Flighty's plot

I’m pleased…

to say that the mystery plant has been identified as a Common nipplewort (Lapsana communis). Thanks especially to Cathy who mentioned it and showed a picture in her blog post More is More!

I’ve decided to keep this plant here at home on the windowsill where it seems quite happy, and is even growing several new leaves, but as yet there’s still no sign of any flowers.

(For previous posts about this plant refer 8 May, 25 May and 5 June.)

The weather has got very warm over the past few days with the temperature expected to reach30 C/86 F today. That’s expected to last over the weekend before dropping to the low 20’s C/72 F from Monday.

So far this week I’ve only been to the plot early on Tuesday morning to do some watering, and I also lifted the first few first early potatoes Foremost. I’ll probably do the same again tomorrow.

Have a good weekend. and take care!

I’ve not done…

much plotting during the the past couple of weeks, and it’ll be the same again next week.

I’ve been bringing home plenty of strawberries as well as some raspberries on a few days.

Although there are plenty of the latter they are mostly rather small making picking difficult or not even worth bothering with.

There are already flowers appearing on two of the tomato plants, one each Outdoor Girl and Yellow Perfection.

The onions Sturon are growing well, and some of the first early potatoes Foremost foliage is starting to die back so it won’t be long before I start lifting the first of them.

Small self-seeded cosmos are starting to flower.

I’ve not seen many butterflies so far, but plenty of bees mostly on the blackberry flowers this morning. Also good, as always, to see the robin.

Have a good week, and take care!

Well done Liz!

Last week I received an email from Liz over in Lexington, Kentucky to tell me that she had entered three floral designs in the flower show being held there last Saturday.

The themes were decades from the mid 20th century and she had chosen Rubik’s cube from the 80’s, the Macarena from the 90’s and Covid-19. The later has chicken wire folded into a double helix shape which is hard to see against the background (picture bootom left).

She didn’t know if she had scored any ribbons against the competition when she sent that email. On Tuesday she sent another one to tell me that she hadn’t won any for the floral designs but had been awarded the horticulture Champion ribbon for her oakleaf hydrangea (picture bottom right), which was among her other entries.

Well done Liz!

Have a good weekend, and take care!

On the windowsill – Oopsy Daisy

In the On the windowsill post I did on Thursday, 22nd May I mentioned that the Pot Marigold Oopsy Daisy was 6 in/15 cm tall, and I was going to pinch the top out once it had grown another inch or two. I didn’t and it’s now around 15 in/38 cm but thankfully doesn’t look leggy, just tall as the quoted height for this dwarf variety is only 8 in/20 cm, as it has plenty of good size leaves all the way up the stem. Unlike most of the other pot marigolds I’ve dug up at the plot and brought home for the windowsill in the past these are showing no signs of powdery mildew.

A week or so ago I noticed that there were several flower buds forming at the top and by Friday one had fully opened. It’s small, only 1.5 in/4 cm across, with pale lemon yellow petals which have just a hint of orange on the tips and an orange-yellow centre. Hopefully the other buds will grow and flower.

Neeedless to say I’m really pleased with this plant, and I’ve now sown another one which I will pinch out to hopefully grow into a shorter bushy plant, and it would be nice if it has zingy orange flowers.

[Please note that I’ll be doing an On the windowsill, June 2025 post later in the month about the Gazania Talent Yellow and dwarf Sunflower Big Smile, along with more about the mystery plant (see previous post).]

Have a good week, and take care!

The mystery plant again

This post follows on from two recent On the windowsill posts – Mystery Plant and May 2025.

I recently thought about taking this plant back to the plot and replanting in a large plastic pot rather than the ground. In the end I decided that I wouldn’t do that but earlier this week I did repot it into a 6 in/15 cm black plastic pot. When I did I noticed that it looks like there are actually two plants side-by-side. I left them alone rather than try to seperate them.

There’s still no sign of any flowers appearing, which if they did would certainly help to make a positive identification. As it is I still think that it’s Hairy Bittercress which although widespread and common is usually seen as a small plant growing on garden paths and in flower pots where it’s generally treated as a weed. If it is this then it’s an annual so should flower before dying back.

Meanwhile I’ve had an interesting plant on the windowsill for the past few months.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

On the plot

I’m pleased to see that all the dwarf French beans Tendergreen I sowed the week before last have appeared (as shown), but so far only a couple of the runner beans are showing which I seem to recollect do take a few days longer.

I looked at the first short double row of carrot Royal Chantenay seedlings during last week but when I looked again the next day they had all disappeared, which I guess was due to slugs eating them. Thankfully I still have plenty of seeds so I’ll be able to sow some more.

I’m picking a few strawberries each time I’m on the plot but so far there hasn’t been enough to bring home so I eat them whilst I’m having a look round.

The white flowering dog rose is doing really well this year with lots of flowers. It’s just a shame that they only last a few days.

Have a good week, and take care!

Summer’s almost here

There was steady rain most of Tuesday which was much needed and welcome. The temperture looks set to rise to the low 20’s C/72 F over the weekend before falling to the high teens C/66 F into next week.

On Monday I sowed the sweet corn seeds Sundance and a second double short row of carrots Royal Chantenay. Apart from sowing some more dwarf French beans and carrots later next month I’ve now just about finished planting and sowing for this season.

Yesterday I carefully hoed round the potatoes and onions, all of which are growing well and look okay. I’ll now switch back to the flower patches which certainly need some attention, mostly weeding. As well as the pot marigolds there are some self-seeded blue and white love-in-a-mist flowering (the picture below is from June 2010).

The annual plot flowers like these are a sure indication that summer’s almost here.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

It’s a typical…

Bank Holiday weekend weatherwise being overcast with some rain and rather windy at times. The rain overnight Friday to Saturday was welcome, and much needed, and it will have saved me having to water all round this week. I didn’t go to the plot yesterday, and today I’ll take a look round after lunch when it should have brightened up.

Last week I sowed two rows of dwarf French beans Tendergreen, and planted out the first three tomatoes, Outdoor Girl and Yellow Perfection, along with the cucumber Diva. Next week I hope to plant out the other three tomatoes, same varieties, and sow the sweet corn Sundance. I’ll probably also sow another two short rows of carrots Royal Chantenay.

I can see flower buds on lots of the self-seeded Pot Marigolds Flighty’s Favourites, and on Friday a one yellow was almost open so it shouldn’t be too long before it’s looking it was back in July 2016.

Have a good week, and take care!

On the windowsill, May 2025

Following on from April’s post it has been a much better month on the windowsill.

The Pot Marigold Oopsy Daisy has been steadily growing and is now over 6″/15 cm tall.

I’ll let it grow another inch or so before pinching the top out to hopefully promote growth down the stem to keep it bushy.

At the end of April I sowed one of the new dwarf Sunflower Big Smile seeds I’d just received in the 5″/12.5 cm pot I’ll be growing it in, rather than a small pot so I don’t have to replant it. It germinated in a few days and is now nearly 3″/7.5 cm tall with three pairs of true leaves.

I finally received the Gazania Talent Yellow seeds on May 1st and when I opened the envelope was pleased to find that it contained 13 rather than 10 seeds.

I sowed one straight away and it germinated in a few days. It’s now about 2″/5 cm high with the second true leaf just showing.

I’ll be doing another seperate post about the Mystery Plant early next month. It has continued to grow and do well but shows no sign of flowering. Thanks to everyone who suggested what it is but I’m still not sure.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

I’ve not done…

much plotting over the past few days but this morning, which was cool and overcast, I went to the plot early and watered all round. That means I’ll be able to concentrate on the planting and sowing I plan to do during the coming week.

I’m pleased to see that most of the nasturtiums Tom Thumb I sowed in the usual place at the path end of the double row of strawberries have appeared.

Beyond the comfrey and raspberries, at the south-eastern corner of the plot, is the White Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) which is starting to flower. I like this white flowering small shrub.

At home out the front the Iceberg rose is in full bloom with most of the white flowers visible through the living room windows. Also blooming are the adjacent red and yellow roses (varieties unknown).

Have a good week, and take care!