Wordless Wed...

Tomato (Red Cherry) Progress

The tomatoes are growing and growing...


Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Mr Fothergill's, 50 seeds, £1.89. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Plan to keep them indoor throughout summer.

This is my attempt at providing a support for the plants. It's a few bamboo canes tied together. I finally got the hang of pinching out side shoots (I think). It's still a bit confusing but now that I see flowers and some tomatoes forming I'm fairly content.

I've never really grown tomatoes. (Years ago I was given a plant.... but I had no idea what to do with it; it soon wilted, died and of course produced no tomatoes). This year I thought I'd give it a go.

I was asked whether I self pollinate? Well, I read up on this... found an article that said to use an electric razor as the vibration is like a bee and the plant will drop pollen. I tried this... 'shaving the flowers' (embarrassingly) and saw no pollen whatsoever. So I tried Plan B - use a Q-tip but saw no pollen whatsoever. Long story short (yes tried other methods), flowers and then little tomatoes are appearing so I have no idea if the plants are self pollinating or if my fiddling with them has worked?

Above and left: These two plants are from the same seed. One on left has lush leaves and I've been pinching and letting it grow straight up. One on right I've let grow into a bush shape and its leaves look small and pointy. Moral of story - tomatoes are fussy - indeterminate types not good grown as bush :)

Fingers crossed I get ripe, healthy tomatoes for first time ever!

Have a wonderful gardening week!

Poppy Show

Poppies are in flower...
they've mostly self seeded and bring a splash of colour to many areas.

Variety: Californian Poppy 'Special Mixed', Carters Tested Seeds, 500 seeds, 90 pence.

These poppy are described on the seed pack as "poppy-like flowers with silky petals" and that's exactly what they're like.

Poppies add colour to the flower bed - the white poppies are quite nice. These are approx 10-12 inches (25 cm) high.

This is the first year I'm actively deadheading poppies and it makes a big difference. They flower much longer when deadheaded.

At first I found it difficult to see what was a spent flower. The little bud at the front with the 'pink collar' is the one that's finished. (I'm the sort of person who would make the mistake of deadheading the buds still to open :) )

Wild foxglove in the background. Roses mixed in. Californian poppy in the middle. I forget what the orange-yellow flowers are at the front but I really like them (a perennial that comes up every year).

Left: I think these are 'Field Poppy'. They grow taller, 35-40 cm (16 inches). Its hard to believe they've grown so well from a tiny crack in the paving!

 I like the way you can see the seed pod developing in the centre of the flowers. Next year I imagine I'll have three times the number of poppies as they self seed.

Left: Photo taken at Belfast Botanic Gardens - poppies are so cheerful!

Left: Seed packs. The Papaver 'Picotee Mixed' were sowed this year in seed trays and planted outside in May. They don't like to be transplanted so not sure  they will survive.