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Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

Rhubarb Appreciation Society

995 replies

Blackpuddingbertha · 23/03/2013 21:43

Going with Rhihaf's thread name suggestion, following on from the first rule of gardening club is thread.

Pull up your kneeling pads, crack open the elderberry wine and the blackberry gin and come and join us. No real experience or gardening know-how needed.

OP posts:
HumphreyCobbler · 03/04/2013 15:27

riihaf - I am in wales. Are you north or south? I am quite near Monmouth and Abergavenny.

I always think I would be too short to see over all the people at Chelsea. Would love to go to Hampton Court.

LexyMa · 03/04/2013 15:34

That's my problem with Chelsea, Humph - shortness and a disinclination to wear heels to an event supposedly about gardening!!

HC is much more spread out, friendly, has many many nursery stalls to relieve you of lots of money, and I think better food too.

Rhubarbgarden · 03/04/2013 16:39

I totally agree HC is better. But I want to go to both! I always aim to get to Chelsea when the doors open and leave before noon before it gets hideous. It makes a big difference.

rhihaf · 03/04/2013 19:08

Humphrey: I'm in the west, about 3 miles inland from the middle of Cardigan Bay. Do you go to the food festival too? [wondering if there are any other foodies on this thread]

Managed to finally finish digging the other half of my raised bed today and planted 2 gooseberry bushes from Lidl :) It was frrrrreezing, but sunny and it felt good to be outside again!

Advice pls wonderous gardeners: I potted on the tiny plugs(annuals and perennials) from T&M into module trays with multipurpose compost and they're in my cold greenhouse, but the soil's gone rock hard :( I'm reluctant to keep watering in case of damping off... what did I do wrong?
:(

Dawnywoo · 03/04/2013 19:10

Hi all, well spring must now be officially on it's way eventually eh? Even if the weather isn't up to it, at least you lot all are.

I haven't been on here since last year due to ongoing breast abcess palaver which got out of hand but is now sorted thankfully.

I'm in my second year of gardening at this house, but because last year was so bad, it really does feel like I'm starting from scratch!

Feeling massively excited about it all, and loving reading all your stories. There's nothing better than a shared passion.

To further fuel my energy, I have today been to visit ex DH who has eventually put our old house on the market. I had to say goodbye to the garden that I built from nothing 15 years ago which is just coming into it's own now.

Looking forward this year to visiting some gardens now that DD is a bit older. I'm lucky enough to be on the doorstep of Alnwick gardens.

Oh, and I also have the pink geranium problem. And London Pride which I can't get rid of and some other pink stuff that self seeds that looks a bit like sedum...?

Thanks to Maud's hearty recommendation, I got two gorgeous clumps of verbena bonariensis last year which I have managed to get 13 new plants from that I took as cuttings in the autumn. Can't fit any more on the conservatory windowsills. Must buy a greenhouse ASAP.

Ramble, ramble, someone please stop me.

HumphreyCobbler · 03/04/2013 22:14

rhihaf, I certainly do go to the food festival, it is one of the high spots of our year. I love it. We should meet for a coffee next year! sorry I don't know about the rock hard soil, someone will though.

Dawnywoo, so glad you are feeling better. It must be hard saying goodbye to your garden. Glad you have a new one to get cracking with.

The exciting news chez Cobbler is that we are going to get a greenhouse!!!! Smile 8' by 12, and it is going on the hard standing by the stock sheds so we can use one of the open sheds as a potting area and just transfer to the greenhouse. I am so happy about it, the lack of anywhere to grow stuff on has been extremely frustrating, especially last year when I couldn't grow anything on outside either.

Moved everything that wasn't herbs out of the herb bed, leaving them very empty. But some purple orache seeds have germinated, to my utter delight, as I thought we wouldn't get any. The slugs ate them to death last year and I really missed their colour in the beds.

Castlelough · 03/04/2013 22:17

Dawnywoo ramble away - this is good rambling Smile! Sorry to hear about your being ill, and having to part from your garden of fifteen years Sad. But great that you are in such a positive frame of mind Smile.
Rhihaf I haven't a clue. We will have to wait for someone more knowledgeable to come along...do you have more than one greenhouse Envy?

Enjoying all the chat of flower shows. The only thing comparable I can think of here is 'Bloom', which is a garden festival. Must find out where I can visit nice gardens...Hmm I thought about taking my DM to Chelsea this year as it is the 125th anniversary, but just couldn't afford it. Maybe those of you who still want tickets will be able to get hold of them somehow...

Castlelough · 03/04/2013 22:19

Oh Humphrey I have greenhouse Envy...

cheesecheeseplease · 03/04/2013 22:31

sticks head round the door and waves

HumphreyCobbler · 03/04/2013 22:44
WynkenBlynkenandNod · 04/04/2013 07:39

Hi Cheese

Good to see you Dawney, glad you're better. My friend had a breast abscess and was very ill, very nasty things. Can imagine it is hard to say goodbye to your garden. Will you be doing the new one totally different or taking elements that you used before ?

Rhihaf I have a greenhouse but don't really know what I'm doing. When you say rock solid do you mean in a dry kind of solid way rather than a cold solid way ? I use plastic fruit/meat punnets lined with capillary matting and always water from below which I think helps a bit with damping off. I wouldn't think they'd need very much water with these temperatures.

