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 !

Yes you are funny ! What's a syllable between friends?

Happy new year everyone!

Anyone else watching the big allotment challenge?

yep watching.
looks like too much a lot of work to me.

The BAC didn't really do it for me last year (probably because it reminded me how scruffy our allotment is). Is it better this year?

Nope

Oh dear. Should we erect an illuminated sign, counting the days until Monty is back on our screens?

Ooh is BAC back on? I'm off to I player... Are they not in couples this year? I liked watching the relationships between the pairs last time.

Happy new year everyone!

No babies here. Wild horses could not persuade me - dd started school in September and ds starts preschool on Monday so I may finally, finally have time to make an impression on the garden. And DH has promised me I can buy the plants I need for the new north facing border in the spring. Happy days are here again.

My only horticultural gift was a box of economy bulbs from the in-laws. I once made the mistake of asking for bulbs when they asked me what I wanted for Christmas - they are in Holland, home of Keukenhof and tulip fields, so I was envisioning half a dozen choice tulips; something interesting and glorious. I received instead a sack of economy daffs. They repeat this every other year, even though I only ask for hand cream now.

This year's offering was actually quite good, a mixed box of Muscari, crocus, Leucojum, Allium nectaroscordum and species tulips. They were all sprouting already so got them into a pot at the first opportunity yesterday.

Maud was asking about gloves: Gold Leaf are the ones to buy if you are treating yourself.

Thanks Rhubarb Maybe yr ILS finally got the message! I get about the domination of the Dutch nurseries, here esp. ,everything is the same (you were lucky to get daffs) when we first moved here not one of the florists sold cut daffs in the spring (and I can't exist without them !) . Yet they grow in all their parks and gardens it was odd.

Well done, Rhubarb, on gaining a little bit of independence for your offspring and some gardening time for yourself! Thank you, too, for the reminder about the gloves.

My in laws also live in bulb growing country (although not in the Netherlands). There are lots of bulbs to buy in local markets at the right time of year, but it always seems to be the same few varieties and I guess the rarer varieties are shipped in from abroad.

No couples on the Allotment Challenge this year. I think I struggle with it because it's put together more for the entertainment value of the people chosen and the style of judging rather than the actual growing of things. This year's selection of people seems to have been a tick box exercise of eccentricities and/or annoy-ability.

And a few good-looking people thrown in too of course.

When is Monty back on?

I received instead a sack of economy daffs. They repeat this every other year, even though I only ask for hand cream now.

Heh! I always think with presents that it's nice to give luxuries - the sort someone wouldn't buy for themselves but yearn for. Glad you got some moere recherché bulbs this year, rhubarb.

We moved to a house with a glorious established garden when I was 11, which was planted with lots of unusual plants including many special bulbs. My Dad had contacts in Holland who gave him lots more, including orange parrot tulips (probably Orange Favourite), which I loved even as a surly 14-year old.

My googling confidantes at the Bee Bee See will only tell me that Monty returns in early March.

I agree with you, Bearleigh, that presents should be treats. Not gardening related, but my mother wanted a lipstick for Christmas, so I bought Lancôme rather than the cheaper brand she would have bought herself.

So Rhubarb, you are don't want another baby then ! That's great you have some freedom to do things for you again.

Monty was back about 9 March I think this year . Fingers crossed about the same time this year as it is just over 2 months away. Haven't seen the Allotment thingy as found it a bit irritating last time but it might fill a bit if a gap I suppose .

My PFB is 16 tomorrow and will be celebrating with friends later . She has just caught me reading my garden quote book she gave me snd immediately asked if I am posting bits on MN ! So here are a couple:

A killing frost devastates the heart as well as the garden (Eleanor Perenyi, Green Thoughts)

The garden that is finished is dead.
H.E. Bates.

The size of a garden has very little to do with its merit. It is the size of the owner's heart and brain and goodwill that will make his garden either delightful or dull. ( Gertrude Jekyll)

Happy birthday to your PFB, SugarPlumTree.

I like those quotes, and the one from Miss Jekyll is a comfort to those of us with small brains gardens.

Happy Birthday to your dd sugar and to me :)

Great news re ds and pre school rhubarb

I've not quite got my gardening head back on - I'm trying to teach myself to knit but will look out for allotment challenge.

What were every ones successes and fails last year?

I was most pleased with the Cosmos, and Dahlias.

In my head hanging baskets filled with cascading Nasturtians. Disappointingly they got badly muched by aphids and hardly flowered weirdly they are still alive despite the heavy frost.

Oooh yes, Jekyll quote is fab, especially for those of us with small gardens and big heads*...

I've found some sprouting bulbs on my garden shelf (finally clearing out our utility room, was meant to be the final mat leave job but didn't quite get to it with Christmas shopping etc!!). I was assuming it is too late too plant but maybe it's worth a go? They're small so I assume probably dwarf narcissi...

*or possibly just enormous hair.

Oooh Geoff, missed your comment, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy birthdays!

I haven't seen allotment challenge but I did watch that new programme on Sky last night; Show me your Garden or something. I enjoyed it but was rather at the filler bits where the contenders had to share a 'gardening secret' and it was stuff like how to prune roses. the formal garden was my favourite. I loved the gazebo with the caged bay topiary.

Re Anglesy Abbey - meant to say that I love it there. In addition to the wonderful winter garden, there is the best espaliered pear I've ever seen, trained with geometric precision up the side of the house. It is vast and awesome.

Has anyone been to Cambridge Botanical Garden? I've never been but heard they also have a fab winter garden, so I'm considering it for my first garden visit of 2015.

Successes and failures of 2014. Hmm. I think the best thing was the drastic pruning of the yew hedge along the road. It was worth the early mornings and dicing with death; it is growing back nicely now and will be so much better for it.

Failures: oh the entire rest of the garden! Sigh. This will all change this year.

It's several years since I've been to Cambridge botanical gardens for any length of time. I go to Cambridge fairly often for work, but the last time I managed to make a detour via the garden it was only for a few minutes. Nearly all my visits have been in winter or early spring and it had indeed been lovely. The glasshouses are worth a visit, too.

As for last year: best things were the wall pots (finally got a decent display) and the patio and borders in spring and worst things were the collapse of the fence (am incandescent with rage that there's still no sign of it being fixed) and the invasion of the already tatty lawn by persistent weeds. Onwards and upwards for 2015!

happy birthday.

2014

failures

• seedlngs (all eaten by slugs)
• parsnips (same)

success:

• figs!
• roses
• courgettes (still have some in the freezer)