Bedding Plants

Last years polyanthus might be small but they are still a welcome addition to this years pots.

Spring is in the air

There are so many things happening in our garden at the moment. The catkins on the willow are out in, daffodil leaves have quickly pushed themselves out of the ground and the grass is starting to grow.

Spring is here and that reminded us that the old containers from last years spring displays were still behind the shed looking very sorry for themselves. These containers were unceremoniously thrown in a large heap after they had finished flowering and we had completely forgotten about them.

With a bit of TLC and some fresh soil from Julie they are now pride of place around the house. As well as daffodils and tulips we have old polyanthus and primulas brightening up the pots. These colourful hardy perennial plants tend to shrink in size and naturalise in their second year, but they still give a great show and need not be thrown away as they can be useful for a splash of colour. We even have a few straggly pansies surviving that have over wintered in the relative shelter behind the shed.

Stocking up

Most garden centres as well as a lot of shops are stocking up on the packs of spring bedding now. The prices seem to have come right down; the same can be said of the ready made up containers too. There are some massive growers out there now that can produce so many plants they can pile them up and sell them cheap. Be careful when you get them home though, as they will have been grown undercover and cosseted all of their lives. They will need a bit of shelter and acclimatising to our weather before being let loose. A night or two in the shed or garage and putting them outside in the daytime should do the trick. Keep deadheading the spring bedding plants and you should have colour right up until the summer stock is in.

Spring and summer bedding

Spring bedding is a relaxing introduction to get us ready for the summer bedding plants when they come. If you need loads of summer plants and have the space to grow them on, plugs are always an economical buy. Companies such as Mellifont Abbey near Ardee are one of many companies that sell tray of plugs or even seed trays that are full of thousands of seedlings. You will need loads of space to grow them on so it won’t suit everyone. Most of us are content with the 6 or 12 packs or single pots of larger plants but if you do need large amounts check out mail order companies to see what deals are on. There are bargains to be had even now for plug geraniums and busy lizzies.

The ultimate in cost effectiveness (but the most time consuming) is to grow your own summer bedding. If you have a heated propagator you could start now with petunias and marigolds. Check out the sowing dates on the backs of the packets and if you can’t supply them with a bit of heat then add three or four weeks onto the recommended sowing times. The plants will germinate far more effectively as the days are longer and (hopefully) warmer and there will be less botrytis (a damping off disease) due to the cold and damp conditions. The plants will soon catch up, even if you just have them in a bright windowsill in a pot.

Hold your horses

Don’t be in a rush to get stocked up with summer bedding as a late frost could be a disaster for both the plants and your wallet. Growers need to start selling as soon as possible and I always think that the plants are on the shelves far too early for us here in Inishowen. If the first batch die due to the cold we are usually back the following week to buy some more to replace them. Hang on a few weeks and save your stress levels and pennies.

Make your own polytunnel

You can speed up the growing process by germinating the plants in a polytunnel. You could try making your own small one.

All you need is a large sheet of clear polythene, some plastic water pipe and a door with a frame. The strength of a polythene tunnel is in the way the plastic is put on so it will need to be secured either into the ground or around a wooden plank.

Try simply pushing old broom handles (or equivalent) into the ground. Put these in good and deep into the soil then the water pipe slides straight on. The ends would probably need a bit of old scaffolding pipe for reinforcement for when the winds come. Steel fabricating companies could bend these into a hoop for you for a few euro.

They may not be as smart as the ready made ones but you could probably do the whole thing for under €100.

Next week I’ll let you know how to make a lawnmower out of a shopping basket, two coat hangers, a hazel rod and an empty yoghurt pot.