When the hounds of spring are on winter's traces…...

[echt]

I realise it's later in the UK, but couldn't wait to start a new thread. If another title had been agreed, just tell me and I'll have this removed.

Other than that, seek out those deckchairs from the shed, check them for spiders and get nattering about the spring's promise.

funny did you manage to steer your Mum in the direction of the NGS garden?

peatfruit here's a pic with a better view of the container for the orchid. The man who made it built it out of a wire shelf bent into a U-shape, braced at either end by a plastic paint pot lid cut in half. The whole thing was held together by twisted bits of wire. The lining was an old onion bag. A work of genius. An interesting aspect of much amateur orchid growing in Melbourne, and there's lot of it, is that it's seemingly always done by older eastern Europeans/ Russians.
It's a fine line between having a container to hold some potting medium for the orchids that hold up the leaves, but open enough for flowers to get out, as they emerge from the bottom of the plant, not the top.

As for the idea of a blog, though I'm not a bad writer, doing lots of it to model writing for my pupils, I'm terribly lazy.

Those orchids are stunning, just stunning echt I always love reading what you write about your garden.

Well we had an idyllic mothers day really: The sort of day which makes me proud to be old (and therefore not as uptight stressed and anxious and happier with less which therefore makes it more)
Noblest of DS woke up early and helped take out my father and mother to coffee and cake. Mother got a bunch of hellebores and primroses from my garden, a card and a new sari. Father got to see the world from his wheelchair for the first time in a year as the coffee shop had a big picture window overlooking the high street, and he had a lovely smile on his face, and I got to sit in a coffee shop on a Sunday morning for the first time in my entire life! Mother was happy that dad was happy and I was happy that mum and dad were happy and DS was happy that I was happy!
After that an old schoolfriend came over and we made it to the NGS garden together! This turned out to be not the greatest of gardens owing to probably being at its best in summer and also a bit of an artificial feel to the layout, but it had some some lovely lovely hellebores: many different varieties, all very beautiful and translucent and delicate and with a wooden table near the house with flowers of all the different types floating in a bowl Just so lovely. Very hard to say what my favourites were.
So we had a great time looking at the hellebores growing in the garden and floating in the bowl.

Then we met up with DS again and all went out to a highly satisfactory meal.

I got in some gardening in between food outings so was happy on that count: I planted the rosa mundi, a rose dr du jamain to replace the one that died last year and erm... some more hellebores!!!! This in spite of the cold.

My peonies are not coming up and there were loads coming up in the ngs garden

I love the eggs Rhubarb. Well done on all the prizes!

Had a good couple of hours in the garden yesterday, mainly potting up the new herbs and planting some summer bulbs and new dahlias (Lidl specials). DH distributed 3/4 tonne of compost mix that I ordered as all the veg beds needed some replenishing this year. Repotted a few other bits while I was there too. Very satisfying and all finished in time for the rugby. My herb pots look rather posh now.

Sorry, am away from home and just catching up. The flower-eggs were lovely, Rhubarb!

I can't wait to get home and be making a start on my tomato seeds, I've had to delay sowing them because I knew I'd be away and I need to hover anxiously monitor their progress daily. I panic every year that they're not progressing, and every bloomin' year they turn out absolutely fine

Waves to newbies! And commiserates with castle it will easier!

rhubarb those are lovely gardens and I love the image of your grandad sitting listening to the rhubarb unfurl. We only have an autumn show here and I have never yet entered flowers, maybe this year? I did get second for my lemon drizzle cake which was a surprise as I had over baked it.

I managed to get to a garden centre for Mother's Day with my mum, but it was very expensive and we both chickened out of buying pots of perrinials that hadn't started to show yet. Also completely forgot to get the horticultural grit which was the main reason I went!

My hellebores are looking great, it's the first year I have cut the foliage off and I will be doing it every year. My peonies are still not showing yet but not worried as they always seem to do really well, partially as some one mentioned up thread because they are planted very shallowly, mainly as I just shoved them in and the soil isn't deep in that border.

