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.

[HumphreyCobbler]

I have just done some research and our verge is not on the protected list. I suppose I should be glad that some of the verges in Monmouthshire are protected and are not cut until August.

I love cow parsley, it is my favourite flower.

[RakeABedOfTyneFilth]

Poo Bums to Monmouthshire council and their overenthusiastic ride-on mowers. thththtppppp (sound of juvenile but cathartic raspberry-blow)
Hurrah for veg recipes!
Welcome to new recruits!
And I too have achieved an accidental rhubarb/strawberry companion planting fluke!

Didn't get anything done this weekend - too much going on. nearly bought tomato seedlings from a scout stall at a fair on Sunday but held myself back. Enjoyed a lovely walk down a blossoming, positively quivering with spring growth, Kent country lane on the way to a baby shower at a naice country hotel.

When I said about getting GW to do a feature, my god I didn't mean actually put us on the telly!! just maybe, some pictures of gardens, or... oh... I don't know, it was never a very well formed idea at all!

Must check my seedlings on the shed windowsill (herbs, various collected seed) and the growhouse (Sweet peas, cosmos, salad) this afternoon. I know I have a couple of broad bean/pea shoots in a maxi canvas planter, and a few dwarf beans in a patio trough. Did I label any of them? Did I heck. I have a lot of turnip seedlings in a very small trough planter which I need to thin out (going to eat them as baby veg so the size of the trough is ok).

My rockery allium flower heads have split and are about to unfurl completely... so excited! In the mid zone I planted Schubertii (pink, about 10 inches tall and very wide blooms) amongst some rather taller and dark purple iris, which was a bit silly. It is going to be too dense there and the heights are all wrong. On the top part of the rockery are the tall purple globe alliums and red crocosmia - bit of a riot - and a couple of random lupins (no idea what colour) and at the back a red pillar berberis which is not really going to be seen till the iris/alliums/crocs die down. Near the front I have a bald patch where some other alliums haven't come up this year. Think I will put cosmos and stocks there.

[HumphreyCobbler]

I love Schubertii - there were some lovely examples at the Malvern Show. Our alliums are nowhere near actually unfurling, although they have flower heads now. Turnips seedlings sound delicious. I am about to eat some purple sprouting from a friend's garden, the pigeons had all of ours when it snowed. I will net next year.

Thanks for the cathartic raspberry.

[onefewernow]

Digerd, I used to have the m grandiflora (exmouth?).

It flowered the following year and each thereafter. It had a lovely lemony petfume too. But it had to go, as I had put it against a tall garden wall separating my garden from next door, on the patio. It raised all the slabs eventually, and we had to replace the patio. I'm not sure if we planted it badly, or whether the problem was that we had just planted it in one single slab place, which we had left for planting purposes.

[Blackpuddingbertha]

My allium flower heads are just starting to split; they are at the point where they look a bit like thistle flowers. The anticipation is wonderful though.

I will attempt to move the lily tomorrow. Bought some more mint today, I am determined to keep some alive this time. Why can I not grow mint? Having some for tea tonight in a frittata with homegrown asparagus and eggs from the chickens. The potatoes were donated from a farmer client and will team it with some baby salad leaves from conservatory thinnings so it sort of feels like a fully self-sufficient meal if I ignore the feta cheese

[Bumbez]

Good evening every one. I've just skimmed all the posts. Interesting about Rhubarb and strawberries I've uncovered lots of them under a rampant euphorbia, already in flower. I'll move a few to help the Rhubarb which despite planting at the wrong time is doing really well.

It's funny about courgettes failing to germinate I had the same problem the ones I sewed in seed compost still haven't come up but some seed left in the packet got wet and did germinate so I planted them. I now have 13 small plants. Maybe it's worth soaking them first ?

There's a picture of half my garden on my profile, I tried to put more photos on but couldn't (not sure why)

Any way it is very overgrown, lots of out of control hawthorn and various other shrubs and hedge. We've basically just been slashing and burning, the plan is eventually to have a circular patio in the bottom right corner under the pine tree. The garden is north facing and clay, and has been very wet for most of the winter.

What does everyone do about dandelions? There must be about 400 plants in my lawn:( . Dd says I can't use pesticide because of the bees, I paid the dds to pick all the flowers 500 converts to one beanie boo- they now have two beanie boos!

