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.

nectaroscordums are new to me, aren't they fabulous?

You definitely first gave me the idea of getting a flamethrower Maud! I remember the conversation. Also the front borders with geraniums and alchemilla mollis (also your idea) are looking really good. The plants are all mature enough to make an excellent shape over the dying tulip foliage. I am so pleased with them.

Ooh get me, the garden design and slayer of weeds genius! ::wink::

Can you remind me, Humph. What was that thing with dark purple foliage I brought to the wonderful private view of your open garden? I thought I'd remember but, of course, I didn't.

We went to some open gardens today where the alchemilla mollis was frothing all over the place. Mine has barely got going. It was like being in a different climatic zone, 3 miles away.

Maud - I love the idea of you with a flamethrower! .

I just bought a load of biennial seeds to get on (I know, I'm a bit late) - foxgloves, hesperis matronalis (which grows wild all around the countryside, and looks lovely). Also got some cardiocrinums to try as I think they are spectacular! And some tree ferns - I have no idea if they will work, but they were 99p so worth a shot I reckon.

My netaroscordiums are still tightly furled in their bumpy jackets. I was hoping they would come out at the same time as the foxgloves and irises I planted, but unfortunately I have mistimed it - the irises are going to be over by the time they make it. Oh well.

Err, thanks! ::Just think of me as Ripley in Alien::

I think foxgloves might be my new thing, although those I planted a few months ago seem hardly to be moving. Now DD is older, I don't have to fret about toxic plants.

Haha at Ripley armed and ready to fight the alien weeds.

I am really beginning to love foxgloves too - I have some soft cream ones under an ivy-covered tree in the back garden, and thanks to all the rain we've had, the planting looks like a glorious wild garden, albeit one about 1.5 m2.

My alchemilla hasn't come out yet either; yet Wisley's was frothing beautifully - only about 10 miles away.

I also love the nectaroscordums - I think I had some without realising what they were (allium offer) but they died after a year. I will try again.

If only the dirty best and combats look suited me as well as it does Sigourney Weaver! Mind you, it would make a fairly practical gardening outfit, with the addition of some factor 30 ...

Lol. I think combats would suit you actually!

I had another look and the nectaroscordums haven't come up in last years spot, so I'll plant some more bulbs this year. Also the only alliums which have come up are those planted last autumn rather than the autumn before that. I wonder what I should be doing to help them regenerate.

I really like the foxgloves in the shade too: just as the trees are in full leaf and one thinks nothing will possibly flower, the foxgloves come out!
Acanthus Rue Ledan is looking leafy next to them: no flower spikes there as yet. My foxgloves are the alba type: the cream looks lovely too. The advantage of the lighter colours is they show up in the shade and at a distance, ie from the first floor dining room.

I moved the hosta with the white fringe around the leaves to the shade under the rampant white rose today, taking the idea from Monty and it looks very happy there!

I am very into foxgloves as as mine are older now. Next year there will be lots, this year just one plus one I ended up buying.

My Rue Ledan is leafy but not anywhere as big as I think it should be in the shady bed. That's coming on but I think it is going to need rejigging. FP you said yours looked a bit messy, I feel mine is heading the same way.

I am waiting for lots of things to spread and grow, to fill gaps. My old, generic acanthus is a huge beast now and the new one I planted this year will quite soon (I realise) outgrow its space. I will move it with some trepidation, as when I moved the other one a whole new plant sprouted from a tiny fragment of root I left behind.

That is interesting about acanthus growing from root. Mine aren't messy - the leaves are quite wonderful- but there aren't any flower spikes as yet.
Near them are the alba foxgloves, some ferns, and some astrantia 'shaggy' which in theory should look nice, but the reality remains to be seen!
The clumps do grow to be quite substantial if left alone, as I saw under some trees in one of the London parks last year.
Monty had them in a row ether side of one of his shady walks looking quite magnificent on one of the programmes last year.
I do hope they flower.

There is a messy bit in the section of the bed next to that where I've planted a miscanthus grass, and photinia and a very beautiful creamy azalea currently in flower.
The grass and photinia are theoretically for winter structure but in reality they are simply in the wrong place.

