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...

I see that "Gardening" has been promoted to first on the list of topics within "Homes and Gardens".

No less than this splendid subject deserves.

Elderberry champers all round!

Welcome Freddie

Mousy you need to check sweet corn by peeling back a teeny bit of the outer covering and peeking at the corn. If it looks fat and yellow then stick your nail in one and it should leak a white fluid if it's ready. Unless yours had a head start they've probably got a few weeks to go yet. Sweet corn straight from the plant is amazing

Visited a hotel today which had the most fantastic gunnera growing along a stream punctuated by massive weeping willows. It was beautiful.

Got to catch up with GW yet.

Hello, freddie - let's talk about mulch. Absolutely right that tree chip mulch leaches goodies from the soil, and the reason I use it is Australian native plants like poor soil, so I now only use native tree mulch.

What IS important is the size of the chips: the finer the mulch, the less rain gets through, and this applies to any mulch, so big chips are better. You may find it's worth having the mulched tree, and topping up with nutrients or using tree chips around a tree.

Monty Don said mulch sooner rather than later, though he meant this as in spring, when the soil is moist, not waiting for the weather to warm up.

Hi freddie novice here too. I've been busy with the dds off school mostly beach and we're off to Cornwall on Friday. So not much gardening :(

Thanks for the Alliums link winken I've ordered some. :)

Dh has ordered a couple more composters so we will have 4 and will try Monty's system. Have a cheap chipper from screwfix which helps and stuff we made in February is almost ready.

Does anyone know a good place to get Hostas ? I've decided that as we have so many birds I will try some in the ground and some in pots, I really like them and as the garden is quite shady they will work well.

Hello everyone.

I'm just back from my hols. The garden seems to have survived pretty well - I gather it's been quite cool here, which probably helped - and I spent some time mentally redesigning the bits I don't like. Didn't do much garden visiting in France, but we did see an exhibition about Le Notre and a gorgeous lavender-scented recreation of one of his designs.

Bumbez - I got some lovely bare-root hostas free from J Parkers with my order this spring. They were unnamed varieties, which I grew to give away as I officially Don't Do Hostas anymore, but they made good strong little plants.

I collected some seed heads today a la Monty... Would anyone like some Astrantia in the post? 'Venice' I think, or could be 'Roma'.

I bought a couple of pond plants from a specialist aquatics centre the other day too - a bright pink water lily and an oxygenating grass-like thing. The duckweed had been multiplying very dramatically in the hot sunny weather (pond is in full sun for slightly more than half the day) but it doesn't seem to have bothered the frogs/spawn and the waterboatmen. I didn't get my water irises back this year though, which is sad as they were a gorgeous colour/pattern.

Hello, TyneFilth. How are you? I was just wondering how many days it is until B (for baby) Day?

I would love some astrantia seed. My 'Roma' died over the winter, although my unnamed white one is still going strong.

Hi Tynefilth I would love some astrantia seed too, and I would definitely be up for an osteospermumsnet trip to see Monty.

Rhubarb my current favourite red, orange and/or yellow plant is Oenothera versicolor ?Sunset Boulevard?. They are quite architectural small but nicely spiky, and the flowers change through all those colours during the day.

Hello Maud and . These ones are purplish. I put a picture up earlier this year on fb, I'll share it to the group if I can find it now.

Maximum of three weeks to baby. Been trying all the usual tricks...! Eviction demand has so far been ignored though. Am still technically working, but not commuting in other than one day a week. Might schlep in after rush hour on Tuesday just so I can say "today actually!" through gritted teeth breezily if when people ask. I am looking like a bit of a galleon in full sail - as you know I am small/medium of frame which just makes bump look like a ridiculous carbuncle on me. Baby has given up kicking my ribs and is now kicking my boobs.

had to google astrantia
they would do really well in my border. it is a bit dominated by two yellow roses.

And Bearleigh too! Are you London/HCs and accessible to that Monty night then?

MN trip to see Monty? What have I missed?

::books facial::

I have received an invitation via the gardening society to take part in a telly series with Monty. They are looking for people who want to do something extraordinary with their small garden. Do you think burying the landscaper who boogered up my garden path would count?

I'm accessible for the Monty night too but DH away that week and my mother already having the DDs for two days as I'm also away so I'm not sure I can swing another nights babysitting . Tempted to ask though...

Getting excited about the first potting shed baby

Well I'm planning a home birth so play your cards right and I'll try to post a newborn picture from the actual potting shed!

::desperate and shrill::

What Monty night?

::books session with personal trainer::

Rake! Can't wait for a photo of the baby from the potting shed Was thinking of you and being jealous that you are further along than I am

Welcome back, Maud. How exciting that you might get Monty helping with your garden!

Bearleigh - I LOVE that oenothera. Thanks. I've never grown them; are they easy?

TyneFilth - I'd love some Astrantia seeds too please, how kind of you. I may be able to get to the Monty night out too. I shall investigate babysitting avenues.

Maud, calm!

Bearleigh Sun 18-Aug-13 16:34:59
I know there are some Monty Don fans here. He is going to be hosting 'An Evenng with Monty Don" at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill in Surrey on Tuesday 8 October at 19.30.

How many weeks for you, Humphrey?

Rhubarb - I won't be applying because they're obviously looking for someone who's going to do a major revamp and I haven't got the time/inclination/budget/desire for that - the fiasco with the garden path has rather put me off big projects.

And bother to the evening with Monty. It clashes with Brownies. Would I be failing in my duty as a Brown Owl if I cancelled Brownies for the sake of Monty?

Maud, I would sacrifice the Brownies for Monty....

I have about 7 weeks to go. But I roughly know when I am having the baby due to a planned section. Gardening is totally out now due to wobbly pelvis.

Perhaps I can leave the Brownies in others' [trained] hands.

::tempted::

Oh dear to the wobbly pelvis, Humph. How is the rest of normal life? Is there life apart from gardening?

Isn't that what Snowy Owls are for, Maud?

Invited to have Monty in your garden!!!!!!!!!! This sounds v exciting. maud can I come and visit before Monty changes everything?
rake good luck with baby.
Do you have to book tickets for this October thing?
The garden was having lots of flowers blooming yesterday- the warmth means the plants are still growing!

That's what I'm thinking, Rhubarb, although the logistics would still be quite tricky for me.

Hi everyone,

My garden is also enjoying the cooler weather and recovering nicely. I finally have my first cosmos in flower and the verbana plugs I put on at the start of the summer are now up to my waist.

I am amazed that I too have climbing pumpkins. The patch I made with two tiny seedlings has run riot an offshoot has scrambled up my jasmine bush and is now forming a lovely hanging fat green fruit!

I am coveting my neighbours hot pink petunias as I didn't get around to planting any at all this year. I might try them from seed. Does anyone know how easy or not they are?

I was annoyed as I'd already paid full price for the T&M alium collection... But I did get the 24 pantsemon for 24p and English bluebells on special offer. I now have approx 350 bulbs to plant this autumn... Can anyone recommend a tool to help?