Sunday, March 31, 2019

Spring Flowers and Seedlings


The end of March, spring is felt everywhere here. Even Clivia blossomed on the windowsill. Bright orange-yellow bells of Clivia delight the eyes. I hope it will bloom for at least two weeks.

As I've written in the previous post, I grow 'Indian Spear' hot pepper seedlings. Every day I water them, move the other side to the window and turn the light on at the evening.

Here they are, with first leaves and after one week. 



 





















I love growing gladioli, although I know many of gardeners ignore them. Gladioli flowers appear in mid-July and bloom until September. I've read the tall and narrow flower stalks of gladioli were named so because they resembled swords of gladiators. I do not know how much this is true.
These are gladioli bulbs that I dug up last year and stored in a cool place in winter. In March I have pushed them into small pots and new sprouts already grow. Later in May gladioli seedlings will be transported to the garden and replanted to the tubs.




I also have Eastern lily bulbs. I love their scent in the garden, especially at the morning. Unfortunately Eastern lily doesn't winter well in my climate and I need to dig lily out in autumn and store it in a cool place at home. So now Eastern lilies are doing well on a windowsill.

Here are the pink and white lilies.

 






















Calla bulb does as Eastern lily, winters at home and grows and blooms in a garden pot in summer. I see Calla is OK it means it had been stored well too.


There are cuttings of two Pelargonia varieties - Zonal and Royal - on the windowsill. I have seven pots of overwintered Pelargonia therefore I have pruned many cuttings to root them and then to plant in garden hanging baskets. 
All these plants - Gladioli, Pelargonia, Calla, Lilies and also Begonia will be transported to my garden in Saint Petersburg suburbs as soon as the weather is warm enough.



What are you doing in these spring days?

42 comments:

  1. What a wonderful idea to plant glodiolus bulbs in small pots. I have a bag full of these bulbs and plant them tomorrow like you did. Groetjes Hetty

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    1. I'm glad you liked my way to grow gladioli, Hetty. When they are big enough I'll plant 3-4 of them in one tub.

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  2. Looks like your hot peppers are doing well, Nadezda.

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  3. Our clivias have been flowering too.

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    1. I remember your post about blooming clivia, Sue, it was beautiful.

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  4. Надежда у вас идет активная подготовка к дачно-огородному сезону.
    Кливия очень красивая.
    Гладиолусы уже какие большие,,а я еще не достала из холодильника.Пора,,достану и тоже начну проращивать.
    Спасибо за напоминание.

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    1. Надежда, я всегда их высаживаю заранее и в саду они зацветают уже в июле.
      Удачной недели!

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  5. Good morning dear Nadezda,
    A lot of beautiful growing new plants. Your garden will be covered with beautiful blooms soon.
    The Clivia is so gorgeous.
    Have a wonderful sunday. Happy Springtime.
    Rosehugs Marijke

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    1. I do hope to have many flowers this season, Marijke.
      Hugs!

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  6. Están preciosas. Mi jardín está lleno de hierba y lo estoy limpiando. Besitos.

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    1. Oh, Teresa, es un trabajo constante de limpiar el jardin. Suerte!

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  7. Hi Nadezda! Growth is in a good phase. We cannot plant plants here for a long time. Greetings

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    1. Anne, spring will come soon, your plants will grow as well.
      Happy week!

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  8. Hello Nadezda!
    It's a great idea planting plants in pots.
    Your Clivia is lovely. I love these flowers.
    Hugs and greetings.

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    1. Dear Lucja, I prefer to grow some plants in pots, because it's easily to store them in winter time.
      Thanks and I hope you're better now.

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  9. Pronto tendrás una preciosa colección de flores. Que nos enseñarás con orgullo y las disfrutaremos contigo.
    Hemos empezado a mover la tierra del huerto, a ver si afinales de abril podemos sembrar algo, depende del frío que haga.Preciosos los lirios de la cabecera.
    Un abrazo.

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    1. Laura, no puedo creer que tengas frío a finales de abril en tu lugar. Espero que puedas plantar tomates, como siempre.
      Me encanta que te gusta mi nueva cabecera.

