Tuesday 9 January 2007

NEGLECTED

Our back garden is North facing; this in itself can present problems for some of the plants we try to grow; however it also means that all of the windowsills at the back of the house are continually in deep shade. As we don't have a frost free greenhouse any non-hardy cuttings that I want to overwinter have to be squashed onto the front of house window sills. Then along comes Christmas; because we have so many Christmas ornaments and lights the poor cuttings have to be moved to the upstairs back windowsills. They are stuck there for almost a month and boy! do they sulk. Because of the low light levels they strain their little heads trying somehow to find the bright light they have been used to. Hence when Christmas is over and I can return them to their usual position this is what I find:
The first lot of coleus cuttings that I had potted up and were looking nice and bushy have overstretched themselves and lost half their leaves. Drastic action I know but I have cut them back by half and hopefully thay will bush out again into nice short, stocky plants.
Luckily I'd still got room on the front upstairs window sill for the second batch and they have faired somewhat better.....save for one loss!
The sweet peas had been doing really well but they to have become weak and leggy. Normally I would have them growing outside in an insulated cloche as they are quite hardy but these ones are in the special pot that Lynn had arranged for Mick to get me on our Wedding Anniversary and so I want to keep it indoors. I'll have to pinch them out and see what happens.
I'm pleased that the busys and begonias, which I'd cut right back when I lifted a few for spring flowering houseplants, are starting to regrow well and starting to come into bud.
The Lucky Bamboo that I had been weaning from water to soil is also doing well.
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I'll finish this post with a little update on the rubbish situation. There has now been another SIX bags dumped further down our fence!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I'd better start singing
"AWAY IN A DUSTCART"again and see if anyone takes the hint!!!!!

5 comments:

Libbys Blog said...

Now mine is totally south facing which can be very hard on some plants, but does give me the opportunity to indulge in my love of tropical plants!! How do you over winter your cannas? or do you just leave them out!

RUTH said...

Hi Libby, We have usually overwintered ours in the shed; using plenty of fleece to help keep them frost free. This year as I had split them up and so had plants to spare I am going to "risk" a few and leave them outside. I've cut them back and given them a really thick mulch; then it's a case of fingers crossed. BTW the ones in the shed we bring into the house really early (end Feb) to try and kick start them; it seems to get them into flower quicker; if you do this though make sure you harden them off properly before putting them out.
Rx

Bob said...

Its nice to see some of your plants, it is always a problem growing things on the window ledge. Was that thing really a UFO or did you find out what it was later?

RUTH said...

Hi ukbob
I really don't know.....all I can say is that all the dustbins were mysteriously emptied...LOL

Anonymous said...

Did the flying saucer (above) cart them bags away??

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