Gardening Project – Step 3: Protecting plants against frost

It really is cold in London these days!
The migrating pigeons on our cherry tree, have fluffed up their feathers to the max as if they were wearing thick jackets.
I find them cute, but also feel a bit sorry for them.

The one on the left keeps his beak and feet as much as possible under the ‘duvet’!

So this is the setting in which I received the climbers I ordered last week online. Immediately after unpacking, I added the Indian Summer Capsis and Honeysuckle to the pots on the staircase.

However, as frost is forecast for the next few nights, I covered the climbers with newspaper. This will keep them warm enough but still allow them to breath.

 

Gardening Project – Step 2: Preparing the staircase

With the seedlings growing away inside the house, I focused on preparing what would become the stage of this year’s garden project – the staircase:
It took a good half hour, plenty of hot water and a robust brush to scrub the surface from all sorts of things that had accumulated over the winter – a lot of moss and leaves.

Then it was the turn of the new pots I had acquired at the Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town.
I must say the pots were not cheap, but I guess they were worth it.
Their walls are very sturdy and I had to heat up the tip of a screwdriver with a lighter to be able to make holes into them.

Success, success! And once attached to the staircase trellis with garden wire,
I covered the floor holes with potsherds to ensure  good drainage

With no seedlings ready to survive March’s outdoor temperatures and the climbers not having arrived in the post yet,
I ‘recycled’ five plants I had used for different winter decorations  and these small shrubs will now also play a part in the colourful staircase project.

I apologise for the not so perfect backdrop. It was a rainy weekend and mud, moss and boxes where just everywhere.
My plan is to add one or two reasonably grown climbers per pot, as well as the climbing seedlings.
There will be honeysuckle, Indian summer capsis, a variety of cosmos and ipomeas, Indian cress and sweet peas.
The colour scheme will be orange, pink, blue, purple and different shades of green, with the colourful plants climbing up the staircase trellis and railing.

Before and …

… After

Garden Project – Step 3 coming soon