tilly_stratford | Entries tagged with gardening

My crocuses (croci?) have started blooming!

Planting something in autumn to see it bloom seven months later feels like cheating somehow, like it shouldn't be allowed. And I've moved around so much in my life I was half convinced I wouldn't even be here when spring came and then all that work (it wasn't really that much work) would have been for nothing. But here I am, and here they are, and sometimes things work out like they should. There's also the tulip bulbs, which I look forward to blooming later in the spring.

I've got a lot planned for the garden this year, though seeing as I've finally landed a job (after a year of unemployment) I might have to dial it back a little bit. In any case I'm definitely gonna make a new flowerbed, away from the scorching heat that gets reflected from my building's red brick wall. Somewhere along the fence, where it might catch a little bit of shadow from the neighbouring house, and then I'll keep the first flower bed for succulents and things that can tolerate the heat (last year the poppies thrived, so they can stay).

I've been dreaming about making a small vegetable garden in a corner of our (immense, empty) garden, but that might just be more work than it's worth. Anyway, there's the watering issue -- last summer I had to carry all the water into the garden. This year I'm looking into hooking up a hose to my kitchen faucet and running it out the window, but it's still gonna be cumbersome. So we'll see about my dream victory garden.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: I don't care much //John Kander & Fred Ebb

So while I was away, the heat wave came and ravaged my garden. I've already talked about how the placement of the flower bed makes it a furnace even during normal Norwegian conditions, but the overwhelming heat sure did a number on my poor flowers and plants.

My entire window box -- lettuce, chives and marigolds - is fried. My beautiful poppies all lost their petals. One of the lavenders sighed its last. My borage, dill, coriander and lacy phacelia weren't doing that good to begin with so maybe it's for the best the heat put them out of their misery. Before I went away my mum also gave me assorted climbers from her garden, but they died before they really got started.

Poppy, pre-heat wave.

I'm surprised to say, some plants did make it through the heat though: The marigolds (both the common and African ones) in the flower bed, the rest of the lavender, a few cornflowers, the sunflowers, and also I'm surprised to see the poppies starting to regrow buds.

I'm not too disheartened by this turn of events -- I really didn't expect anything to survive this summer without me there to water them, so I'm delighted at seeing the survivors stand tall. My sunflowers are wonderful, they're very nearly as tall as me now (170 cm) and their stalks are thicker than my thumb. One of them's got five flowering heads at the moment (the bumblebees love it), while the other's got one. According to the packet they weren't supposed to be the multi-headed type but as surprises go it's not he worst.

Sunflowers, post-heat wave. Also common marigolds in the corner.

Current Mood: satisfied
Current Music: Jerry Dallman & the Knightcaps - The Bug | Powered by Last.fm

It is with great pride (and a little sense of shock) I unveil...

MY FIRST FLOWER!

That is, the first plant I've raised from seed to flower. Sure, I've got ready-bought carnations in my flowerbed that're covered with flowers, but raising them yourself is different: Guys, I've successfully grown a marigold! It's pretty much my first proof that I'm not hopeless at this gardening business!

See, in my last update I was so disappointed in my garden progress I was almost ready to throw in the towel. I had just a few scraggly stalks to show for all my effort - but then the rains came and now my flower beds are bursting with green things! Not many flower buds though - which is why I'm so pleased with this one marigold. Hopefully more will follow.

On the other hand, bees and other insects are noticeably rare. Apart from the beetles, ants and spiders already living in my flower bed (in peace, of course) I've only seen one bumblebee in my garden this year. I don't like this at all. Still hoping they're just slow to increase in numbers because of all the rain.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Turn turn turn // The Byrds

I'd be lying if I didn't say that this whole "growing plants from seed" business is not going quite as well as I anticipated. My one gigantic flower bed is a sorry sight, with some stunted sproutlings scattered about. My main problems are the heat (the bed is along the Southeast wall with absolutely no shade all day, and the red brick house reflects the heat mericlessly), and the lack of access to water (I was quite shocked when my landlord informed me there's no outside faucet at all, I have to carry buckets of water from the basement).

The heat issue I could always learn to work with (though finding plants that can both deal with scorching heat and Norwegian nights and winters will probably be quite a task), but carrying all that water from the basement is absolutely killing me. The two solutions I'm currently considering don't work all that well together neither (making a new flower bed away from the scorching red house wall, and hooking up a hose to my kitchen faucet and watering out the window).

If the flower bed had been my only garden endeavor I think I'd be far more demoralized right now, but thankfully the lettuce and chives in my window flower box seem to be doing swell. So are most of the plants I sowed indoors - I had to repot my sunflower today (my first time, I sincerely hope I didn't kill it in the process) and thin out the poppies. Here's hoping I don't sign their death warrants the moment I plant them out into the garden.

So - some learning experiences, some problems, but I'm still essentially optimistic. Gonna post some pics the moment I grow something worth looking at.

Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Hey brother pour the wine // Dean Martin

Absolutely beautiful Sunday weather, so I slathered on some SPF 30 (the long winter hasn't done my lily-white skin any favours) and went out to begin work on the garden.

I've always heard horror stories about the soggy clay soil of this city, but digging in the flower bed revealed fairly well-drained soil rich with chubby earth worms (the way I kept having to relocate them out of harm's way while I was digging made me feel like some kind of earth worm taxi service). I think probably some previous resident did their darn best to create better soil in the beds by mixing sand in. My heartfelt thanks, Stranger.

It took me several hours to dig up the largest of the two flower beds (and a lot of rocks and cigarettes and shards of glass did I find in there). I've sown some marigolds in one corner to dissuade the colony of ants that have made it their home. We'll see if they sprout at all - I haven't grown anything from seed since I was about ten years old. I also came across several massive, milky-white larvae while digging, but being in a Mother Nature kind of mood I decided to not disturb them - later on Modern Man checked Google and discovered it was probably the larva of the Cockchafer beetle (what a name!), which are considered a garden pest. Whoops.

I've sown some other flowers as well, and I'm going to try to bring some of the less sturdy ones up indoors before I plant them outside. Meanwhile, my mum gave me some ready-grown plants too, while I wait for other things to grow - got some Lavender in once corner of the bed (hopefully they'll cancel out the smell of the marigolds) and pink carnations in the other.

The snow is melting in the garden and I realize: Gee, I have a garden!

Well, technically I share it with all the other inhabitants of the building, but looking at it emerging from the snow it doesn't look like anybody have tended it for these past couple of years. There's absolutely nothing there, save grass. And some old, barren flowerbeds under my window.

Me, I have absolutely no gardening experience except for occasionally helping my mum out in her impressive gardens through the years (my mum is a gardening genius, I have trouble keeping green things alive), but I've always wanted to have a little garden on my own to tend to. I've decided to lay claim to a little part of this one! I'll start small though: This year I'll stick to the flower beds only.

So many ideas - some perennials, and hops - and considering cornflowers, marigolds, and possibly a sunflower or two. Later I'd love to get something larger and possibly edible - seriously considering an elderberry bush (I could make my own elderflower syrup!). Dreaming of keeping my own compost heap too, but that'll have to wait for some other summer.

Will one of my neighbours beat me to the flowerbeds? Will I stick to my organic gardening resolve? Will I get anything to grow at all in this clay? Will it all be wiped out by the iberia snail? Watch this space!

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: Don McLean - Tapestry | Powered by Last.fm