Many of my daffodils had been in the garden for decades and were past their best and I wanted new ones in some areas too. I went to a large Lincolnshire supplier and ordered a couple of small sacks of tulips and one of assorted daffodils and narcissi too. It hadn't occurred to me that there might me some 'fancy' ones included because I've never had anything but the 'ordinary' single trumpet daffodil. So the one on the right was a surprise. I have discovered that they have a very big disadvantage in our windy climate - they are top heavy, blow over and break. The fact that I'm not keen on their looks either isn't really important in the circumstances.
I've discovered that the polycarb can easily get into the high 30ºCs during the day and into single figures at night so I decided that to give some of my germinating seeds the best chance I'd try and keep them in a warm but not extreme environment until I've sussed things out. I've not grown much from seed for many years. So this germinator is living on my electrically underfloor heated bathroom for the time being. The rest are scattered around in experimental places.
The results have been astounding and since I took that picture the seedlings have germinated.
My latest completion - 1000 piece jigsaw. One of the more enjoyable - not too hard and not too easy.
Whilst I was clearing the raised beds which I used to use for vegetables I found all these beauties. They had grown from an unsuccessful trial using a black sack which I had emptied onto the area last year. I obviously left some potatoes in it. They are beauties.
I know only too well what happens to large headed daffodils in a windy area - and Cumbria doesn't have anything like the extremes which you regularly endure. If you can remember where the offenders are, those are the ones to pick for the house :-)
ReplyDeletePropagator on your bathroom floor is a fabulous idea, perfect gentle bottom heat which so many seeds like (just don't fall over it in the night!) Same temperature variations here - over 90 degrees in greenhouse last week, and then down to virtually freezing.
Thank you, Jayne, for your practical advice. Fortunately I have a small en suite for night use!
DeleteSame problem in our greenhouse, even these last few cold but sunny days. I've been either leaving the door open during the day, or if it's not too cold putting the seedlings outside.
ReplyDeleteTasker, I hadn't thought seedling propagation through when I built the polycarb. The actual germination takes place in the house just as it always did. Ah well c'est la vie.
DeleteI agree with you Re. the daffodils, I prefer the single trumpet too and really like the King Alfred Jonquils best. Also, happy to see your jigsaw puzzle. I'd like to have that one in my collection.
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DeleteJill, I am puzzled (get it?) as to why you removed the second comment. Anyway I'm glad I'm not alone in preferring the single trumpet daffodils. I don't think even after all these years of chatting that I have an email address for you so I will just say that I hope you enjoy this jigsaw as much as I did.
DeleteNot sure myself why I deleted it! I wanted to say more about puzzles and my love for them, but didn't get to it. The Ravensburger Puzzles are my favorites and I think yours may be one of these.
DeleteJill, I like the Ravensburger too. This one is a KING from their Cottage Collection and called "Riverside Home in Bloom". Their website is www.kinginternational.com.
DeleteThanks Graham. That is why I couldn't find it before.
DeleteNo problem so far here with overheating. Snowing again today.
ReplyDeleteYour potatoes are indeed beauties. How wonderful to be eating freshly harvested spuds right now.
Yes, JayCee, and the bitter wind has done so much damage to a lot of the new growth in many gardens.
DeleteHeated bathroom floors are great for proving bread as well. I have a little bottom heated seed cloche like yours in the photo and often came home to find a certain cat sleeping on top of it. (Tells you what temperature we let the house run at....!)
ReplyDeleteTigger, I so want to draw a cartoon of your cat on the heated cloche! One of my luxuries in life is having a warm house (except my bedroom which is cool - but not cold). I cannot function when I'm cold. When I was a child of course the house was cold except the kitchen, bathroom and living room. Very few people had central heating then.
DeleteNow that we live in Greece we don't use heating at all, but even in UK (in winter) we only heated the living room. F must have an internal furnace, everyone else in the house just had to get used to wearing extra clothes in winter. She even puts a blanket with every chair for people who can't handle 15 degrees!
DeleteTigger, that makes me shiver at the very thought.
DeleteYou are doing very well with your garden, daffodils have got to be my favourite Spring flower. It must be nice to be able to properly start getting outside in the fresh air.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy. It is, indeed, good to be out in the garden again.
DeleteI've started to love varied daffodils, after years of liking only the simple sort. Lucky you having underfloor heating!
ReplyDeleteJenny, perhaps I'll grow to love them too. After all they will be coming back again next year.
DeleteExperimenting with things can keep a gardener busy all year.
ReplyDeleteNever a truer word, Red.
DeleteI lost a few plants yesterday to frost. I had covered them with large black plastic pots, but somehow the cold penetrated. It's not a problem; I'll sow again.
ReplyDeleteYes, Cro, that's all one can do.
DeleteI would have thought the bathroom floor might be a bit experimental but I obviously know nothing about cold climates. Hope you remember the various other places of your experiment. Those potatoes would be a welcome surprise.
