Tickle the earth with a hoe, and she will laugh with a harvest

[Rhubarbgarden]

Potting shed chat for all those interested in wittering on about gardens and sharing the love of plants. Plenty of dusty old deck chairs to sit on and sloe gin to warm the cockles; join us!

Nunnington sounds gorgeous. I shall be scheduling in a trip to North Yorkshire at some point then! I have friends there who I need to visit anyway.

I went to pick some elderberries but I'm not convinced they are ready yet.

Bertha I'm feeling pretty crapola so I think I'm going to postpone Wisley till Wednesday anyway, so maybe we could meet up over a cuppa and slice of cake!

It's N Yorks near Helmsley, just south of the moors.

That's strange about your elderberries not being ripe - mine are slightly past it and I assumed we'd be later because of being north. I salvaged a few for my own elderberry syrup. BTW, I do the sugar version that keeps very well - boil the berries with enough cold water to cover them, for 20-30 mins, then strain. To the juice, add 1 lb sugar per pint, and the juice of a lemon, boil for 10 more mins and bottle.

Rhubarb The unripe ones are good mixed with the ripe (like normal fruit) they have more pectin in.

Tunip It's further north than Doncaster isn't it? I have cousins there who we only see at funerals That's a long way when we've already come from Fr. .

Yes, another hour or so further than Donc, I'm afraid!
Lots of other nice stuff to see when you're here, though. Rievaulx Abbey's not far.

I know it's lovely oop there I love Whitby.

When babyBearleigh was little we used to borrow my godmother's flat in York and had some lovely holidays in Yorkshire. There is so much to do (Whitby, York, Filey, Scarborough, Flamingo Land) I grew up not far from York, and it was good to go back as a tourist. I went to Nunnington years ago but we didn't go back on our more recent trips. Must do so!

Rhubarb, not sure I'm going to make Wisley at all. After walking ambling the dog for an hour this morning I think I may have over estimated my mobility. But, if a miracle recovery happens between then and now I'll let you know. I think I still have your number from the previous attempt at co-ordinating garden visits.

I've planted my 2 new large shrubby hydrangeas one has white blooms a bit like buddleia and the other has (according to the label) different colour blooms that change with the seasons, they're sort of greyish ATM though . They're against the box hedge that edges the terrace wall in front of our house facing away, it's a good place because it has bulbs and one standard rose and I'd 'grassed' the bed over to control the weed growth. You can have too many flower beds believe me

I love white hydrangeas.

I'm currently dithering over pruning, especially roses. Scared of doing it wrong. Just need to bit the bullet and get on with it!

The RHS book it says to prune hydrangeas in the spring I often pick the dried blooms for xmas though and it doesn't seem to make any difference. I don't reckon it matters with roses my standards respond well to summer pruning.

I've pulled up so many plantains this pm I actually have a blister on my finger, purely from where the stems rubbed against my finger!
More excitingly, our builder was removing a pile of old slates from the front garden and discovered an area of paving. We won't know until the logs from the cut down trees are moved, whether it's the site of a summerhouse or a terrace that goes along the whole of the front. The house is on the side of a hill so paved terrace is possible.

Is anyone else thinking about what tulip bulbs to order?

Tunip:
'pile of old slates'
'paved terrace'

sounds good!

rhubarb where are you with the mega brick washing /scaffolding saga? I know its not gardening but I lost track and was wondering.

I might go to Wisley this friday.

I might well have a look tonight funnyperson. What are you planning?

Am very excited as my whole day a week baby free starts in a couple of weeks. I will be able to garden! Hurrah. I am volunteering in dd's class in the mornings but the afternoons I will be able to get a few hours in the garden.

I love September, it fills me with fresh enthusiasm.

Tunip, I love your description of Nunnington. I must go there one day.

Bertha sorry to hear you're still in a bad way. Do give me a shout if that miracle happens.

Tunip - how exciting that you have found a paved terrace!

funny - we have finished the paint stripping apart from a fiddly bit where the boiler pipes come out. The pointing is finished and the repainting of the window frames is underway. Hopefully only another couple of weeks work.

I have already ordered some tulip bulbs and may buy more this Saturday, when we are having our summer show.

I got a lovely box of mixed 'heritage' (with those delicate shortish wide topped tulips) bulbs last year and planted them to naturalise in a meadow sort of way, they all came up beautifully but our helper cut the grass down too early so I'm crossing fingers they come up in 2015, i'll plant some more anyway (if Jardiland has them this year) just in case.

Another show Maud ?

I got carried away and bought tulip bulbs the other week, when I don't really have anywhere to put them since I don't know what's already in the ground in most places, so I'm going to put them in big pots.

I've also been planting hyacinths.

Hope you feel better soon, Bertha.

I like having bulbs in pots in spring,I've the time to have summer flowers in pots then change them for bulbs on the terrace. Last year for the first time I deadheaded and let the hyacinths die down and I' ve kept them in an airy, dry place, not very dark though so I hope they'll grow again this winter!

sorry I missed that you were poorly Bertha, do hope you are better soon.

Did you keep the hyacinths in their pots, Ppeatfruit, and if so, will you be repotting them this year? I've never done hyacinths before but it would be so nice to have them in the winter when there are no other flowers around.

I deadheaded them and let the leaves go brown and took them out of the pots (they come away easily). Then put in brown paper bags in a dry airy place and I HOPE they'll be ok this xmas when I put them back . (I've never done it before!). I'll let you know

I leave my hyacinths in their pots So far they always come up just fine in March time. Although one changed colour this year.

NHS has been moving very quickly and I'm booked in for some injections in my back tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed it helps.

Hope those injections do the trick, Bertha.

I generally leave hyacinths in the pot but, like tulips, they do seem to fizzle out after a few years.