The End of May

May comes to an end :-(, it's a pity! because spring is a wonderful time in nature. Yesterday I postponed works in my new greenhouse, took my camera and strolled in the garden to show you what plants are in bloom now in the end of May. Here they are:

 Tulips near a pond

Grefsheim spiraea

Daffodils and tulips are still in bloom

 

Bergenia

Fuchsia in an urn

Plum tree

New leaves and buds on a rose


Fritillaria meleagris 

 

Flowering apple trees grown on trellis system

Phlox subulata

Green salad, parsley and green onion on a raised bed

Tujas, tulips and cineraria silvery near the porch

Small rock garden

As I mentioned in my previous post,  my new greenhouse takes all my free time. I have many plans that it would have been convenient for me and plants. I also want to purchase / to make a drip irrigation system, so I need a pump, a water barrel and hoses. 

Happy end of May!

GBBD: African Violets

African violet or Saintpaulia is a perennial plant. Usually African violet is an indoor plant but in hot season you can move it outdoors. 

I have Saintpaulia of three varieties, and every spring I propagate them to have more blooming plants. What do I need?  The pot is to be very small, and if you plant one only leaf it even may be a plastic cup. 

To propagate Saintpaulia I take one leaf with or without a stem and push into a light soil, then I cover a pot with a plastic bag. It's enough to start rooting.

My violet varieties can grow in cool condition, in indirect sun light. When violets are grown up I usually re-plant them in a larger pot.

Next week I will transport my violets to the new greenhouse, hope they will grow well and bloom. It's said they are easy-to-grow houseplants, I agree :-) By the way Saintpaulia can bloom during 2 -3 months.

Have you ever grown African violets? What is your experience?

My New Greenhouse

During winter, I'd been thinking about a new, more spacious greenhouse. I need more space to grow tender flowers and veggies, moreover to store there plants in wintertime. Also for growing seedlings in pots for transplanting outdoors, or for growing plants to maturity in containers. I chose the type of greenhouse, I decided to buy 'a hoop house' type or 'a tunnel' type to easily clean up the snow. The covering is to be policarbonate. 
When I'd finally purchased, the set of details was brought to the garden in April. It was a set of Aluminium frame, with 2 windows that allow to ventilate the 'hoop house', the arched roof, big door. It's said that is strong enough and is not to be damaged by heavy snow and high wind.

I learned it's important that the greenhouse would be mounted on a strong base that is well embedded in the ground, leveled in order to avoid any difficulty during the assembly.
The greenhouse assembly should have been quick, but there were difficulties with the place for it. I wanted the location of the greenhouse to be next to the berry bushes so 4 raised beds came up inside the new greenhouse.

I had to cut some branches of berry bushes next to the greenhouse back end. As you see the greenhouse has a window in the back end. The policarbonate sheets were first installed on the ends.

They said the actual assembly time depends heavily on experience of adjusters, in my case it depended on experience of my family-members. For two days off they have assembled a wooden base, an aluminum frame of a greenhouse, covered it with polycarbonate, made the door, windows and handles.

In the evening when the assembly came to an end I went inside. There was very warm and moisture ran down the walls. I immediately opened the door and windows to ventilate.

What can I say - my wish was fulfilled and now I have to equip my new greenhouse, make shelves, align the floor, put tubs with flower and veg seedlings. I'll take photos to show you how the greenhouse does. Can you share your experience in growth in such type of a greenhouse?

May Day

Today May 1, it's the last spring month. May Day is celebrated as Labor Day, also May Day marks the beginning of rural spring in the Northern hemisphere and was associated with pagan festivals, some people devote the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary that often is adorned with flowers. 
They said that the Romans of the British Isles the beginning of May devoted to the goddess of flowers. Floralia fest soon merged with May Day celebrations. (wiki) So we gardeners have our own fest of flowers, May Day.

Congratulation!

 

Although today is Labor Day please, do not work much, I wish you to enjoy spring, flowers, birdsong, the sun, nature!