seed raising

After my seed gathering adventures I decided to make my own biodegradable pots from newspaper to germinate my seeds and grow the seedlings. There are many tutorials showing you how to do this. I used this one where you simply roll newspaper around a jar or bottle. At first the pots seem as if they'll unfold themselves but once you fill them with soil, they are fairly robust. Alternatively, you can make origami pots. I've planted some of the Aristea seeds and also gathered a few seeds from some pansies growing in my garden to plant up later.

My panda plant cuttings are still green - and not grey as they should be - but they are now big enough to re-pot so I put them into old jam jars turning them into (sort of) mini terrariums. And I re-potted a sad little cactus into a badly crazed but favourite Crown Lynn cup.

beginnings

 

The little branches and the tiny seeds I collected from them are from my sister-in-law's garden. She has a wonderful garden that I admire very much. Most of her plants were started as cuttings or from seed so when I commented on a particularly vibrant blue flower - like the true pioneer woman she is - she handed me stems of seed pods. The plant is Aristea aka blue brilliant. I'm not a confident gardener but my gardening book from 1984 tells me its "easily grown" so I'm going to give it a go. I'll keep you posted.

The little succulent is panda plant (kalanchoe tomentosa). It's usually a pale grey colour with rows of rusty brown dots along the edges of the leaf tips. I've been nursing these cuttings along indoors so maybe the lack of light has paradoxically turned them green. Is that possible?

I hope everything is rosy in your garden.