 |
| Primula marginata 'Linda Pope' |
Another busy week for the Quirky Bird gardener, spring is in full swing even if the weather doesn't know what it's doing. In the nursery I'm still working through the alpines in the tunnel, tidying them, re-potting, propagating, scraping and brushing the landscape fabric, it looks so much better already. The seeds are all sown and now germinating, after 30 years of gardening I still get a kick seeing them emerging and sprouting away. Everytime I come back from the tunnel I bring a trolley load of plants to go into the sales area or the stock beds, it's good exercise if nothing else.
 |
| Seedlings growing in the tunnel |
 |
| A good choice of alpines in the sales area now |
My big task in the nursery at the moment is working through the stock beds, weeding, tidying, top dressing, sweeping, lining up and labelling the plants. This also gives me a chance to see what plants have (or haven't) come through winter, what needs propagated or potted up and dealing with all those things as I work though each batch of plants. Working back from Z, I'm at S so far. With better weather recently this has been a pleasant task working in the sun and some warmth at last.
 |
| Making the most of warmer weather I cleaned out the water feature in the sales area in preparation for the delivery of water plants due to arrive in a few days |
Fragrant Friday - Primula vulgaris or the common primrose, might be small but it packs a punch with it's masses of pretty yellow flowers and subtle honey scent. The name derives from the Latin prima rosa meaning 'first rose' of the year, although it does not belong to the rose family. Coming into flower now they can be seen in often abundant patches in woodland clearings, hedge banks, waysides, railway banks and open grassland preferring damp, clayey soils.
And in the wood, where often you and I,
Upon faint primrose-beds were wont to lie...
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
 |
| Some cheery spring colour in the nursery |
 |
| Spotted this hairy character in the nursery at the weekend |
 |
| David got the sign for the scented garden written at the weekend |
In other news we went through to Kilmarnock on Thursday evening to take eldest son out for his birthday. 24, where does the time go? He's now the age I was when he was born, seems like yesterday.
 |
| Sometimes I buy old gardening books just for their decorative and colourful covers |
My plant collection at home is now beginning to emerge from it's prolonged winter slumber. New leaves and spring flowers are unfurling, opening and growing. The heater is off in the greenhouse at last and the bubble wrap is off and packed away until autumn.
 |
| Figs are appearing! |
 |
| Rain drops on new Aquilegia foliage |
 |
| Cardamine heptaphylla |
 |
| Cardamine pentaphyllum |
 |
| Muscari latifolium |
 |
| Scilla sibirica 'Bright Blue' |
It's been a week of threes, the tumble drier and dishwasher stopped working (we're still waiting on our landlord letting us know what he's going to do about them) and then on Tuesday we were out for the day on our day off and a stone smacked my windscreen and left an impressive crack right up the middle!
Because of weather, being ill, David's dad dying and all sorts of other things we've not had a proper day out on a Tuesday this year. The last two years we were out and about exploring every Tuesday, so it was great to go out for the day and explore a new walk this week. We drove up to Callander and walked up to Callander Crags where there were great views towards Stirling, Ben Ledi and to the north. You can read about our walk in another blog coming soon.
 |
| Reaching the cairn at the top of Callander Crags |
Have a great week, spring has spring, see you soon and happy gardening.
If you want to find out what's been happening in our garden at home like our Facebook page
If you to see whats new and looking good at the nursery like our Facebook page
Find out more about the nursery here - our web site: www.quercusgardenplants.co.uk
Follow us on Instagram @quirkybirdgardener
Follow us on Instagram @quirkybirdgardener
You can now sign up for our monthly newsletter on the facebook page or by emailing us to be added to our mailing list
All contents and photographs © Rona, unauthorised reproduction & use of these images is strictly forbidden, thank you
Comments
Post a Comment