Valentine's Day Jobs to be Done .

 

Here on the study windowsill , my little Leeks seeds are making good progress , more and more are popping up now . I will probably take these  up to the solar shed in a couple of days , where they can slowly get their roots down . 

Leeks are so easy to grow and they stand well through the cold winter weather  . They make a pleasant change from onions ,with a deliciously mild and mellow taste . I'll be sowing lots more up in the shed and also in pots outside in a few weeks time .

Off out into the garden again and there are a couple of things I need to check on .

What's in the box ? lol !  Well ,while the weather was freezing cold and blowing a gale with the odd few snow flurries over the last few days , I decided to cover the young Agave on our front Cornish hedge with a cardboard box .

So now the weather has changed from cold and dry to warm and wet . I lay in my bed listening to the rain and began thinking that the box was going to fast turn to mush and the heavy rock that I had placed on top to hold it against the wind , was now in great danger of collapsing onto the poor Agave underneath !

I rushed out to take it off  and actually I think if I can dry out the box, then I will be able to use it again if Winter returns to Mullion .

I planted it into the Cornish hedge a couple of years ago . It has survived two winters . It is not going to be very happy in this heavy rain but it has very sharp drainage here amongst the rocks .

I have more Agave babies waiting in the wings , if it doesn't make it . Fingers crossed .

Next , to check on my Sweet-peas . Sown end of November .

I stood on tippy-toes to try and take a photo of the Sweet-peas all now about three or four inches tall now ., but my camera did not like  being turned pointing straight down from above and refused to take the picture every time I pressed the button . So this was the best I could do to show you through the fleece . And all is well ! 

Next , on we go , up to the greenhouse again .

The wind was blowing so hard that I had a job getting in . I had to hold onto the door handle ,while undoing the windbreak mesh across the inside , get the key into the other side of the keyhole and lock it from the inside again , because the door doesn't stay shut otherwise !

Once in , I am worrying a bit about the leaking roof .  Not a very good picture , but the floor is very wet now . I must see if I can find another bucket to catch the rain coming in .

I paddle about uncovering everything , now that it has turned mild again , to let the light in .

Everything is a little scruffy . Winter scruffiness !

 Everything is sleeping .

Cobwebs here and there .

No watering . Everything is to be kept dry through the Winter months .

If we get a dry and sunny day I will open the door to give some ventilation and try to dry out the puddles on the floor .

I can open the side windows too but  not the roof windows as they have been nailed down , or they would have blown off in the gales . One of them is crooked and so I have an old washing up bowl underneath it to catch the rain . 

I have some cuttings rooting away in it ! 

A lucky find and rescue from a local charity shop a few years ago .It is now twice the size ! 

The Epiphyllums and Pelargoniums have been under a fleece covering . 

I cant wait to see them flowering again . I have one or two new ones that I am very excited about . E. var. Marilyn Monroe which has pink flowers , E. var. Acapulco Sunset  which has amazing yellow flowers and E. Empress Josephine , the Nopalxochia  also known as Disocactus phyllanthoides  which has masses of gorgeous pink flowers .

I bought some new hanging pots for the trailing Epies , but am a bit nervous about hanging them on the greenhouse rafters in case the roof should collapse !

This old one I bought at a boot fair over twenty years ago . It is right at the very back of the greenhouse , I can hardly reach it ...more importantly it cant reach me !

So I think everything is fairly o.k in the greenhouse today , I wont cover everything up again tonight, as it has turned so mild .

I will see if I can find another bucket to catch the drips though .

As  I walk back down to the cottage , I spy a patch of snowdrops that have opened up their petals .These are in a very sheltered place in the back garden .

One last thing ,to remind you again , if you haven't done so already .......

                                    Don't forget to wrap your outside tap !