bunn

 My objective for last week was to try to teach Duke 'Down' and 'stay'.  It's not gone particularly well.  I got distracted and tried to teach him to 'target' the end of a pencil with his nose : he's quite good at that, but the down and stay is - well it's sort of there.  Barely.  For about a second max. 
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In other news: more frost again!  I MUST get that orchid that has been outside for the summer back in.  So far the frost has not come to the house, but it's only a matter of time. 

My amaryllis has put forth a bud, and is in the process of putting forth another. I really must pot her on. The poor little soul has been in the same compost 3 years now, I think. Having said that, I wonder if the poor soil is encouraging blooming, because she didn't flower last year, whereas this year has definitely been a year of poverty for her.

I've run out of Baby Bio too, so although I fed her when I saw she was starting to bud, all she has is orchid food. I fear I am an Abusive Bulb Owner...

All the Phalaenopsis orchids are budding and blooming once more, though I don't think there are quite as many flower stems as last year. The Miltonia did make a flower bud, but somehow managed to get it stuck inside one of its own leaves, the daft thing, and broke its own neck!

She did rebloom last year though, so I am hopeful she might manage it again. Looking back over this journal I see that in December last year, Miltonia was not showing any buds, so it's still early days.

All the Phalaenopsis orchids are now in bud again: nice work!

Remains to be seen if the Miltonopsis will manage to flower again, but even if it doesn't it's looking surprisingly green and lush for a plant that is supposed to require such huge humidity, but is in fact sitting in a small bowl next to a radiator.

I went to the beach this weekend to meet up with some doggy people who I had met online. I've never met someone purely from knowing them online before, but was surprised how much fun it was, so am going to another one next weekend, a bit further away this time. Endless dog-talk and lots of ball-chucking, except for Mollydog who doesn't Do Balls but still had a good time.

Also cleared the greenhouse and planted up baskets - I'm trying to go for an all-blue effect this year, as our house is now blue. But am not sure I can resist temptation of dark red things such as busy lizzies, even if they dont' go with pale blue at all...

Still don't know what the problem is with my Actinidia Arguta 'Issai' (kiwi fruit relative). It was perfectly healthy when I planted it, and has been fed watered and kept weed free, but it just isn't happy. I think it may be a bit dry: resolved to try and remember to water it more often this year.

The grapevine on the other hand is already in bud and I can see is going to need some severe pruning to keep it under control. Wah! I researched 'Issai' online thoroughly, I made notes, I bought from an excellent nursery. I got the grapevine without checking the variety on a whim from an indifferent garden centre. Sod's law. The grapevine is just north of the greenhouse though, so probably more sheltered.

B&Q sells coir blocks! hurray! maybe it will be possible to run a peat-free garden with pots without expensive mail-order in future. I'm going to use them as bedding in my wormery.

I acquired a Miltonopsis orchid: another garden centre whim. I have a bad feeling about this as it supposedly needs 70% humidity, but we shall see. It does have a great scent - like roses, only it's flowering now when the roses are just starting to waken and unfurl their young red leaves.