Rhubarb Appreciation Society

[Blackpuddingbertha]

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.

I have just succumbed to the blandishments of T&M and ordered three tree peonies. One for me, one for my dad's birthday present and goodness knows where I'll find space for the third!

I had a very quick potter around the garden earlier and was pleased to see new growth on the pound shop gooseberry, which I had thought was dead. Otherwise, everything is so far behind where it was last year. I have got almost nothing to exhibit in our spring show.

Rhubarbgarden It is at Oakgrove college just outside of worthing.
It is a special needs secondary school and all the plants are grown by the pupils. I will put all the details up when they publish the dates when the kids go back to school. The sale usually lasts for at least a week as they have 2 giant poly tunnels worth to sell. The left overs get given to the local hospice for them to plant in their gardens.
It is a great project and the kids are lovely.

Maud i have 2 tree peonies i bought with me when we moved last feb. They suffered a bit in the move but i am expecting great things from them this year.

That's good to hear, cantspel. I have the yellow one (lutea) but I succumbed to the charms of a white one and have just decided I can squeeze the dark red one into my Venetian (I wish) border.

Aaah! Now Hayloft Plants are tempting me with a half-price viola offer. I guess plant sales are low this month, hence the bombardment of alluring deals!

are we all convened for the Friday night potting shed party in front of GW? I have my half glass of wine, clink clink!

::clinks glasses with Lexy::

Now I am coveting hepaticas, although I can't provide the conditions they need. As with pulsatilla.

Watching corrie with my kids. I hope GW comes onto iplayer quickly.

I bought a hanging basket kit from aldi today for £5. Nice basket too!

That sounds like a good deal! One of the gaping voids in my life is that I have never been to Aldi. I am a devotee of Lidl's gardening stuff, though.

No Lidl near me but Aldi has had loads of plants lately. I've always found them to be good. I've got a mushroom kit waiting to start off too.

Ooh those Hepaticas... and what a beautiful alpine house he had to grow them in. I took the opportunity to point out to dh that he should be grateful I'm only after a modest lean-to .

It reminded me of the wonderful, awe inspiring alpine house at Kew. My favourite of the glasshouses at Kew even though it's quite teeny compared to the others.

Thanks for that, Cantspel. Worthing isn't far at all so I'll be sure to pop along.

As a fair weather gardener can i rejoin?How have you all been gardening in this weather?We have had a blanket of snow over the hills for the past 2 weeks.The local farmers have lost loads of lambs due to the snow and really cold nights.However it was sunny today and the daffs,crocuses,scilla,primroses,anemone blanda were open and looking pretty ravishing.The multi coloured primulas are only just starting to flower and hellebores are glowing in the shade.Congratulations Humph on your news and hello to everyone new.It took me a while to find the thread with the new cool heading.

Mine are both the dark red. They were in pots when i moved but since then one has gone in a corner of the front garden and the other along the fence in the back.

I am another lidl fan and i had to tie my hands behind my back to stop myself buying one of the £29.99 cold frames but i did weaken to the lure of their bulbs and bought yet more lilies for the raised beds.

Welcome Marien and welcome back teta.

Big congratulations to Humphrey. Waves wine glass around again

Popped into Sainsbury's today and they had more if the baby solanum glasnevin plants that turned into my gigantic one. So bought two more! One is a white one. Have no idea where they're going to go though.

Also went into Lidl and was very tempted by a garden shredder. Would love to shred before putting stuff in the compost (just like Monty). Missed GW tonight but will catch up on I player.

Happy Friday!
What a week.
I have now caught up on that fabulous walled garden greenhouse porn and tree peony frenzy and germination of littleHumph news and join in a welcome to newcomers. Its lovely to be back.
Monty and his team are divine. I came back from my sunless neon lit NHS week looking eagerly forward to seeing flowers etc to find only a couple of late snowdrops, and could have hugged Monty endlessly when he opened his programme with those shots of a garden looking as flowerless as mine. Sheer genius.
Those alpines and their owner were just adorable and brilliant inspiration for woodland under deciduous trees.
So. I am going to repot the bamboo on the verandah in a suitable container in suitable compost this weekend. Always something to do, said she, wandering off happily...goes to inspect bamboo nodes..... hahaha that bit was hilarious.

::distributes to all in need::

I have a horrible feeling that I ought to repot my bamboo but it will be a hideous task, because of the shape of the pot. Rather uncharitably, I didn't like the tank into which Monty put his bamboo but I suppose it will improve with weathering.

Blackpuddingbertha get the shredder. i love mine and there is something very satisfying about feeding in bits of branch and watching them come out again the size of 5p pieces. But then i am a sucker for garden power tools

Hi all. Can I join? Thought 'sod it' t'other day and have bought some veggies hoping that it'll inspire the Warner weather fat chance
Been growing my own for years now and usually grow from scratch. Had a baby though 5 months ago which forced me to sit on my bum and eat cake change priorities so this year am plugging it! Getting so frustrated with crappy weather tho!
Dug over the veggie patch so it's all ready and waiting.
Now where's this blackberry gin...?

Welcome, Elvis. Here ....

Lidl have shredders?! I could really do with one. Must sort out a strimmer first though.

I went into Wilkinson's today and was very impressed by their gardening section.

Welcome Elvis!

Problem is I'd need a new shed to keep the shredder in as the others are full already!

Hi Elvis.

Maud for some reason I read your post as needing to 'report' your bamboo. I panicked slightly while I pondered what a bamboo could do that would be reportable!

Thanks .. I don't usually drink, being a lifelong teetotaller, but as its virtual and as its you Maud oh, here's Elvis, perhaps I'll offer some on.....Welcome Elvis!
Agree about the nature of the bamboo container, Maud, a possible design faux pas there.
Is any one of the age to remember 'Silent Spring'? Somehow I'm reminded of that filmlet this year. I'm going to try and plant plant bee and butterfly loving plants even more than usual: cornflower and yarrow seeds are going to crowd the windowsill. Did your buddleias survive?

Oh I think I'll have some after all .

All the wine here, funnyperson, is virtual so you don't need to renounce your teetotalism.

I got three buddleias last year as plugs and annoyingly the one I liked best simply perished - vanished without a trace - when I planted it out. I thought buddleias were indestructible! Anyway, I'll be planting the others this year and as they'll be that bit bigger I'm hoping they'll survive. I have also just acquired three more as part of a T&M variety pack which, frankly, I don't want. I'll probably donate them to the garden society bring and buy sale.

My buddleia is indestructible. It would be, as its an unfashionable light mauve. Had it been white or deep purple, I daresay it would have died.

At present it is in the front garden with the Dogwood (fashionable) and Generous Gardener rose (classic piece). Cotoneaster horizontalis and weeping aubretia trail over the front garden walls. This spring I will also plant the green and orange Olympic roses in the front, which I have been nurturing in pots, (Maud I will take cuttings for you) with Alchemilla Mollis, various clematis, purple sage, lavender and thyme. Valerian, tulips, forgetmenots and aquilegia already thrive there. So far so good, and a matter of planting out with compost, since everything is already in patio pots overwintering.
Now, how to ensure that it appears a happy whole......

I read Silent Spring when I was a student. Very inspiring.