When in Doubt, Talk Gardens!

Monday night is Writers' Group night, so it's just a fleeting post, I'm afraid.  The good news is that it's raining, so I don't need to water the garden! 

I'm quite pleased with my writing.  After a short hiatus of a couple of months where nothing seemed to want to flow, the inspiration's back.  I still don't know what I'm doing with the thing, mind.  Okay, I've established that it's a paranormal romance, and I've got a title.  Beyond that, I'm stuck...  It might even be two novels... 

The bad news is that I'm finally going out for the Perthshire job next week.  Darn it!  I thought I'd finished with the fieldwork for the time being.  The good news is that I've blagged a place at a ceramic workshop on Thursday and Friday.  I'd asked to go ages ago, but my request was denied by The Boss, who wanted to attend instead.  But he's too busy!  Hoorah!  Instead, I get to hear learned people blethering on about everything from Grooved Ware, Samian Ware, medieval green-glazed medieval stuff to brick and fireclay tiles... 

I meant to post some container pictures yesterday, but didn't get a chance to.  I always plant up my own hanging basket every year, and it's usually a failure, because I try and grow on the plants and I'm sure they don't like peat-free compost very much.  This year, I planted it with established plants and after some angst as I wrestled them into place, the results speak for themselves.  Here it is:-

 

I'm not that struck on the liner, but I got round to building the thing so late in the season that I couldn't get my usual synthetic faux sphagnum number.  The double surfinia's a variety called 'Cherry Ripple' and it's particularly lovely.  Here's hoping the gastropods don't succeed in mountaineering their way up the house in search of pastures new - I'm sure they're fixing crampons as I speak.

Another pot shot:-

 

I should really take close-ups of the surfinia and the osteospermum as they're amongst the nicest ones I've seen to date.  I just hope the surfinia doesn't keel over and die - I've had a few do that this year and I can't figure it out.  Again, I suspect the peat-free compost...

Now it's question time, everyone.  Every time I grow petunia and surfinia, I end up with really miserable leggy plants at the end of the summer.  Is there a secret to the dead-heading?  I pull off the flower, but I can't help wondering if I should really be removing the growth slightly further down, as if I'm still pinching out.  I'm wondering if that's the right thing to do with other annuals like the nemesia, too.  All advice from annual experts would be gratefully appreciated - I still find these temperamental little prima donna plants a bit difficult to cope with, perhaps in part because I don't allow slug pellets...

When in Doubt, Talk Gardens!

Monday night is Writers' Group night, so it's just a fleeting post, I'm afraid.  The good news is that it's raining, so I don't need to water the garden! 

I'm quite pleased with my writing.  After a short hiatus of a couple of months where nothing seemed to want to flow, the inspiration's back.  I still don't know what I'm doing with the thing, mind.  Okay, I've established that it's a paranormal romance, and I've got a title.  Beyond that, I'm stuck...  It might even be two novels... 

The bad news is that I'm finally going out for the Perthshire job next week.  Darn it!  I thought I'd finished with the fieldwork for the time being.  The good news is that I've blagged a place at a ceramic workshop on Thursday and Friday.  I'd asked to go ages ago, but my request was denied by The Boss, who wanted to attend instead.  But he's too busy!  Hoorah!  Instead, I get to hear learned people blethering on about everything from Grooved Ware, Samian Ware, medieval green-glazed medieval stuff to brick and fireclay tiles... 

I meant to post some container pictures yesterday, but didn't get a chance to.  I always plant up my own hanging basket every year, and it's usually a failure, because I try and grow on the plants and I'm sure they don't like peat-free compost very much.  This year, I planted it with established plants and after some angst as I wrestled them into place, the results speak for themselves.  Here it is:-

 

I'm not that struck on the liner, but I got round to building the thing so late in the season that I couldn't get my usual synthetic faux sphagnum number.  The double surfinia's a variety called 'Cherry Ripple' and it's particularly lovely.  Here's hoping the gastropods don't succeed in mountaineering their way up the house in search of pastures new - I'm sure they're fixing crampons as I speak.

Another pot shot:-

 

I should really take close-ups of the surfinia and the osteospermum as they're amongst the nicest ones I've seen to date.  I just hope the surfinia doesn't keel over and die - I've had a few do that this year and I can't figure it out.  Again, I suspect the peat-free compost...

Now it's question time, everyone.  Every time I grow petunia and surfinia, I end up with really miserable leggy plants at the end of the summer.  Is there a secret to the dead-heading?  I pull off the flower, but I can't help wondering if I should really be removing the growth slightly further down, as if I'm still pinching out.  I'm wondering if that's the right thing to do with other annuals like the nemesia, too.  All advice from annual experts would be gratefully appreciated - I still find these temperamental little prima donna plants a bit difficult to cope with, perhaps in part because I don't allow slug pellets...