This week has been a wet wild week with not much chance to get in the garden. I did manage to venture out on Friday in a surprise bit of sunshine and was excited to see the first signs of spring with the snowdrops and hellebores coming through.
I have always loved roses and received 6 more this week. I am going to experiment growing them in containers on the patio and see if you can still use them for cutting. In November I made a new rose bed and filled it with scented hybrid teas and floribundas and it will be interesting to see which roses do best in the different environments. The advice I have been given is to ensure the container you use is large enough. I have gone for 45cm cubed and to use John Innes number 3 compost alongside some well rotted matter when planting. Feeding and watering the roses in spring and summer will be important too.
Also this week I have been busy designing the cutting garden. This year I am developing a bed of perennial cut flowers which will come back year after year. I am also going to plant many of my favourite annuals from last year including zinnia, cosmos, scabiosa, sunflowers, cornflowers, phacelia, corncockle, dill, ammi majus and sweet peas. Some new annuals that I am going to include are calendula, rudbeckia, stocks and larkspur. Now I just have to resist the urge to plant my seeds too early!