Hello again
As I write I'm looking out at the sunshine - a rare sight- and Molly my spring spaniel is snoozing on the sofa behind me. I can hear her gentle breathing, its so peaceful.
As you may already know I have my own cottage gardening business and every winter I try to build up my knowledge of plants. In particular because I'd like some gorgeous new plants to recommend to my clients next year.
The photo above is todays best find - its Snapdragon - La Bella Rose. Good enough to eat!
Its fairly easy to find new plants to love - I read cottage gardening books, look at photos, browse nursery catalogues and the Royal Horticultural Society Plant Finder database. As I browse, one lovely plant leads me to other ideas to follow up on.
As we live in an area with clay or loam soil and winters can be freezing I look for plants that are very hardy - at least H6 I prefer on the RHS scale and that are OK in clay or loam soil. I look for beautiful colours and also interesting leaves. I also am looking for the plant to be beautiful to look at for as much of the year as possible.
Its quite easy to find the plants - but its learning about them and remembering what I learn that is a problem. So I find I have to read and write down the information as many times as possible and put the information about the plants in a "database" I've set up.
My "database" is really just a set of Word documents with a table - each row is a different plant, there are columns for the plants needs and what it has to offer me. See the picture below. My database has grown so large I have split it into separate word documents - so one for Roses, one for small front of border plants, etc.
First I scribble down some pencil notes as I read about the plant. Then I look it up on the RHS website or elsewhere online and note as many details as I can find including where I can buy it. To get a picture of the plant I screen shot the page on the internet. (hold down the control key on your keyboard then press the prtsc button. Paste into Microsoft Paint programme. Then I cut out a section of the picture from Paint into my database. Then I type my handwritten notes into the table.
I might then transfer some of the plants I find into lists I keep of possible new plants for my clients or my own plant wish list (which is very long).
By this some what drawn out method - I have read and written about the details of each plant many times which is what helps it stick in my memory.
As I do my research I am also thinking and learning - for example I might like a particular plant - for example Hemerocallis, the day lily but realise that the plant only flowers for a short part of the year and the rest of the year the leaves don't have particular interest to my mind. You are of course free to disagree!
The above may begin to explain the title of my blog - "Quirky" refers to my Aspergers!
Sorry if I've bored you today - but hope you like today's plant find.
Caroline
xx
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