We don’t find slow worms as often as we used to, because a few years ago we had a cat
Welcome Wildlife
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Epimedium Seedlings
A few years ago I collected seed from a number of different Epimedium plants and sowed each variety in separate pots, so that I would at least know the female parent. Not a single seed came up in any of the pots.
Last year I collected seed from whatever plants set any, and put it all in the same paper bag. In August I sowed them into two pots. One I put in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge, and forgot about. The other pot was left on the greenhouse bench This started to germinate in February, so we looked at the one in the fridge. .
The successful pot has about thirty seedlings in it. at the first true leaf stage. It seems they will all be hybrids, but it will be fun when they get to flower. There is already a variation in leaf with some showing red mottling. Thirty seedligs is a good number to trial, more might be a problem!
The only seedlings I have had previously are a very few found in the garden including the one we have named Epimedium ‘Pathfinder’.We thought this plant was worth naming as it produces a lot of lowers, and over a long period, May to September, in its second year of flowering.
Post Scripts
It would appear that low temperatures will kill off the fronds of Dicksonia antarctica.
Having said earlier that we never had problems with Dymo Tape pealing off plastic labels I am now having to admit I have had a serious set back. I have spent a considerable amount of time (and money) producing 156 plant labels on the new black Tee shaped plastic labels to find a significant number of the names are coming away after a short time.
My theory is the Tee labels are of not polystyrene as were all our older plastic labels, where the Dymo stayed on for many years. The Tee ones are polypropylene, which must resist the adhesive. I have been using the same Dymo tapes on normal tie on labels at the same time as the Tee ones, so I don’t think there is a problem with the tapes as they seem to stick well to them.
Lots of Frogs Spawn
The first spring after the new waterlily pond was built, three years ago, we had a very good hatching and development of frogs spawn. The following spring the spawn completely failed, we assume, due to it being frosted.
This year the pond is very lively with frogs and there is more spawn than year one, presumably boosted by the successful hatching and development of that year. I have placed an old window over part of the spawn to help protect it, if we have frosts and from predators. Something, presumably a fox dragged some out onto the grass while trying to catch and kill the frogs.
New Hellebores
We decided to give the car a bit of a run this Tuesday, so visited Summerhill Garden Centre on pensioners’ day. We like looking through Hellebore selections in various outlets at this time of year, looking for something new.
We hadn’t come across double Christmas Roses before so despite the fact we’ve never kept the single ones long term, we bought one. Also we couldn’t walk away from a couple of new double Lenten Roses for our collection.
Warmth!
I’m never completely happy with weather. We have been enjoying a fabulous few days of unseasonably warm temperatures, and there’s me worrying about the consequences.
Still we’ve been busy, moving a few plants around to more favourable sites, and generally tidying up after what we can only hope is the worst of the winter. Also we have taken a few more pictures which are now in the various galleries.
Even Colder
I’m beginning to panic now about what will have been killed or severely damaged by the freezing temperatures. We healed in the majority of unplanted ornamental woody plants,
My newly purchased Epimediums are frozen solid in their pots in the greenhouse. It will be very disappointing if they never even grow for one year.
And Still Freezles!
These wil be the last photos now ’till spring arrives. I’ve been looking through my older digital photos taken on a vintage 2000, Sony Cybershot camera and have uploaded quite a few.
I’m almost out of labels, so have ordered more. I can’t put any out ’till the snow goes and the ground unfreezes. Also I need to be able to see what needs labelling, to Dymo more. Roll on the end of this cold spell!
Still Trapped Indoors
Plenty of snow still left on the ground, so we can’t do a whole lot outside.
For the first time, we are trying approx 3″ x 2″ square polypropylene labels with a moulded on roughly 6″ leg. They are a bit narrow for plant names with two words in them, in the larger type face I’m using, but we think as well as being more expensive the next size up label might be too intrusive.
Even More Pictures
We hope you like them.
Roger & Linda