Diary summary w/ending Sunday 22nd March

[Viktoria]

Yes BIG shiny medals.
A funny story, well it made me laugh.
A friend of my husband’s from National Service days, was going out with an Army Nurse.
She invited him to her home.
Her father was a career soldier ,Major I think with a lot of medals etc.
Conversation got around to medals ——Military medals —— young man was asked had he any medals.?
“ Oh yes!”
“Really!— and for what, and where were you at the time? “
“ I was at school and the medal was for” CLEAN HANDS”.
 
He was a Police Officer in Salford Police Force.
It was a long and very happy marriage and sad to say only the lady’s name was on the Christmas card this year.Her husband would have been 94.
He was a blood donor and went to Salford Royal to give blood but would not wait to rest after.
Of course he must have felt a bit faint because he fell head first down some steps ,lost all his front teeth —— the week before his wedding .
That was not funny(  :(well,a bit )
Viktoria.

[Marianthompson47]

I have not seen one single ladybird.  I didn't prune anything before winter in the hope insects would hibernate in the dying plants. So maybe that is where they are....

Our large expensive  greenhouse became very brittle last autumn and we needed to get rid of it.
I really don't want to purchase another one as it will happen again and they are not cheap.

But this means I cannot plant sunflower, cosmos and corn flower seeds. They need some warmth to germinate.  What am I going to do!?

We have lots of perennials that will flower in summer like phygelius  and salvia plus daisies... It saddens me because I will miss some of the show.

[Roobarb]

What about a cold frame Marian? If you put it in a sunny sheltered spot the warmth of the sun will help the seeds germinate and protect them from adverse weather. Or you could do as I've done in the past, put the seed tray in an inflated plastic bag and put it on a sunny inside window ledge. I've grown many seeds successfully like this, including Cosmos. I've also grown them in a  plastic covered seed tray on my potting bench which is in a sheltered spot near the house. All worth a try!