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  10. Hey Nadezda! Lovely spring works you have done! Past two weekends I have been tiding my borders, cutting down perennials and grasses. And of course, lot of admiring of early blooms in the garden too! :)

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    1. Tistou, spring is everywhere, sun's shining and I enjoy working in the garden as well. Next week I'll prepare my greenhouse to next season.

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  11. Le tue semine sono uno spettacolo! Io semino molto poco perché sono poco a casa e nessuno mi aiuta a bagnare. Solitamente lascio che il giardino si dissemini da solo :) È il mio sistema pigro :D

    Ti faccio un caro saluto e ti auguro una buona settimana :)

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  12. Your Clivia is gorgeous with its orange blooms and I love seeing all those wonderful spring bulbs coming up! Happy official spring!

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  13. Everything is growing at a good pace. I love the color of the Clivia!
    Good week Nadezda.

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    1. I do love this Clivia as well, Tania.
      Hugs!

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  14. Nadezda -- I have one Clivia bulb and it bloomed this year! It was a pass-along from a friend. I also like gladioli. Some of them have been on this property 60+ years. Can't keep them contained though as they move around the flower bed which kinda drives me crazy. I've also bought new colors from time to time.

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    1. You're lucky Linda for not digging up and storing gladioli bulbs. Your climate goes well them and you have many blooming gladioli in beds. Clivia blooms once a year and does it enough long time, wonderful!

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  15. So many happy plants growing there - you will have plenty of beautiful and tasty things soon! :)
    We are still waiting for spring - I'm breaking the ice crust in front of our home, it's therapeutic.
    Thank you for your comment! Yes, I like "Endeavour" very much.
    Happy spring!

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    1. Sara, I was breaking the ice on my pond last Sunday, :-)
      I'm worrying about water lilies ther, deep on a bottom. Spring is on the wing!

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  16. I have often tried to grow gladioli but mine always come up twisted and do not look attractive, and now I've about given up growing them. I am wondering if I should be staking every individual stem or if there is something else I'm doing wrong. I'm growing seedlings of emperor pansies, and was about to start off morning glory and a few other tender ones (since I don't have a greenhouse) but the weather has become quite cold again!

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    1. Jenny, I just push every gladioli bulb in a small pot and a bulb starts to sprout. Now the stems are long and soon I'll transport them to the garden and plant in tubs. I have no problem with gladioli they are easy in growth.
      I love pansies as well and you're right seedlings depend on weather, it's better to wait a little.
      Happy spring!

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  17. Hello Nadezda, you seem very well organized in how to care for these plants which don't survive if left outdoors in Winter. Some gardeners may well have decided that Gladioli is not for them, however with so many varieties to choose from, a u turn may well come about.

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    1. It is true, Alistair, if I leave these plants outside in the winter, they will not survive. Since I want to see tender plants in my garden, I need to take care of them during storage and transport them in spring. You are right, gladioli deserve to be grown in the garden.

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  18. Hi Nadezda,
    Spring came bringing the rebirth of nature.
    Beautiful flower.
    Have a wonderful weekend
    Hugs
    Maria
    Divagar Sobre Tudo um Pouco

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  19. Hell Nadezda ! Wow ! you are your own mini nursery :-) .. I love it ! ... so much to do and look forward to .. it is amazing.
    Your choices are going to be so pretty. I tend to agree with Alistair .. some gardeners may take a U turn on glads with so many varieties of them now .. even ones that survive our zones .. now that would be nice.
    Well done you !
    Joy

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    1. Ha ha, Joy! I'm really mini nursery on a windowsill. About glads-- there many varieties but none of them survive in winter here. Thanks for your comment, happy Sunday!

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  20. Hello Nadezda, Some of my miniature gladioli bulbs which I missed collecting to store, have begun sprouting again. They will be early flowering if I leave them. However, I need the pot for something else, so will transfer them. Haven't tried this before.
    All of your Spring sprouting plants look wonderful. Here it is time to separate Clivea and replant.
    Happy days!

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    1. Betty, I've never separated Clivia, it grows fast and I should do in autumn as well. Thanks for advice! It's wonderful your gladioli will bloom in the ground without storing.
      Happy week!

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  21. It's always so nice to see the plants growing …

    All the best Jan

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