Growing & Planting
Bulb planning is now competing with Christmas
We have reached that moment in early December when the garden is still demanding attention but Christmas is beginning to elbow its way in beside it.
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I will not properly relax until the bulbs are in
I know myself well enough to admit that I am not going to relax until the bulbs are properly planted. It sits at the back of my mind the whole time, especially when there are stacks of pots waiting and the weather keeps doing its own thing.
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The tulip conundrum has started again
November has arrived in that slightly confusing way it sometimes does, with plenty still flowering and temperatures that do not feel especially November-like at all.
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Bulbs, workshops and October sowing
October is properly under way now, which means bulbs, sweet peas, ranunculus and the yearly feeling that every surface is about to fill up with trays and pots.
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Rain, bulbs and trying to get the autumn sowing done
This has felt like a very 2024 sort of fortnight: heavy rain, soggy borders and a lot of bulb thoughts.
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September seed sowing has begun
September always flips a switch in my head. As much as the dahlias are still dazzling away, I am already thinking ahead to next year and reaching for seed trays again.
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Mud, dahlias and finally getting the furniture out
Early May has arrived with all the promise of the season and quite a lot of mud. We had a proper thunderstorm here and the ground was so claggy I did question my timing on planting out dahlias, but in they went.
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April jobs everywhere and still somehow more planting
April always seems to be the month when the garden decides it wants everything from you at once. There are seedlings to plant out, supports to sort, weeds to tackle, roses to get in and a general sense that you need to be everywhere at the same time.
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Dahlia tubers on the bench and spring starting to show
It finally feels as though spring is beginning to show itself properly now. There are more bulbs open, the days are milder and I have reached that point where the dahlia tubers come out and start taking over every available surface.
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The crocuses are out and I am already thinking about dahlias
The crocuses are finally out and I had the loveliest little bumble bee wobbling around in them this week, which felt like the first proper hint that spring is inching closer.
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