Dahlia Days

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

Yesterday someone poetically described dahlias to me as ‘explosions of happiness’ which seemed just right for the spiky, sumptuous and simple bundles of colour I was selling in the market.

Dahlias are one of my favourite flowers and, although they don’t last for ages in a vase they are prolific once they have got going so there are plentiful supplies to pick from summer to the first frosts. Until this year, I have only grown them at home and the allotment for us and as gifts for friends and haven’t worried at all about their viability as a cut flower to sell. The Sarah Raven bold and brilliant colours have been my favourites from the darkest, deepest colours of Rip City to the bright magenta pink of the outrageous Hillcrest Royal.

Dark dahlias at Green and Gorgeous

Dark dahlias at Green and Gorgeous

This year,  I put in one haphazard bed of dahlias at the plot and filled it partly with impulse buys from garden open days and tubers ordered from Sarah Raven because I liked the colours. Not a systematic approach for a would-be flower seller. There is definitely room for improvement and the Dahlia Masterclass I attended one Sunday recently at Green and Gorgeous near Wallingford, gave me pretty much all of the advice needed about dahlias – from best varieties for cutting, to propagating, storing and arranging. Accessible, but packed with new information, this course was extremely well taught and a visual delight from the ‘classroom’ filled with dahlias of every shape and colour to the long beds of dahlias outside from which we were invited to pick.

Perfect Cafe au lait at Green and Gorgeous

Perfect Cafe au Lait at Green and Gorgeous

There was a lot to think about on the day and now. The first suggestion which made sense to me straightaway( the dilettante flower grower who would like to grow just about everything) was to concentrate on growing sweet peas for Spring selling and dahlias for Summer and Autumn. This  is what I will largely plan to do next year. From experience, these are the two flowers which always sell at the market. I won’t be able to resist Love in a Mist or Cornflowers or Larkspur or Scabious and, of course, bulbs, but more space, care and concentration will go on dahlias and sweetpeas from now on.

Bright and beautiful dahlias at Green and Gorgeous

Bright and beautiful dahlias at Green and Gorgeous

The single flowering dahlias at the patch will be lifted after the first frosts and stored to go into the garden next year as I learned these are the least successful for cutting. I like to imagine that on a cold, dark December day, I will be cosy in front of a fire ordering dahlia tubers and rooted cuttings for next year. There will definitely be the lilac Porcelain on the list as well as the soft/apricot pink of Maldiva both the opposite of my usual preference for dark, bold colours, but truly beautiful.

The last part of the course was about arranging the dahlias and other flowers we had picked and for once I decided not to mind too much how mine turned out and because the flowers were so beautiful, it was fine.

My dahlia arrangement at home

My dahlia arrangement at home

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Back to the Plot

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

On 1st September, started my new part-time teacher/part-time flower grower life. So on a Tuesday when everyone was in school, in what looked liked a sunny patch, but which turned out to be a sequence of heavy showers, made my first visit to the plot for weeks. Went to plant some of the hundreds of bulbs which, yet again, I have enthusiastically over ordered. When I got there, the slugs and nettles both looked healthy and vigorous and so I spent most of my time trying to reduce both before I began to think about planting a bulb.

The messy plot from a distance

The messy plot from a distance

Before setting out, I had opened one of the two heavy cardboard boxes which arrived from Peter Nyssen with my bulb order. Opening it up, gave me pause to wonder what optimism had made me think I could easily plant all these bulbs up.

Just one small sack of many

Just one small sack of many

Took over a hundred bulbs out, but just managed to get 20 narcissus Cragford in the ground. It was a start…

After the skin tingling punishment of wrestling with the nettles for a couple of hours, it was a  relief to settle the large, firm healthy bulbs onto a layer on pea shingle in their short rows just inside the boundaries of the plot. Couldn’t decide whether to treat these bulbs as annuals and shallow plant them, or plan to leave them where they are and plant them more deeply. In the end, went for the second approach, but still think might need their space in late Spring.

