Allotment update - ornamentals.

On Monday whilst Martyn was investigating what had been happening under our weed control fabric - he wrote about this here - I cleared the long bed in which the remains of our dead raspberries were waiting for their fate to be decided. They had been left on the remote chance that they would recover. In the event one of the 36 canes had a shoot which was replanted. Once removed the dead canes were burned.

The plan is that the dahlia tubers that are at the moment being coaxed into growth in the greenhouse will be planted here.

As the dahlias grow they should give the primroses a little shade from the hot summer sunshine! I always enjoy seeing the row of delicate creamy yellow flowers at this time of year. They always grow so much better than the ones I try to grow in the garden.

Another flowering plant that is happier in some parts than other are the wallflowers that I planted with sweet Williams, sweet rocket and dog daisies. One of the first things I noticed on arriving at the plot was that the some of the wallflowers were just starting into bloom. Others were smothered by buds.

All the plants in the bed are growing strongly, however I squeezed one or two wallflowers into the bed alongside our plot patio. The intention was for us to enjoy the perfume when we were having a coffee break. I knew that this may be unsuccessful as the blueberries - being acid lovers - are fed with an feed containing iron sequestrene. Wallflowers like an alkaline soil and consequently the plants growing here are very weedy specimens.

Although in the garden we stick to the more diminutive daffodils, on the plot we grow their larger cousins some of which provide material for cutting. This year they look a bit sparser - maybe they need lifting and splitting. Not a job for the faint hearted as they are growing in rough grass.

Also growing in rough grass under the plum trees is a lonely cowslip - maybe I should plant more.

Tulips are a little more cosseted and grow beneath the pear trees. Their flower buds are just beginning to show colour. I know the experts tell me I should lift the tulips each year but I never have and they don't seem to mind.

Bellis perennis 'Pomponette' that were grown from seed several years ago also keep coming back each year.

Back to allotment tasks - my second job on Monday was to trim the lavender hedge. Left untrimmed lavender becomes straggly and bare at the base and so needs trimming to encourage shoots to form lower down the plant. I always do this when I see signs of new growth and that time had come. 

In the photo above you can see the straggly seed heads. A quick clip over with a pair of shears to neaten the shape and it was job done.

So whilst Martyn went home smelling of smoke I went home smelling of lavender!

Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett