It is time for another Six on Saturday, where I pick six pictures that I think showcase my last week in horticulture. So here we go….

Race of the chillies

I have got four types of chillies growing on the windowsill in my back bedroom at home and am enjoying watching them race to be best-performer. In the lead currently is Jalapeno, followed by Habanero, then Cayenne and Anaheim is lagging a bit behind. In truth I am growing far too many chillies. Last year I cropped so many I’ve still got about 30 in the freezer, and that was from one type. So, logically, I have decided this time to try four different types. It might seem ridiculous but I am looking forward to potting these on, giving some plants away to family and friends, and also sharing the (fingers crossed) bountiful harvest.

Signs of positivity

I really like this shot of the Apricot Moonpark as it features the three key elements; open blooms, flowers set to open, and some really healthy-looking buds. This is in the greenhouse but seeing this trifecta together makes it really feel as if Spring is almost here. Unfortunately the weather outside (and predictions of worse to come) suggests against that, but I every time I look at this Apricot it puts a smile on my face.

Terrific Tête á Tête

At the moment these Narcissus ‘Tête á Tête’ are stealing the show in the greenhouse and look fantastic against the darker foliage behind it. They are such a radiant yellow and look great standing to attention. You can understand why they are one of the most popular dwarf daffodil varieties available as they are brilliant either out in a border, or brightening up an indoor pot display like here.

Behind on Planning

I feel like I should be further ahead with all the planning for the garden at home this year, but I am still trying to sort it in my head. I have done a seed check, of which I found I have 30 packets of edibles and almost 50 packets of flower seeds. This feels quite some amount for someone who has a small yard out the back, no borders to speak of, and has to grow everything in pots. I enjoy this challenge of growing my vegetables in pots and it means a bit of creativity. But it also means having to plan carefully and rein yourself in from wanting to grow everything and have riotous colour out the back. Be selective, choose well and choose those crops cleverly.

Troublemaker

There was someone sneaking around the polytunnels, leaving little footprints in all the seed trays I sowed and stealing some seeds. It had become a bit of a nuisance as you could daily see the damage. This week I spied this little thing sitting in one of the mousetraps. He is a cutie but also a nuisance. I made sure to take him somewhere safe, and a decent distance away from where he has been wreaking havoc, to let him free. Hopefully the seeds will be safer for a little bit.

Fantastic Churchyard Display

This is a shot from the churchyard which my house backs onto and which we regularly walk the dogs through. It is only a small church which services the village, but it does feature a lovely display of spring bulbs. The snowdrops have been noteworthy for a few weeks now and the crocuses are now starting to do their thing also. It is remarkable that churchyards up and down the country are home to some amazing displays of colour, and often go under-appreciated by the masses.