Strawberry Planter

Strawberry Planter

I mentioned in a recent post that I was planning to use an old pipe that I found as a strawberry planter. Someone I know who is a bit of a mentor to me said that the pipe would be to thick so it wouldn't allow the soil to heat up quickly enough and he said that he had an old strawberry planter that I could have. 

It took a fair while to fill the planter and nearly all my compost but I am so happy with the results and so too are my strawberries. This also means that the area of the garden where the strawberries were is now available for planting.

When I moved the strawberries from the bed I ended up with more than I was able to use in the planter so  I was able to plant them around the base of the planter next to the new Herb bed that I will talk about in another Post.

Iris Harmony

Iris harmony

So excited just been out into the garden and my first Iris Harmony has just flowered. Didn't it look beautiful. Just 2 days ago it was just a few leaves sticking out of the ground. 

I should have made more notes about where they were planted. I planted 10 in the back garden which means there should be 10 in the front garden planted by the chrocus but nothing has come up on that side of the house.

Planting schedule

Just finished my planting schedule. Really excited

Striking Red (40 Bulb collection)

Striking Red (40 Bulb collection)

Picked up these bulbs the other day. I have placed them in a corner of the front garden. I think they are going to be rather striking. They are going to provide some nice color from May till the first First Frosts. I'll Provide pictures later in the year. I am really looking forward to seeing the freesias as I used to work in a greenhouse farming these for Export to England the smell was awesome. I hope that I can get some cut flowers from these as well.

Common Name:	Garden anemone 'Hollandia', Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) 'His Excellency'
Botanical Name:	Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) 'Hollandia'
Exposure:	Full sun and shelter
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10
Height:	Full grown height 25 - 50 cm
Color:	Red
Bloom Season:	May to June
Bulb/Plant Size:	Bulb size 3/4 cm
Number:	26

Common Name:	Freesia
Botanical Name:	Freesia
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 4-8, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	Full grown height 25 - 50 cm
Color:	Red
Bloom Season:	July - August 3 - 4 months after planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	Bulb size 4/5
Number:	6

Common Name:	Gladiolus Traderhorn
Botanical Name:	Gladiolus Traderhoen
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	48-60" tall
Color:	Brilliant scarlet with a white center
Bloom Season:	July - September averages 75-80 days from planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	14+cm, exceptionally large
Number:	8

summer time bulbs 75 pack

Summer time Bulbs 75 pack for £1. 

Picked up 75 Bulbs for £1 Still not sure if this is a bargin or not. let me explain the  pack contain.

12 * Peacock Orchid Acididerthera Flowers July - October
8 * Gladiolus "Priscilla" Flowers Flowers July - October
25 * Liatris Spicata Flowers August - October
30 * Oxalis Dappei Flowers July to September

Nearly half the pack is 4 leaf clover. Wood Sorrel, and Sorrel can bolt and take over your whole garden so i will have to keep my eye on it. The pack comes with nearly no information so bellow is a summery of the information i have managed to glean from the net. I am excited about some of these plants

Common Name:	Acidanthera murielae, Abyssinian gladiolus
Botanical Name:	Gladiolus callianthus
Exposure:	Full sun and shelter
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	12" To 24"
Color:	White, Purple
Bloom Season:	Mid Summer, Late Summer
Bulb/Plant Size:	14+cm, exceptionally large
Number:	12

Common Name:	Gladiolus Priscilla
Botanical Name:	Gladiolus Priscilla
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10, elsewhere lift in fall and store indoors
Height:	45-60"
Color:	Flowers have a flush of bright rose over white and creamy highlights
Bloom Season:	Mid to late summer, averages 70-75 days from planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	16+cm, exceptionally large
Number:	8 huge bulbs

Common Name:	Dense Blazing Star, Kansas Gay Feather
Botanical Name:	Liatris Spicata
Exposure:	Full sun
Hardiness:	Zones 4-0,
Height:	2 foot
Color:	Purple/ Lavender Flower
Bloom Season:	Early Fall; Fall; Late Summer; Summer
Bulb/Plant Size:	12-12cm
Number:	25 bulbs

Common Name:	Oxalis Iron Cross, Good Luck Plant
Botanical Name:	Oxalis deppei
Exposure:	Full sun to light shade
Hardiness:	Zones 8-10
Height:	10"-12"
Color:	Rosy pink flowers and foliage with purple cross-shaped markings
Bloom Season:	Flowers in 10-12 weeks from planting
Bulb/Plant Size:	4/5 cm bulbs
Number:	30 bulbs

Time for an update as we are nearly at the end of September. The Oxalis was the first to come out and has been fairly constant throughout the summer. The display in the front garden was far better than the one in the back garden. but under the porch didnt start off too well see the note at the end of the page

the Liatris Spicata has just finished flowering. It didn't start until late in the season but did look fantastic. I will try to add some photos when I get the opportunity at a later date. 

Gladiolus Priscilla only a few came up but they did look fantastic. 

and finely Gladiolus callianthus. I think that they made a mistake in packaging as I had Red Gladioli come up where I thought that the Gladiolus callianthus had been planted. and a few of those came up then dissapeared in a matter of days. still not sure why. I think that the front garden under the porch might have been a bit too dry. I might have to reduce the bed that side next year but maybe make it wider as it was so narrow everything seemed squashed in there this year

My Spring Bulb collection is starting to come up

Spring Bulbs

Spring Bulbs are an easy way to get colour into the garden. I picked up a whole load of Crocus plants at the end of the planting season for only a few pounds. These are all starting to come through now. I would say that the new bulbs are about 4 weeks behind some of the more established bulbs. I hope to get some pictures when the rest of them have come up.

45 bulbs to start the season off.

16 * Crocus Vernus "Flower Record" 8-12cm tall

20 * Iris Reticulate "Harmony" 10-15cm tall

10 * Chrocus  Golden Bunch 8-10 cm tall

All of these flower Febuary to March but are running about 4 weeks late due to late planting

and to accompany them Tulips and Daffodil's 

8 * Tulip Late Mixed 40cm tall
8 * Daffodil Cheerfulness 40cm tall
Both of these flower April to May and although they were planted at the end of December I think that they will come up on time.

on top of these new purchases there are a lot of bulbs already in the ground from previous years which have already started to put on a good show

Edging the beds

Edging the beds

Yesterday I had a great day off I was able to get out into the garden and edge my beds. I think that they look so much better now. I have used boards from an old pallet. These are untreated boards so I'm expecting them to only last a couple of years

I have used them to join 3 beds together which I think is going to work a lot better. Anyway time to leave for work.