[MousyMouse]

bumbez
looks lovely! and like a lot of work.

dandelions: lovely flowers and very bee friendly. a lawn obsessed neighbour used to cut them out with a tool that looks a lot like an apple corer. I just leave them in tbh.
did you know that during/after the war people made a coffee substitue from the roots? and the leaves are apparently very healthy (but very bitter)

[Blackpuddingbertha]

I don't mind dandelions either. But then my lawn has more moss, clover, dandelions, and daisies and holes the dog has dug than grass. I draw the lines at spiky thistley things though as they hurt your feet!

[HumphreyCobbler]

Bumbez, it looks lovely.

I am slightly stressed about the dandelions in our lawn, they get on my nerves. I want to target them with a weedkiller but am pregnant so am avoiding weedkillers atm. We deliberately grow lots of bee friendly flowers, I don't want the dandelions too. There are millions in the field next door and in the orchard. I never get all of them out with a daisy grubber. The Daisies and clover can stay.

DH put in the remaining box cuttings around the round veg patch, so we will have a hedge in a few years. Tbh we find the roundness of this patch a real challenge, I don't think we have yet succeeded in making it look right. Box hedging will help. We now have an asparagus bed in the middle of one of the beds, so that is always going to be there. There are globe artichokes planted on each corner that are just getting going after a very patchy start last year. I want it to be a real potager, but it is tricky!

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

That looks lovely Bumbez.

Having mowed the green stuff in the front garden today I have concluded I don't actually have a lawn there, just moss and weeds. I am pretending dandelions aren't happening.

With the round veg bed Humph I think you're right, box hedging will help. Could you make another circle in the middle and stick in something like a dwarf fruit tree or a bean wigwam or herbs, then put more box in to make 4 sections which would help with crop rotation ? Then you can plant each section with a mix of veg and flowers. Or pebbled paths to break it up a bit.

I've split the allotment into quarters with a diamond in the middle using the stones from the plot as paths. Bigger bits of stone and brick edge the paths. It does look a lot more ornamental then the ones not divided or edged in wood. Then things like crimson flowered broad beans, rainbow chard, purple flowered/podded beans mixed in with some that produced yellow pots, golden sweet mange tout, purple flowered peas, red cabbage and lettuces, yellow courgettes, lemon crystal cucs and calendula all looked lovely when I did them the first year.

[HumphreyCobbler]

It has paths through it with a millstone in the middle - but three sections of beds. You are so right, doing it in quarters would have been so much easier with the rotations. Your allotment sounds lovely Wynken, that is just the kind of thing we need to go for. I think our mistake the last two years is to under plant - this is because I so seriously overplanted the first year! We need to cover the ground more. And yes, more flowers. We did sweet pea arches the first year, which were lovely but got so rampant we couldn't get through the arches.

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

It's not looking so good at the moment, very empty - everything is waiting in the greenhouse. That sounds lovely with the millstone in the middle. I always have done rows as easy to chuck a hoe round but am thinking blocks might be good for a change and could be effective in your circle . It is hard to get the balance right though, I think it takes a few years, I'm not there yet.

My allotment neighbour planted flax as a barrier round their carrots last year, looked really pretty when it flowered. Her Mum has a section for cutting flowers and they really do look lovely. I've been been very boring and stuck to calendula but am going to put some cosmos in this year as have a fair few and want some cornflowers .

[Bumbez]

Thanks everyone :)

I desperately need to cut the grass but it won't stop raining.

Your round veg bed sounds lovely humphrey

We will eventually have some raised beds due to the clay soil and poor drainage. For now I've used some reusable grow bags with our own compost. I'm going to compare results with bought grow bags.

[Bumbez]

I guess I'm going to have to put up with the dandelions, as long as I keep decapitating they can't spread any more.
< off to google dandelion coffee>

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

I have dandelions in flower too and it's too wet at the moment to go out to decapitate them.

My cerinthe seedlings are very leggy. I saw once on the telly that you can deal with this by planting seedlings much deeper when you pot them on. Has anyone tried this? Does it work or does it just encourage them to rot?

[funnyperson]

I like your veg plot wynken it sounds colourful and edible.
Hm yes my cerinthe seedlings are leggy too. I thought that was because they are still at the windowsill stage in the on call room. However deep planting sounds like a useful technique. Are your seedlings outside?
The echinacea seeds have finally germinated!

