Camellia - say Hello to 2013

On the 15th January the camellias are blooming and we have our first dusting of snow. 

A few days later, on the 18th, the world turned white and the camellia bushes disappeared under a thick white cloak. Its the 20th today, and they are still hidden under the snow - how many branches will have snapped, how many flowers will have fallen off and how many buds will be brown and frozen. Look long at the photo as there may not be many more like that.

Welcome 2013

How better to welcome a New Year than with flowers? One garden has snowdrops, winter jasmine and a red rose. The other garden has primroses, wallflowers and masses of white flowers on the Viburnum tinus. The narcissi are in bud, on stems 4" tall and daffodils are poking their noses through the grass.
This year I intend to sow a pot of something every day! Its a plan - of sorts!
31st December - Togi and Blue OSU bush tomatoes
1st January - Salad Bowl lettuce and Lemon basil
2nd January - Lyon Prizetaker leeks & White Lisbon Spring onions

Christmas Rose

An unexpected rose, blooming in the garden on December 24th.
Snowdrops pushing through the grass - such a welcome sight welcoming the New Year.

Growing Garlic from bulbils

We all know that buying garlic for planting isn't cheap - a couple of pounds a head that may yield a dozen or so cloves. Last year I bought organic garlic from a supermarket as a cheap, but not always recommended, solution. Some of the garlic flowered and produced small bulbils in the flowerheads These were sown in a seed tray on 8th October - two weeks later they are rooting and shooting!! It may take 2 years to produce garlic of a culinary size but meanwhile, its cost me nothing.

 

Having Fungi in the Garden

The sun shone today and a large patch of the garden was strimmed revealing these fungi on the rotting branches that lie around the garden for wildlife to enjoy.

Costoluto Fiorentino

This was a real Forker! Has meandered through the other tomato plants and thoroughly confused me. Flattened and ridged. Would make frilly slices in your sandwich! I'm not certain of this one?

Gardener's Delight - maybe Irish

The only obvious cherry tomato! Ignore the tomatoes at bottom right of the second photo.