First, I planted sunflowers this year to mark Orlane's 20th birthday: 'Ruby Sunset', a dark red sunflower, but also 'Starbust Lemon Eclair' an almost lime yellow variety. Big statement flowers for a grown up girl grabbing her life in both hands will be a delight to see grow fast, tall and larger than life. I went colourful for Lanou is not your common sunflower. She is very special.
Second, the potatoes starters, Désirée and King Edward have been planted. I am looking forward to this year potatoes crop. Last year I planted potatoes in late April which was a bit of a total disaster. Also the quality of the stater seed was overlooked. I had the belief that it will still give an abundant outcome which was far from being the case. This year my starters are not home made but bought. I went for two renown varieties with great hope. Only one alberto bartlett seed, an Apache potatoe, red and white, was also planted. It germinated in the potato bags outdoor all winter. I didn't have the guts to say 'no, you have no room in there this year'. For all it's growing effort I kept the odd one in with a bright smile.: The surprise in the bag. Let's see what it has to deliver.
One of the main task today was getting on with the last of the pruning. Cutting the raspberries right back down, the kitchen herb like mint down to their new shoots, clematis down to near their growing buds, and the fuchsias, all done with hope and faith that it made space for new growth, from fruits, scented leaves to flowers.
I can only recommend strongly for anyone to grow kitchen herbs. It is fairly easy. Left unattended all winter, I discovered young growth and strong growth to almost all of them: Chocolate mint, spearmint, rosemary, sage, purple sage, curled parsley and chives. This year I plan to increase my range of herbs with flat leaf parsley, thyme and lemon thyme, Greek basil and basil. Tarragon and chervil are also on the map if I get some pot space. I tried to re-pot, shop pot live basil but it is just an experiment. Touch and go.
Fourth came the sowing, planting. The jasmine is growing nicely and I put its best out-shoot in a pot, still attached to the mother plant, to root and grow. The mother plant was bought two years ago in Wilko for not much. Nicely scented, giving lovely small white flowers, it has been a sturdy plant although kept untamed. Given the chance to have a second one from an off shoot was an opportunity not to miss out. I am planning to have a gorgeous planter by my main door yet I am still totally undecided to what to plant in it. Starting with a white jasmine background, structure is a tempting idea.Then I sowed romanesco pepper seeds. I grow chillies, lots of them. Sweet pepper is a new thing. I grew found of eating baby sweet peppers last year. This year I am growing them. The long red romanesco are one of my supermarket best buy as a cook. It made sense to start growing them. Cross fingers, in a few months, I will see romanesco and sweet mini peppers aplenty.
Sowed twenty seeds of 'Baron Solemacher' strawberry. A small kind that looks like wild ones, hopefully they taste likewise. And that would be just a big yeehaw!Last of today's trial is a Coquina butternut squash. I love squashes. I am growing pumpkin ( a giant kind) and normal butternut squash this year. The Coquina is just a fancy trial on the side. Yet that would please me tremendously if it works out.
Seeing the tulips and daffodils growth in the patio garden made today a Spring day: a birthday of life.
Happy Birthday my Orlane.
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