Bugs, brooms and the turning of the year.

I've really been taking up all of the upper patio at dads with my plants. 

 These are hesperis matronalis 'Alba' which will be ready by early autumn for planting ready for them flowering in the spring.

 This is the Hesperis a little over a week later.

 These are plants for early spring next year. We have Pansys, viola, aquilegia, and primulas. I have more than the five but these were conveniently close to this months potting on area. I seem to change the potting on area regularly, possibly so that I don't get bored of the view.  

 I cut down a lot of the grasses that had gone to seed so that the polytunnel looked a little neater. Don't they look nice? even in an old green trug.

 A butterfly having a drink from a rudbeckia.

 A bee from my one and only purple sunflower for this year.

 A clean potting bench. I cleared about a quarter of the polytunnel, moved things around to make more space and cut things back that were getting too lanky. I really need to get a sweeping brush for inside as the floor is covered in seed heads, soil, snail poop and all sorts of other things I don't really want in there. Next thing on my list is to get a polytunnel broom.

What I've been doing

I've been working on my latest garden project for 15 hours of straight work over about two weeks. I've been digging, clearing, weeding, raking, adding compost to soil to help feed it and improve the soil structure. The project is a very big one and I keep chipping away at it when I can as I have the luxury of time. It needs to be done by September so I have a month to get it finished.
We haven't been at our pitch at Awesworth carboot for the last two weeks due in the first week because my partner in crime was feeling ill and the second time because his car was off having MOT work done to it. We will be back as normal as long as nothing happens before the event to see everyone and sell them some plants this Sunday.  

They want to build 176 houses where I walk my dog!

They intend to build 176 houses on the fields that I and many, many other dog walkers use as recreational space. Please write to them saying you do not approve of the build http://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/planning/development-management/planning-applications/view-a-planning-application.aspx You will need the planning application reference AVA/2013/0467. Please help!

More

I found a couple more when I was watering the poly tunnel. They're a little family :D

Dahlia 'fireworks'.

This guy was just smiling at me this morning as I went past him. Thought I'd share him with you. He's up for sale at £2.00 and should be at Awesworth car boot on Sunday. That is unless someone snaps him up first. I can't offer a delivery service really so it can only be local people that can buy him. I've got many more of the same types of Dahlia (although I can't be certain of the colour that they'll be) also going to the market so all would not be lost if this one was sold before Sunday.

This is my best seller.

I can't believe how well these sold. People came running back for more before they sold out. I was struck dumb... And its a rare thing if something manages to shut me up. :p I mean I know that they're lovely, I really love them but to have people drag their friends over to take a look, well. It was a very pleasant surprise.

Update.

I've been working pretty hard at Jo-Plants lately, I've been trying to give everything that last push before I start in earnest on my next stage of plants, the biennials and the Christmas houseplants, which will if everything goes to plan fill up the spaces left behind by the plants that get sold.
I've been potting on my summer plants into 9 cm or 11 cm pots depending on the growth rate of the plant and hopefully they won't need to be potted on again until they have new homes and can go in their forever soil.
I've been potting up some of my late plants ready for selling, and I can tell you I'm pretty excited about them, they are stunning little devils and that's before they have flowers on them. I have some evening primroses that I think are particularly special. I've had to throw away some of my early stock unsold due to being unable to sell them until my business was approved to start trading. Its been a bit of a blow to be honest but its left lots of lovely space in the poly tunnel for the new plants.

I've had about 20% of my stock taken to the bottom of the garden near the house onto a big wooded table so that the stock that's ready for selling is always conveniently placed so that its easy to tell apart from the rest of the stock, its given me even more space in the poly tunnel and its close to the car. As an extra bonus its also easier to label the plants as they are so high up on their new table and its also very close to the kettle. :D

I've been looking for a market to sell my plants at recently but its quite difficult to get a space as they have so many plant stalls already, although I have to say that non of them seem to sell the sorts of plants that I do. I'll just have to keep going with car boot sales for a bit longer and keep an eye out for a market. I know as the autumn comes along the plant stalls will thin out so I might be more likely to get a pitch then, which will mean I'll be able to sell my biennials in time for them to be planted and established ready for the spring.

If you would like to take a look at my stock I will be at Awesworth (Near Ilkeston, Derbyshire) car boot most Sundays, and I will get back to you all once I've found a car boot on Saturdays.

Another Jo-Plants gardening job. I'm really proud of this one.

Its only a small space but it did take me at least eight hours to do but its utterly stunning now. This is a few weeks after I'd finished and three or four extra plants have since been added.

Beautiful isn't it?

Carboot.

