…if winter comes, can Spring be far behind? 2014 beckons us...

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Okay, so the height of summer is yet to scorch the nethers of those in this wide brown land of Orstrylia, but welcome to the MNettie gardeners of the world. Prop up your sagging fences, evict the rats from your decking, and find a use for that poinsettia.

Rhubarb and strawberry crumble is good.

Just had a blissful hour sorting out the greenhouse, potting on penstemon cuttings and salvias, planting the hostas ready for the copper pot and generally tidying up, all with baby Cobbler sleeping happily whilst strapped to my back

Very earth mother Humph!

I had a lovely day in the garden yesterday. I dug up an Phormium that had, ahem, got a little too large. I was expecting a right old tussle as it was so huge, but in the end its root ball was small and easy to dislodge. I loved its spikiness though so will look for a dwarf one.

I also dug out a Bowles' Mauve perennial wallflower, which was half bare because of the phormium, and also because I have decided I don't actually like the colour of the flowers. Has anyone any experience of the more recherché varities, such as Erysimum Rysi Moon? (looks lovely - lemon and white - Hayloft have them).

Just been out there this afternoon... our back garden lawn is a total swamp! We are going to have some serious remedial maintenance to do in the spring. I've been out in the evening sun in the front garden (south facing) digging up clumps of snowdrops and aconites. I separated them on the wall and put them into big pots with other rescued bulbs - so we'll see how they do having been moved 'in the green'.

Got mud right under my fingernails because the snowdrop clumps had been invaded by mint roots and I had to dig up by hand, i.e. loosen the soil with the fork and then literally get my hands under the clump and pull the snowdrops out backwards from the bulbs so the shoots slipped through their imprisoning minty tendril cage...

I've only got the Bowles Mauve which was a new addition last year. How lovely to have clumps of snowdrops big enough to split, maybe one day..

Someone on the muddy dog thread recommended a Hozelock Portashower which has just arrived as the mud has been getting a bit much. I've just tested it out on my muddy boots. I think it's going to be really handy for the allotment and cleaning the greenhouse.

Lovely sunny day here but couldn't go outside as had to spend the day tending sick smallrhubarb. The NGS open garden will have to wait till next week as there'll be no farming her out tomorrow. If only it was summer and I could stick her outside in a chair like a Victorian invalid while I did some weeding. As it is it looks like being another day of CBeebies on the sofa. Groan.

Humph your greenhouse and potting shed activities sound heavenly! Are they near each other? Talk me through why I need a potting shed as well as a greenhouse in my future garden plan...! Just so I'll have it on the tip of my tongue for DH.
Love the image of baby gardening! Could you strap yours on Rhubarb?

Lovely to hear about everybody's rhubarb. I had rhubarb tart for the first time a few years ago and it was delicious!

I managed to plant my bare root roses today. The pots weren't quite deep enough so I will need to replant them when i get larger pots but at least they are into some soil for now.

Can I ask for advice regarding Christmas trees? I bought two small potted Christmas trees before Christmas. A few people have said I should plant them in the garden, but that's all well and good in December. I wouldn't want them to be too imposing the rest of the year, or stand out oddly in the garden. And yet you'd really need to have them somewhere visible for the festive season or there wouldn't be any point in having them...! What do you think I should do?

*Rhubarb tart for the first time a few DAYS ago I meant to say!

You need a potting shed because your greenhouse will be full of plants! Especially as your DH will have taken up too much space with box cuttings The potting shed is opposite the greenhouse and round the other side from the garden.

I would have the trees in pots myself, but will the pots need to be really big? may be difficult to move

hope smallrhubarb feels better soon Rhubarb

Castle, could you just pot them into bigger containers so you can move them into prime position in the festive season?

Rhubarb, it's not so much the soil that's the problem as the lack of it. There is a massive flint layer about 6 in down which we think was an original courtyard / drive but it's everywhere. You have to use a pickaxe to dig. clematis get wilt if I plant them out but they're fine in pots, i think thats because i cant dig a big enough hole with good stuff in it. Everything grows perfectly well the other side of the fence

My tulips are peeping up.

Humph that sounds lovely.

