So Busy!!! Zinnias are Out, No More Nigella, Interplanting, Green Manures, Flirting with Roses & Coping with The Driest Spring in Over 100 Years

Hello and welcome to this episode, recorded on Friday 23 May 2025.

It's been a really busy few days since my last episode: I've been planting out my dahlia tubers plus some seedlings, weeding around my perennials, and tidying up my living paths. Sometimes I'm in two minds about living paths: are they a good idea or not? They need maintaining, which takes time, but I do like them. I also love bark paths which don't need maintaining, so I'm a bit on the fence but overall I think I will keep some of my living paths and replace others with bark.

The Cephalaria have been planted out. These were a bit flaky to germinate and I very nearly threw some of the cells out when it didn't look like anything was happening. Good job I didn't. My dahlia cuttings arrived on Wednesday and I potted them on straightaway. They're in very good condition and I'm so excited to see their flowers.

There's a quick update on my poorly hen, Goose, who is doing really well. Also doing very well at the moment are the greenfly, who have arrived in vast numbers. Some ladybirds have also arrived but they have been a bit distracted and not eating as much as I'd like: there's a couple of videos of the ladybirds on my instagram @henhillcutflowers, do check them out!

Finally I give a full and detailed description of my water capture and storage system on the plot: I hope it makes sense. I list all the containers I have and how they're connected, plus info about gutters and syphoning water. I don't think you can ever have too much water stored so it's worth setting up as much water capture as you can, in whatever sort of containers you can use.

In this episode, join me as the dahlias get planted out on the plot.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The expert advice I followed to plant my dahlia tubers

✅ The importance of patience when germinating seeds

✅ How I've dealt with my new dahlia cuttings

✅ I'm under siege from greenfly and the ladybirds aren't helping

✅ How my water storage system is constructed and operates

✅ Pros and cons of living paths between your cut flowers

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Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers. I'm going to give you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.