Potting shed summer party

[Blackpuddingbertha]

Following on from the Blooming into Flaming June thread and all others before it.

The potting shed is open for summer. Elderflower wine aplenty and room for all. Monty will be along later...

Happy New Year to you all!

So, has anyone been in the garden today? It's been far too wet and windy here and I haven't ventured outdoors at all.

no, too windy here.

Happy new year! Yesterday was too wild for gardening here, but it's beautiful today. We have guests though so not a chance of getting anything done...

We are getting

very close to

the end of the thread

now

really?

new thread here

It was a lovely day today. A lady rang, whom I had contacted when I fractured my ribs re bulb planting, and as some are still not planted I have caved in, and she is coming round tomorrow morning and we are going to plant every last one together. I feel as though I am cheating a bit but it seems silly not to face up to reality and realise I am never going to get them planted all by myself this winter unless I get help.

I did have a lovely time shaping the buddlea up front into a peacock last weekend though. (Or it might have been Christmas day) The shape is looking very promising indeed and the tail could be superb when in flower. In time I might trail a brightly coloured clematis through the tail for greater effect. The neck has had to be tied to a lamp post temporarily in order to bend it a bit.

Mums fallen fir tree fell over mums lawn but the nasty neighbour wants their drive resurfaced at mum's expense even though the fir tree went nowhere near their drive.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to create the peacock's face without vast expense? Could I fashion a temporary frame from a coat hanger?

What is the going rate for a gardener? Mum's mafia charge an arm and a leg, but what is reasonable for lesser beings?

Our neighbour pays £10 an hour but it's pretty much labour only; I'm not sure he knows much about actual gardening.

Happy

New

Year

I pay a lot more than £10 hour when I get help in the garden, but that is for a qualified gardener/designer.

Belated

Happy

New

Year

I pay £12 a hour to a retired Met policeman who always wanted to be a farmer. He knows his stuff and has mastered the art of subtly dissuading me from my shove a plant in approach and see what happens. The garden thanks him for it.