2019 was off to a great start in Yorkshire; weather-wise at least.

Never knowing how many more springs I will be gardening I resolved to try the new and not to repeat the same mistakes as previous years. Surprisingly this philosophy has delivered several new tips that may be worth sharing.

New Spring Tips

• Why have I never watered my dry compost before seed sowing. I use commercial compost for starting dahlias and summer bulbs into growth in frost free conditions. This year they have gone into predampened compost and the results are encouraging.
• The daffodils have been great and I am photographing the garden in sections to see where they excel and where I can add new bulbs for next year.
• Members of the primula family are also benefiting from the good damp ground that has followed a virtually snow free winter.
• I can’t compete with the price of a bunch of daffodils from the supermarket so I am not trying. The space is too precious. However gardeners can compete on variety and specials and I have them in a dozen deep plant pots .
• On miniature varieties of daffodils gardeners can compete handsomely as prolific results and good naturalisation seem to be easy. That is where I am setting my stall out.

Trying the New

• I chop and change my selection of plants to grow each year. It means I get to select and buy new items that take my fancy. I do try to be loyal to a species for a couple of seasons but I think my auricula love affair is waning.
• I have already dropped my membership of the Cactus Society and just composted the last specimens.
• This year I am majoring on cyclamen which may take some years to reach excellence level. So to compliment that I have opted to try some indoor and outdoor Gloxinia.
• I have returned to seaweed extract and just tried to perk up the lawn with a special watering. I will see how that goes.