We are now into the middle of the month of May, it's been much warmer than usual this year in the UK, and the plants are looking exceedingly good for the time of year. As you can see from this picture the standards have a nice tight head of green foliage. These particular ones are two plants of Herald to the left of the picture, and two of Star Of Pink on the right. These plants have now been stopped at least twice, and we will most likely be able to make another stop and still have them ready in time for the shows. I have high hopes that the two Star Of Pinks standards will do well this year.

This is a picture are some standards that are stood amongst the conifers that I have growing behind my greenhouse. I place them there because they aren't as far forward as some of the others. Keeping them sheltered from the cold and high winds will help them grow on faster. The pale one at the front is Waveney Sunrise, a favourite of mine that I have been growing for many years now, behind it are two plants of Hawkshead, this is a hardy fuchsia with very small white flowers. We saw it growing in a friends garden and told him that we thought it might make a good standard. He gave me cuttings, and last year was spent growing the main stem and forming the head, this year we will let it flower and see how it looks. Wish me luck with it, I'm going to need it, it appears to drop it's leaves at the drop of a hat.

This last shot is of the interior of the greenhouse and shows some geraniums and regal pelargoniums that are growing in there. Most of the fuchsias are now outside hardening off so it gives me a chance to bring on these plants,  get them flowering and ready for placing around the garden for decoration. When summer comes I like to have most of the plants outside. I'm a big believer in growing them hard, and when the frosts are past, all my plants go into the garden.