to containers they are really good quality plants.
 
 
 
This is my photo of some of the plants which came earlier, in April, as very small plants, now producing a pot full of sunshine.
 
I really need to get out into the garden.  I need to spend quite a bit of time on my Welsh.  I need to walk up some hills in preparation for the week of dry stone walling which is coming up fast.  I need to stop thinking about what is going on in Devon and be here, now, in my own patch.  I need to clone myself.  But the sun is shining and I am looking after our daughter's dog while she goes for a job interview.  I think I will take the dog to the beach and throw balls.
 


Comments

  1. All plants I can't grow here so thanks for a colourful spectacle. I sometimes wish I had a sibling to share the worry of my mum's health. Thank goodness she moved down here too so she's close by, but I never hear the end of how much she misses London!

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    1. Beautiful photos, warmed me up here in Minneapolis on a cold, wet, grey day! Thinking of you and holding you in the light as the new life chapter unfolds for you! Enjoy the beauty of the garden as it is sooooooo goood for mind and soul and body!

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    2. Hi Em, I suppose there are problems with all sorts of solutions! I may not be close to my parents geographically but at least they are living where they want to be. And yes, fabulous to have my sister.

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    3. I shall get out into the garden over the weekend Mary. I have things to plant out!

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  2. I am sure that taking the dog to the beach was the right idea Elizabeth.
    Gardening can wait, as can all the other tasks. But a bit of R and R
    sounds as though it was sorely needed.

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    1. It was a good walk. I love beaches. I love dogs. So great combination!

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  3. A week of dry stone walling? That sound wonderful!

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    1. Really looking forward to it. We shall be walling in Snowdonia, high up in Cwm Idwal. Hope I can do it!

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  4. You will be worn to a ravelling like the dear old Tailor of Gloucester. Now, what you need are mice! To run about and help you with your chores and which, if you feed them and give them a saucer of milk and just maybe a suit of clothes, will fetch and carry with the best of them and desist from eating your dahlia tubers. They will walk the dog and dry stone wall for you and run back and forth to Devon on their little, fast-hobbling legs, their tails held arched high over their backs, holding hands and telling stories. And of course they appreciate colour in a garden especially geraniums red, and delphiniums, blue.

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    1. Oh yes Fennie. Please send a relief team of mice right away. I shall try to corral the cat!

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  5. Elizabeth, your reciting of the "I needs" reminds me of what my inner voice often chants. I continue to try to teach that voice some new tunes. Your taking that dog for a walk sounds pretty good to me!

    The plants you've ordered and received will definitely bring some color drama to your garden. Geraniums are pretty glorious when going full strength. They always catch my eye as I see them around this city.

    All best wishes to you and yours. xo

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    1. I like the phrase "teaching that voice some new tunes" Frances. What a good idea.

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  6. what lovely photo 's and lovely blog post

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    1. Thanks Linda. Can't take credit for the photos!

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  7. Hello Elizabeth, glad to see your mojo is making its way back - as I walked our dog this morning, it seemed that in the woods and the fields, nature has ramped up her pace and there is more energy around - hopefully we'll all get a share of it too.

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    1. There is palpable energy out there in the green, you are right. I always love this time of year.

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  8. I'd been overwintering my geraniums for years, too - but last autumn I decided not to and to buy in new this year, so I was interested to see the selection here. And I'm glad you escaped to the beach with the dog, it sounds the perfect way to relax for a while.

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    1. Dogs are good like that, for providing a reason to go out and walk!

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  9. Elizabeth - you're (well, Blogger's) comments are playing up again. It's refusing to accept the existence of Wordpress. Let's see if it's changed its mind... and then I'll try and leave my comment again...

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  10. Sorry about that, it IS talking to Wordpress now...

    I was just going to say that I hoped you got your walk - very restorative, beach walks with dogs. Unless your borrowed dog behaves like one I walk sometimes and a) takes ball into sea and leaves it there so dog walker has to go in and get it back (fine now, not so good in storms and /or January); b) tries to help herself to someone's barbecue or ice cream or even small child; c) shakes herself all over a group of tourists, preferably those who are neat and fully clothed and possibly shrieking; d) wants to make friends with a giant THING with huge teeth and an owner wearing an EDL T-shirt. Have fun...

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    1. Ah well this dog is pretty well behaved and is so in love with her ball it can be used as an enticement to leave ice creams and giant things!

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  11. Really pretty geraniums ! I do like rather naff plants that make their presence felt !
    I've got one three year-old bright red geranium on the window ledge , at the moment , that's been flowering profusely for so many weeks that a neighbour asked me if it was a fake ... a really nice fake , she added hastily .

    Your beach walk with the dog sounds the perfect way to regain equilibrium , however briefly . And , whatever you feel at the moment , comfort yourself with the knowledge that you're doing all you can for everyone and they all appreciate it .

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    1. I think if you are going to have geraniums you should have the boldest, brightest ones around. I like all mine but the red is definitely the favourite!

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