What a day yesterday. When you think you might have a lazy day of it, you always see something that needs doing, don't you? At least I do. By the time early evening came around, I was too pooped to pant. My head was thumping and not because of the sunshine. To put the new
Tomato Growhouse in place, the mini-greenhouse had to come down, be dismantled. The aging hyacinths were taking up the freestanding trough and I wanted to plant strawberries in that. So, I removed the hyacinths, repotted them in big pots, watered them (disturbing the roots as little as possible), and put the strawberries in their place. (Exhausted bulbs, as you probably know, are replenished by the action of sunlight on the leaves, photosynthesis, so that the bulbs will have the energy to produce flowers again next year. I managed to get five of the ever fruiting (also known as perpetual or ever-bearing) strawberry plants into the trough without cramping them, and planted another three in a big tub. I'm hoping for a lovely display of white flowers followed by healthy strawberries. Of course, I tried this once before - was it only last year? - and it was disastrous as the strawberries suffered from botrytis due to the dreadful weather and were, to be honest, totally rubbish. After that episode, I discarded all the Cambridge Favourites, Elsantas, and Sonatas, and Honeoyes, and just kept the
everfruiting strawberry plants which didn't succumb to botrytis at all. I have my fingers crossed for a successful crop this year. Below is a photo taken yesterday.
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| Everfruiting strawberries |
