gardening

Threats....threats...threats xxxxx;) :whistle:

just a comment..

garden is anagram of.....danger...:lol: :silly: :lol:

Ive got a well-controled Dibber xxxx :whistle:

Where have all the gardeners gone. Long time passing. Autumn here so lets do bulbs and shorten the winter. Indoors and out. Wonderful to see colour come frrom brown earth isn't it?

Indoors heat treated hyacinths, jonquil and tete a tete. Outside spoilt for choice. Daffodils, narcissi, little daffs, muscari, snowdrops, crocuses, anenomes, and tulips. You do not need a big garden, just some pots or containers. Some fine gravel, bulb or all purpose compost and some earth. The nurseries and supermarkets want rid of them now to make room for Christmas. Hyacinths can be grown on gravel indoors. Just keep wet and keep the bulbs dry and plant in any container,bulb resting on gravel. Keep in the dark and when green shoots appear about 2 inch growth, bring into the light. Will be ready for Christmas.

Remeber when you water to have dish underneath or you will be mopping up for ever. Same can be done with little daffs - jonquil and tete a tete but use bulb fibre and keep in the dark til green shoots have appearred. These bulbs need to buried with a third of their bulb above the surface - root side down. The pointy top is up if you cannot see the roots and make sure all bulbs arre firm abnd not mouldy. In the garden I use containers or pots then you can move them around in the spring or get some one to help you. Can grow in the garden if you can get to provided the earth is mulched or well nourished and turned over. I find it best when it has rained and the earth is looser but you can buy a bulb dibber. Outside in the pots I use bog standard multicompost and earth. As long as the bulbs do not touch the sides seems to work. I'm lucky enough to havve a south facing sheltered garden so I think it will depend where you live. Bulbs are very forgiving. In pots start with the big ones then put little ones on the outside or you can layer them up. Tulips at bottome, then dafffs, then narcissi, then smaller ones. How they get up I don't know but they do! Same in the garden - tall at back, small at front and in groups not in rows. Looks more natural. If you are like me and find the plastic bags hard to open most shops sell in brown bags or you can rope in a friend. Nowadays you will see a big notice. These bulbs are not for eating! Well they are in the gardening section we did not think that they were. But do remember garden bulbs are poisonous to animals and children if eaten so store safely out of the range of little hands and big mouths.