It will not always be summer; build barns. The potting shed goes on...

[echt]

Please ignore my first, illiterate thread. I'll try again.

I hope this quotation from Hesiod captures the moment of movement from high summer to the splendours of harvest and the planing for the new year.

:o

[toomuchtooold]

Well no action in the garden today but I did manage to do some shopping.... checked out a local nursery where we wanted to buy aaalll the plants but resisted; my bare root roses arrived, and we went to France to the supermarket and there was Roundup! It's banned in Germany and I'd heard it was also banned in France but apparently not. We bought a massive tub of it and I will decant it into a plain spray bottle so I can just quietly go out and zap the bloody dandelions.

With Roundup to hand I'm slightly changing my plans: still going to dig out my planned patch for rasps and hand weed the rockery but the really evil stuff - dandelions and couch grass - I'm going to zap now, and then repeat in a couple of weeks if anything else comes up, possibly with Roundup gel for the rockery so as not to touch anything else. There are also a couple of patches of dock in the lawn whose days are now numbered . I don't want to douse the whole garden in the stuff, but it's a relief to know that I've got the nuclear option if I need it.

[shovetheholly]

Thanks everyone - all three lilacs moved today. I like them much better in their new positions, so it's been serendipitous. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they make it. I dug in loads of compost as suggested.

And dahlias - oh my lord, I had totally forgotten about them! It's about March that they go back in pots, isn't it? I'm going to keep mine in the greenhouse for a bit I think.

This time of year makes me feel a bit anxious. I love the early spring bulbs, but I have these terrible fears that those perennials that are still under the ground will never come back (silly, I know!) My garden always looks a bit scratty too- all the leaves of untidy things like alliums are though, but hardly any perennials to give more structure.

[funnyperson]

Yes I was worrying about the perennials today too. I think perhaps I should be a little more assiduous with labels and get hardier labels so that I know what is meant to come up in the gaps. I need to get better with succession planting too. Otherwise the temptation is to plant in gaps where something else might have seeded itself.
That said, I think I 'll try and plant out a lot earlier this year.

[SeaRabbit]

I have the same thoughts about perennials too. Hope the lilacs all survive holly.

I've just got back from Wisley - the butterflies are still in the glasshouse so the main path was full of excited small children and buggies. We went for a walk in the woods along the approach road and by the A3 - I'd been there for the first time when I met Blackpuddingbertha there last year, and it's lovely despite the noise from the roads. There were lots of camellias, magnolias and winter-scented shrubs - and not many people. I suppose the planting is rather old-fashioned - there will be rhododendrons later in the year. Th camellias were mostly in a good state, which was a surprise as we've had some very sharp frosts recently.

All over Wisley they have been adding to the winter planting so there was lots to see, and to smell. I especially liked the contrast between a cornus 'Flame' and deep purple crocus. There were some lovely drifts of crocuses.

I was entranced by the winter garden by the lake - lots of coloured stems of various plants, as well as coloured foliage, and some flowers. The planting is very regular so at first I thought it was too stiff, but as we moved along the various colour combinations changed like a ripple, and it was just beautiful.

We did talk last year about a thread trip to the Hampton Court Preview Evening. This year it's Monday 4 July, 17.00-10.30, and costs £58.00. Is anyone up for it? This doesn't include food, and the options include taking a picnic, booking a restaurant there or taking pot luck and buying there from food stalls etc.

[Callmegeoff]

I think it's April for Dahlias, I've moved mine from the greenhouse to the shed to stop the tubers drying out.

searabbit I think Rhubarb was asking on the Facebook page about HC. Do you have to be a member because I am not ?

[funnyperson]

My rhodedendron yakushimanum has died. One of the neighbours showed me hers and it became apparent that mine is not just waiting for the sap to rise. I'm rather sad. I've pruned off the dried up buds anyway but there is, in reality very little hope for it I fear.
The Camellia flowered in midwinter and is growing well but has no more flower buds so that is that.

