PotsandPlots

Another week has gone by, and what a week it has been. Not only did I mark another revolution around the sun, but the weather in the UK has been unseasonably sunny. With the kids off for Easter, but mostly not needing me unless they want food, I was able to get outside and enjoy myself.

This week, gardening has fully become my number one hobby. Book reading and game playing have vied for the top spots for years, but with the Grand National on this week, gardening has snuck up along the fence and got its nose in front.

SixOnSaturday is curated by Jim at Garden Ruminations, and you can find the participation guidelines here.

1. The tulips are finally flowering. Fresh ones in pots and some from previous years pots, replanted in the ground. Last year, the ones in the ground were ruined by birds hiding in the eucalyptus that sits above them. The eucalyptus was trimmed in the autumn, so the birds have nowhere to hide, meaning they can’t sit and crap on the plants beneath.

2. As the year progresses, you’ll notice I like purple – as does Mrs PotsandPlots. This miniature rhododendron is a new addition from our Easter trip to the garden centre. It’s to replace an azalea that I had growing in a pot, that suddenly died, having made it all the way through to March. – This had replaced a similar azalea that did exactly the same thing last year.

Last year, I thought it was because I allowed it to get too wet. This year, I have cut my losses and opted for something else. I do have another azalea and rhododendron, both happily growing in pots, so hopefully, the third time will be the charm for this one.

3. More purple. Both aubretia troughs are now in bloom, with a self-seeded campanula or something similar growing in between.

4. I read an RHS article last year that juxtaposed honesty with camassia. This is my attempt, only I’ve somehow managed to sow the honesty out of line with the camassia. You might say it was an honesty mistake. Oh, and the camassia is nowhere near flowering yet.

If the honesty flowers for a long time, and I sit on the neighbour’s fence, to take the photo, I might be able to show you the intended effect in a month or so!

5. This picture was a serendipitous coming together of complementary colours. I’ve been shifting pots around, and I took this succulent that was growing nicely in the greenhouse, and plonked it down with some silver-grey ferns I have. (There’s a story about those, too – They’re in pots because they were a disaster in the ground, and I’m nursing them back to health). The succulent isn’t in that massive pot. It’s in a much smaller, shallow terracotta bowl, which is resting on the soil of the bigger one.

6. I’m a hosta to fortune! (Come for the plants, stay for the puns). My hostas are coming through. I grow mine in galvanised steel pots as it seems to keep the slugs at bay. At least until their leaves are so big that they overhang other plants/each other. Then the little blighters move in for the buffet.