It's Another New Year

2013 was a successful year for me: my tropical greenhouse was thriving right through from spring until autumn, and I rediscovered the 'fun' of rearing native species of butterflies and moths. I've also started to rear and breed some warm temperate and tropical moths, including the Death's Head Hawk Moth and the Atlas Moth, which I have also found very rewarding. Outside of the greenhouse, my butterfly borders also flourished, encouraging lots of native species into the garden to feed and breed.

I'm hoping to have an equally successful 2014, and today, I have begun with preparing for the year ahead. The first job of the year is to tidy up the greenhouse: cut back the rampant climbers, remove the dead leaves and stems from the remaining plants and shrubs, and to discard any fatalities that may not have survived. I am hoping to complete the 'tidy-up' process by the middle of February, which will allow me to get started on stocking up the borders again with new plants.

January is also the time to plan ahead, thinking about what plants you would like to grow, and also, the time to start sowing certain seeds - both for the greenhouse and the garden. I have already made my first seed order, of what will no doubt be several, and begun to sow some seeds.

I have got started early with several tropical seeds, including Passiflora alata, Passiflora foetida, Passiflora vitifolia, Annona squamosa and Aristolochia ringens. These are being started in a heated propagator at a temperature of about 25-30°C.