Dereks Diary Part 2

[derekbrooks]

It was drizzling a bit this morning so I couldn't go to the allotment. I rubbed the rest of the labels then went in the greenhouse and started potting rooted fuchsia cuttings into small custard pots.The weather brightened up this afternoon so we went for a walk.When we got back I potted some more fuchsias and I have done about 60 altogether.

Fuchsia cuttings potted up

[derekbrooks]

A dry day today. This morning I carried on weeding the chrysanth beds and the path at the front of them and nearly finished it. As you probably know,my son,Martyn,comes to our house on Thurdsdays to look after Rosemary then I can go to Blackleach for the art club then to school.He is a solicitor and this afternoon he had to go to a court case. Rosemary can't be left all afternoon so I just went to Blackleach at 1.00 to open up the visitor centre for the art club then came home.We went for our 'flu jabs after and then I went back to Blackleach to lock up and went to school on my way home.We had decided that it was O.K. to leave her for just over an hour.

[derekbrooks]

Another dry day but a bit cooler.Had to take Rosemary to the dentist this morning so I hadn't time to do anything else apart from watering.We went a walk at Blackleach this afternoon.Did some more weeding on the chrysanth bed after.

[derekbrooks]

Heather arrived yesterday evening for the weekend which gives me more freedom.It was a showery day but I went to the allotment this afternoon to carry on with the weeding. I only had half an hour when it started raining so I sat in the car for a bit drinking my flask of coffee.It stopped raining after a while so I wen out and did some more.We had another shower later so I went to the car again till it stopped ,then went out again.I managed to finish the root crop bed but only the large clumps of weeds, mainly chickweed.Heather has cut more ivy from the back of the rockery then planted some dwarf tulips and daffodils and snowdrops in the rockery.

[balc2]

How do you manage to root so many Fuchsia cuttings? Many, many years ago I was able to get them to root nearly 100% of the time but in the last few years most of them seem to die even after rooting & potting up.

I have 2 varieties growing on the balcony, 'Garden News' & 'Beacon'. I can usually root these quite well but others I can no longer get to root.

[derekbrooks]

Hi Balc2.I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your questiion. I never have trouble with them rooting and I can't understand why you have trouble now when you didn't do so years ago.Have you changed your method at all? Do you use rooting powder?.
A dry day today and I went on the allotment this afternoon.One of my runner bean frames was leaning over towards the path.I spent some time trying to prop it up but I couldn't do it as well as I wanted.
Did some more labelling of the dahlias and chrysanths.Some of the labela were missing so I had to wait till they flowered to see what varieties they were.
The brassica bed is covered with a net to keep butterflies off but it was full of tall weeds so I uncovered part of it and pulled a lot of the weeds up.
Martyn and Heather too Rosemary to the R.H.S.garden and Heather bought some polyanthus and winter pansies for our rockery and she planted them when they got home. Yesterday she planted some bulbs which she had bought previously in our rockery.She has gone back home to Porthmadog this evening.

[balc2]

Thanks Derek 👍I have not used rooting powder, until a couple of weeks ago, for at least 60 years! In fact I bought some online some weeks ago and used it on some fuchsia cuttings but they died just the same 😕

I get a little more success if I put them in water but even then when I pot up any that have rooted they often die. 😥

It seems I'm losing my "green fingers" 😕

[derekbrooks]

If you have lost your green fingers,Balc2,I hope you get them back soon.
A dry day today.This morning I went to the re-cycling centre with a car full of weeds mainly from the allotment but also some ivy that Heather had cut from behind my rockery. This afternoon I finished weeding the chryanth beds and the path in front of them and started to weed the rose beds.

[derekbrooks]

Went to the allotment this morning and did some more weeding on the brassica bed. I brought home some dahlias to give to one of Rosemary's carers.This carer comes more often than the others and is very friendly. We went for a walk this afternoon .About 3.00 when we had almost finished it started drizzling a bit. It didn't last long so when we got home and had a drink I went out and did some more weeding on the rose beds.

[derekbrooks]

It has rained nearly all day today,hard at times in the afternoon.I decided to work in the greenhouse this morning and begin to pot up plants from my hanging baskets that I need to keep for next year.Three baskets at the front of the house containing orange diascias, white surfinias and hot pink surfinias were past their best so I took them down and took them to the greenhouse and potted up the plants from them into 4 inch square pots.Two of the baskets at the back were still nice so I took them down and put them up at the front.
I stayed in this afternoon carrying on with my writing of seasonal jobs for the National Vegetable Society magazine.I told you before that I had to finish the articles up to March by early November.I had done the articles for January and February before and I finished the one for March today and typed it up.

[derekbrooks]

It has been dry today but it is drizzling a bit at present.Went on the allotment this morning. I have been weeding the brassica bed the last two times when I have been.It has been covered with a net supported on a structure of canes to keep the butterflies off.When weeding I have been rolling the net back part way but it isn't easy to get at the weeds with the canes there and there were a lot of weeds tangled up with the net.I haven't seen butterflies about recently so I decided to remove the net and put it away in the shed.It took me a long time to untangle all the weeds from the net so I didn't have time to fold it up and put it away or remove the canes
In the border alongside the visitor centre at Blackleach there is a large area of golden rod and I cut it all down this afternoon.

[derekbrooks]

Went to the allotment this morning .There were 4 nets over my brassica bed and I folded them all up as best I could but it wasn't easy and put them away in a bag in the shed. One of them still had weeds tangled up with it so it took a while to get rid of them.I thendismantled the structure of canes which had supported them and put them away so I can get at the weeds easier now.
I have told you before that I don't like leaving Rosemary on her own for very long unless she is in bed.We have a new cleaner and she came for the first time this afternoon .This meant that I could go to the allotment and carry on with the weeding .It started raining about 3.45,though,so I sat in my car for a bit and it didn't look like stopping so I came home.

[derekbrooks]

This afternoon we went for our covid jabs.I went to Blackleach with Janet after so I haven't had time for any gardening jobs.Janet and myself walk round the reservoir and then walk round the rest of the park counting all the birds that we see and recording all the wild flowers. Janet writes them all in a book.We do this every two weeks.I have two charts on the wall in the visitor centre one for birds and one for flowers and I fill in the charts when I go on Thursdays.We won't do the flowers again ,though, till next year when the snowdrops come out.Next time we go we won't walk round the rest of the park,we will just go to the reservoir to see what birds are on there.We don't need to walk right round the reservoir as we can see them all from one side with our binoculers.

[derekbrooks]

I haven't been able to do any gardening jobs today.We have been out for a meal for Rosemary's birthday which is on Tuesday.

[derekbrooks]

This morning I swept all the leaves from the top of the greenhouses then went on the allotment and carried on with weeding the brassica bed.
We have been for a walk this afternoon and there wasn't time to do anything after.