Monday, 16 March 2020
Meanwhile in the Greenhouse
Looks like it's going to be another lovely sunny day here in Mullion and I will be taking advantage of it and get away from the computer and the news , getting out into the fresh air and see what's to do up in the greenhouse zone .
After all the storms , the paving slabs around the greenhouse are in a bad way with grass , moss and weeds growing in-between . The greenhouse windows need cleaning and re-painting .
That white shelf inside the greenhouse is full of water from the leaking roof , I need to sort it out . There is an old washing up bowl beneath it to catch the rain water , I cant reach the roof window to fix it . Just have to make do !
Through the grubby window , all is looking just fine .
Tomato seeds are sown in an old polystyrene box on the top shelf .
Dioscorea elephantipes is going into its dormancy period . I,m always a bit sad when this happens , but it needs a little rest now . It's delicate vines dying back to the caudex .
Over winter I have had newspaper sheets to throw over it and candles to take the chill off the greenhouse . I haven't needed to do it much this winter .
It has been so mild ....but oh! so wet and windy . I thought the greenhouse might collapse !
Dioscorea elephantipes - her long graceful vines climb up and along this lovely piece of driftwood .
My peaceful place .
The grubby windows shield the delicate plants from being scorched by the sun .
Especially my Epiphyllums , which prefer to be in the shade .
However , I will give this window a bit of a wash-down with a mop today !
So let's open the door and go inside .
Medwyn's Red Dragon Tomato seeds should be germinating soon in that white polystyrene box . I keep going to look at them , nothing happening yet . A watched pot never boils !
But while I wasn't watching , these Adromischus cooperi leaf cuttings have been growing roots and pups ! Hooray !
And I can see shoots or maybe buds coming all along this Epie leaf !
I can see little signs of awakening everywhere .
Crassula "Blue Bird" is flowering . Delicate little pink stars . This was a small cutting that my brother Martin gave me . It's really grown and after it finishes blooming I,m going to give it a nice new pot and some fresh cactus compost. It deserves a bit of pampering !
On the floor , I have pots of Coriander and Dill beginning to germinate . Lovely to mix with our salad . We tried this last year , advice from Charles Dowding , and it worked very well for us . I,m growing lettuces in the solar shed because it is cooler in there , the greenhouse gets too warm , lettuce prefers to be cooler to germinate ..... but they should be ready to pick at around the same time .
Well the sun is up and I,m off to hang out a load of washing on the line before breakfast . Then I,ll get my wellies on and get started on those greenhouse windows !
Have a lovely day ! xxx
We had to fix our greenhouse roof this year as it was often as wet inside as outside. No tomatoes sown yet as we don't heat our greenhouse.
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