Storing and Forcing Bulbs

             Now there is no work in the garden, I decided to put the gladioli bulbs in storage until spring. I have a bit of gladioli, and I grow them in containers and large pots. Before digging I cut their roots and foliage with a secateurs, shaken the soil, gently teared off the old bulb, trying not to damage the new one and rinsed them under running water from mud.
Then I laid them out in boxes and dried them in the room at +25 ... 30 C for about 1 month, then peeled and assorted gladioli. Usually I fully clean bulb to determine healthy or sick it is. 

  

Gladioli can be stored, placing them in boxes or pouches in the lower box of refrigerator, near a balcony door, on a window sill. I wrapped bulbs in newspaper and store in a box, in a cool place where the temperature is about +10 C. 

 

During the winter, I regularly look at them and throw away the diseased ones. The bulbs that I treated with 'Viridis nitentis', I keep separately from the healthy ones.

Often in spring, I see the sprouts appeared well before planting time. Then I lay out gladioli in a bright place and subsequently plant them out in small pots. So I have an early seedling of gladioli, and plant them in June already with large leaves.

In September I also set aside a few tulip bulbs for wintery forcing in water. I chose a variety of 'Red Georgette', these multifloral tulips have 3 flower stalks from one bulb. Now, these bulbs are wrapped in paper and lie in the vegetable box in my refrigerator until the end of December at temperature of + 9 C. Recently I looked at them, they were a little wet and I changed the paper. 

 

How will bulb forcing go? I promise to tell and show you.

And will you do forcing bulbs? What kind of bulbs are they?

photo from internet

That's all for now, have a nice week!

Last Week Of October

            October is soon over, though the weather is warm, sometimes it rains all day and night, and then a strong wind blows and the sun shines. The real northern autumn!

At the weekend I went to take a look at my summer house and garden The plants were ready to winter, for cold and snow. In the garden bushes were without leaves, only dogwood, some roses, and apple trees had some leaves. The pond was frozen when I arrived in the morning, but then light ice has melted.

Little silver fir is hardy, its small bumps were still growing. The dim sun shone spherical thujas and night rain drops. Deciduous rhododendrons (azaleas) dropped their leaves and evergreen ones will turn off their leaves to reduce the evaporation of moisture in the frost.

Then I strolled along the nearest woods.The leaves almost fell down, black trunks and branches were seen everywhere. The birds have flown away, only sparrows, chickadees and magpies stayed to winter. Fog started to fall at early evening, it was quickly getting dark, the days are short in October. I took a few pictures of the foggy forest.

   That is all for now, see you soon!

The Lanu Park In Lahti, Finland

Recently I had a few days away in Lahti, Finland. I love this town, have been before there. It's not large but very comfortable and cozy for citizens. The town is called the Center of the Finnish Lake District.

Having settled at the hotel, I went for a stroll to the Lanu park. So the park is named after the sculptor Olavi Lanu, who created concrete sculptures in 1989 - 1992 and put them in different parts of the forest, among the trees and bushes.

The park is located on the Kariniemi hill, near the Vesijärvi lake. The lake is beautiful, there is a pier for boats and yachts and a place for walking and cycling. Lots of geese and ducks stopped in the park before flying to warm places. 

 

When I began to go up the hill to the park unusual sculptures struck me. It was necessary to consider them to understand what was depicted. Here are two persons, they hug (' tuki '). Next figure is a man sitting under a falling stone. Judging by his face, he pondered and did not notice a stone ( 'hella kivi ' ).

' tuki ' 

'hella kivi '  

This sculpture depicts a meeting of a few people, though I can not say exactly how many they are ('rankakasa'). Not far away in the forest an interesting group was: two men who have faced as stubborn sheep. I suppose they struggle with each other long time and moss have already started to grow on them ('kaksi kivea').

'rankakasa'

'kaksi kivea' 

This figure is as if made of thin concrete rods. I imagined a woman who wanted to get rid from the mass of concrete ('keko'). And opposite another sculpture, a couple was, I suppose they were happy to meet ('harmaa tammikuu'). 

'keko'

 'harmaa tammikuu'

A little away from the main paths of the park, this figure was located. I think it's meditator man sitting in peace alone ('iso kivi'). Now the sculpture that I liked the most. This was a woman figure lying on her side and concrete waves and threads flown down. Interestingly to look at her hair.

'iso kivi'

The following sculpture tries to raise himself by his hair. But if you look at his legs or roots, they are four, it is clear that he would never get off the ground ('keko')

I stared at the last sculpture, could not understand how a woman's body pierced a stone. But apparently she was not damaged because she clasped her hands behind a head and seeks to swim ('lapi harmaan kiven')   :))

'keko'

'lapi harmaan kiven'

I think any viewer can't be indifferent looking at these sculptures by Olavi Lanu, they make him to think, to consider, to assume. The bright colors of the autumn forest emphasize Lanu's unusual creativity.

From the hill the houses and Lahti hall tower was visible. I went down to the Vesijärvi lake and decided to look at the gallery in the museum. 

There I also found the cute sculpture. The day was interesting, the walk was long and I went to have dinner. Happy new week all!

P.S. 

By the way this is my 100th post.

When in late 2011 I made ​​my blog I would never have believed that I could write 100 articles in English. I hope you have forgiven my few mistakes. Thank you!