Am trying to get out to do some seed planting today but DD is teething and I have earache so we will see!

Thanks Echt for the explanation it sounds like another world there , it is! The flower grows out from the root does it ? In the wild it would be growing through the trees in a jungle then?

Funny That sounds a really lovely day It's not MD in Fr. but dh took me out for a nice lunch then we went to an organic festival (he bought me some pretty bunches of locally grown daffs on Sat. I like leaving mine in the garden ) and the dcs rang for a chat later.

it's cold here too I'm glad I mulched the new trees and hedge plants.

Funnyperson, your day sounds great!

Don't worry about your peonies. Mine aren't coming up yet and even I can't have killed them already.

We went to Castle Howard garden centre, which is pricey but nice, and I bought various perennials, some dianthuses and a garrya! I have no idea where to put the garrya, though - need to give it some thought.

Also, I observed that their Timperley Early rhubarb was not up yet either though their other varieties were. Perhaps it's misnamed.

Lovely to read about the stirrings of spring and Mothers' Day jaunts.

In Au., Mothers' Day is the second Sunday in May, and this year for once doesn't clash with DD's birthday. There are very high expectations that families spend the day with mum, and restaurants are booked out. We've always had to work DD's birthday thrashes round this sacred event.

Countess odd you should mention garrya, I've only seen one in Melbourne, but drive past it most days. Very striking.

I have a spider story. DH asked yesterday did Melbourne have funnel web spiders? I looked it up and basically not where we are. Which did not explain the very large funnel web tucked under the handles of the household rubbish wheelie bin. I poked it with a pencil, a very robust, springy web, and a big black spider dropped out and ran away. Of course it was a funnel web, but not the Sydney kind. I've been bitten twice by spiders here, and both times they've been tucked up under the rim of a pot or bin.

For perspective, I've been bitten three times by spiders in the UK, though to lesser effect. :o

Squeaky Do you divide your hellebores? mine are in a largish clump which would be better spread a bit, is it a good time to do it ? they are still in flower

Re Garrya: It is slow growing and takes a while to develop the catkins. I planted one, the recommended male James Roof variety, a strong plant from Burncoose nurseries, two years ago, and it is still only 3 foot and no catkins.
Perhaps I have planted it in the wrong place. Under the oak.
Re catkins: we saw a corkscrew hazel tree covered with catkins this weekend. Very nice.
Re cutting the foliage off hellebores and dividing them: I do not cut the foliage off mine as it is healthy. It is probably better to divide them when they have finished flowering.
Thanks for the reassurance about peonies
Blackpudding, your pots look very neat!

Thanks Funny But Garrya is ideal for shade according to my 'what Plant Where' book and ornamental quince.

Funnel web spiders echt Aaah

We have spent the day extreme gardening regaining a corner of the old vegetable plot which once had a pigeon loft on it and had been covered with ivy. As part of this work we uncovered an abandoned lawnmower, very old wheelbarrow and a large roll of loft insulation (?). We have had a ginormous bonfire going all day and have created a new chicken run so the geriatric hens can do some work to help us. Very satisfying and whilst sitting in the sun with a cup of tea I notice that one of our new apple trees has buds.

Oh well that is good then ppeatfruit because my Garrya is planted in shade. I wish I could feel confident about it.

Funnel web I remember being obsessed with checking under loo seats when I lived briefly in Oz.

funny I had to google Garrya, Ive been admiring one in a nearby garden, and wondering what it was.

I've spent the afternoon, weeding, mulching and general tidying. All my Tulips are up, and I spotted a forget-me-not in flower. I also potted up a few Viola which were £3.00 for 18 from Tesco.

Tesco were selling off Mother's Day plants half price-I couldn't resist a pink Mop head hydrangea for £5.00. Hopefully it will be ok if I move it outside once it's warmer.