Rhubarb that's a pain about Chelsea. I looked the other day and there were still some via the RHS site for the day I'm going then some extortionately priced ones on EBay. My brother might be coming but no doubt by the time he's decided it will be impossible to get any without getting a second mortgage.

Humph, great news about your greenhouse. Mine is 12 x 10 so pretty similar, you can get a fair amount in. I didn't properly sort staging though so haven't made full use of the space. Don't forget a chair so you can sit and talk to the plants, very important for growth. You can get a fair amount of water off the roof with that size so worth sticking a couple of water butts up whilst you're about it.

I need to try and find some tulip bulbs today as we're coming home tomorrow. Am Hoping a bit more work towards gravelling around the greenhouse will have been done in my absence. I don't care what the temperature is when I get back, I want to sow some seeds. Also I need to see if I have successfully overwintered my chilli plants or have killed them.

Rhubarbgarden · 04/04/2013 09:27

Very exciting about your greenhouse, Humph. I want one! I dread to think how long it will take to go through the planning permission process to stick one on the house. But I think it will be worth it to be able to pop in there first thing on a morning to water things without having to put coats and shoes on children and take them with me and all that performance.

Rhihaf, I'd second the suggestion to water from below. Capillary matting is great for that.

I got my Chelsea ticket! It went through to a different ticketing company this time. So I don't know quite what went on there. I went via the RHS website both times. I couldn't get member discount, but I'm just glad to have got my ticket. Hurrah.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 04/04/2013 09:35

Wahey Rhubarb, result ! I agree it will be worth the wait to have it attached to the house with small DC's. I hide from teenage hormones in mine so love the fact I need to go out.

Dawnywoo · 04/04/2013 11:14

Well what a lovely day. The birds are singing and the sun is shining. It's even warm enough to park up a sleeping DD in her pram in the garden.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. All this talk of greenhouses has had me running for my tape measure. I have a spot which will fit a little 6x4 very nicely and I think it needs sorting ASAP.

Off to the local nursery when DD wakes up. I have a bit of spare money and it's burning a hole in my pocket. Have my eye on some osteospermum voltage yellow after watching GW. Also need some grasses to fill gaps in the front borders.

Front garden is proving tricky to fill. At 55msq it's bigger than it looks. I hope it doesn't end up looking mish-mash as I desperately try to fill the beds. My plan this year is for jewel like colour. It started with purple and orange but...well you know how it is.

Congrats to those with Chelsea tickets. Very Envy I've only ever been to Harrogate and local shows. Hope the weather is good for you all this coming weekend. Hoping for plenty of Happy trowelling.

Dawnywoo · 04/04/2013 11:21

Oh Wynken in answer to your question, it's funny but I find myself drawn to the same old favourites plant and tree wise (ceanothus, spirea, clematis, fruit trees) but at least I'm forced to look at a different style as it's more cottagey here. The last house was very modern. Garden was terraced - patio, raised beds, bamboos, eucalyptus. Thankfully the gardens here are flat!

rhihaf · 04/04/2013 19:14

Castle, Wynken and Rhubarb: thank you for your advice! Yes, it is hard in a dry sort of way, so maybe underneath-watering is the way to go. Erm, what is capillary matting? Blush

Humph: yey to the food festival! It's a bit far for us to go, so I have NEVER been Shock despite intending to for the last 5 yrs. Great news re greenhouse, most exciting Grin. This calls for a celebratory Wine! [Hands round tray of mismatched glasses of vino to all in potting shed)

Dawnywoo: hello and welcome back! I to love hearing about everyone's gardens, it's fab isn't it? [settles down into beanbag] Biscuit anyone?

rhihaf · 04/04/2013 19:16

That should have been 'too', not 'to' [hates bad spelling/grammar] Blush

Original poster
Blackpuddingbertha · 04/04/2013 20:21

Greenhouse Envy

Humphrey, do we get to help you choose as an excuse for us all to ponder greenhouses and dream?

Though I do quite well in the conservatory as a substitute.

Snowing today. Again. It will end won't it?

On a happier note my pebbles arrived today to go around the arbour. Still need an additional strong man to move it off the patio though.

OP posts:
WynkenBlynkenandNod · 04/04/2013 20:29

Dawney, Maybe that's a good thing, using your favourite plants but in a different way , a kind of moving on fresh start ?

Rhihaf, this is capillary matting. It just absorbs a fair bit of water and the plants can take it up from below.

Bertha I don't think he'll notice staging, it's shelving or storage, useful stuff, you can never have too much storage can you ?!

This snow malarkey is worrying me, it's not settling is it ? I'm coming home tomorrow and am not into the idea of snowy roads...

Castlelough · 04/04/2013 21:42

Ooh another party! I love this potting shed (did I already mention that?! Grin)

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 04/04/2013 21:44

Another party?

::waggles glass, hopefully::

Original poster
Blackpuddingbertha · 04/04/2013 21:56
OP posts:
Original poster
Blackpuddingbertha · 04/04/2013 21:57

Saw a sign advertising a village flower show today; may go along just to see what on earth no one has managed to grow!

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Original poster
Blackpuddingbertha · 04/04/2013 21:58

anyone not 'no one'. Wine's good tonight Smile

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ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 04/04/2013 22:03

Thank you for the wine!

::weeps at the sheer beauty of the Gabriel Ash website::

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