Back at home, planted the remaining bulbs I had taken to the plot (and more) in pots big and small for inside and out. Still sacks and sacks to go, but feeling optimistic as have started earlier this year and have more generous time to do it.

seeds 548

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Plot Doesn’t Go to Plan

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

This was the summer when the plot, allotment and garden were going to get truly developed, but perhaps predictably that didn’t happen at all. Nothing major, but small things one after another meant that time has passed and the developing plot, in particular,  has been gently going to seed. Now summer is seguing into Autumn I will be having a hard think about this year and making proper plans for next.

This Spring and Summer work was too hectic to allow any time to get the proper supply of plants and flowers going to meet any regular market demand; so only did three markets. The small plants went well and the cut flowers slowly. Will need to plan planting better from this Autumn to keep  a succession of cut flowers coming. Only real developments over the summer was planting some shrubs for greenery from next spring so physocarpus, golden and dark and pittosporum, variegated and Tom Thumb, as well as philadelphus were put in around the boundaries.  Also spent time picking and dead-heading sweet peas until the stems got shorter and shorter. Despite taking them to a couple of markets, too busy at work to catch and sell them at their best so they  mostly scented our house in smaller and smaller containers. Now they are going to seed, will let the seed ripen for allotment planting next year.

So careful and urgent planning needed to get this plot productive for next year. First off, need to order bulbs for planting into pots and in the plot. Hopefully this will help extend the season at the market as there might be scented pots of paperwhite narcissus available to sell in Winter as well as iris reticula and crocus too. Autumn planting of annuals will be next, in containers to over-Winter and directly in the ground. Cornflowers, larkspur and nigella to start. In a week or two, the pots of  bright magenta sweet williams and blood red wallflowers grown at home will be big enough to plant out too.

Back to work in a day or too, but greatly reduced hours so optimistically there is a genuine chance this year of properly developing the plot…

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Sowing Seeds in the Sun

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

The sun is out and I have been doing hopeful, late plantings of biennials and perennials for next year’s pickings and plants to sell on the stall. Don’t think even the biennial seeds that were sown earlier and have germinated will make it into big enough plants to sell in the Autumn, but they will get planted at the plot even if a bit late. So far have minute Pam’s Choice foxglove seedlings just pricked out along with Sweet William Auricula Eyed and Blood Red wallflowers. They all look full of life, but tiny.

Tiny foxglove and sweet william seedlings

Tiny foxglove and sweet william seedlings

Today have sown Anchusa Dropmore for its lovely blue and edible flowers next year; the perennial Foxglove Camelot with its white splotched with scarlet flowers which are all around the stem as well as two different violas – one the cheerful annual Hearstease with its edible flowers and the second the more sultry perennial Frosted Chocolate. All these are Sarah Raven seeds which always seem to germinate reliably and are true to what is promised on the packet.

Perky but micro wallflower seedlings

Perky but micro wallflower seedlings

Also collected my own seed from Knautia macedonia whose flowers are coming to an end in the garden and from the gorgeous blue of Salvia patens growing in pots out front. Last year the small plants survived the winter well in the unheated cold frames. and were very popular in the markets, especially when in flower. Haven’t kept enough to use as  a cut flower, but they would look lovely – maybe next year…

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Picking up the Plot: July 27th

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

Well over a month since the last post which reflects that the avalanches at work kept on coming right up until the end of term. Have had a week’s holiday now and part of it has been spent trying to get some order into the plot which was being overwhelmed, in places, by determined docks and sharp nettles. It is always tempting to only pick out the lovely bits in pictures; the fact that parts of the plot have been permanently out of control has mostly been cropped out over the last ten months of tracking its progress, but here for some truth and accuracy is what it looked a while before we tackled the  weed thugs:

IMG_0900[1]

Weeds pushed themselves energetically, through and at the edges of the cardboard mulch and black fabric paths, but Charles Dowding’s  no dig layering of cardboard and compost definitely helped keep the weaker weeds down. If I had finished the job by applying a thick layer of compost it would have been even better.