I'm itching to sow flower seeds but we are away at Easter so I'd better wait.

At the weekend I drew out a crude Garden plan, Joe Swift makes it look easy! My main dilemma is where to put the Gunnera and how to soften the Mahoosive deck that Dh built last year. I'm thinking Gunnera behind the Trampoline so that once it's gone we can establish a pond. I'd like to have a white area -like Monty's writing garden although mine would be for tea and cake!

Lovely pots Bertha.

My Garrya has been in a year and doesn't look like it's grown at all. I planted it with the intention that it will in time help to screen the bungalow opposite - this may take some time.

It hasn't rained here for ages, and there is none forecast. I'm going to have to get the sprinkler out, I think.

I did a load of weeding today. The gravel paths in the orchard are buggers for weeds. I really need to get some seeds sown. Maybe tomorrow.

ah, finally I could load this page. IT wouldn't do it for days!

I got out for about ten minutes today, cut back a bit more of the dead stuff in the cottage border. Because we can't see it from the house or the drive it is terribly easy just to leave it there all winter. Lots and lots of verbena bonariensis stalks and linaria everywhere.

You've got agricultural antiques there mrsmlarkey try ebay!!

OOh I love verbena bonariensis ,shame you can't send me some Humph .

I'll post a couple of pix this aft. with my various daffs and violets on them. The tulips are in leaf but not flower yet.

Ppeatfruit I was given mine as divisions two years ago round about April/May time and have had no issues with them so am going to do that this year as my mum wants some.

Have now added Garrya to list of plants I would like if I had the room.

Still haven't got any seeds done but am very busy shopping for more fruit trees online, have no room for them but there you go!

Am really jealous of a day extreme gardening!

DH has promised the garage base will be done by end of April. Anyone fancy a sweepstake?

Fingers crossed for you, Squeaky.

I went through the Border of Doom this morning, cutting back shrubs and removing dead stalks and things. The ground was awash with baby nettles emerging, so I sprayed the lot with glyphosate (sorry ppeat).

Also started hard pruning the house side of the yew hedge, having done the road side last year. I've been itching to do it for months.

How quickly does your yew hedge grow, and how much room does there need to be at the base before you can plant a border? I've been wondering whether to replace mums deciduous hedge with yew.

I reckon a yew takes a long time to grow funny. They last for literally thousands of years don't they? They're quite poisonous too.

Rhubarb There's lots of others ways to get rid of nettles, if you don't want to make a good plant food with them, or eat them (they're full of iron I take a supplement of them ). You can pour boiling water over them, that's good for any unwanted plants, or hoe very early on, easier said than done I know, or use a flame stick.

There's lots of help for organic gardeners; Google of course and Bob Flowerdews' Organic Gardener, Geoff Hamiltons' The Complete Gardener to name two older books; but saving the planet isn't old or new is it?

Ppeatfruit thanks for the ebaysuggestion, I don't think there will be much interest in a plastic lawnmower that came out of the hedge in 3 pieces...I will hold onto the wheelbarrow and perhaps grow something in it. Any suggestions?

I also can now can see an old damson tree, it is covered in ivy. I want to keep it but wondered has anyone experience of clearing ivy off a tree? Will it be pretty much dead or do you think it can be saved? I am not really bothered if it doesn't provide fruit but want it more as a bird perching spot and also I am loathe to lose a tree. Any opinions?

mrsmlarkey I'd wait for late spring to check that it goes into leaf or blossom; if it does and the tree seems quite happy , I'd leave the ivy because it gives food for the beneficial insects when it flowers (very late in the year when there's not much else about).

If the tree's dead but not diseased then leave it and the ivy for the birds and wild life!

Apparently potatoes grow well in deep buckets or any other deep container. It depends how deep the wheelbarrow is.! Or fill it with compost and grow squashes on it (they love the heat).

After a bit of a pain Ill post the pix