A BUSY WEEK IN THE GARDEN

image via saga.co.uk

Last week I decided that I would divide and repot the Auriculas.  The ongoing care for these amazing plants is, quite frankly, laborious!  They have a reputation for being difficult to grow,  reluctant to flower, and they simply conk out for no reason.  Auriculas are demanding rather than difficult because they need alpine conditions and only do well if placed somewhere cool and airy away from the midday sun.  

Mine flowered too early last year as they were situated on the Northern verandah in full sun to keep them warm during a cold winter.  Instead of that perfect single bunch of flowers poised above the leaves,  most plants had numerous single flower stems flopping about the pot and so I decided to divide them this year so that the offsets were limited. 

One of last year's flowers 

I removed the plant from the original pot, and gently pulled it apart before planting them in two separate pots into which I had added pebbles which I hope will assist in the drainage.

Pressing down the potting mix around the Auricula

After adding pebbles to cover the soil

Some of the re-potted Auriculas

The greenhouse is brimming with pansies and foxgloves that are just about ready to plant out into the garden.

John and I comparing our handy work

I've been picking lots of Violets for my bedside table and just adore their fragrance.

Gorgeous Gladioli in the hall - store bought flowers at this time of the year are a necessity.

This is the first time I have put Wattle into a vase and perhaps the last!... They dropped within two days!

I had a group of lovely ladies over for lunch on Friday

The first tulips I have brought inside this year and I'm hoping they will flower..

I've also fed all of the indoor plants

The Hellebores are all in flower now

English Galanthus which was given to me by a friend

Delightful snowdrops dotted all over the garden

The Auriculas are doing well

The Pelargoniums are beginning to flower

My Hydrangea cuttings have all taken

The Hydrangeas cuttings beneath a cloche.

An unusual double Daffodil which was given to me by a friend

After a day in the garden,  soup for supper is usually the easiest.

The soup was delicious and so was the boiled egg on toast.

Happy week everyone!

ps - since posting this, I have read that the best time to divide the Auriculas is just after they have flowered... oh dear... fingers crossed!