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.

Wow. I have shed envy. I think, in the case of sheds, size matters very much and I'm aiming for 8 x 4, although I need to measure again as that might reduce the patio to a mere sliver of slate.

Is that your garden, Holly? If so, I have further envy there (ugly emotion that it is).

holly lovely garden, I really like your slate paths and the purple foliagey plant at the front. What is it?

My Alliums are up, purple sensation - is it worth trying to grow them from seed or does it take too long as I would like lots more?

I've spent the morning potting on things, a wonderful vanilla scent kept wafting my way, I finally worked out it was coming from a clump of vanilla nemesia, I've taken cuttings so will plant more by the front door.

Chelsea chop anyone? I've cut the black pansies right back and a few of the early flowering hardy geraniums. Nothing else has really got going yet.

how heavenly shovetheholly. what a perfect path for pottering along looking at the plants

Lovely garden shovetheholly very neat and well kept, gorgeous!
Mine is rampant. There are flowers everywhere atm.
I am waiting till next weekend for my Chelsea chop of the geraniums as the first flowering is still in progress.

Gorgeous planting holly - and ditto the paths!

Thanks everyone! Yes, it is my garden, now just starting year 4 from the start. My aim is flowers everywhere eventually!

Geoff The purple foliage plant is lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker'. It may be a bit hard to recognise because it was Chelsea chopped earlier this week! It reduces the eventual flower size, making it a bit more delicate - otherwise it gets really, really leggy and falls over. I bought it as a tiny 9cm pot for 99p.

I've not tried alliums from seed - I get a batch really cheap every year from Parkers bulbs and just keep building them up. I could be wrong, but I think Purple Sensation is a hybrid of Allium stipitatum and Allium aflatunense, so it wouldn't come true from seed. But those are both lovely kinds of allium anyway, so I don't see that it can hurt to whack a pot on as soon as the seeds ripen and see what happens! I might join you in the experiment, in fact!

Ooops, meant to add - to the right of the lysimachia in the background is another red plant, Persicaria 'red dragon'. I can't find a clearer picture on my computer right now - it's basically behind the Acer (and inquisitive cat) in this picture from the opposite angle.

(In that one you can see the leggy hebe that I've been asking for advice about pruning!)

The big slate circle is eventually (when I get time/energy) going to be a pond, path and bog garden. I would like a mahoosive gunnera but DH is a bit unconvinced at present. I can sort of see why.

That is absolutely lovely Shove, very jealous.

I seem to have no more alliums this year than last (which was the first) and can't see any seedlings despite scattering seed. Think bulbs are the way to go unless you are very patient.

Looks like I will have the grand total of one foxglove this year. Findings of my September sowing experiment from last year is that they need to grow s certain amount year 1 to flower in Year 2. I should be sorted for next year though.

Lady of the Lake has started flowering but is paler than anticipated and being lost against cream walls of house.

Thanks holly I didnt know they were hybrids I'll buy more and have a go at sowing. I know what you mean about the Gunnera- I have one spending its 2nd year in a pot because i cant decide where to plant it, although I have generously given it a bigger one! We're planning a pond too but the dds need to stop needing a trampoline as that is where the pond is going!

I wouldn't know what to do about the hebe, rhubarb is very knowledgeable about pruning things but she's away at the moment.

Lysimachia Firecracker is a fine thing. When I left one of my jobs, my boss gave me a small plant, whose foliage I loved (although I used to remove the flowers). Sadly, it perished.

I gave away my persicaria Red Dragon because it got so tall and swamped the things in front of it. It's left a gap which is proving hard to fill.

I haven't exactly given anything the Chelsea chop because I think that means leaving some of the plant intact, but I have chopped one geranium phaeum down to the ground, as it had finished flowering (although its mates are still going strong).

Lovely photos holly. What are the little standard trees? I can't see clearly from the photos.

Some photos - clematis Blue Eyes flowering nicely & two photos of flowers in the wilderness wild patch in the front garden which at the moment is a sea of blue. If anyone has names for these that would be very much appreciated.

Bertha it looks like speedwell to me. I have had an unconscionable amount of it in the garden this year. It is such a pretty colour, but 'invasive'

Bertha, yup, it's speedwell. The little purple flower in the middle pic is vetch, aka everlasting pea.

