Cutbacks in the lavender department

Freshly sharpened secateurs glinting in the sunlight, I approached my overgrown lavender in the front garden.  Loved by bees, but possibly not by mum's pushing pushchairs past its thrusting exuberances….

Today it was tamed back behind the railings with some judicious snippage and is now an even, lower growing hedge.  I never want to get rid of the flower heads, so tend to leave my lavender pruning until growth restarts in spring.  A quick haircut now, and it encourages the plant to grow more bushily and form that nice, dense, perfumed thicket which I love so much.

And what to do with my prunings?  Some are used as cuttings, in readiness for the next generation of hedging.  The current plants all started out the same way 10 years ago, so I don't think they've got too much longer before woodiness takes over completely and straggling sprawl sets in, so I need to get some replacement plants thriving to take their place in the next couple of years. The cuttings I took last spring are all looking happy in their pots and are bushing out nicely.

To take lavender cuttings, cut a 10-15cm length of non-flowering stem just below a leaf node, and strip off the bottom leaves.  Fill a small plant pot with gritty compost and push the bare stem of the cutting in at the edge (helps the cutting form better roots if it's at the edge, rather than in the centre of the compost).  One plant pot should accommodate several cuttings.  Water, cover with a clear plastic bag secured with an elastic band and leave on a windowsill or in a greenhouse.  Cuttings should root within about 6-8 weeks. You can tell when they have taken as new growth will appear at the top.  If you're not sure, you can always tip the pot carefully and slide the compost out to check if roosts are appearing.

As for the rest of my copious quantity of prunings, they've been used as mulch around my working area and the compost bins.  Never has the composting area smelled so fragrant!

You can never have too much lavender.  If you are lucky enough to have a south facing frontage, it is the most community-minded bit of hedging you could wish for.  Not only do the insects love it, the passers by never fail to comment on the menthol tinged fragrance at pruning time.  So generous is it when in flower, that I don't even object to the school children running their hands along it and yanking off the odd head or two to accompany them on their way to and from school.  Lavender smells gorgeous and its glory should be shared!

Growing away nicely in this year's snow free zone.

What a difference a year makes.  This time last year I was coaxing forgetmenots to flower in desperation after a foot of snow on Easter Sunday, whereas this year I'm spoilt for choice with flowers to cut for my stall!  Tulips abound in every shape, size and colour and everything is bursting into growth and filling out the garden.

I've even managed to get down to the allotment a few times - but have to remind myself to clear and plant, clear and plant…  Otherwise I find myself clearing, clearing, clearing, and then having to start again where I first began as the weeds have come back.   So far, broad beans, peas and parsnips are in. Everyone I meet at the plot seems to be in a good mood and the whole place is starting to look business-like. Even the abandoned plot next to me has been taken over - another family with children so our little corner is starting to look like the youth chapter of our allotment association.

So many veg and annual flowers still clamouring for attention in my seed box and so little room left in my greenhouse and cold frame.  Have sown some annuals direct, but I don't seem to have the best success rate that way. Generally I do much better by sowing in pots and planting out later. But needs must, so am giving it a try again.

In the garden, I'm starting to plant out stocks and sweet peas sown under cover in March - a gamble as there is still potential for frost during the next month, so hope it stays away and my gamble pays off.  Hmmm. We'll see.

Did my first stall of the year on Saturday.  So nice to be back arranging my own flowers as they are so much less uniform than those available commercially and it gives such a different feel to arrangements.  Feels a bit like coming home when I get my mitts on flowers I've raised myself.

Boot camp for seedlings

Be a strict parent with your seed trays.  No lounging about in a nice warm propagator allowed.  As soon as you see the first signs of germination, get medieval and boot the spindly whizzers out into the light and cool.


Being nice to them only makes them spoilt.  And when they're spoilt, they just flop over, go limp and generally act pathetic. Damping off - pah! Where's your stiff upper leaf?  A life spent in the bracing environment beyond the propagator is character building and helps to stiffen the stem.


Maybe we can't boot babies into the great outdoors just yet, but my snapdragons have bucked up no end since they were forced to leave home and set up camp in the unheated greenhouse.  More natural light, better ventilation and tough love are good for them.



Dahlias are having their first dose of outside conditions today.  They'll be allowed to sleep in the greenhouse but its time their leaves started to stop being so green and sappy.  Come on, show some spine and build your defences against slugs you 'orrible little plants.

Mind you, I still relent at night and tuck them up under a blanket of horticultural fleece so they don't catch fright and a cold.  I'm a softie at heart.  Except for with slugs:  I'm off to go and stomp on them.