Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May: Alternative potting shed thread

[funnyperson]

On the grounds that potting sheds should admit those of all cultures here is an alternative potting shed thread. Probably makeshift and not as posh as the other one. Definitely subversive and open to gardeners of all capabilities.

Arent delphiniums supposed to be grown in a trench filled with compost dug to 2 foot down? I'm sure thats what Percy Thrower says!

Oh dear, that might not happen. It would have to be a very big trench for 40 delphiniums! The two that grew last year popped up after I had planted them the year before and nothing happened. They surprised me as I'd forgotten about them, I think I posted a picture of the leaves here when they were growing and Maud identified them for me. They have not succeeded against the snails this year although they are still gallantly trying. But, clearly, their seeds were very, very easy to germinate. I must have thinned out a few hundred to get down to my 80.

Nice group hug. Glad I didn't miss it.

Well, I think we've known each long enough now for a group hug not to be inappropriate (and newbies are welcome to join in too).

I'm not too late for last night's group hug am I? Can it be carried over to today please? , .

Geoff those pics are lovely, what is that very very tall plant called?

That's interesting about the way the nurseries 'prepare' their pots for sale to the public Blackpudding If delphies are good in trenches, as funny person says, then they should be good in large, deep pots too surely?

Large deep pots must be fine I agree
Here are the best guides to growing delphiniums on the internet that I could find. It sounds as though your plants may be too small to go in the ground this year and would be better in pots anyway!

It seems that to have your seeds germinate so well is quite an achievement!
www.mrsgreenfingers.co.uk/how-to-grow-delphiniums.html
www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2046

Hello all. My name is Lost and I am addicted to gardening! Could I join your lovely thread please?
We moved into our house 2 years ago and have been tackling the totally overgrown and neglected garden ever since! The front garden is almost finished and we're now starting with a vengeance in the back. I've spent the last year drawing up a bit of a plan, just need to crack on with it now. My style is definitely very cottagey and I'm just about to order 17 bare root roses and 6 bare root peonies for delivery this winter. I most certainly do not do things to excess. Oh no I don't!
Before I order my roses, I wondered if anyone has them and whether you have found them to be hits or misses? They are:
Gertrude Jekyll
Jude The Obscure
Munstead Wood
Wollerton Old Hall Climbing
Graham Thomas Climbing
Harlow Carr
Claire Austin Climbing

Gertrude Jekyll and Munstead wood are lovely roses I have them. Their scent is wonderful. Munstead Wood is a great deep maroon colour and it is a hardy thriving rose.

I don't know about the others. rhubarb planted Woollerton Old Hall I think.
Harlow Carr doesn't smell of much and is a bit of a boring municipal rose. I would plant Rosa Mundi or Queen of Sweden instead.

Welcome Lost That's a lot of roses After buying and planting quite a few climbing roses my helper , also my Bob Flowerdew book said that rambling roses are better they 've taken quite a while to get going but with banana mulch and nettle feeds, they're much better this year (maybe they take a while to settle in anyway). My garden is not on acid soil so they shouldn't be happy at all apparently but they are now!

I can't remember their names sorry!

lostinmusic welcome to the thread. I don't have any of those roses so can't comment. What did you do with your front garden?

ppeat the tall one is Echium Pininana, easy to grow from seed but is not that hardy. Tbh I overdid them a bit (17) and have got a bit bored of them. I also made the cardinal sin of not really thinking about how big they would get so one of them is towering over my white lilac tree and looks a bit stupid!

Thanks , Are they annuals Geoff? Or do they self seed? I've got something that has just grown here, that gets VERY tall but not THAT tall! They come up every year, I saw some as back of border flowers at Great Dixter

They are bi-annuals, but do self seed. They aren't very well behaved for back of border either will lean forward to get the sun!

Mine is called Verbascum Olympicum, I thought it was a weed! Like yours they're more a "bold perennial for specimen planting" As my book calls it.

funnyperson Rosa Mundi looks glorious and I love the thought of an ancient rose....I might swop the Harlow Carrs for those instead - they are to go in a bed against the front of the house, under a window, next to the climbing Graham Thomas.
ppeatfruit I have been considering an Adelaide d'Orleans (rambler) instead of the Wollerton Old Hall...hmmmm
Callmegeoff Well, apart from keeping a circular lawn in the middle and 2 trees, we've had to just dig everything else out (mostly half dead conifers). We've put new fencing up and created several new flower beds. My rose bed along the front of the house will be the piece de resistance!

I don't know much about those roses, as I don't have them (although I was very excited this morning to notice a bud on the rose cutting that funnyperson kindly gave me, that might turn out to be Gertrude Jekyll). My recommendation is always Darcey Bussell.

And a warm welcome to LostInMusic. Always good to have another enthusiast around!

If it is the cutting of Gertrude Jekyll then the other one without a label will be Wimbledon so I'll save it for you!

Welcome lostinmusic !t would be lovely to hear more about your front garden!
The irises are beginning here and some stunning small rhodedendrons

Welcome Lostinmusic , I am so impressed with the scale of your rose buying!

I have Harlow Carr which ha been a bit underwhelming to be honest but that may be the fact it isn't planted in the best if places. Also have Graham Thomas which went in rather late a a bare root spring last year. It's doing pretty well and has a reasonable number of buds for this year.

Oh I meant to say thank you for your kind words about Milliecat Rhubarb Yes she's her old self again apart from having to hop about, quite fast though!

Really glad Millicat doing OK, lovely news.

I love Gardener's, they are a generous bunch of people. Outside are two very very large pots of Agapanthus which apparently came bare rooted back on the ferry from the Scilly Isles. My neighbour's daughter brought them down for me. I was going to give her a couple of penstemon cuttings but embarrassingly killed them over winter so found a Hebe and lilac to give her instead.

Agapanthus, how lovely.

I'm always giving stuff away good karma I believe.

lost we've been in our house nearly 3 years which was also in an overgrown state, sounds like you've made good progress!

It's been lovely here, I had a wee sit in the sun had to change into a frock as my jeans were too hot. Anyhow couldn't relax for long I could here the stuff to pot on calling me

I chose to ignore the cries from the ironing pile however!

Hear

Welcome lost

Thank you for the links Funny

Had a quiet work day today so had a bumble around the garden & admired the pond life for a while. I'll post some photos in a bit, it's teeming with life already; frogs won't stay still for photos though but I had some success with snails

I like giving stuff away & receiving stuff from other gardens too. Gives you that warm & fuzzy feeling. anyone want a baby delphinium?

I'll swap an excess of cosmos and dahlias for delphiniums- you're not in Surry are you Bertha?!

Welcome Lost. I do agree that Gardeners are nice people, and generous.

Last night found me gardening in the dark again. I was picking more lily of the valley (by the front door) and pulled too hard so brought up some root. So I planted it in the back, by the light from the kitchen, using a serving spoon as a makeshift trowel, and watering from a measuring jug. Today it's leaning a little, but the leaves are still plump. Fingers crossed!