DSC04094
One of the seeds that did really well this year is Dusty Miller - Senecio cineraria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senecio_cineraria. Not only did it sprout well (as did around 50% of the species I tried) but it also survived the early transplantation and overly heavy watering (my fault for being away) and the reverse hardening off (out in the night and in during the day!) to be thriving when I arrived 2 weeks ago.
DSC04949
Now I've tried it outside - planting out - thriving in the tubs - my first conscious deliberate colour coding of foliage - the silver of the Dusty Miller should look really good against the deep red of the Acer maple - and looks like it has survived the bunny mowers for a week.
DSC05602
So I've now planted out the rest of the plants - trying to make a border along the path and one of the first plants in the second round of the xerophytic garden and I'm hopeful... hopeful that the slugs don't come out in force, hopeful that the rabbits haven't just been teasing me.
DSC05777
There are a hell of a load of them out there - six the other morning (there's one beneath the tree and another one to the right of this photo - little b....unnies.)
that did that last year with something - can't remember which - left them for a couple of days so that I thought that they were resistant so I planted out the rest - and then they just mowed their way across the lot.
This time, fingers crossed, this time....
So I tried for a week in the front - and the damn rabbits do mow the front too - they are still okay so I've planted out the rest now.
DSC05107
DSC05782DSC05782 closer