I am very excited because I have managed to get tickets for the Chelsea flower show on Saturday through the RHS website. I have never been and will be taking my mother! We are planning to get there at the crack of dawn. I'm not sure what is best to do for food there, or whether to stay for the infamous sell-off has anyone any experience?

[HumphreyCobbler]

I wish I was going to Chelsea. Have a lovely time funnyperson.

DH and I were planning the holidays we will have when the dc find us too embarrassing to accompany on holiday anymore. We are going to drive around Europe, going from famous garden to famous garden.

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

FP I feel your excitement, I am the same ! It's a week tomorrow I'm going and coming round rapidly and I am pathetically excited about it. We won't be able to get there till about midday though so have booked there turn coach for 8.30pm to make the most of it.

Finally cracked and ordered some Cerinthe seeds.

[Blackpuddingbertha]

That sounds lovely Humphrey. Wish my DH showed a bit of interest in gardens.

I've been thinking of late about the garden and why it's so appealing to do. I absolutely understand why I find the veg plot so fabulous as it is incredibly satisfying to grow your own food. It makes me feel earthy and wholesome. But, I think the only reason I enjoy the long bed is because it's pretty. And because it's pretty it makes me smile. I don't think I do anything else just because it looks nice. It feels sort of self indulgent in some way. In a good way.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Yes, it's (nearly) all about the prettiness for me. It's like painting in 3d, however imperfectly I do it.

T&M emailed me today, offering 6 cerinthe plants for 1p plus postage. Probably better value than my leggy seedlings!

I hope all if you who are going - and especially funnyperson's mum - enjoy Chelsea. I'm looking forward to the tv coverage.

[HumphreyCobbler]

I cannot paint or draw, or play music to a high standard. I can't write. I CAN make a garden, which can aspire to be beautiful. It unlocks the creativity in all of us, I think. A flower is more beautiful than any thing I could ever make, and I cause those flowers to be. No wonder we all like gardening so much.

[RakeABedOfTyneFilth]

Humph that was proper poetic there!! This is such a brilliant time of year for seeing the fruits of our labours isn't it... it's all wet and lush and green where it's planted, and if you can't get to the lawn to cut it it just gets longer and greener and somehow more deep and vivid.

I feel I am really wasting space where I still haven't sown my veg. I need to go through the seed box again and try to find all the perennial things I meant to put in. Cardoon was one, definitely. Wondering about making a quite significantly raised bed within the border at its narrowest point and putting ericaceous compost in it for blueberries and cranberries. They are nearly outgrowing their trough planter.

[cantspel]

I am a happy bunny today as finally my bid up order has arrived.

I have 2 glam rock hydrangea( bit on the small side but time and some loving care will take care of that)
20 Oriental Lily Bulbs (didn't need and dont really have space for but reduced at £7.99 so couldn't resist and the ones i cant cram into the lily garden will go in pots)
3 pineapple lily bulbs (again will go in pots) and
12 Begonia Picotee (to go in troughs along the wall of the patio)

I also bought a strawberry planter complete with strawberry plants for £8 for the ms centre plant sale. So need to make a cloche for it or the seagulls will be enjoying my strawberries rather than me.

My new mop also arrived but that is less exciting

[HumphreyCobbler]

I love the sound of a lily garden cantspel.

I just spent a very happy hour in the greenhouse, planting some broccoli, red nasturtiums, red opium poppies and more broad beans. I wish we had got the new water butts in place, the rain we had last night! Three inches in the bottom of the trough. I used it to water my scented geraniums that I rescued from my morning sickness neglect, they are doing really well after a bit of loving care.

[cantspel]

Humphrey It is new for this year and i am hoping for great things from it.
It started life as a large fish pond. 3 large raised interconnecting squares in the centre of the patio. The fish are long gone and i have planted all 3 squares with a selection of different lilies. I have everything from arum lilies to even a couple of tree lilies in there. I have also added some allium and will under plant with bedding plants (or anything else i see a little gap for)

I general idea is just to have a riot of colour at all different heights. It will either be stunning or a bit of a mess but you dont know until you try but if nothing else the bees should love it.

I was chatting to my dad yesterday and he seems to have taken up a bit of guerilla gardening and has been busy with wild flower seeds in public areas around his house. He is over 80 and has found a new mission in life to brighten up public footpaths.