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!

I read a very interesting article in the Telegraph's gardening bit a while ago about buying from wholesalers. It sounds like good fun, but I haven't located any wholesaler near here and, besides, I don't buy in such quantity. My nearest equivalent is our occasional foray to the plant auction when in East Anglia. Last time they had a lovely malus (Golden Hornet, I think) for 1 but as it was 8 feet tall there was no way I could get it home!

I have just had an email about this opportunity to buy lovely plants in a lovely setting.

Another one that can't grow clematis!

Interesting responses re plants. I can never imagine buying that many so wouldn't use a wholesaler. I'm also on a budget too so love to grow things from seed and Aldi, lidl bargains. In some ways I guess you get what you pay for.

Something I should probably stop doing though is buying collections ie 24 assorted Geraniums and stick to more of the same plant. I did resist the Hayloft Penstemon collection for that reason.

rhubarb what plants do you need for your woodland theme?

At least two thirds of all the clematis I have ever planted have simply disappeared.

Love the sound of the woodland border with 204 plants! Do tell us some of them.

Yes I'd like that too!
I can now plant clematis and it lives but doesn't necessarily flower. Monty's method seems to work: Deep hole, compost, firm in, puddle with water. So I have 11 types of clematis, all very leafy, but only 3 have flowered this year .
Next spring I am hoping for great things from Broughton star, Montana Elizabeth, Wisley cream, Jingle bells, Marjorie, Armandii and Avalanche

btw if you do go to Great Dixter plant fair I recommend taking sandwiches as their food wasn't up to much last time I went and 'goulash' sounds potentially iffy..

Are you sure you want the list?! It's long! Ok here goes:

Trees/shrubs:

Magnolia campbellii 'Betty Jessell'
Magnolia liliflora 'Nigra'
Camellia sasanqua 'Narumigata'
Cornus kousa 'Miss Satomi'
Hebe parviflora angustifolia
Rhus x pulvinata 'Red Autumn Lace'
Viburnum tinus
Hydrangea paniculata 'Vanilla Fraise'
Fuchsia magellanica 'Alba'
Rhododendron 'Christmas Cheer'
Viburnum plicatum 'Mariesii'

Perennials/climbers:

Polystichum munitum
Helleborus niger
Geranium phaeum
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'
Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow'
Trillium erectum
Astrantia 'Roma'
Anemone x hybrida
Centaurea 'Jordy'
Pulmonaria 'Diana Claire'
Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Firetail'
Liriope muscari
Heuchera 'Obsidian'
Hedera helix 'Parsley Crested'

Impressive list, of those I have Vibernum Tinus shall I try and get a cutting to root for you?

Ooh, there's some gorgeous stuff on that list.

I have heuchera Obsidian, but it's still too small to split. I obediently cut down the geranium Johnson's Blue in the front window boxes, as instructed in whichever gardening column, and it is indeed producing a second flush of flowers. Yippee.

WHat a gorgeous list. I now need a Fuchsia magellanica Alba.

How lovely to be so clear about what you are going to plant, rather than my muddly fiddling about with stuff!

Thanks geoff that would make all the difference

The Aquilegias and Anemones I have plenty of, self seeded around the garden, so that reduces the numbers slightly.

The fiddling about approach is fun though, Maud! And it's the only way with established borders.

It was Humph who admitted to being a fiddler, although I am too!

I have been prowling round the garden, looking for things to get rid of, to make space, and then I must follow funnyperson's example and plant everything that is currently sitting in its pot on the flower beds.

Sorry, meant Humph!

Blimey funny I've never heard of a gloriosa rothschildian(sp)!! Does it look as grand as it's name?

I'm impatiently waiting the blooming of my dark blue salvia which just arrived on its own and I've nursed it till it now has self seeded 8 or 9 plants,in my woodland edge garden. Which is pretty atm with the cyclamen spreading all around the valerian, pink sedum, etc.

Gloriana rothschildiana is a wondrous thing but quite temperamental, I think. I bought the tubers from one of the websites, but they did nothing. Funnyperson's plant from Hampton Court was a thing of great beauty.

Thanks Maud What is it's genre ? (is that the correct word to use to mean it's original group?) It's not in my RHS guide.

Ooh, I don't know. Have you googled?

No I will!

Oh it's gorgeous, (I sound like Matt Lucas) !!!!! a climbing lily. Apparently the tubers need to be planted in a specific way and in a greenhouse or somewhere like that!

Yes, it is, isn't it? I thought my cold frame would be a suitable equivalent to a greenhouse but clearly it wasn't. So the tubers ended up in the compost heap.

And nothing wrong with sounding like Matt Lucas, by the way!

The tubers have to be the correct way up too (thanks to M. google).

I liked Matt Lucas in the sketch where he's dressed as a woman identifying\ commenting to the policeman about the burglars in a jewellery shop "ooh he's gooorgeous" !!!

I've decided on my tulips, the free ones from Hayloft!

Freebies from Hayloft? I was reading their plant porn autumn catalogue today but didn't see any mention of free bulbs.