ReplyDeletePauline, the thing about the bathroom floor is that it is at the perfect temperature for germinating seeds.
DeleteI like such potpourri posts, Graham - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThose spuds look really beautiful. Any specific plans as what type of dish to make with them?
My mini garden (a birthday gift from my sister) has so far fared well. For the few days I was at O.K.'s over Easter, I brought it indoors but to the coolest room of my flat. Now it is outside again on the south-facing windowsill of my living room. It got a light dusting of snow yesterday but that shouldn't be a problem as there was no hard frost. And today, the sun is trying its best to come back.
Thank you, Meike. I had some as mash and when friends (I am in a bubble but even so it's the first time I've had anyone for dinner since last September) came for dinner on Tuesday I did salmon and smoked trout with roasted vegetables and the potatoes just boiled. I shall make leek and potato soup today. I shall bake the big ones.
DeleteThe potatoes were a fortunate discovery. Home grown taste delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity your daffodils got damaged in the wind. They are beautiful but, like you, I much prefer the 'ordinary' ones.
Jules, sometimes one just gets lucky!
DeleteI first read this post in some app or email where the layout came out a bit different, and just for a moment that had me wondering it was a "1st april" post - the text "The results have been astounding" appeared right above the puzzle picture (and I did not see at first that it was a puzzle)... (Just took me a second to get my impressions straight, but made me laugh...) Hope you can pick the broken daffodils and enjoy them for a while in a vase indoors instead, perhaps. While I don't have a greenhouse I can still relate to the "too hot or too cold" problem (and also "too windy"), as my balcony is very much exposed to the weather and can get very hot in the afternoon sun even i spring, but still frosty at night - and open to the winds from south/west as well (which is where the wind usually comes from here). So I haven't got anything out there yet except a box of strawberry plants that survived the winter under a bench.
ReplyDeleteMonica, I think that at some stage when I was drafting the post and trying to sort the spacing, I pressed publish instead of preview but hastily reversed it. Some programs pick that up as a post anyway unfortunately.
DeleteYes, I know... I do that all the time myself... ;)
DeleteI've not done a jigsaw puzzle for years, but looking at your one is giving me an urge to find one to do. I think it is the subject, I just love the picture of your puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't you just love a garden full of surprises? There is always something new to see/find in a garden :)
Margaret, I have always loved gardening but since the first 6-month lockdown last year I have become almost obsessed with my garden and love being out there and seeing what is happening as well as making changes.
DeleteThose are some really nice looking taters, graham, and should go well with a few meals. Congrats on the jigsaw puzzle completion for which I have not got any patience.
ReplyDeleteBeatrice, I used to do jigsaws when I was studying for my school and Uni exams but have rarely done them since. Lockdown re-kindled my interest during last summer. For some things I have infinite patience. For others less so!
DeleteA good-looking lot of potatoes there! And I love the jigsaw puzzle. It's a long time since I've done a jigsaw. I enjoy doing cryptic and "easy" crossword puzzles...and spent part of my morning doing same!
ReplyDeleteTake good care, Graham. Very sad news about Prince Philip. It wasn't unexpected, but still very sad nonetheless.
Lee, I do general knowledge crosswords. I've never mastered cryptic ones. Prince Philip's death will, I think, be the start of significant change.
DeleteI haven't mastered the cryptic crosswords either, but do the New York Times crosswords each morning with my coffee. I think it wakes up my brain to face the day. The jigsaw puzzles are more relaxing for me and usually I have one in work on one of my kitchen counter tops.
DeleteI agree with Graham that change may be in the making for the monarchy.
Looking at the thatched cottage, I expected a certain Mr G. Edwards to emerge from the front door before climbing into the rowing boat for a morning's fishing on the pond. Those potatoes look lovely - unblemished like eggs.
ReplyDeleteYP, I haven't fished on a pond since I was about 13. We used to cycle to Jackson's Pond and go newting etc. We built a raft. I wasn't there but one of my compatriots drowned. The pond is now under suburbia.
DeleteNice spuds! I've got a pseudo-greenhouse going, made out of clear plastic egg crates - starting my morning glory seeds in there - and they're sprouting!!
ReplyDeletePS: I've got loads of different daffodils in my garden, thanks to my local nursery who gave them all away to my mom and I years ago, because they couldn't sell them once the flowers had gone. People don't realize bulbs bloom every year, I guess... but anyway, I love all my daffies, but I will admit to running around propping them up with "Y" shaped twigs after a hard rainfall - they do love to face plant in the mud, aye?
ReplyDeleteMarcheline, daffodils do not really stand up easily to gale force icy winds. The good old 'common daffodil' might survive but the fancy ones are too heavy and once fallen may never raise their heads again. PS Tulips don't generally return after the first year as I discovered to my embarrassment last year.
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