This week was all about plants, which seems highly appropriate as Chelsea Flower Show is in full swing. I’m planting up a few borders, so always on the look out for an interesting plant or two. It’s amazing how many places you can pick up plants without setting foot in a garden centre. Usually they are a cheaper options too.
We started the weekend at a plant sale in the village. Lovely to walk along our lane to the church. It’s the same route we took for years to the primary school (how I miss that walk), then through the allotments. Where I can never resist looking to see how far their plants have grown and ingenious ways they’ve planted up their plots. Finally to the field beside the church.
There were trestle tables laid out with a wide variety of plants. We filled a box with all sorts and it came to £9.90, which was an absolute bargain, compared to a garden centre. The photo above doesn’t show all the plants as I’d planted some before I thought to take a photo.
Cuttings
One of my few talents is that I am a dab hand at taking plant cuttings and making them whole new plants. I remember my grandmother was the same. As a teenager, I’d mentally curl up into myself as she surreptitiously took cuttings from gardens we were visiting and stored them in her handbag until she got home. Later, my father taught me how to take cuttings. Still, in his 90s, he will happily show the latest leaf cutting he’s nurturing. Now I apply the same knowledge to turn one plant into many.
This week, I took cuttings from the Dicentra (bleeding heart) plant I bought the week before. Already a couple have taken root, as you can see in the photo above. I’ve also successfully rooted half a dozen lavender cuttings.
It’s a good job I can multiply my plants. I can never resist a table of plants at a farm shop or on the side of the road. I bought the Nemesia – Wisley Vanilla (above), along with the Geum (top photo), at a local farm shop that we popped into, on a mission for post-exam ice cream. I love the Nemesia. It smells strongly of a vanilla pod and I cannot pass it by without smelling it. We did remember the ice cream.
Outdoor tomatoes
For the first year in a long time, I’m growing outdoor tomatoes. Last time ended in tomato blight. I’m taking measures to avoid the same outcome, but the main reason I’m trying again is that I am unable to throw excess seedlings away. Especially little plants which were coming on strong. I’ve planted a couple of trays of marigolds among them, which I picked up at a DIY store, for pest control.
More planting plants planned this weekend, between the showers, including a few varieties of beans. Husband cut more hazel poles for me to use, from the garden. It makes me think. There is always the joke that growing your own veg costs more than buying at the supermarket. My neighbours described their first attempt at homegrown carrots as the most expensive carrots they’d ever eaten. It’s true when you start out, but after making mistakes and learning from them, I think I’ve reached the point where gardening is becoming cheaper than buying, which is a good feeling.
A nice counter balance to the inevitable stress of being a parent of three students in the midst of exam season, this week. I’ll take it.
Joining in Anne’s word of the week link up. Hope you’ve all had a good week.
(I think some of my comments, in other blogger’s posts, are ending up in the junk mail. I hope you don’t think I’m missing you out)
I love finding a good bargain, especially when its things we love.
Absolutely. I enjoy the search too.
I loved reading this post so much. I’m new to gardening and planting, so it’s encouraging to read about your planting adventures.
We have a brilliant farm shop nearby with reasonable prices, but I’m eagerly awaiting the supermarkets and garden centres reducing their prices at the end of the season to try and get some bargains.
Your photos are always so lovely and vibrant. Do you use your phone or a camera to take them?
Thank you. Gardening is a joy. The garden centre reduced area is good too, if you don’t mind giving the plants plenty of TLC. I hope you find some bargains. At the moment, I’m mainly using my phone for every day shots and my big camera for trips out. I use the natural light as much as possible, especially around golden and blue hours of the day. I will tinker with settings if I can’t replicate what I’m seeing with the naked eye. My phone lets me use the manual controls, which is fun. Also cropping a photo can make a huge difference.
I have seen the Chelsea Flower Show on the news, it looked fabulous!
Oh yes, I have noticed more and more plants for sale in new places. Our little Co-op shop are selling them now.
It sounds like a lovely walk to the church and the plant sale sounds wonderful!
Good on you for being so good at taking plant cuttings, it sounds like you learned a lot from your grandmother. I wouldn’t know where to start. x
Our Co-op usually has a trolley of plants outside. Usually bedding plants, but the odd veg plant too. Always cheaper, if maybe neglected.
I’m looking for some hazel branches to grow the peas and runner beans on. It’s really satisfying growing your own veg. #wotw
I love the aesthetics of the hazel poles in the veg garden. Hope you find some.
I’m becoming obsessed with plants too, I hope that mine grow, my garden is not good so I’ve gone for pot planting and I’m moving them around constantly to get the most sunshine. I come from a family of gardeners too, I wish I’d paid more attention now.
Plants are lovely things to be obsessed with. I think it’s finding what works in your patch and I love that journey. I reckon you probably absorbed more gardening knowledge than you realised.
I love gardening, not sure how good I am it but I did get two fuchsia cuttings to take last year and both are out in the garden now. I have a bleeding heart but have never tried taking cuttings. I might give that a go. Love finding plant bargains too
I’ve not taken any fuchsia cuttings. We used to have so many in the garden from the previous owners, but only one left now, so maybe I should take some cuttings before that one disappears.
Lovely to be out in the garden planting and seeing things grow. I love that you’re able to grow things from cuttings and how nice to reach the point of veg growing being cheaper than buying at the supermarket. I’ve attempted to grow veg a couple of times but without much success. The roses are the only thing that really do well, but then again they’re the only things I tend to look after a bit more! #WotW
I love roses and could easily fill the garden with them. Maybe some lavender to break it up a bit.