Weeding is an important task at this time, because if you do not get the weeds under control before May, then you are fighting a losing battle. Hairy Bittercress is a most troublesome weed and requires great vigilance to keep it under control. This plant can germinate, flower, and set seed in as little as twenty-one days, so one has to be constantly on the lookout for seedlings and remove them before they get a chance to flower.
I have a different problem with weeds, as mine consist of Bulbocodium, Thyme, Androsace, and the Old Faithful, Silver Birch (Betula Pendula). (A weed can be interpreted as a plant growing where it is not wanted) One whole day was spent removing these from my front garden. Weeding gives you the chance to take a look at the plants close up, (on your hands and knees I mean) and also to watch out for hybrid seedlings. I found a beautiful little Androsace with pink flowers and very compact foliage and it does not resemble anything that I planted in the garden, so it's obviously a hybrid.
The fritillaria's are blooming early this year, with Meleagris (Snake's head Fritillary) the red variety, sporting ten flowers before the end of March. The white one named as Meleagris Alba is a little later with only two blooms open at the end of the month. Erythronium Pagoda has twenty-five blooms open at the moment, and the promise of lots more to come. Nemesia confetti is in full bloom and the cuttings that I took four weeks ago are rooted and will need potting up in the next few days. I have removed them from the frame underneath the staging in the alpine house, where I root most of my cuttings in the spring and autumn. In the summer I use a north facing cold frame at the back of the potting shed.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Michael Campbell's Gardening in Ireland topic, please visit the Discussions page.