Oops, just realised I was looking at them in the wrong order . My speedwells are solid blue so I'm not so sure now; yours look a bit variegated. Hmmm, could be speedwell, but someone else might differ!

Hi Bertha! Thanks! The standard trees are small-leaved lilacs (Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla 'Superba')

As usual, I think Halsall is right on the identifications: another vote for vetch and speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys, the birds-eye speedwell). There is another kind, Veronica filiformis, which is lower growing and a bit smaller.

Your garden really does look lovely, Holly - I particularly like your circular lawn!
Well, after much deliberation and perusing of the David Austin stand at Chelsea, I have ordered my roses. I've also chosen some apple espalliers and peonies. Bring on the winter of bare-root planting!

my hardy ferns arrived today

Oh I love a fern!

Have just had a lovely catch up with the thread. I too grubbed up a lot of yellow iris from the cottage borders as it didn't fit the colours at all. We have also just chopped the lysimachia firecracker, it really does flop when thirsty otherwise. I love this plant for bunches of flowers as it is so invasive I never mind how much of it I chop off.

We were utterly delighted to see a lot of newts in the pond, as well as great diving beetles and dragonfly nymphs. I finally got some peas in the ground and the purple runner beans (unknown variety) are ready to go out too. There were only seven seeds in the packet but I am hoping to get lots of seeds from them. Got a massive to do list but am not sure much of it will get done.

Also utterly delighted by the new flamethrower, it normally takes days to weed the paths and by the time I have finished they need doing again. DH did the lot in TWENTY MINUTES!!!!! It is a lethal thing though, I couldn't touch it in case of accident

Had a campfire cook in the orchard yesterday, we set up a playpen round the fire so that ToddlerCobbler couldn't hurt himself.

Oh and I meant to say that I have pretty much had my entire gardening education from this thread! I am very grateful to you all.

Thank you for the identification. They are very pretty weeds and are in my weedy, wildflower lawn patch so can definitely stay. Both have formed big patches which butt up against each other and in turn go up to the forget me not patch. It's like a flower patch blanket.

Managed to sneak an hour in the veg patch this afternoon. Planted out the cauliflowers, more courgettes and squashes, more beans. One of my borage plants is not actually borage. I've been looking at it with suspicion for a couple of weeks and now it stands out quite clearly as the other borage plants are growing next to it. I think it's a very healthy foxglove and is now throwing up a flower spike. I wouldn't intentionally grow a foxglove in the veg plot but seeing as I can't intentionally grow them anywhere else, it can stay! It'll serve the same purpose as the borage anyway which is just to attract the bees.

What lovely images, a flower patchwork quilt and a play penned campfire to protect ToddlerCobbler !

I have some purple French beans, fingers crossed they germinate, i will have to Shropshire Seaweed them. Got Shropshire Seaweed on Amazon after reading good reviews there and everything is getting seaweeded now, my hopes are high as someone on the Internet says Monty uses it.

That is very exciting about your ferns Hapshawl!

That campfire sounds nice and suitably seasonal!
I have had a very happy hour watering the garden.
In the evening Mme Alfred Carrie scents the garden entirely, there are hundreds of rose flowers on her rampant branches, more than ever before, I think due to the horsepoo/leafmould compost mulch in Autumn and spring, and plenty of water in the dry period early in April.
Anyway, with the ceanothus all blue, the clematis, the geraniums and the stunning irises from Chelsea (benton daphne , benton lorna, dancers veil, white city) in bloom amongst other flowers, (azalea rhodedendron cosmos etc) the garden, though not very neat, is wonderful to be in. Luckily the colours are muted so it is all very restful too!
It is a great temptation to do nothing but sit in the garden all day under the warm blue sky, sipping iced mint and lime and chatting with friends and neighbours and family.

Oh it sounds wonderful funnyperson. You evoke your garden beautifully.

Meant to say, my sonar cat scarers arrived today. Just need some batteries and I'm reclaiming my flower beds!

Wisley tomorrow. I'm ignoring the fact that it's going to be raining. We shall take waterproofs and have frequent cafe stops to dry out and eat cake. Haven't been for so long, I am looking forward to it,