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

[MyNightWithMaud]

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.

I NEED this weird and wonderful Podophyllum that they had at Abbotsbury.

Eek, Rhubarb! That looks like something from The Little Shop Of Horrors!

It is weird! I can't really gauge scale, but it looks like something Absolem the hookah-smoking caterpillar should be sitting on!

Might have lied about the plant sale, am in the queue !

::envious face::

I'd love to go to a good plant sale so am pinning my hopes on the school fete.

Today we went to Clunes Booktown in the goldfields, and yes, people still search for gold, though for books here. A glorious autumn day with clear skies and sun. The drive is is wonderful; plains dotted with far-off extinct and worn-down volcanoes before plunging into valleys riven by the gold miners of the past.

We shuffled round the book shops, buying books and vinyl records, and I pinched calendula and fennel seeds from plants growing on verges, putting them in my handbag.

On the way back we picked up 5 kilos of spuds at a farmer's gate, dropping the money in a (padlocked) box.

Coming home on the freeway, Melbourne CBD looks like the Emerald City in Oz.

Fab.

I was restrained and just bought 2 tomato and 2 courgette plants. Bought a few bits from B & Q reduced section including a tray of begonias supposedly for 10.

However I picked off all the crap leaves first got charged full price. I done don't like Begonias and only bought them because they were 10P.

What a fantastic sounding day Echt. It is lovely hearing what every one is up to. seeing as I live in Dorset too can I grow those weird things in the photo? I want exotic birds in my garden too (bit not those flocks of Parakeets plaguing Essex )

You know how Monty says it is important to sit in the garden and appreciate ? I did last night and sat there thinking we actually now have something that resembles a back garden after all these years. Excuse me posting another photo but am so pleased it is no longer knackered looking grass and Children's play things. It all needs to mature, the bamboo and palm tree by swing seat are going to take a good few years but it is all on the way.

That looks lovely, SugarPlumTree. The colours all look very harmonious and I love the trellis at the foot of the fence and the swing seat. Hope you have stocked up on Pimms!

What a pleasant garden sugarplum
echt that is a lovely description. I think you should write a book so that we can read more of it.

I'd love to come and sit in your garden, sugarplum - it looks lovely.

I've been out trying to tidy the greenhouse and making space for tomatoes later - we put up a new shed and I've moved one of the potting benches from the greenhouse in there, so there's more floor-space space for the toms.

I've also been digging up weeds. I've got tons of that horrible Herb Bennett, it seems to be everywhere. Oh, and chickweed, this year

On the plus side, the leek seeds I sowed last week are coming up already.

Thank you Pinks in the cupboard ! Halsall it sounds like you are busy at the moment. I too have a healthy crop of weeds.

You lot have been busy, I must tell you that apparently Friday (as well as Mayday). BTW Wow and double wow Funny I'm very about your May Day.

It was also Nude Gardeners' Day And on the radio Ken Bruce said we'll see "The full Monty Don" today but GW wasn't on ?? Do we reckon that could be the reason

Oh halsall Herb Robert is everywhere in this garden, I don't mind it it's easy to pull up and it has medicinal properties.

Mild night here tonight so leaving the stuff I'm hardening off out

I love the herb Robert in my wood, it is fairly polite though and stays in the wood.

I have completely forgotten to sow my leeks. I realised yesterday and grabbed a packet of seeds from Sainsbury's in a panic. DH unpacked the shopping and now can't remember what he did with them. I need to get them sown tomorrow. I'm going to end up panic buying more aren't I?

We're at the in laws tonight. I am not mentioning nude gardening day as the possible outcome of that is not sitting comfortably in my imagination!

Sugarplum - don't apologise, we love the photos! Your garden is gorgeous, I love the fencing, the tulips and the wallflower.

I indulged in 2 ready made up, summer planted, cone hanging baskets today. I wanted some jasmine too, but I'm not allowing myself to buy anything until I've planted all the plants I've already got. Hanging baskets don't count, obviously, as they don't need planting

I've had fun this afternoon buying and selling bedding plants (I don't generally do bedding, but have some troughs to fill) and have just filled two 10 litre pots with weeds excavated from the lawn. There's still more to do, but my back won't take any more.

It feels like rain, which would be a good thing for the new planting.

It's Herb Bennett I've got too much of - it's also called Wood avens, apparently - a kind of geum. Only I have so much it's seeded all over the place and become a pest; I didn't plant it. It's murder to pull up, really tenacious and tough, so every darn clump has to be dug up with a fork.

Unfortunately I have Herb Robert as well

It has rained a fair bit here, which is great as the level in the pond had dropped quite a lot, leaving the gunnera roots without water and it has gone all crispy

Sugarplum that is a lovely photo. Echt, I too would read a book you wrote! I love hearing about your garden.

We are off to the National Botanic Garden of Wales on Monday, I can't wait. AND toddlerCobbler is going to the childminder on Thursday and we are going to Malvern Spring Show!!!! I will be able to walk in whatever direction I please and stop and look at stuff for as long as I want too . Monty will be there too.

want TO

why do I always notice the typo after I have pressed send?

Have a lovely time!

That sounds lovely, Humph - Malvern and Monty, the perfect combination!

Herb Bennett (geum urbanum, I didn't know its common name before) is what I have been digging out of the lawn. It's seeded itself all over the place and my weeder is barely up to the job of getting it out. I am enjoying my 'good' geums but this one has nothing to commend it.

Humph that sounds lovely! NAAN absolutely agree, hanging baskets totally don't count.

Both herb Bennett and Robert happily live here. I'm not so happy at their presence but for a nasty moment thought I saw Horsetail the other day so have decided that on balance things could be a lot worse.

Blackpudding There was a couple of NG's on telly a while ago, I think I mentioned it a few threads ago. I can't think of anything more stupid; when you take into account the brambles that can get through 2 pairs of gardening gloves in my garden, ouch! double ouch ,, Without the rose thorns OMG!! The feminists among us would be completely amazed by the woman who actually said "my husband likes me to wear make up though!!!!!" I was offended and I don't class myself as a feminist!

I wish I'd lined my pond and just left it because it would be nearly filled by the rain now It hasn't stopped for 2 days.

We've just taken advantage of it being dry as DD needed more pictures for Photography, all a bit last minute. Went to a bluebell wood, I'd forgotten how beautifully scented they are snd how wonderful a carpet of bluebells look.