Saturday 5 May 2012

Great Holiday. Not Many Dead...

How inconsiderate... getting hitched in April, I mean honestly!

To be fair to my dear friends Beth and Gemma they did announce their ceremony long before I'd even heard of this garden... but still I winced as I booked my tickets back to the UK -  even just five April days away from our menagerie of tender young plants is a big deal.

The infamous Pelargonium x ardens (in big terracotta pots
with  Aeonium 'Zwartkop') just beginning to flower.

Luckily everything survived: -  rare Canary Island echiums, tiny bottlebrushes and even the fabulously delicate Pelargonium x ardens whose deathwish I wrote about just a couple of weeks ago -  they all sailed through under the watchful eye of C.







....Apart from that is a tray of the commonest, easiest plants imagineable. African marigolds ('Simba') - which were to be a companion plant for the tomatoes. I didn't get time to pot them on from their tiny modules and now they have, just like Monty Python's famous parrot, "ceased to be"!


A salutory lesson that one shouldn't neglect potting things on...


Lots of leaves, not much compost + one hot windy day =



3 comments:

  1. Should I be planting marigolds with my greenhouse tomatoes? And my sympathies for your loss! Did you plant any of the seeds from my old stock? Get pics if you can to support me begging for reject stock next year. I had my trees trimmed, what to do with all the off cuts??
    Take care of yourself Mr Grrr x x x

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  2. Hi Bron,

    Yes definitely plant French / African marigolds (Tagetes) with your toms... Not only will they look pretty but they do seem to discourage certain pests. Basil is a great companion plant too... works just as well on the plate!

    Going to plant the dwarf runner beans tomorrow. They look like a great variety (Hestia), thanks so much -G

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  3. Just checked the pack and they're French Naughty Marietta's, what a wonderful name for a plant! I'll chuck some in with the toms and get some more planted for my tubs. Basil doesn't do well for me as I tend to eat it faster than it can grow! I should plant double. It's a miserable day here so I'm staying in!
    Hope the runner beans do well for you, I'm relying on the allotment for all things beans and peas cos I've been to lazy to get any started. I have to pay for it in digging though.
    A bientot monsieur Grrr x

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