If we go lets do a not too posh picnic.

[SugarPlumTree]

I would love to go to HC but unfortunately can't make it on a Monday. Wisley sounds lovely, I've never been.

Think I might pop my 2 dahlia tubers back in the box for another few weeks then, thanks Geoff. FP that's sad about your rhododendron .

[SeaRabbit]

Thanks Geoff - I don't usually use Facebook -I will head over there. I agree about a not-posh picnic Funny. Sorry to hear about your rhododendron. Wisley is indeed lovely sugarplum - I like it more each time I go.

[funnyperson]

I know we havent reached nearly 1000 posts yet but what do people feel about starting a new thread for spring?

[SugarPlumTree]

I think that's a good idea, feels a bit strange to still be on summer. GW back tonight

[echt]

As the OP of this thread, I couldn't agree more. I've always gauged threads I've started on the potting shed in terms of the northern hemisphere majority of posters, so bring it on.

[funnyperson]

Well how about the quote from Camus that was mentioned by the head gardener of the Salutation gardens on Gardener's World last night: its also a nice lead on from the title of this thread


''In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me an invincible summer'

or we could look for a more spring like quote?

[SugarPlumTree]

I like that. We'vr slowed down a bit do next one will take us through to summer. I really felt for them with the flooding they experienced.

Nelly made me smile, she does indeed look very naughty in a very lovely way.

Anyone after hardy cyclamen they are £1.63 or something like that in B&Q. Was nice to see them on the Welsh hillside on GW but I think I prefer hellebores with some foliage.

[funnyperson]

Yes, I leave the foliage on my hellebores, partly because I think plants need their leaves for nourishment, and partly because the foliage on my hellebores is very attractive and not diseased.
I did think the hellebores were nice and upright though. I love mine and the way they are scattered through all my beds at the moment, blooming grandly, but in the autumn I will divide them and plant some on the bank in the front garden so that I can look up at their drooping flowers.

Tesco was selling pussy willow trees (Salix) for a tenner with gorgeous fluffy buds on, just like the Chinese poem, and I was tempted, but need to find out a bit more about how large they grow. I bought far too many trees last year, including a Cornus and a Myrtle and an evergreen Magnolia Grandiflora and ended up planting the Cornus and the Magnolia in mum's garden where the old Chestnut that was cut down left a large gap.

Li Ch'ing-Chao, a Chinese poet, has this to say about the pussy willows:

Warm rain and soft breeze by turns
Have just broken
And driven away the chill.
Moist as the pussy willows,
Light as the plum blossoms,
Already I feel the heart of Spring vibrating.

Nelly seems good company for the patient Nigel!

[SeaRabbit]

That's beautiful, Funny.

Sarah Raven had noticed that I 'haven't placed my order yet' so sent me a 20% off code. Naturally (my flesh is weak where gardens are concerned) I succumbed, and spent about £32; then felt a bit guilty. While I was washing pots in the sunshine, I was musing on how much I spend on the garden each year. I think it's between £200 & £300, which doesn't seem a lot given how much pleasure I get from it. That is admittedly without things like tickets to Hampton Court - I am going to get a ticket to the preview evening, and hope more from the thread will, so we can meet up.

[Kr1stina]

I confess to spending more that that

But in my defence I spend very little on other " luxuries " , such as make up, clothes , skincare , handbags, going out for meals etc . The garden is my main hobby .

Actually I don't know why we feel so defensive spending money on our gardens ( assuming that we can afford it ). Mumsnet is full of threads where people talk about spending hundreds on handbags and skincare and thousands on watches . Posters are always talking about hen weekends and spa weekends with the girls which must cost hundreds , and no one ever suggests that they are being extravagent

Plus < whispers >through my work I have access to a trade account at a local nursery where I get 40% off

[SugarPlumTree]

I'm not sure how much I spend on the garden each year but it's also my main hobby. Agree we shouldn't feel defensive but I do a bit. I look at it that a nice garden is a selling point of a house so will most likely get my money back when we sell one day.

