As you will know if you are a regular visitor to my blog, we like to grow flowers as well as vegetables on our allotment.
My harvest Monday posts have shown that we are picking armfuls of sweet peas on each plot visit.
The flowers only last a couple of days or so in this heat, but after each plot visit we can replace them.
I'm also cutting flowers from the perennials bed. Really this bed is misnamed as I use annuals to fill in gaps. The bed isn't in full flower at the moment but it's getting there.
I intended to dry some flowers to make a pot pourri mix and bought a dried flower seed mix but, although the mixture looks attractive, it doesn't include the types of flowers that I expected and probably won't provide the sort of drying materials that I really wanted.
I had to resow the annual flowers beds, not completely but to fill gaps in germination. Of course some seeds germinated later and just mixed in with the second sowing but this was fine as I wanted the mixed look.
The flowers are now starting to open quickly.
The second annual bed is in front of one of the sweet pea frames. The plants in this bed have grown taller and stronger but haven't yet really started to flower but it looks promising.
So now I have to find time to add dead heading of flowers to the time spent watering and harvesting. What time does it get dark?
So now I have to find time to add dead heading of flowers to the time spent watering and harvesting. What time does it get dark?
To give you a better idea of the flowers that we grow on the plot, I've put together a tour with the main focus on the flowers. If you have time, (the video is just short of 20 minutes long), maybe you would like to sit back, relax and watch. For best effect view in full screen and choose the highest resolution that your computer can deal with. If you make sure your sound is on, you can listen to my waffle too!
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Thanks Sue. For a budding flowerman that was really usefull. Also comparing notes on the veg. I am expecting that you have caught your first serious rain now so will get a rest from the watering at last? You do like your sweet peas! I am trying all sorts of new things for the school garden and sweet peas is one novelty that has just produced their first flowers. I've got them in pots with 2ft canes - probably not tall enough seeing yours. When is the maximum danger time for carrot root fly. Some people say it is the Mayfly and suggest delaying sowing until later to avoid. Like you I keep the netting over them for the lifetime of the crop.
ReplyDeleteI think winter is the only time that you can be sure carrot fly isn't about, Mal.
DeleteOver the growing season the flies produce two or even three generations. During winter the larva or pupa overwinter in the ground so it's possible that any already there could continue browsing on carrot roots. One reason for rotating your carrots as if the pupae or larva are already in the soil, in spring they could produce adult flies that could attack your crop under any protection. We have had to uncover the carrots more this year to make sure when watering that water actually penetrated the soil so some fly could have sneaked in behind our backs.
Yes we had rain overnight and into this morning - it was quite a novelty and should save us watering today at least. Never satisfied, we need a lot more
Oh fabulous sweet peas Sue. One flower that I wouldn't be without along with snowdrops :) I was wondering how your pot pourri project was going. I have a feeling that I didn't finish sending you all the promised information. Will do soon soon.
ReplyDeleteI am really disappointed with the dried flower mix, Anna. I thought it would save buying lots of different packs of seeds and the space sowing them all. A bad move. Maybe the mix was OK but not all varieties germinated. The pot pourri project may have to move to next year! I’ll check out the list you sent me and see what I have got.
DeleteHow lovely to have your own flowers to cut for the house. I always intended to make a cutting bed when I had my allotment but it's something I never got round to. We've had storms here over the last couple of days but today is the most miserable day we've had for a long time, grey and steady rain, it'll save you carrying the watering can if it's the same where you are.
ReplyDeleteYes we have the rain too, Jo quite a novelty.
DeleteArmfuls of sweet peas, how heavenly. I haven't had the space to devote to flowers but that could be changing. I definitely want to grow sweet peas.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the beasties won't enjoy the flowers so much, Michelle
DeleteI like to grow flowers for cutting too and the sweet peas are wonderful. I have them in the garden and also on the allotment. As you say they only last a couple of days once cut but they are beautiful and we always have flowers in the house at this time of year
ReplyDeleteThe perfume makes up for the fact that the flowers are short lived doesn't it, Margaret?
DeleteYou are growing some wonderful flowers, how you manage that in a drought is beyond me! Oh....dead heading too....sighs....I've given up and left most of the annuals to go over.xxx
ReplyDeleteMaybe now we have been given a bit of a watering break I can dead head, Dina. The cornflowers are a mega job to dead head.
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