Potty gardener

I love my pots, I am always showing them on here, I even did a post about them back in 2018, seen here, I did say I would cut back on the number of pots I have, and promised hubby I would not litter the new decking with pots, Well.............

Decking is clear only 3 pots, 2 along the fence are placed for the lemon smells near our table, and Kirk sits under the other table. Both tables have a flowering plant pot and there is a pot in the corner with yew in, but that's on the ground not on the decking. The chicken pot above is on the shelf along by our neighbours fence, seen here.

So how many pots do I have? 

Hubby will say too many, but I do love growing in pots, there are 2 pots in the front garden but these are hubby's so I'm not adding them into my count. 

• 6 pots along the side of the house, 3 oblong matching planted with flowers, 2 planted with eucalyptus by front door and 1 planted with shrubs by dustbins. 
• 9 pots at house end of garden, 3 on decking, 1 in corner next to house, 2 planted with Olives, 2 planted with flowers on table, and my chicken, which was a watering can. 
• 19 in middle lawn area, 4 pots have fruit bushes in, 5 pots have plants grown from my seeds and pips, 2 have herbs in, 8 planted with flowers.
• 4 chimney pots, 3 are planted with flowers. 
• 22 in back section, 1 planted with Acer, 3 planted with Hosta's, 8 planted with spring bulbs and flowers, 3 planted with mixed plants, 1 succulent tower (3 pots high), 2 planted with saplings, the last 2 big pots are empty, but I would like more fruit in these. 

I am not counting in my greenhouse, almost everything in there is in a clay pot or a pretty kitchen pot, that's a lot of pots, most of them are not too big,  but I do have loads of time on my hands, to care for them. The back section up by my greenhouse is often a holding spot, the spring pots stay here most of the year and are popped closer to the house when they start to grow. 

I do love the bright blue glazed pots and have a few around the garden, most of the outside pots are much bigger, they have their permanent place and add height to my tiny spaces. All my other pots are years old, they are not plastic, I do like natural pots, I do have one hosta in a copper coal bucket, which helps stop the slugs. 

The fruits, Olive's and the pots on the decking are all plastic, all these pots are huge, so I use the lighter plastic, I don't move them often they are all heavy. The large Olive pot has a water system in it's base and also has wheels, we would not be able to move it, in winter we can wrap it and pop in down the side of the garage to keep it out of the wind. 

My pips and seed plants and the smaller Olive will later in the year go back inside my greenhouse, I have planned space for them inside. All flowering pots get 2 planting per year summer and winter, the rest stay in place all through the year. 

I do love my pots, I have a trio of Acer plants due, and guess what no pot to plant them in, oh well better start looking.

Lastly for honesty, I have 16 plants in pots inside the house, some are tiny pots with nasties in the bathroom, up to a big pot with my coffee plants in in the sitting room. 

What are you growing.

In 2019 I had a beautiful Amaryllis, as the flowers went over they produced seed pods, so I planted the seeds, and they grew.

The pot above was crowded, so I thought I would pot them on, I was surprised to see such good roots and a tiny bulb has formed, I had to find bigger pots for them. 

 Six in plastic pots, 3 in bigger pots which can be used inside, it's exciting to see something new growing from saved seeds. I have no idea how these will progress, or even if I will get flowers.

 I thought I would update you on other seeds and pips I have growing.

In flower is my Lime plant, this was purchased as a plant, I was not able to find pips in limes. Next is my orange tree, this was grown from a pip planted back in 2015. Both are due to be placed in bigger pots. 

 My Lemon tree, planted in 2014, I cleaned and popped the pip in soil and was pleased when it grew, this started my fun on growing things from seeds and pips. I have a bigger grey pot to give this plant more space. These 3 plants are still in the greenhouse. 

 Cape gooseberry, planted in 2018, I have cut all the growth back, it had better shoots from the base, again I have no idea how I should be growing this. 

 Pomegranate sown in 2017, I cleaned the pink fruits and 1 grew, I have just put it in a bigger pot, the leaves drop each year and every spring it gets bigger and more wonderful. 

 Kiwi also planted in 2017, it took a couple trys to get these to grow, 1st attempt I picked out all the tiny black seeds and popped them on a wet kitchen towel, they grew but were to tiny to pop into soil. 2nd attempt, I cut a slice of kiwi and popped it on soil, it did go moldy, but I left it and I got 1 plant. It has been outside for a couple of years, and loves a sunny spot in the garden. 

 I am growing this kiwi for the blossom, it is beautiful, as yet this plant has not produced any, but I am hopeful this will be the year, the leaves are furry as is the stems, it's a very different plant. There was one growing in a neighbours garden back in 2013. 

 One of the babies from my pineapple plant, after the tiny fruit ripened, the plant died, so I potted up the babies, this lives on my desk, it's always sunny and warm here. 

 In the green house I have 2 other pots, the single baby had good roots, the pot with the glass cover has 3 plants which do not have many roots, the dome I hope will help them to grow, it's working so far. 