But more importantly it's hard to put a price on the pleasure it gives me and the garden has helped me through difficult times with my Mother in the past and hopefully will in times to come.

I've been awake for a bit now and my phone is still saying it's minus 5 outside. That hasn't deterred a bird starting the dawn chorus in the trees behind the bedroom.

[Kr1stina]

When we sold our last house, I was broken hearted to leave the garden . I'd done every single bit of it myself . We didn't have a lot of spare cash then, so lots of plants were bought as Christmas and birthday present . It was before the days of the Internet so I travelled to far flung nurseries looking for special plants . So it was very special to me

When the sale was agreed I wondered about digging up some of my favourite plants but the very strict lawyer said it was NOT ALLOWED . So I took loads of cuttings . I'm not very good at propagation so it was a bit hit and miss and of course it was too late in the year for softwood cuttings .

In the end, the house wasn't sold until well into the Autumn. So I could have dug up most of the perennials and no one would have known any better ( apparently the garden is supposed to be the same as it was when it was viewed and of course they had gone over by then ) .

Most upsettingly , the people who bought the house immediately got workmen in to dig up all the plants and put down slabs and and grass . My former NDN looked on aghast knowing I would have a fit !

So really wish I'd asked the new buyers if they wanted my plants but it never occurred to me :-( . I'd just assumed that my beautiful ( in my opinion ) garden was a great selling point and a buyer would love it . Whereas they saw it as a huge maintenance issue.

So the moral of my story is have your garden just how you want it and stuff everyone else . And fill up the removal van with plants

[shovetheholly]

Oh, how utterly heartbreaking Kristina!

I fear that more and more people see gardens as 'just another hassle' rather than for what they are - the most lovely outdoor spaces that truly add to a house. I wonder how much of it is because skills for dealing with these spaces have been lost out of families, so there is a lack of confidence and knowledge about how to begin.

[Kr1stina]

Bless your holly, no one but another gardener understands . Other people are like they are just plants

[SugarPlumTree]

Oh no Kristina, that's really sad I think probably a lot to do with it is time pressures on people so I guess I can understand that a lot of people want an easy space to deal with everything that needs juggling.

[Kr1stina]

I do understand that many people think that way . I guess it's like someone who has a home full of beautiful precious ornaments on every surface . I would hate that - I'd worry about things getting broken and how difficult it would be to clean . Having every surface cluttered with " stuff " would get in the way of living in the house . To me they would not be things of beauty, but ugly nuisances .

I realise that how many people think about plants . Ugly messy things that need looked after and take up space. I can understand it intellectually but not emotionally .

Do you remember there was a thread a few months ago where the OP had bought a new house with a couple of small trees in the garden and she wanted to know how to get rid of them ? I was irrationally perturbed by that. I wanted to go round and rescue her trees.

My head is going " her garden her choice " . My heart is going " she must be mad, how can anyone not want lots of trees , it will bring beauty ,colour and wildlife to their barren modern estate " .

[shovetheholly]

I know what you mean Kristina.

There are few areas of life where I feel that I have any kind of moral certainty. But I'd be happy to say 'YOU ARE WRONG!' to someone decking over a beautiful border!! I might even be moved to chain myself to the delphiniums.

[funnyperson]

Kristina the same thing happened to me with my last garden and my friend with her mothers garden
It never occured to us to ask if we could take our favourite plants away especially as the gardens were said to be a selling point
I still miss the plants in my old garden- 20 years ago! I went back once thinking to ask if I could dig some up but the owners were out and the neighbours let me in to have a look and all the old plants had gone anyway
I wonder if the law should be changed to allow people to dig up the orfavourite plants and take them away or perhaps it is a case of always letting the new wheres know you one would be prepared to come and take plants away!

I've tried to start the spring thread btw

[funnyperson]

This

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2586853-in-the-midst-of-winter-I-found-there-was-within-me-an-invincible-summer-Potting-shed-chat-continues-here