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!

Best wishes to Mr Bearleigh for a speedy recovery.

I have suffered from being the only adult in my social circle who can't play an instrument to a high standard so my poor children are being made to learn

Thanks all. MrBearleigh had an over-bearing father and is a real softy - also BB is verystubborn (he's very like me...) and MrB doesn't like conflict, hence he didn't insist on BB continuing to learn. If I'd been in charge, he would have continued - but he might hate me for it, and there certainly would have been lots of conflict. I suspect it's better as it is. BB likes drumming on the table, and we got him some bongoes for Christmas, so that will have to do.

A friend's son said he wanted to learn the violin when he was 3: he started on a 1/4 size instrument (soooo sweet). He's now at Oxford reading Music and plays semi-professionally already. He always did his practice! He's coming next week to keep MrB company, and to practice his violin. I hope it's not Scriabin.

I hope Mr Bearleigh is better soon.

Not very musical here. DD started flute lessons but it was a misery for all involved.

Yes, it might have been a mercy that DD never practised her instruments at home.

for Mr Bearleigh especially if he went for the 'no blood transfusion' option ' which can end up being very tiring post op. Wishing him a healthy recovery!

DS went to a top performing school where everyone was excellent at everything. Looking back this was a terrible mistake as he has never recovered mentally from always feeling rubbish even though all the evidence is to the contrary.

More good wishes to Mr Bearleigh.

I am envious of the parent of the 3 year old who asked to learn the violin. Wow. And of anyone who has managed to get their child to stick with lessons - how do you do that? Or maybe it just has to come from within.

I took ds to a new toddler music class today, funnily enough. He was fascinated by the instruments - they had a harp, an accordion and a ukulele. My friend's ds punched a hole in the tambourine. Oops.

Music lessons were very rewarding because of all the lovely concerts we ended up going to: so much energy in the orchestras and heart rending, melodious voices! And so much fun at Christmas! How lucky we are as parents.

What would you do if a friend asked you to come round and help plant bulbs and you hadn't yet planted your own? I'm going if I'm well enough on the grounds that I get to see my friend. Little bit of a sigh for the time lost in my own beloved garden though. I can't remember who it was who said that gardeners are essentially solitary people. This is definitely true for me.

I think it does have to come from within, Rhubarb. I was just not committed enough, and once the homework ramped up was glad of the excuse to stop. My friend who was at the top of the grades for piano and violin, on the other hand, carried on and eventually did a degree in music. I would have liked DD to have that same impulse towards music, but clearly she doesn't. Funnyperson rightly identifies some of the benefits and I have seen many children gain too from the social aspects of joining a choir or orchestra.

Oops indeed to the perforated tambourine.

Right, so inspired by this conversation I have just been googling piano lessons and sent off an enquiry to a local Suzuki teacher!

Not that I can afford it right now, and there's the small matter of not owning a piano...

funny I was so looking forward to spending my child free day in the garden too tomorrow, and I shall instead be spending the morning helping another school mum in her garden, so I can totally sympathise! However there is one big difference - she is paying me! I haven't worked for actual money in a long time. I feel a bit nervous

It'll be fine, Rhubarb. If at any point she looks unconvinced (which I'm sure she won't), just begin a sentence with "when I trained at Kew"!

Suzuki is fantastic Rhubarb. That is how DH learned violin and how both my dc are learning. It is such a sensible way to learn music for young children. DS is going to the Royal College on Sunday to do his book one graduation

Although they do say that you only have to practice on days that you eat

to Mr B

I dabbled in various instruments but never to any great skill. I really, really would've loved to play the piano. So now both DDs are learning at great expense and I tinker with it every now & again.

Rhubarb our piano came via Gumtree. As long as you can arrange to collect them you can generally pick them up for next to nothing. They won't be perfect but fine for learning on. Ours is in the hall and every child who comes through the door bangs plays it. It's one of my favourite things in the house.

I like the only practising on days you eat line. I shall be using that one.

I've not heard of Suzuki method, when I first enquired about lessons for dds the teacher wouldn't take them under 7. Her teacher was ok but very grade motivated, which dd1 got completely bored of, likening playing the pieces to reading the same book over and over again!

I agree it needs to come from within dd2 just wasn't interested and gave up after 6 weeks.

funny now that she is at a musical school I can't wait for my first concert. It's so nice of you to help your friend, will she help you in return?

rhubarb echo what maudant said you will be more than fine.

callmegeoff she really is a very good friend and helps me all the time by listening to me on the phone when I'm upset about something and we have known each other for 40 odd years so the bulb thing is a) to motivate each other so she gets them planted and b) a good excuse to meet up and spend half a day doing not much but with a feeling of accomplishment at the end whilst chatting iyswim. Tea will no doubt be involved!

I took the precaution of getting her a long thin trowel in advance (late birthday pressie) as cylindrical bulb plantars always clog up with sticky clay.
Horticultural grit to go in the bottom of the bulb holes remains relatively elusive.

I couldn't find any either but have now got sharp sand which will have to do.

Horticultural grit is hard to find. A friend who worked in a garden centre told me that's because it "goes off" and I have found it goes mouldy in the bag if I keep it too long. One local garden centre seeks the very fine stuff (one notch up from sand), which I really like, but last time round I couldn't be bothered to go there, so bought the 'grit' that we sell at the gardening society store, which is more like fine gravel. It seemed to work quite well when I was repotting the agapanthus.

Sells, not seeks.

According to Sarah Raven you can use old compost instead, I have lots of that :) I am addicted addicted to her website btw.

Snap Geoff about the old compost, I mix it with the mole hill earth (there are very active moles in our garden ) luckily they choose the unplanted ,by me, areas. I can't go on all the interesting websites there's not enough time in the day!

What's the purpose of the grit/old compost? Is it to help drainage?

I'm worrying now I might have put my tulip bulbs in too early, after seeing the other tulip thread.

I've never done it with bulbs Tunip and they all come up happily, don't worry Tunip I suppose it's good in clayey earth though.

Mine's not clayey.

So no problem then! The moles don't burrow where there are daffodil bulbs for some reason, another good reason for me to get planting me bulbs!