I have a mystery grass which I must post here for help with an identification. It's grown from a delicate little thing to a hulking giant and I think it probably needs to go.

I've just been looking at A Rue Ledan and it looks delightful. I love acanthus anyway, but an all white one is particularly pretty. And, yes, the unintended root cutting was a bonus!

I love acanthus too! Unfortunately, my garden is too small to cope with one. But they are statuesque in a wonderfully weird and wonderful way! I often struggled to identify the English plant I knew with the architectural one that is on Corinthian capitals. Then I went to Greece and realised that a. they are probably different plants and b. even the same plant doesn't grow nearly so large and leafy there as they do in England. I guess the dryness and the heat keep them a bit smaller.

I just went outside to sow some annuals and within five minutes it went from being a little bit overcast to blowing a proper hoolie.

What do you plant your acanthus with? Do you have the one with the purple and white flowers?

I'm trying to get 'succession planting' so in that section there are anemones and spring tulip bulbs and hellebores out before the acanthus leaves, ferns and astrantia surface. Clematis Broughton star and Avalanche flower on the fence behind before the rose 'New Dawn' flowers.

But the planting still isn't quite right as yet, and not at the stage where I can just leave it totally to itself.

Here is the azalea I have flowering its socks off under the oak! The picture s from the RHS website, it is even better in reality!

I bought 3 rue ledan last Autumn, I've planted them in 3 locations the back south facing border because I read it liked sun -it has a flower spike. The other 2 I've planted in the west border, one is just peaking out behind white aquilegia and white foxgloves. The other is in a raised bed where it looks a bit lonely. I'm hoping to get seeds this year and will happily forward some.

Lovely Azalea funny

Yes, mine are acanthus mollis, so white and purple. They date from the days when I was collecting William Morris plants. The old, established one is backed by rose Glory of Edzell, has a pale yellow phygelius to one side and a Callicarpa in front. Also nearby is the grapevine and a back from the dead dark red clematis. The newer, baby one is in a shadier bed beneath hydrangea quercifolia and viburnum opulus, which is why I suspect it will grow into them and need to be moved. It's surrounded by a jumble of geranium (phaeum and other), tellima grandiflora, aquilegia, candelabra primula, ajuga and Alchemilla mollis.

The acanthus isn't messy, it's the whole bed that us at the moment. To be fair everything is very new. It's by a Foxglove , Hostas, Astrantia shaggy, ajuga, fern and geranium phaeum.

"maud* that sounds totally different; I would really like to see a picture when it all flowers! How much sun does your phygelius get?
sugarplum your planting is similar to mine!

They all sound wonderful plantings (if that is a noun you can pluralise (if that is a verb)). I have astrantia that I can move to my shady bed - thanks for the idea, though it's not 'shaggy' - quite neat actually.

There's a section of cliff in Portscatho in Cornwall that holds lots of acanthus Mollis which looks stunning in the summer. It seems entirely at home there.

I'll put some pictures on FB, funnyperson. Does anyone else want to join our FB group? As far as I know, any existing member can add new members.

::technodunce emoticon::

It's horribly wet and windy here. I bought a little acer to go by the pond (inspired by those at Wisley near their stream/pond bit), however it keeps getting blown over. I'm going to have to decide on a final planting spot and actually plant it or put it a much heavier pot!

My nectorascordums are out too (though I didn't know that was what they are called). My alliums seem to disappear year on year too. I always seem to be planting out more bulbs from various allium offers. They self-seed readily but the babies don't reappear the next year either.

It's getting blowy here too. I have left a few towels on the washing line that didn't get fully dry earlier and fear they may end up in the garden next door!

My allium Modern Art are producing foliage but still no sign of flowers. Alliums dislike this garden, I think. 'Tis not fair, as I like alliums.

::unrequited love::

Full gale here with trees swaying. Have closed all windows. Beaufort scale 7 according to the DS.

I've tried but failed to add Holly to the FB page. Can anyone speculate on what I'm doing wrong? Can one only add folk with whom one is already FB friends?