This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Thursday 29 March 2012

March Garden Overview

March has brought longer daylight hours and some great weather! There's been loads to do in the garden this month... from planting potatoes to sowing beans and peas. However, most of my time this month has gone into tidying borders, dividing perennials and mulching. Still much to do - April will be another busy month!

Left and Below: Honesty - first flower spotted on 24th March. Honesty self seeds in the garden. When I first moved into the house I thought Honesty was a weed (it looked weed like) so I removed it when weeding. Then a friend gave me an Honesty plant and over several years it has self seeded and moved around the garden. A great little plant and easy to remove where unwanted.
Three tulips (late arrivals) will soon be in flower with the Honesty.
Crocus have provided super colour in March.
The borders are starting to come alive this month.
Purple flowering Heather in the background along the wall.
Muscari bulbs seems to be flowering in every paving crack! 
A splash of colour at the front door. The ivy I pulled from under a hedgerow in the garden.
Silverdust with Aubretia both grown from seed last year.
Perennials coming up include lupin, columbine, phlox, etc. Looks like I might have a patchy bit to fill.
Above and below: the dogwood was cut back this month (about a number 3 in hair cutting terms).

Geranium (tall hot pink variety) was divided and moved to various flower beds.
Sticks stuck in the ground as growing supports.
Broccoli continues to flower (seems to flower for months on end)!!

13 comments:

  1. Kelli, you're the only person I know who treats Broccoli as an ornamental!

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    1. To be honest, I grew broccoli for the first time last summer and I got more flowers than broccoli. Now, I'm very drawn to its long flowering period and think I will grow plants this year specifically for flowering. I'll try and harvest more to eat as well!

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  2. I love the purple flowers hanging over your garden wall. What are they?
    You have so many interesting things in the garden. I love the broccoli blooming; I have let my argula lettuce bloom and it is so pretty in the garden. I probably need to dig it up to make room for something else, but it really adds some pretty white flowers to the garden!!

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    1. The purple flowers the the 3rd photo is Heather in flower. Isn't it vibrant! And it flowers for such a long time. I went back and added text to the photo to say what it is. Thanks!

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  3. Love the honesty. It will look so pretty with the blooms of the tulips. I have a bad habit of weeding out things that aren't weeds, either.

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  4. Honesty is a great name for a plant! Your spring blooms are so spectacular. I love that dogwood!

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  5. It must be very exciting to see everything coming alive again.
    I had to giggle at the dogwood's #3 ~ looks great though.
    Enjoy your weekend ;D

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  6. Love your ivy... They are beautiful

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  7. I enjoyed your March garden overview. Very pretty!
    Have a great week-end!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  8. I love honesty, after the pretty flowers you get the wonderful seedheads, they give so much interest to the garden.

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  9. kelli, you have quite a few pretties growing already! Congrats!

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  10. Great round up! The honesty is very pretty. I also love heather. I purchased three colors for my new house. If it's too cold and wet for anything else to bloom, the heather will provide color in the late winter months and it's ready for the bee's whenever they decide to venture out. Cheers, Jenni

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