Mr Grinch's Garden

I'm potting on from the first batch [16-Jun] (I figure that is quicker than I would have expected in the days before I had Mist), and the second batch [11-Aug] are looking OK

Shiney gave me some variegated box cuttings. I have about 800 plants growing on that I took from cuttings in Autumn 2009. They have not been well looked after (some are still in 9cm pots) so have probably not put on as much growth as they might have done, the best are in 2L pots and probably 2' tall. I have bought a few square pots with 4 or 5 plants in that were 2' tall (and shaped into a cube shape) reduced to £2.50 in the garden centre and split them out into individual plants.

June 2010:


Feb 2013 (Box in 1L pots on the left):

 

Wow 800 plants !! What a watering session !!

 

They are on capillary matting. That dangles over the edge of the bench into slots cut in a horizontally-mounted downpipe (which is growing moss in the bottom picture), which I fill with water morning and evening. Takes about 30 seconds each time ... plus the walk to the water butt to refill the watering cans.

 

Do you think it works aswell as watering normally ? I only say that due to the lack of growth you stated in the cuttings. What do you think ?

 

I started a debate on what type of automated watering for the greenhouse (basically either flood & drain or capillary matting). Capillary matting was easier to fit so I went with that. Downside is that there are pots near the edge which don't get enough water, and everything gets a) the same and b), on average, probably too much. Its way better than watering manually where I would seriously overwater some things, and everything would be underwatered when I forgot, or was delayed or in a rush. So on balance its a good time saver.

The lack of TLC has to do more with potting on in a timely fashion, and sufficient feed (when potted on things get a small spoonful of hundreds-and-thousands slow release fertiliser, good for probably 6 months, but if they don't get potted on again in that time they have to make do with water and very occasional flooding with Miracle Gro or similar).

Flood & Drain would mean that the pots dried out more between waterings, which I think would suit the plants better.

 

Well i smelt it, no not a bad tummy after a curry but Autumn. When i tell people i can smell spring and autumn they look as if im mad, but im 100% convinced i can.
Yesterday was that day. I awoke to a misty morning that burnt off to be a hot day BUT that morning had a chill in the air, the chill of an autumn morning and that first chill was smelt yesterday.

G

 

"Diana days" as I call it, from the memory of the mist and smell driving back across France and through England just after she died ...

 

Can you describe that smell please Kristen?
Jenny

 

I totally agree with you Mr G. I can smell it too. For me, it's subtle but it's there.

 

Smells like Autumn ... does that help?

 

Nope

 

Not sure about the Diana analogy (but very poetic none the less Kristan) but how can you describe it.... Well it's a fresh clean smell that hits the back of your nose due to its chill. Not an unpleasant feeling.
As for spring, it's the smell of warmth when the sun finally feels like its there in the sky and everything starts to grow.

G

 

Yes, you're right about the smell of autumn Mr. Grinch, I picked up that smell three weeks ago and there's a definite chill in the evening air here now too.

 

Spent the weekend in the Oxon/Bucks Chiltern Hills. Lovely. The walks are amazing, the pub stops even better !!
Spent a few hours planting some of my new box plants. Ive moved a few plants back but wasnt prepared to chop back or move the Asters. These are one of my fav autumn plants so do not want to disturb them. Will have to plant when they die back.

G

 

I've done something today that i usually only do in spring. I divided some geraniums and planted around the garden. I've been told you can do this in autumn so as im impatient, i've done it today and not in March. I used the divided plants to replace some geraniums that was liked by slugs. Geranium "Magnificum" is as its name implies is excellent. Slugs will not touch the leaf, great flowers and all round ground cover.

G