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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.

999 replies

MyNightWithMaud · 22/03/2015 19:40

Grateful thanks to the magnificent Margaret Atwood (via A Mighty Girl) for the quote.

I have just come indoors after a delightful couple of hours' pottering in the garden. It's far warmer than yesterday and everything feels optimistic and vernal again, after yesterday's Arctic blast.

High point: Realising that most of last year's cuttings have taken. Given that I am useless with seeds this, I think, is my propagating future.

Low point: Realising that my newest fairy lights have already failed.

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Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 14:55

My strategy when DD was tiny was to set my standards lower, snatch time when she was napping or at pre-school or give her a tiny watering can or a trowel.

I have the first shoots on the chocolate cosmos I recklessly left on the garden over winter. Wahoo!

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parsnipthecat · 26/04/2015 16:59

The wheelbarrow is an idea... Wink
DD (2y10mth) likes watering, and playing in the dirt, so can 'help'. DS (4mth) I will try in the sling, or on a mat on the grass if it's fine, and see what I can get done between feeds. It's all going to be tidying, weeding and trying to reclaim the borders from the lawn initially, I think. I deadheaded daffodils today, so feel like I've achieved something.

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 17:11

Welcome parsnip. I agree with lowering standards. It's easier to accept that not much will get done for the next year or two, and pick it up again when they start being farmed out to preschool or whatever. Otherwise it just gets depressing.

We went to an amazing open garden this afternoon. Lawns like velvet, loads of beautifully trained fruit trees full of blossom, and burgeoning borders which are clearly going to be stunning in a month or two. The potting sheds, greenhouses and even the tool shed were all things of beauty. I was seriously Envy.

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 17:13

Some open garden snaps

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.
Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 17:14

And

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.
funnyperson · 26/04/2015 17:15

That is interesting about the beautifully trained fruit trees full of blossom. My newly espaliered apple isn't blossoming, I think I did the pruning wrong.

What sort of potting sheds?

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 17:19

Possibly they are a bit young, funny. Give them time.

Wood, flint and brick outbuildings.

funnyperson · 26/04/2015 17:27

That tool shed is perfection
I wouldnt personally need that many forks though. Still not only no clutter but no rust !

Bearleigh · 26/04/2015 17:40

That is a very beautiful garden and shed. Is that little Rhubarb?

Did anyone else get rain yesterday and overnight? MrB was upset as he likes sun but I am thrilled by a forecast of rain all next week. I must put down slug pellets as they are the only thing that are effective in the vegetable beds, sadly. This year, probably because it's been too dry for Gastropoda I have a lot of veggie seedlings, and I want them to survive.

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 18:36

That is indeed a small Rhubarb. She refused to get out of my photo and insisted on the 'I'm a Little Teapot' pose.

Light drizzle but not sufficient rain here. I am fretting. I hope the forecast this week actually delivers.

Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 18:37

We had some rain overnight but, although it has been overcast all day, no more so far. I would be happy with a week of rain, as long as it all happened in the hours of darkness!

Those seeds are delightful and the fruit blossom against the slate grey shed is just exquisite!

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Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 18:41

Oh! I had missed the photo with the little Rhubarb in it! Everything about that garden looks perfect - tulips, topiary, metalwork and Teapot!

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funnyperson · 26/04/2015 18:46

Little rhubarb is lovely (lovelier even) as her surroundings.

Yes it is interesting that the fruit tree is much nearer the shed wall than I would have planted it. But so full of promise for the autumn too! Near my MILS house is a large fig tree trained against a shed wall, similarly.

We have had light rain, not really enough so I have watered too.
The alliums have buds on and the astrantias are flowering!

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 18:49

It was perfection. It also had baby lambs, chatty cockerels and a friendly pig. It's open again at the end of May to show off the herbaceous borders and a long peony border, but sadly I can't go then.

Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 18:50

Aw, thanks for the nice comments about my funny little teapot!

Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 19:06

Which one was it, Rhubarb? I might try to get down there in late May for a look. Does it have tea and delicious cake, though? DH is happy to drive us to gardens as long as there is the prospect of good cake.

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Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 19:50

Offham House near Lewes. Good cake and tea on the velvet lawn with wonderful views across the Sussex countryside.

Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 20:04

Great. I'll look it up. I was pretty confident there'd be good tea and cake but sometimes one gets a nasty surprise - no cake at all or plain biscuits.

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Rhubarbgarden · 26/04/2015 20:08

Yes I agree - you can't be too careful.

Blackpuddingbertha · 26/04/2015 20:19

That looks lovely rhubarb. Definitely have shed jealousy with those pics!

I have planted up the bog garden over the weekend, I have astilbe, two types of iris moved from the long bed where they have never been happy, my arum lily that has also never been happy where I've put it previously, a nice rodgersia (thank you for the suggestion Rhubarb), some ragged robin and a couple of low creeping plants for the front edge where it meets the pond. I have a small space left which I will put in some more iris from my mother's garden. DH needs to dig a hole for the gunnera and then the planting is done. I also bought a few more plants for the pond while at the garden centre which jumped into my trolley when I wasn't looking.

The neighbour's cats are using a patch of the long bed as a toilet. I could put up with the poo but they are scratching up all my seedlings. What can I do deter them? (Bearing in mind I do like my neighbour Smile)

Blackpuddingbertha · 26/04/2015 20:21

Forgot to say welcome to parsnip. I have no suggestions for gardening with small people in tow. I generally ignore mine make DH do something with them to keep them out of trouble.

Blackpuddingbertha · 26/04/2015 20:22

Oh, and we've had some rain, but not as much as I'd like. Just watching Countryfile, apparently the South East has only had 20% of expected rainfall this month. More next week apparently. Fingers crossed.

Original poster
MyNightWithMaud · 26/04/2015 20:25

Bertha - Have you got any spare chicken wire lying around? If so, you could make a wire cover to go over the seedlings. Otherwise, spiky prunings stuck into the soil might help. I'm not sure whether my experiment with orange peel made any difference.

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funnyperson · 26/04/2015 20:32

when my 2 were under 2-3 one of them snoozed in a car seat on the path and smiled at the crocuses when awake and the other was happy either playing in the sandpit or 'helping' or riding around on the tricycle while I gardened

HumphreyCobbler · 26/04/2015 21:06

My toddler played happily in the garden today whilst I had a nice potter around. He has got a lot easier to let loose now he is less likely to eat anything. Could you strap the baby to your back parsnip? I found it was easier to get stuff down with the baby behind me. Some children are easier to get stuff done around than others, my oldest was particularly challenging! DD just used to make beds for worms in flowerpots with earth in. The toddler at the moment is quite keen on helping but insists on having a minature version of whatever tool I am holding. Woe betide me if I pick up a trowel when he is holding a fork.

Sowed more basil, sunflowers, peas and candytuft today with the older dc. I dug up some red orache seedlings, which have germinated in nearly every part of the garden except for the bit I want them in, to pot on in the hope that I can transplant them into the herb beds later.