Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

[SugarPlumTree]

Potting shed thread for those who enjoy talking about gardens and plants. Plenty of garden chairs and the wood burner lit now there is a chill in the air, please join us !

Lovely Nerine, Squeaky.

Yes Hayloft customer service is amazing. They actually rang me today to apologise that the bulbs they are sending will be a different size and they won't be able to send them till March (which is Nerine planting season so this is exactly when they should send them!)

funny I do think that grasses need full sun. They are at their best when backlit by low late summer sun. I'm less convinced that they need to be done on a large scale though - I've seen some good small grass based gardens, but they have all been exclusively grass/Oudolf style perennial planning. I don't think it works to have, say, a grasses corner, next to a rose border, next to a bit of jungle planting. This can look a bit bitty in a small garden. I'm sure others would disagree though!

I saw a stunning grass that I've never seen before today. It was at the garden centre, I'd popped in for some grit. Small in size, maybe 10 inches high that's all, dark green leaves with fuzzy white edges. Looked exactly like it had been frosted. Gorgeous.

Kicking myself I didn't write down what it was.

Rhubarb that's interesting what you say about not having a grass-based section next to, say, a rose.
I was having another go at planning the front garden round the buddlea last night , which does get full sun, where the idea is that anamanthele lissonia is planted round the base of the buddlea peacock, along with sanguisorba, gladioli byzantium, allium sphaerocephalon, sedum amazonia, salvia patens (or other blue vertical salvia) .
At the same time, however, the scale is probably far too small to have that vista or river effect where the eye is led to the horizon, which Oudolph creates.
Also there is a corner with tulips, wallfowers and primroses, as well as a dogwood. I do want to keep the tulips and primroses for spring cheer, so I was having the exact same doubts about mixing style, which is one reason I havent planted the front up.

I've just been watching last night's GW and reading GW magazine, which has a feature on nerines. I had never realised just how broad the range of colours is - there was one that was a gorgeous red-purple.

I need some bulbs, I've decided. If I plant them next weekend, will that be too late?

Daffodil bulbs, I mean.

I think they'd be fine, Cru Cru. Daffodil bulbs seem to be very forgiving of sub-optimal planting. I've got done I'm not likely to get planted for at least a fortnight.

Its lovely to have Gardeners World on Saturday early evening.
I've been catching up on 'big dreams small spaces' on iplayer, since I've missed it live. Monty really is very energetic and a whole lot more knowledgeable and passionate about gardening than I had thought.
I am planting my daffodils today.

for recovery from your op maud

And flowers and best wishes from me too Maud!

I walked through our local park yesterday morning - it has some fairly newly planted Oudolf type borders that were looking rather grotty - almost everything had gone over and though they would look good if they were frosted, in the bright sunshine the plants just looked dead. One or two verbena bonariensis were flowering still but that was it. Walking to the park, past more traditional plantings in front gardens there were still quite a lot of flowers out, and generally more life. Obviously poor plant choices by whoever designed the park's border, but that is maybe a problem with the fashion for Oudolf's ideas (which I like even less now) - the plants mostly come into their own in September & October and that's it. It takes a lot of skill and knowledge to choose plants that give something in other months.

Thank you, both!

Yes bearleigh it is true, Oudolph borders dont look so great in the English spring and summer, and whilst good in frost, dont look good in damp November either.
But one can take away the grasses, the repetitions, the understated colours, the mixture of verticals and umbelliforms, and apply those principles to a garden.
Also I am beginning to think one should treat OUdolph like a Mozart piano piece. A Mozart style piano piece composed and played by an amateur pianist or even a good pianist won't be as nice as a Mozart piano piece played by an amateur or a good pianist. In other words perhaps one has to lift the whole or part of the whole planting scheme.

I'm not a huge aficionado of grasses for exactly that reason, Bearleigh - we are much more likely to get mild damp autumns than sunny frosty ones in this country. They also self seed prolifically which can be annoying. Done well, in the right place, they can be stunning, but it's a tricky look to get right. Brighton has done a lot of its municipal planting in the Oudolf style and I must say, it looks glorious. They have very clever gardeners. I can't see me ever doing it in my own garden, or a client's for that matter.

I have just been round to my pony friend's stables to collect manure for my compost heap. I really need to dig out the bay that's ready for use, so that I can turn the full one into it and give it a good stir.

maud hope you get better soon.

