Rachel's Journal

Productive day, Rachel. Cannas look great.

You got a great lot done. I got a bit of potting on done too, a tray of antirrhinums and  some campions that I had rooted from cuttings.

So nice ,strong ,healty seedlings!I star feel my selft jealous,,looking at seedlings,,my seeds still not up.

A beautiful day to be out of doors.  

Rachel, I am very impressed with your Canna's, they actually look like Canna's already!!

Like Liga I envy you your large number of seedlings. I only sowed some Cosmos seeds last weekend so there will not be any sign of seedlings for another 14/21 days. Your Cannas look very healthy and I wish you well in your gardening work. As they say 'you are well ahead of the posse'. 

Aren't the Cannas the prettiest little seedlings? I don't know if you can see it from the photo but they have a red edge to each leaf.

Jack, I wasn't envying me my large number of seedlings today. I was wishing for milder weather!!! I so need to get these plants into the greenhouse.

Only got canna seeds in post today, they do look great. Good day for you. well done.

Those cannas look great.  Did you ever look into getting an electric glasshouse heater, Rachel?  There are parafin ones too but I would be afraid of them. 

Rachel those cannas look great I'm growing Canna paniculata (Andean Canna) and there at the same stage can't believe how well they've grown. Unfortunitly with all the work in the garden this week my seed sowing regime has been interrupted..

Very healthy looking plants, are they difficult to grow?

I may invest in a parafin heater next year, Mairin.

Geraldine, Cannas are easy  to grow. The only 'hard' bit (forgive the pun) is scarifying the seeds before soaking. They are like bullets which is why they are known as Indian Shot.

Rachel, when you start using a parafin heater be extra careful to trim the wick otherwise the parafin will not burn properly and your plants will be destroyed with the sooty smoke. It happened to me once many years ago and I stopped using the parafin heater. I still have it in the garage but had forgotten it until I read your journal. It would have been a great help during the very heavy frosts. I will have to look for it in time for next year's repeat, which is a possibility. I think that the global warming, by melting the Arctic ice fields, is reducing the beneficial effects of the Gulf stream.

Rachel, speaking of Canna seeds, I didn't see any Canna seeds on sale in our local Garden Centre or Canna bulbs either. They sell Unwins Seeds in the Garden Centre so maybe Unwins don't do Canna Seeds!

Thanks Rachel one for me to try although maybe not this year.

Will do, Jack.

Bill, we'll have to swap a Canna seedling or two!

Absolutely Rachel, mine is a bit of a beast at 14ft but I dont think it does that here only in it's native central america!! Mean to send you some seeds but I've sowed them all now only had 20.

Wow, bit of a beast all right! I'm surprised you were going to send me seed with so few. The best seeds only come in small packets! Mine flowers first year.