I'm pretty sure my DH won't have the greenhouse filled with box cuttings either .

Would love if he would!!! There will be much exasperated sighing and rolling of eyes from his quarters, I predict, when I get started on my garden. He has 140 acres of farm and is being a right grinch about the 2/3 acre surrounding our house. I have spelled it out very clearly that I have moved 3 hrs drive away from my family and friends to live with him in one of the most rural (but idyllic) parts of Ireland and he is going to have allow me a few concessions - the garden and a dog!

Bertha that's a good idea about pots. Hmmm big pots for the Christmas trees....wheel them out and wheel them away again....hmmm I like it!

Whenever I think of erysimum I picture the Kensington gardens/Regents park spring displays of yore which used to have various mass planted tulips in monochrome with contrasting colours of erysimum in monochrome providing the foil. Whilst impressive and cheering and photo worthy it was always too regimented to be something one could re create in the home garden.
A local dentist has old fashioned wallflowers every spring in rusts and oranges which are always rather lovely.
Tulip colours are more subtle these days of course.

Anyway I liked the look of the yellow wallflower you mentioned rhubarb what would you plant it with?
I'd like a potting shed /greenhouse, I'm not sure which, to potter about in with cuttings etc. At the moment because the back is so small sheltered I can't really justify it and simply have to wrap up warm and brave the rain to potter about.

I love old fashioned brown and orange wallflowers too funnyperson

Castlelough - where you live sounds beautiful. Farmers are often indifferent about gardens, aren't they? You sound v determined though

I'm quite fond of my Bowles' Mauve - it performs well and is about to flower, which is very welcome at the moment as the garden is so drab.

I also like the Persian Carpet mix of wallflowers, as the colours are so rich.

I love wallflowers. The ones we had in our garden growing up had a lovely scent. Not sure what variety but yellows and refs and browns.

I love the smell of wallflowers, and I love the colours of the Persian Carpet mix but to me they are too autumnal for spring!

A couple of years ago I saw some bright pink wallflowers combined with purple ones, in Kensington Gardens, and they looked gorgeous, so I grow them now in one bed and lovely pale lemon wallflowers with white tulips (thanks for the idea, Monty) in another one.

That sounds really pretty Bearleigh, I especially love pink and purple.

I tried to grow some scarlet wallflowers from seed but they failed to thrive, I don't know what I did wrong there. SO we bought some for the pots along the drive and the bed by the back door.

Humph your garden sounds huge!

Snow and hail here today. My poor baby roses.... . And a little yellow crocus has bravely opened it's face to the elements today.

The actual garden bit is about the same size yours will be I think Castle

Ah, well. We've had to shut our doors against the bushfire smoke that penetrates avery open window and door.

The worst of the scalding sun is over for damaging plants, but no rain, so in the autumn, a couple tanks to go in, and in winter uproot the plants that can't take a scorcher and plant the right natives and Mediterraneans.

Our flowering gum, only 2 feet high, with vivid orange pompoms came up a treat, then got blasted, but has instantly put on new growth.

Even apart from the heat, late summer in Au has much the same aspect as in the UK, a struggle to find interest in flowers.

We can send you some rain Echt

Wynken, have you used the porta shower thing on your dog? I was tempted to get one too after reading that thread.

The gum sounds lovely Echt. I hope the fires don't spread too much.

Bertha yes I have used it twice now. It's made a big difference to the amount of mud in the car and the house , big relief as was getting a bit ridiculous. I do think it will be handy for allotment and garden too.

Gosh it's almost impossible to imagine scalding heat and bush fires whilst surrounded by flooding. It's a startling contrast. Hope you are not badly affected Echt. Your gum tree sounds beautiful.

Bertha that must be so annoying re your flint layer. Could you get it dug out? Or would that be an impossibly major job?

I noticed this morning that two of my new baby clematis had disappeared. So as soon as I'd popped ds into bed for his nap I braved the torrents and went out to investigate. The one that was looking a bit dodgy when it arrived appears to have rotted. The other missing one I found had just been buried, presumably by a cat using the freshly weeded and mulched soil as a convenient loo. Hopefully that one will be ok now. I'm a bit peeved about the dead one though.