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 !

Is Russian wine a Freudian slip for Russian vine?

Thanks, MaudantWit. As it happens I have outhouses and also the biggest utility room in the world with THREE airers, due to it having been a care home, so I could have a dedicated flower-drying one!

That sounds wonderful, Tunip. I would love a utility room, and one with three airers sounds like laundry perfection!

Do call me Maud.

of course tunip

Sorry I missed the potting shed sleepover. You can blame me for the missing sloe gin though.

Get well wishes to Bertha and Mr Bearleigh and hope Castle's rosebud is doing ok.

I have been working hard on the planting plan for the Showstopper Bed. I ended up with a wish list of about 50 plants as usual so the hardest part has been narrowing it down so that there's rhythm and harmony instead of a bitty collection of too many different things.

The bed was being cleared of existing plants today (not by me) so I nipped round there early and rescued a couple of choice perennials worth re-using - two Potentilla Gibson's Scarlet and a Geranium clarkei Kashmir White. They needed dividing; the Geranium made three plants and the Potentillas a whopping fifteen. That's if they all survive anyway.

Apple Day here in the village today. Lovely afternoon of all things apple and humiliation at welly wanging.

Ooh, Kashmir White is a gem. It has beautiful foliage as well as very pretty foliage.

That reminds me too that I have an odd little seedling that might be a potentilla. I shall keep a close eye on it.

Those figs look fantastic mausmaus

tunip I'm at your utility!

We've had friends staying, went for a long walk and stumbled upon a plant sale with honesty box, our friends bought a fig tree for £3 - they were delighted! On returning we lazed in the garden in the Autumn sunshine, they admired the morning glory which is now looking amazing and the cosmos. One of the four planted Passion fruit - purple has its first flower.

Dh, tried out the leaf Hoover thing and cut one hedge. I sat and watched!

Speaking of Geoff Hamilton - I'd like to move him (rose) is now a good time does anyone know?

Err, very pretty flowers.

::distracted by Downton::

I have Kashmir White, it is lovely.

Had a lovely weekend celebrating BabyCobbler's first birthday and my Dsis's 50th. Happy Days.

Apple Day sounds great Rhubarb, what fun!

It was a magical day yesterday wasn't it? I only got into the garden to hang out the washing and make a deposit in the compost tub, but the sunlight shining through the cosmos, dahlias, and helianthemum was gorgeous. I keep disturbing some very stupidly placed spiders webs

Tunip the white daisy type flowers that have appeared, what size are the flowers and what is the foliage like?

I had unexpected flowers appear recently: a Mina Lobata (red/yellow annual climber - really lovely). I started with about 6 plants that I grew from seed, and one came through -eventually. It goes very well with the red/bronze foliage of the Cotinus it's attached itself to. I think it's meant to start flowering before October though.

Those figs look fabulous - I like the idea of baking with butter and salt. I usually put a cross in the top and add 1/2 tsp honey, and a little water in the dish, then bake on really high for 10-15 mins. The juice is such a beautiful pink. colour.

It was a magical day yesterday wasn't it? I only got into the garden to hang out the washing and make a deposit in the compost tub, but the sunlight shining through the cosmos, dahlias, and helianthemum was gorgeous. I keep disturbing some very stupidly-placed spiders webs

Tunip the white daisy type flowers that have appeared, what size are the flowers and what is the foliage like?

I had flowers appear unexpectedly recently: a Mina Lobata (red/orange/yellow flowers annual climber -really pretty). I had raised 6 plants from seed but they had seemed to die. One obviously struggled through, and is now putting on a lovely display - looks super against a red/bronze Cotinus. I am pretty sure that it's meant to flower before October thoughbut...

Oooh lucky maus I love figs (I put them in my breakfast smoothie) I've tried growing a tree but maybe they like richer soil than we've got, it died But our neighbours have one and allow us to scrump them !!!

I recently bought a yellow potentilla and it seems happy, do they like rockeries?

Ref. driers I've recently painted the floor in our utility room and as it has the boiler in it, I'm finishing the painting the beams on the ceiling, and then I'm thinking of buying an old fashioned molly maid one (with a pulley!).

We are lucky though because we have herbs and lavender drying on our beams in the kitchen!

Ooh Bearleigh I adore Mina lobata. It's one of my absolute favourites. I used to grow it every year pre-dc. I must get my act together again.

Somewhere in the house I have some mina lobata seeds which I bought years ago and subsequently mislaid. They seem to be quite hard to get - they're never in the fairly meagre stock in garden centres and not all the mail order places have them.

Grown up tripods it'd be a good plant for your showstopper bed, wouldn't it, Rhubarb?

I have two fig tree and only one eatable fig this year, I live in hope!

a colleague told me today that the figs keep ripening when the ground is kept warm. so will try a load of compost and some straw.

It would indeed be absolutely perfect if the brief wasn't no annuals, sadly.

Ah, no annuals. Bye bye mina lobata!

While scouting for good front-of-border plants I have come across a Heuchera with bright scarlet flowers; Heuchera 'Ruby Bells'. It's a new one on me. Anyone grown it? It looks like it could be quite useful.

Maud - Sarah Raven sells Mina Lobata. She does sell seeds for some lovely annuals - on of my favourites is a deep purple Alyssum I got from her - it seems to be perennial actually. And Malope Trifida is fab.

Oh no! I know that if I venture onto the SR website to buy one packet of seeds, I will be on a slippery slope!

Ive stopped halfway down that slope waiting for an offer, just missed the free p+p, if I wait maybe there will be 30% off!

How do you find the herb hyssop Rhubarb or anyone?I was looking in my herb book and it seems just right for me. Nice dark blue pointy blooms.

I've never grown it, sorry, but it looks pretty.

I have some in my herb bed and also bought an ornamental form without realising it! It is lovely - and tasty. It seems happy both in dry soil and in better soil, just lots of sun needed.

What foodie things can you do with hyssop?

I know it used to be used as a purge - it's in the Psalms!