It's here !!!

Golly!
Sounds like a wise move there, S!

 

My back's aching from doing the geraniums, thought i'd let my assistant suffer .. he's nearly 20 yrs younger.

 

You don't think we're overdoing the smileys just a bit, do you? I've been potting on some penstemons and dianthus - to get back on thread!! And my tomatillos are coming up now - 7 of them so far, and 7 of the stripey aubergines - great stuff!

 

Strongylodon, is there a reason for using round pots rather than square?

 

Mainly for space to grow. Some plants may not be planted untill early july and need room. If we used square pots we would probably set them out pot thick. We have always used round pots in staggered lines but a lot of plants that will be planted early are grown in unit paks of 18/24/40 cells.

 

The other 15,000 geraniums :D

 

I assume all these and the other plants that you grow are planted around Weymouth.
Do you get involved in the planning of the beds and the planting out.

 

No, Pete that is the job of the area head gardeners although I do interfere and advise what may not be so easy to grow if they get too carried away!. We are very limited in space here, one glasshouse, one poly tunneland two rows of frames so I have to make sure we can accomodate everything including a few small outside client contracts, carpet bedding plants and the hanging baskets ... like squeezing a quart into a pint pot all the time. :D

 

I notice our local council(and they dont put on a display anything like you people do on the south coast) are planting drought tollerant plants this year.
They were planting lavender and one or two other things I've not seen before the other day.

 

You mean they actually are being sensible, Pete?? Good Heavens!! BTW, do you remember those examples of bad pruning I posted a while back?? Turns out that was mostly (but not all) down to the council! And I thought they knew what they were doing!

 

Poly tunnel to fill next
with sliding vents on centre span

 

So what are you going to fill it with, Strongy? Ageratum? there would be heck of a lot of it!! But then, that's what you do!

 

I could do with a bit of that space strongy. :D
On the subject of tree care dendy, our council kills more trees, newly planted in our local park, than the vandals.
The contractors they use ring bark them at the base with their strimmers, they put a guard round, but this lasts only a couple of seasons at the most, then they strip the bark.
Most tend to die of thirst in their first summer though. :(

 

Imps, tuberous begonias, dahlias, salvias, petunia, marigolds, allysum, rudbeckia, millet, zea, ageratum(only 5,000 this year) Salpiglossis, verbena, ricinus, eucalyptus, pyrethrum ...... can't remember the rest!
Our arbor team last winter planted trees with strimmer guards and watering kits, a semi rigid seep hose spiralled round the tree while planting with the cap at soil level, seems to have worked, as the water goes directly to the roots.

 

Strimmers can do a heck of a lot of damage careless hands!! I know of a situation where and agency worker was hired to mow and strim - and he enthusiastically strimmed round the edge of a trials area fenced in with chicken wire, to keep rabbits and muntjaks out - and made loads of holes in the fence!! There was a long section where the hole was continuous!! As you can imagine, it took a very long time to fix that, and, of course, rabbits got in!