We will be at Awsworth carboot again today, the weather is much better than last Sunday and hopefully will will meet some lovely people and get some good feedback. Hopefully we'll see some of you there. Wish us luck :D

Bees, weeds and grass.

Jo-Plants as well as growing and selling plants has started doing garden maintenance
as well.
Yesterday I did my first big Jo-plants Garden job and I'm quite proud of it. I had a few issues because I found two mining bee nests in the lawn that I was working on and eight ants nests. Due to these issues my work was slowed down a little as I had to worked around them, so I didn't finish weeding the entire garden but I will be going back another day once the bees have been successfully rehoused. Here are some before and after photos:

Busy.

I had such a busy day today, I had quite an easy morning I walked Niche (my dog), tied the canes to dads nine foot bean row, walked my sisters dog and ordered 150 plant pots. After a delivery of around 15 packets of seeds I set off to work in the poly tunnel. I made a start on throwing away the plants that I are too old to sell, I potted on a mass of different perennials and potted up some New Zealand grasses, Re-organised one of the tables in the poly tunnel, sowed three of the biannual seedlings that needed sowing straight away and watered everything. I was working for a good four hours straight out there and its only just made a start on everything. Hopefully after five or six attempts it will all be sorted and the next batch of insanity can begin.
Oh yes and I almost forgot, I've started soaking some yellow banana seeds ready for sowing too.

Last night Me and the OH spent four hours writing out price labels and sticking them to the sides of plant pots, we also found a couple of snails and slugs which I guess it a sure fire way to get rid of pests. A number of our plants are past their best now and will be planted out in my own garden so that I can collect the seeds for next year. The main body of my plants are just hitting that perfect age to be planted out so now is the time to buy them. I just need to work out a means of transporting myself and my plants to the public when the OH is at work. Does anyone know where I can borrow a donkey and cart? :D

The inclement weather of the British summertime.

Today I woke up at 5.25 am and with the help of my OH (other half) we became the Jo-plants squad. (strikes heroic pose)  
We went to our very first car-boot to sell our plants but in that way that weather has, it let us down by raining all morning. We went to Cossall car boot, but got sent off due to inclement weather. We tried again valiantly and traveled to Awesworth car-boot which  was a much bigger car boot with a nicer atmosphere but alas that also got rained off so by 8.15 am we have returned to Jo-plants headquarters.

Today I ordered
Pansy 'padparadja'
viola cornuta 'endurio mixed'
Aquilegia chrysantha 'yellow star'
Polyanthus 'gold laced'
Pansy 'purple rain'
Cyclamen coum 'hybrids
Pansy 'envy'
Auricula 'viennese waltz'
Musa Velutina
Pansy 'Flamenco
Pansy 'chalon french Riviera'
Foxglove 'milk chocolate'
Yesterday I potted up 64 plants and the day before that I potted on 76 plants. And starting from Monday I am officially self employed. Scared much.

Needs must.

I must, must, must go out and get some more compost. I've been out of plant pots for a couple of days but they arrived at my house yesterday and I potted on 36 plants before the compost ran out. Soon the vermiculite will run out too so I must go out and procure that along with compost. Hopefully then I can use up the remaining 250 plant pots before complaining about how they have run out :P
Its pretty manic at the moment, i'm awaiting the go ahead from the legal people before I can start selling, and I really need to start selling. I've started to line my plants up out on the lawn as I've run out of space in the polytunnel and greenhouse. I have to say though that it makes a stunning sight now that things have started flowering, there is so much colour under that curved plastic roof.

I know it doesn't look too impressive in the picture, but the colours are more intense in real life. And the sound of buzzing is quite deafening.

Greetings.

Hello and welcome to Jo-plants the plant nursery blog.

This blog will mainly be about what I'm growing, plotting, planning etc all in the name of my plant nursery. I might wonder off on occasion to things like my pets or cooking, but mainly plants. That is after all the main subject that buzzes around inside my head. Ha, buzzes, Bees. You see what I did there. Completely by accident too.

Right well, in my tiny nursery I've got one 8 foot by 15 foot poly tunnel

And a six foot by seven foot greenhouse.
They are currently packed full to the rafters with California poppies and regular poppies, lenoria, violas, rudbeckia, echinacea, African marigolds, assorted cabbages, assorted tomatos, osteospermum, cosmos, hares tale grass, fox tail barley, Pheasants tail grass, Nicotiana, poached egg plant, cornflowers, morning glory, nasturtium, mirabilis jalapa and blanket flowers.
I'm sure that I've forgotten something but that's the gist of it.  I will be selling my plants on market stalls around Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and hopefully I will make a positive effect on the plight of the bees.