Anyone up yet - advice for today?

Morning all,

I was expecting rain today, but at the moment it is sunny.

I have sweet peas on the windowsill which are half way up the window! I have dahlias which are getting enormous. I have lobelia plants which are getting really big and bushy.

But I'm worried about frost. We don't seem to have has any this last week - at least my potatoes are absolutely fine and they are up. We have three large lime trees behind the house which I think provide us with a bit of shelter.

Have any of you chanced it with planting out yet? I just can't decide what to do - I would love to get some things planted out today.

 

I didn't do any sweet peas Victoria, but my mangetout - I have a trench of those outdoors which are only about 2 inches tall at the moment, and a couple of trays in the greenhouse (unheated, but frost free) which are about ten inches tall - desperate to plant them out also - but we have been hit with frost here in Kent in the last week (much to the dislike of my grapes!) - so thanks for posting this question, will be good to see if anybody else has braved putting theirs out My little ones in the trench look fine - just obviously behind the greenhouse sown ones.

 

Hi there

Well, the last time I said 'we won't get much more frost now' that horrible Fish man gave us the coldest May nights for fifteen years. But, having said that, I think it's time to take the risk. The sunshine isn't going to last, apparently, so I should get out there while you can! I'm off to dig up some weeds!

 

If it's any consolation Victoria, I was in your position a couple of weeks ago and decided, sod it and planted the sweet peas out in the garden. So far, they seem to have survived the frosts (maybe protected by other plants around them) and I'm more concerned about keeping an eye out for slugs!

I also planted courgette plants last weekend and then we had cold, cold nights. I covered them with a clear plastic container that we bought mushrooms in each night and there doesn't seem to be any damage. And yesterday I planted my Dahlia out and did the same.

I think the rain is coming today though, heading from the West...so you'll get it before we do! I hope so, the garden needs watering!

 

The water butt is pretty low so a few hours of rain would be nice.
I`ve had my mange tout planted outside for a while now, it seems happy enough as its a good 3ft up the wire mesh support.

 

Our sweet peas have been planted out for a month now and are doing fine. I planted out carnations I'd grown from seed two weeks ago and they are slowly developing. Asters went out about 3 weeks ago.
My first lot of garden peas that were started in the polytunnel were put out about 5 weeks ago though with cloche protection and my second sowing, in the ground with cloche protection was made on 11th April and are now through.

 

Wow... I am inspired by you all!

Thank you for your tales of bravery - I am going to go for it!

Vicki

 

Yes, off you go before the rain arrives!

 

Cheeky. I will, as soon as I've finished feeding everyone their croissants!

 

Ooops.. I went out to plant things out and I've ended up digging a new flower bed.

Now I'll have to buy a few more perennials hee hee hee :lol:

 

I've had my sweetpeas planted out for the last 3 weeks and they are just fine :-) I brought some baby dahlias this morning for my new flowerbed and have planted them straight out... figured I may as well and fingers crossed they'll be ok!

I'm in middlesex by the way.

 

Sweet peas, lobelia, penstemons (raised from cuttings last autumn) and dahlias all out!!! Hoorah!

 

Dahlias, Cannas and Sweet Peas all out her for a week or two but we did have the same frost as others down here a fortnight ago - damaged the Pieris and standard roses but the worst was my Indian Bean Tree (is it Catalpa) which got burnt and am now worried that it will not recover.
Best of luck with your plantings - if in doubt use garden fleece over the plants at night.