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!

[Bearleigh]

I loved Anglesey Abbey when I went years ago in early summer. Thanks for reminding me about its winter garden rhubarb -we'll be visiting that area around Christmas and I have always wanted to see the birch grove. I see they have a winter lights festival: sadly it ends mid-December. There was one at Wisley a few years ago and it was stunning. They haven't repeated it at Wisley though - a great shame.

[MaudantWit]

Although we go to Anglesey Abbey quite often - it's a stop off point on the way to visiting family and I used to study nearby - I don't remember what it looks like in summer. It's the winter walk that sticks in my mind.

[HumphreyCobbler]

Just googled, Anglesey Abbey looks amazing.

I just noticed today that where we had a massive bonfire pile stacked up in the field next door there is now growing a large circle of verbena bonariensis. The farmer moved the pile with his tractor before burning it and all the seeds have set

Will post a picture tomorrow as DH has got the camera. I noticed some in the orchard the other day too.

[Blackpuddingbertha]

My mum has a wisteria man. She recommends him to everyone. I suspect he does other stuff too but he works magic with wisteria.

In my experience Humphrey, VB never sets seed where you want it to but is quite prolific everywhere you don't want it.

[HumphreyCobbler]

I am wondering how the cows in the field will find it. Tasty or not? It grows on the edges of all our paths instead of the middle of the beds.

[MaudantWit]

Yes, my experience with VB is similar. Our only self-seeded plant is between cracks in the paving.

My NDNs have a huge wisteria which had never flowered, I suspect because they bodge the pruning. They need a wisteria man!

[Rhubarbgarden]

I love pruning Wisteria. Very satisfying. It's rather seasonal though, as a job.

We spent a good hour reattaching ours to the side of the house this afternoon. It was peeled back from the wall for the re-pointing, and spent the summer tied to the scaffolding. We finally got the workmen to put back the wires yesterday, which they were supposed to do the day the scaffolding came down and didn't. I'd been chasing them to do it all week and it took an almighty strop from me to finally make it happen.

Over the summer it had of course tied itself up into a crazy tangled ball, and the only way to sort it out and get it tied in was to give it a serious prune. It already had a serious prune when we first unhooked it before the pointing, so it may now either sulk or go berserk. We shall see.

[SugarPlumTree]

A circle of VB sounds lovely and I am jealous of those witb Wisteria.

I think I am carefully nurturing a huge weed that has grown up from the Alstromeria I got from Sarah Raven earlier this year. It's huge and will have small white flowers and being a numpty I have staked it.

Job of the day is distributed chopped banana skins round roses and mulch. Must try and move the remaining two compost bins. Hopefully the Robin will come to visit whilst I do that, he's very bold.

[MaudantWit]

Ooh, do you just leave the chopped banana skins on the soil? When I remember (so not often) I put a banana skin in the planting hole when planting roses, but I had never thought of using them as a mulch. I have one past-it banana in the fruit bowl, which I will use for ripening the green tomatoes.

[SugarPlumTree]

I think idea is to put banana skins down then mulch on top with compost, I didn't phrase it very well. DH eats quite a few so I've retrieved them all from compost caddy and am going to have a go.

[MaudantWit]

Aha. If I can dig out the compost bin, I might give that a try.

[Rhubarbgarden]

We had a bold robin who used to join me when I weeded the drive, and he accompanied me through all the cutting of the long grass in the orchard. Then yesterday I found his little body in the garage. He must have flown in when I was putting away the tools, and got locked in.

[SugarPlumTree]

Oh Rhubarb that is sad

[Callmegeoff]

Poor robin :(

I read somewhere that they only live 2 years, maybe it was his time?

[funnyperson]

Poor little robin.

We always seem to have one. They greet by nodding their heads down from the neck. If you do it back they will do it back again.

[funnyperson]

Just want to add that if you do nod to the robin you have to bring your neck back up quite sharply otherwise it doesn't work.

[funnyperson]

if you play the robin song in the garden your robin will answer!
www.garden-birds.co.uk/information/tutorials/tutorial03.htm

[SugarPlumTree]

I tried to nod but the Robin flew away! Managed to sort out pretty much the place where neighbour took out .

[funnyperson]

the fence looks good. the concrete posts stand out a bit. what else are you planning?

[HattieFranks]

I don't think I've ever posted on here but I wanted to tell someone that today dc and I planted 36 tulip bulbs and 20 dwarf narssici (fancy ones which I can't remember what they are called). The ratio of my planting to theirs 10:1 This is the first time I have planted tulips in the back garden ,even though they are my favourites, because the bastard badgers always dig them up. I tried planting some by the front door one year. The little gits waited until they were grown with big buds ready to open before massacring them ALL in one fateful night.
Now our garden is newly (and substantially) fenced I'm taking another punt. If it works I shall bore you with an over excited picture in spring

As you were.

[MaudantWit]

Hello, Hattie, and welcome.

Well done on the planting. I have various problems to contend with in the garden, but never badgers!

[SugarPlumTree]

Hi Hatte, hope the fence keeps them out. My friend's lawn was trashed by them last year, right mess.

I have various plants I can put in. Before it was a utility/wildlife area. Here's another before and after. The fence now really stands out between the laurel and conifer hedges.

We need to gravel by the side of the greenhouse as it gets slippy in winter. Plants I have available are callicarpa, elaeagnis ebbingei, Japanese quince, honeysuckle, camellia, clematis freckles and Wisley cream, probably a pyracantha and viburnum tinus. Also have 3 blueberry bushes which hate current location and some autumn raspberries and a rose or two. I''d welcome ideas please.

[ppeatfruit]

SugarPlum After failing with a callicarpa I read that they need a male or female partner to succeed (I may've got that wrong ) they are pretty but weird looking though the berries don't look natural at all. I want a quince tree I love the quinces here. Are japanese ones smaller? Honeysuckle seems to be successful everywhere and is good for insects and perfume.

A shame about your robin funny ref. garden birds it's fascinating checking the differences between here and London; our robins are not at all friendly, aggressive though , the blackbirds and robins fight over who guards the bird table . We have had visits from hoopoes which I googled excitedly. I always thought that In The NIght Garden had 'made them up' but no, they 're real and quite incredible !!!

[Callmegeoff]

Welcome hattie

sugar sorry I have no suggestion, but have I got this right your neighbour took out your hedge? Is there any chance he would pay for replacement plants?

[echt]

Hello Hattie, and welcome.

While out and about here in a Japan, DH and I noticed an overpoweringly sweet, cloying smell, like a cross between the doors opening at Lush, and the body spray favoured by early teen girls. Very peachy. So strange we thought it was municipal deodorant; not too bizarre in a land where the toilet knows you're there, and the bowl lights up in anticipation.

No flowers in sight but we eventually tracked it down to hedge of osmanthus fragrans. Even with very few blooms it saturates the air.

It's very popular here, grown as a hedge and can be shaped easily as a tree of about 3 metres. Without doubt it's the most pervasive flower pong I've ever encountered. I've got used to it and will pursue a specimen when I get back to Melbs.