I spent a lot of yesterday pulling up grass seedlings, my nemesis ornamental grass which took ages to get rid of as it had an enormous root is determined to reappear, err no you won't

By contrast today is wet, I have sorted out our unatractive conservatory which had become a bit of a dumping ground and moved into it my gardening mags, and a sofa. I am listening to the rain and enjoying the view of the garden.

funny I know you grow sweet peas from seed, do you do them now or spring? I've been collecting toilet roll innards for that purpose- assume that will work.

Thank you, Geoff.

Today is rather grey where we are, although yesterday was gloriously sunny. We have been to the plant auction and bought yet more bulbs and I seem accidentally to have bought a pyramid bay tree. Which prompts me to ask whether anyone else has a standard bay tree? I grew mine from a seedling and it has reached the height I want, but the ball of foliage at the top is rather sparse. I suppose I should trim it, to encourage new and denser growth, but when? Now or in the spring?

Best wishes from me too Maud

Not sure but my instinct would be to prune in the spring rather than now and have new growth that has to over Winter. You have the same problem as me with this accidental buying malarkey. It is a curse.

I'm planning to sow sweet peas soon and then some in the spring. I sowed direct quite late this year and only stopped picking a couple of weeks ago.

Bucketing here today but week 1 of my new venture. Monday started with orders to send out but no computer system or stock so it has been rather full on and no time for gardening. My office smells gorgeous though.

Thanks sugarplum good luck with your new venture, you have orders already? Is it selling flowers? Don't worry if you'd rather not say :)

I have sent you a PM Geoff

Hi all I'm back! I was away from a computer ( well I'm not good at getting on as a 'guest' on them) so I didn't bother. Sorry Bear send me some seeds .

I took clothes for cool weather and it was only cold for 2 days. BTW If anyone lives near Forest Row we went to the best garden centre I've visited there; it was very clean (the plants were well tended) the staff were lovely, the cafe had great cakes and traditional china Tpots.

I checked our domain this morning and the hazel tree I planted as I boundary hedge\tree has CATKINS on it (no nuts just catkins)

Hi all, have managed to get into the garden for some tidying but since green bins have stopped and I haven't got round to setting up composting I will be taking a trip to the tip soon! Does anyone else have bulbs appearing? I think I have seen some daffies and possible mini iris'. My hanging baskets are still going well and providing colour at the window

My garden is a bit of a mismatch design wise but I love it, though need some more later colour so will plan for that next year.

I have been watching gardening programmes whilst doing the ironing so have no idea what aim going to do when they finish for the year.

Yes squeaky I've just been for a wander and the grape hyacinths are up, I've still got bulbs to plant - mostly Tulips. Welcome back ppeat

I've just noticed one of the other rescued Camelia, Azalea type plants has a lovely pink flower. Second of the Tesco Dahlias is out, lovely cream colour. Shame it took so long though!

Thanks Geoff `Those pix are lovely it's toooo warm here. We' re away tomorrow as well for a jolly in Amsterdam and it's going to be very warm on Saturday but back to cold and rainy on Sunday when I'm going to the theatre all dressed up 'darn it'

I have n't planted my new bulbs yet either . I'm going to get on with planting a hedge and the bulbs next week when DH is away and I get get 'stuck in'. HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

I came home yesterday to find a box on the front door step of (yet more) tulip bulbs that I had forgotten ordering.

This afternoon, I will be carving the pumpkin and putting up the plastic greenhouse. I feel quite sad that tonight is the last GW of the series, not only because it means no more Monty on a Friday evening but also because it says that winter, with its very limited gardening opportunities, is on the way.

Lovely pictures Geoff. It's strange it being Halloween and so warm. After seeing Maudant ' s post I planted some tulip bulbs whilst the kettle was boiling as they haven't stored well.

Can see why Geranium Rozanne is plant of the century. My one pot I bought half price last year has made several plants that have been and are still flowering for months.

Good luck with the new venture SugarPlum!

Nice pics Geoff.

I went to Architectural Plants today to pick up an Acacia pravissima for the showstopper bed. I love love love that nursery. Everything is so beautifully displayed, the plants are all weird and unusual and exciting, every specimen is perfect. It really is my happy place.