Saturday 21 March 2015

Awakenings

A slow day gardening, pondering and planning whilst the effects of last night’s special ‘Gin and Hogarth’ evening at the Tate wears off.
 
Things in the garden are hotting up and now we are past the Spring Equinox the days are getting longer than the nights. This has embedded a slight fear of being behind and as such I have released my sleeping Enstes into the light and planted my Ricinus seeds.


These are the Ensetes which have been stored in a dark frost free place since the end of November when they were dug up (see before and when they were prepared here). 
 
 
The next steps were to clean them up and cut away the dead/rotting leaves. They aren't really potted up, more loosely rested on pots of fresh soil.....burying them would probably just encourage rot. But they now have light and warmth
 
 
This is inside the polythene greenhouse on the terrace...the experiment has gone well and there have been no negative effects of the cold at all. The bananas and Hedychiums have kept their leaves, Begonia luxurians looks healthy as does the Brugmansia.
 
 
In fact the Brugmansia gave me a surprise by flowering!
 
 
 The Musa sikkimensis on the terrace has also been unwrapped.
 
 
Good news in that the Giant Echiums all seem to be ok......
 
 
The other project was to plant a giant bamboo to give some protection from the neighbours...
 
 
This seemingly simple job turned epic when the 'soil' was just buried rubble and reminded us of clearing the land of old..... this picture is misleading as the rubble was HUGE at least the size of a mini....
 
 
Daffodils because its spring, innnit!
 
 
Tetrapanax waking up
 
 
Fatsia polycarpa
 
 
I've got the key, do you have the secret?
 
 
Grrr to the cold, hurry up spring!
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

  1. Those giant Echiums will be amazing! I had no idea Ensetes can be overwintered with virtually no roots like that.

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