No gloves could protect against the nettle stings which beaded my arms up and down and didn’t disappear for a few days, but it was worth it as we cleared a bed for the dahlias which had been waiting patiently in their pots for weeks.

Dahlias in a mostly weed free bed

Dahlias in a mostly weed free bed

They won’t produce much this year as they were put in too late, but looking forward to seeing masses of clashing colours next summer. This one below and the bright, shocking pink of Hillcrest Royal should sing out.

Glowing orange dahlia = lost the name tag...

Glowing orange dahlia – lost the name tag…

Two more partially mulched beds left to properly weed, before most of the plot will be up and running or at least ready to run.

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Going to Seed: 21st June

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

Work mostly and life (partly) have meant the plot and the allotment have been pretty much neglected.  While I have been in a long, time-eating, tunnel of work all the plots have been a persistent, low level guilty niggle at the back of my mind instead of the usual pleasure. The garden at home and all the plants (going past their best) around the house have been a daily reminder of the fact that you need to give time to keep what you grow healthy and flourishing. At home it has been easier to squeeze in a minute or two for deadheading and the roses have been wonderful.

Blowsy and beautiful, Rosa Graham Thomas

Blowsy and beautiful, Rosa Graham Thomas

Hoping that the avalanche of work has been shifted and that today marks the day that I will have space in daylight hours to get outside and sort everything out.

Had a flying visit to the plot two weeks ago which was just long enough to pick the first five fragrant, long stemmed sweet peas and to notice the burgeoning docks, thistles and grasses pushing their way up at the edges of unplanted beds. Going there today, knew they would be even more vigorous and they were…

But so were the sweet peas which are starting to cover their support. Picked three big bunches with lots more to come.

Two of the bunches from the plot

Two of the bunches from the plot

Everywhere around the plot, there are weeds and flowers cheerfully going to seed and the trick is going to be to try to snip off as many seed heads as possible. But there are so many.

Cornflowers bright and blue some going to seed

Cornflowers bright and blue some going to seed

Shared my weed wrestling time between the plot and the allotment. They’ve both beaten me in the first round, but I’ll be back and perhaps by the end of the summer there will be order and not just pretty chaos.

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Catching Up with the Plot

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

This weekend was the first time for two weeks that I was able to look at how the plot has been doing. It has had to look after itself in the winds, rain and recent sun as I have been unable to get to the other end of a long tunnel of work. Still not there, but snatched a couple of hours in the bright sun at the plot this afternoon.

Recently, as I have watched my cornflowers in the garden at home get flattened by wind and heavy rain, I was nagged by the guilt of neglecting supports at the plot. Luckily, it is sheltered and it was cheering to see that the stems there haven’t been twisted into the u shapes of my garden flowers. Next year, supports definitely going to be a priority everywhere. Pea netting, sticks or something more decorative will have to go in place early on. With plans to reduce paid work by half, this might even be possible.

So while I was looking elsewhere over the last two weeks, the hesperis has burst into white and a single cornflower has unfurled blue.

Sturdy white hesperis

Sturdy white hesperis

The loveliest blue

The loveliest blue

Not enough is in flower to make up bunches, but it is a start as the sweet peas show flower buds along with larkspur, achillea and knautia.

Knautia with buttons of buds

Knautia with buttons of buds

Need less wind and more warmth and as always more time.

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Lots of Plants

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

Yesterday,  we made a whirlwind visit to Wales to my generous and green-fingered mother and came back today with a car boot full of healthy and hopeful tomato plants. A really lovely selection I haven’t grown myself. After planting Costoluto Fiorentino, Gardeners Delight, Latah and Galina, I realised I had forgotten Sungold which is probably my favourite one of all. Luckily in Cardiff my mother had been carefully nurturing them, along with Sweet Aperitif, Ferline, Shirley, Harbinger and Sun Cherry.

A few of the many healthy tomato plants

A few of the many healthy tomato plants

So soon (at least when the nights are reliably warmer), I will be planting my daffodil and tulip bulbs into the ground and using the freed up pots for tomatoes which will circle our south facing front garden for the summer until the frost. Some will be risked at the allotment, but expect them to be victims of the inevitable blight.

This year focusing on the plot, vegetables and the allotment have been more than usually neglected so the four courgette Romanesco were another well timed gift. They look bright green, healthy and ready to flower.

And on the way home today we stopped off at  Derry Watkins’ very special Special Plants nursery. Stocked up on seeds had been planning to buy on internet and picked up Tom Thumb Pittosporum, Penstemon Raven, and unusual violas to replace the ones which have worked so hard in pots over the winter.

A very pretty plant which will look good and be useful for foliage too.

A very pretty plant which will look good and be useful for foliage too.

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Plot Structure

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

Last week  I left the plot in a pretty chaotic state with cardboard and black plastic placed haphazardly over the undug section (ie most of the plot).This Sunday the plan was to make a quick visit to plot with partner and then work on the allotment. Almost six hours after arriving, we left tired, but happier as real and visible progress was made and some order was whipped into my mess from the week before. The plot, at last has a structure.

Paths and beds set out - at last

Paths and beds set out – at last

Last September when we started this we were duped by the ease of digging the first two beds. In the sun on a gentle, warm afternoon the soil was easy to dig. We didn’t realise that the rest of the plot was much heavier clay with dock roots going deep into the soil. Having dug beds by all the boundaries, the middle heavy (in parts  blue clay) section was left. The thought of digging this was daunting and probably not feasible with the current demands at work, but just covering it with black plastic for any length of time was too ugly an option. So Sunday saw the laying down of clear paths with weed suppressant membrane and the covering of ‘soon to be beds’ with thick cardboard and later a layer of heavy mulch.

My version of no dig

My version of no dig to be finished

Hopefully this will kill off the weaker weeds and make it easier to lever out the more determined docks. This is an idea I read about in Charles Dowding books on vegetable growing and we will see if it works for flowers too. It is for the long term and as these beds will be for dahlias, roses and peonies eventually, the richer soil should work.

I am definitely more of a dilettante than I have accepted before and today saw the advantage of being focused and task driven as my partner insisted we finished setting out the plot and rejected the lure of a pint in the pub.

Tulips at the plot

Tulips at the plot

A real pleasure on Sunday was being able to cut flowers for the first time and give them away. The tulips were in full throttle and the hesperis is almost there with the cornflowers not far behind.

Hesperis buds - surely they will flower soon.

Hesperis buds – surely they will flower soon.

This is an experimental, slow start year, but after Sunday it is easier to see how the plot might develop.

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Message from the Plot

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Homesown@thedevelopingplot

In a week dominated by work which seemed to increase and increase rather than get completed, there was no chance of getting to the plot –  even though it is less than a mile away. Working inside on bright sharply sunny days, there isn’t enough time to wonder much about what is happening at the plot. Have had a vague, background nagging worries about lack of watering done there during this very dry spell, but these haven’t quite driven me down there to do it…

So it was a relief to get an unexpected picture from the plot. Sent by my kind friend who is lending me the land, the tulips look bright and blooming. Sadly, so does the burgeoning grass at the side of the bed, but more positively no evidence there of drought or droop.

At last the tulips at the plot

At last the tulips at the plot

Tulips at home keep coming, but it won’t be long before they are over. Next year, when I will have more time to do this, I will need to have a clearer plan about the variety and volume of flowers to sell. At the Farmers Markets our small plants have sold really well, but the flowers have gone slowly. Although it seems contradictory, hope to plant much more for Spring next year so that we have more flowers to sell earlier. Will also have to research other markets and ways of selling to get this going properly. This year it is an experiment and we are enjoying the flowers in our garden and the ones we pick for the house.

Some of the tulips picked from the garden

Some of the tulips picked from the garden

There will definitely need to be a more planned and business-like approach as this project develops. Next year, will be planting tulips Abu Hassan and Ballerina again and, if I can find the name of the lovely red ones, those too…

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