I have other things, an acorn sapling, I have a couple of nuts in soil, to see if they will grow, I am always looking for something to try and grow. I did grow  an avocado and had it for a couple of years, but it did not winter well in the greenhouse. Not everything grows, I had walnut sapling given to me, which curled up and died, and loads of things which never started growing, but if you don't try you will never succeed.
My green house is full, I have trays of flower seedlings, a couple tomato plants and I got another packet of cucumber seeds, the old ones I planted did not grow. I was given 3 camellia seeds, which I have planted, the itch to grow is huge at this time of year.
My mood has picked up again, feeling more positive, I'm finding it better for me if I focus on home and family, I can't change the world, but I can live the best in my world.
Husband went to our local B&Q, he got loads of bits, so he can finish jobs, mainly painting, he's ex army and follows the mantra, if it does not move paint it.
This weekend I am planning time with my sewing machine, simple projects, things which can be finished, my crochet blanket is growing slowly, having mastered the design, I am finding it's very repetitive, but it does look good. I am also reading, which is always good for me.

Seeds and pips

Kiwi, outside in a sunny spot with my tubs of fruit. 

Planted in 2017

I have repotted my Pomegranate, it's still in the greenhouse

Planted in 2017

 Lemon tree, Planted in 2014

 Lime in front, orange behind

Lime purchased 2019

Orange Planted 2015

 Cape Gooseberry, I will repot these as well. 

Planted 2018

 Coffee, this plant prefers shade so is inside the house

Purchased 2019

I have planted some cherry and apple pips, I have a ginger root and a top from a pineapple to start going. I am hopeful for the ginger, the others I will have to see if anything happens. 

I spent an hour in the greenhouse today, the sunshine is great, but it's still cool outside. The growing season is almost here, but with the risk of frost, it's too early to plant out anything, so the greenhouse feeds my need to garden. I love trying to grow different things, most of the time I am making it up as I go along, but my results are very pleasing. 

I did sow French Marigolds in the two trays of my planter (veg rack) below, this year I have popped 2 unused nappies in the bottom to help hold water, the trays dried out far to quick last year, I have also added some chicken poo pellets, to add life to the compost, I am hoping the flowers last longer this year. I have also sown some Cosmos seeds in another tray, to help fill in gaps in the garden. 

Growing

Both books a good read, both read on my iPad. 

 In my greenhouse, my plants grown from seeds and pips are all doing well and showing signs of new season growth. I have potted up my lime plant, not shown in this photo. They are, Pomegranate, Kiwi, Cape gooseberry, Lemon and Orange plants.

 My coffee plants were overcrowding the cup I purchased them in, so I have planted the bigger ones into this huge pot and left a few in the mug. These will still stay inside for now, the root systems looked very strong. 

 My sister gave me this pink blueberry plant, which is now potted up and on my decking, behind is my other two blueberry plants, both in the same pot. 

I'm not sure if these are all going to make it, I have cut them back and will watch and hope. 

I have been given this huge pile of books

 I've started The girl you left behind, jojo moyes.

 We had Will yesterday so we spent time in the garden, it did try and rain twice, but the sun won out. I wanted to plant my pink blueberry plant and repot my coffee plants, which was done whilst Will was playing. Whilst he had his afternoon nap, I worked in the greenhouse, not much to do, just checking everything. I had put some sweet pea seeds in water before we went away, so I popped them into a deep pot, I don't have much luck growing sweet peas, but they are in the greenhouse with everything crossed they will grow.  I have more summer bulbs to plant later this week, once they have grown I can use them in any empty spaces in the garden. 

I have not done much craft, I am still really tired after our few days away, plus I picked up a cold, so I did not go to sign class, I had not learnt the rest of the hedgehog poem.

It must be garden season, I have cut my finger nails all short and stopped wearing coloured nail gel, my nails always look bad through out the garden season. I always wear gardening gloves but still manage to get my hands filthy. 

Seeds and pips

Kiwi

Pomegranate

Lemon

Orange

Cape Gooseberries

Both library books, both very good reads

Today's harvest.

It's hot again, we should be used to it by now, but as this heatwave lingers much longer than normal, I am spending much more time inside.
I am very happy with my seeds and pips above, each plant is looking really good, they have all put on loads of new growth this summer. The citrus plants and the Pomegranate are all in the greenhouse, they love the heat. The Kiwi is now outside, where again it is doing well. My walnut twig, is not looking good, not sure if it's the heat, but I will keep watering it and hope it pulls through.
I picked the last big harvest on blueberries and picked the first of the blackberries, most of my fruit is finished. Tomatoes and cucumbers are feeding us well, I have sown some more cut and come again lettuce, the other plants bolted in all this heat. I have cut the blackcurrant bush back, taking 3 of the older branches away and the same for the gooseberries, both are in tubs so I am hoping the smaller bushes will fare well in the hot weather.
Our Magnolia tree is in bloom again, but the flowers are not lasting too long, the heat is effecting everything around our home.
Saturday night we had Will on a sleep over, mummy and daddy went for a meal and spent Sunday morning doing loads of DIY jobs inside, perfect for us to have play time.
Will will be here again this morning, I love having time with our youngest grand son each week.
I have finished both books above, enjoyed each book and would read another book by each author.