Blooming into Flaming June

[Blackpuddingbertha]

Keeping the potting shed party going from the previous Rhubarb Society thread and all threads before it.

Please feel free to join in all gardeners, whether novice, professional or aspiring. Plenty of blackberry gin for all.

I have 5 Giant Phlox to plant tomorrow at the allotment - impulse QVC buy.

I don't even really know what a fecking Phlox is

And what about cake? Is there any cake?

Any recommendations for cakes containing vegetables? We all know Carrot Cake, and I make a lovely Chocolate & Beetroot Cake, and also Lemon & Potato Cake. My local National Trust stately home sometimes has delicious Parsnip Cake.

Any other recipes, please?

Pictures of giant phlox plus a mysterious Klingon

I especially like the startreck phlox. but the colour is better on the herbal ones :)

I do carrot and apple muffins and my courgette cake always goes down well. Am off to google parsnip cake...

Must sow my parsnips actually. The allotted parsnip space is still occupied by the winter cabbage. I need to rearrange my plan.

Is Wynken around? When can I plant out my oca? Does it need to avoid all frost?

Thanks

I think I'd like to grow a Klingon

Oh, someone gave me a recipe for courgette cake, but I've been nervous about trying it. Do you peel your courgettes, BPB?

No peeling involved. Mine's the easiest recipe ever. All in a bowl, stir, cook. Kids love it and aren't even suspicious of the green bits. It's a popular one at courgette glut time.

::Wanders in, clutching a batch of fresh honey madeleines::

This is very nice, Bertha, thank you.

I did enjoy GW tonight. It's a long time since I went to the Malvern show and I agree that the violas were lovely.

And ::arf:: at rhihaf's lewd thoughts of being manhandled by Monty.

Brings a lemon drizzle cake to the new potting shed with the left over bottle of cider from christmas.

Offers half a cup of my brekkie tea as it's Saturday morning here, with 25 promised, so lots to do. Lovely photos on the last thread, so I'll see about putting some up

My mind has wandered from violas to giant phlox. But where to get them, if not sown at home? Those white ones are gorgeous.

Horrid weather here, and ground cold as February.

I know I'm a bit late for the party, but please do have some Home made Madeira Cake with Honey ice cream.

bertha thanks for starting the thread. I never made it on here last night or saw GW due to crazed toddler who will not sleep delightful, alert and playful DD

I'm off to catch up with Monty and the Violas (is it just me or does that sound like a 70's pop group?)

Just marking my place and have a chocolate fudge cake for the chocoholics amongst us as it's been that kind of week.

Bertha, Oca does need to be after the last frosts.

Good morning everyone! A new thread must mean that winter is finally over.
I dont have any vegetable cake recipes but small herby cheesy scones are nice: I use double the fresh chopped herbs in this recipe and cut the scones to 2cm across
INGREDIENTS

200g self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

50g butter

75g Cheddar cheese - grated

1 tablespoon fresh herbs e.g. basil, chive, thyme - torn

1 medium-sized egg - beaten

50ml ? milk to mix

flour ? for rolling out

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Heat the oven to 2300C/Gas 8. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl. Add the butter, ?cut? and rub it in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

1. Add the cheese and the herbs. Mix them in with the table knife. Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Crack the egg into a small bowl, beat it with a fork and pour it into the well.

1. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and mix with the knife to form a stiff, dryish dough. Add more milk if needed.

1. Lightly flour the work surface. Knead the dough very briefly and press it out to a 3cm thickness. Cut out the scones with the cutter and place them on the baking tray.

1. Bake for 8-12 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Serve the scones warm, either on their own or with soup or cheese

If anyone is interested they have the Giant Phlox on the Qvc gardening show at 9am - one of them is white

I hope they grow. I've just noticed that I've also got strawberries, 3 bare root roses, 3 tree peonies, and something else out for delivery today.

I am completely seduced by qvc gardening shows. Their 'Flower Power' feed is amazing - I planted up some hanging baskets in November and they were starting to look really tired a month ago - since I started feeding them this they've gone mental, totally rejuvenated.

Hello everyone!
Just watched GW on iplayer as DH stopped it 2mins into bloody recording last night. Rugby. Humph.

Funny I got RIDICULOUSLY excited at the gardens ok the French one was totally naff, especially the boat one! I suppose I'm a bit anti-establishment (must be the teenager in me making a reappearance) but it seemed to capture the essence of a childhood spent playing wild and stumbling across somebody's once-loved-and-much-used spot, abandoned and taken over by the wonders of nature. Sigh. good job I didn't write this after last night Magic

LaurieFairyCake my mum is a HUGE QVC addict - and I like the look of that phlox...

humph love the sound of that tin bath. A definite bargain.

Bertha I cut some hazel twigs from a tree that had fallen victim to the gales, and have made a sort of round, curly, short wigwam for the peas. They love it! Apparently Victorians used runner beans as a prettification plant over arches etc, your arch-over-gate sounds divine!

Rakeabed at viola conv. I got very confused trying to find the right episode of GW on iplayer because of this - had convinced myself last night's episode must be the previous week's as it had clearly inspired our viola discussion! The GW researcher must lurk on here for ideas...

Yes I loved the idea of the overgrown wild garden and boat: its just the reality of it wasn't what I was expecting- no bikes for one thing, and smaller. Sarfeasticated on the other thread put me in mind of wild green spaces near the docklands, and its that same excited feeling of adventure and place, and half-forgotton growing things. My garden isn't a very tidy garden for this reason. Its not just because I havent got the time but because something which is entirely too tamed and clipped has no mystery. Ever since the beginning of May I have been thinking about bicycles and sun and long grass......

The Malvern garden with the nettles looked truly amazing in the flesh. I loved it, the planting was stunning. I could have transported it whole into my garden. The tv coverage did not do it justice at all. The boat house was a lovely, lovely object and the bike was nestled in the side of the building when I looked at it.

The best in show garden they were all sitting in at the start of GW was impressive but not really to my taste. There were some other gardens that were truly beautiful that they didn't show.

I had the most lovely day

I forgot to say how much I enjoyed looking at the gardens the local schools had made. They were all based on books and were SO imaginative. I would love it if my children were able to take part in making a garden like this.

Lauriefairycake I am another fan of the qvc Flower power. The stuff is amazing plus they do a root booster that is brill if you are moving or putting in new shrubs or bushes.

I have loads of qvc stuff both in the garden and house as my mum is a tv shopping addict. We got their tree peonies a couple of years ago and they are thriving even after we moved them last year when we moved house.

HumphreyCobbler i think all schools should do a garden. It teaches the children so much. My sons school has lovely gardens all done by the children. They grow veg and herbs for the kitchens, make seating areas in woodwork and garden sculptures in metalwork and their own forge