SLOWLY WAKING UP.
The recent cold spell should help with the seed germination and it will be interesting to see if the seed that got six weeks in the fridge will benefit more than those left to the natural elements.
Because I use only crockery pots plunged in sand for any plants more than one year old, it is necessary to keep the greenhouses just above freezing. This is easily achieved by setting the heaters to the frost setting, and closing down all the vents.
The younger plants in the frame do not fare so well as the just have the protection of the glass frame propped up on bricks to keep the rain off.
The seed of the Lewisias that was sown at the end of September and early October are now growing well. The first to appear was L.rediviva followed closely by Brachycalyx and then the cotyledon hyb?s. The L.longipetala hyb?s as usual are slow to get started, but as in other years I have no doubt that they will soon catch up.
Narcissus bulbocodium and all its variations are starting to bloom while some of the N. romieuxii have been in bloom since before the festive season.
The other spring bulbs will be appearing thick and fast in the next few weeks as the day length increases. Plants are very quick to react to the extra light and indeed primulas can sense it almost immediately after the winter solstice.
By the first of January they are starting to open their flower buds, and one in particular called Joan Hughes is always in bloom before the middle of he month. A primulas well worth seeking out is one called Megascifolia, this particular plant flowers continually all winter in spite of everything that the weather throws at it. I have had it for a number of years now and it survives with little or no attention, but it would be advisable to divide it up every two or three years to provide some spare plants.
Dionysias have continued to bloom since the autumn and I had to continually remove the flowers to prevent botrytis catching a hold, for once established it is almost impossible to save the plant. A box of green sulphur is always on hand for such emergencies.
The Camellias are doing their best to produce some flowers and had quite a few showing before the big freeze up which decimated them, but will continue to flower during mild spells until late spring.
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