"in the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer" Potting shed chat continues here

[funnyperson]

So as agreed (by 2 other people!) I have started this thread for spring gardeners follwing on from the previous thread : Welcome one and all. experts and novices alike and draw up your chairs and join in discussion on all things garden related (and even not garden related)

My euphorbia has been glorious for ages and now plan to move purple tulips nearer to it ( for next spring) what a great combination!
My Heuchera is going through a process of regeneration, I'd managed to snap a bit off, by accident, in September so I potted it up and it's just been replanted. I've buried some of the long side shoots to try and get them to root.

My heuchera are doing well, I planted several in a border last year in different shades of deep red, orange and purple. They look fab!
I bought some of those daisy-type flowers that close at night to fill a few gaps and add some colour while I wait for other things to flower. They look happy and make me smile!

Can anyone advise? My little (foot high) verbena bonariensis plants look like they have little dustings of chalk/talc over the leaves. Should I be applying anything? I have over a hundred of these and would hate to lose them.
Thanks!

Sounds like powdery mildew! Thin them out so air can move through, get rid of any bits that look terrible, water from the bottom under the leaves. If that doesn't help, you could try a fungicide or neem oil!

Thank you!

Has anyone else seen this programme presented by the lovely Dr James Fox about landscape art? There are a number of things in it to interest a gardener, as I suspect many gardeners are interested in nature and landscape in general. I love the tree circle near the beginning, despite the methods used to achieve it- poor trees I thought, but they seem happy:

Forest, Field & Sky: Art out of Nature:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b079ckkf via @bbciplayer

That does indeed look very interesting. Does he meet Andy Goldsworthy? Something else to add to the iPlayer list.

Will add that to iplayer lost too, thank you. Just watched last week's Beechgrove. Chris Beardshaw was saying that research found potting up divided plants in leaf mould really helps them establish . Shame mine is far from ready ! Interesting bit on hardy geraniums, windowsill edibles and gardening on a budget. A good one for beginners to get some enthusiasm going. I'll be interested to se result of trial of water retaining pellets when that's done.

Hurrah, the honeysuckle and lilac are coming out just as my tulips are succumbing to the heat!!

My tulips are succumbing to the heat, too, although there are two pots which are lagging behind and are still to open. I'm hoping that yesterday's warmth will have encouraged the clematis Montana to open. Wada's Primrose is already open and Nelly Moser is good to go. I've lost an awful lot of clematis I've the years, but these are my stalwarts.

I'll watch that Beechgrove programme too, although after the last few years I no longer see the point of water retaining gel, as keeping things wet is seldom a problem!

On an antipodean note, the warm autumn is a guilty pleasure as DH and drove up thought the Wombat State Forest in its glory. Gorgeous. Guilty because it should be colder and with more rain.

Closer to home, I bought cosmos "Diablo" seeds that flower in yellow, orange and red. Another addition is origanum "Kent Beauty" which has hop-like flowers and a cascading habit.

Echt! Lovely to hear from you!

Hello Maud We didn't see any wombats as, though very common, they are mostly nocturnal. Their widespread and weirdly square dung showed there were lots about. I know. Square poo, what's that about, eh?

They are very appealing, though farmers aren't always keen as they dig huge burrows, that stock can poke their legs in and fall. On second thought, humans have survived bushfires by diving into wombat holes, so fair's fair. They are very hefty and drivers are exhorted to slow down between dusk and dawn as collision will kill the beastie, but will also write off the front of your car. In an area with no mobile connection

A few years ago we met a tourist wombat on Squeaky Beach, free but tame, who allowed you to pat her coarse fur while her joey hid in panic.They are lovely.

It is wonderful to hear about Autumn and wombats echt

Here my little shady garden has started to really bloom. The Hellebores are still going and in addition the tulips, forgetmenots, geranium phaeum, clematis alpina and the Amanagowa cherry blossom are all out as well as scilla, little tiny phlox, little dianthus, primroses, lithodora.

The main colours are purples and greens and the occasional pink with the pretty blue of dainty forgetmenots everywhere.

The blue ceanothus is flowering and the montana clematis is just starting to flower
The other clematis all have buds.

The 'spring green' tulips are looking very pretty this year and very elegant with the purple hellebores.

Sweet woodruff, fennell, rosemary sage and thyme in pots are all scenting this hot May afternoon and consequently I'm finding it hard to get the energy to plant out the sweet peas and cosmos which are all doing well.

The alliums and lilies are coming up, and the roses are all in bud, promising even more flowers next month, and best of all the espaliered apple tree is just coming into blossom!

What wonderful images Echt and FP have conjured up with their posts !

Oh it has been gorgeous today and so many flowers are coming out. The laurels around us are coming into flower, so starting to smell lovely.

Yes Maud - Dr James does get to meet Andy Goldsworthy, (whose work I love) and helps him make a lovely piece.

Have realised I have a lot of plants to plant...

Oh and Echt love the idea of a tourist wombat - do they wear baseball caps & trainers, and take a lot of photos?

Searabbit, that would be good.

It's morning here now, and Mother's Day. As much to the point is it's bucketing down; good for the garden, but means I might not get out to tidy it up today. The gardening wheelie bin gets emptied fortnightly by the council so I'm determined to fill it.

I too am trying to work my way through the planting queue. In fact, I think I shall go and do a few more now.

The weather was glorious yesterday, the only drawback being that the waterbutt in the front garden is now empty and I shall have to refill it with the hose.

I am very much enjoying the image of tourist wombat Watched that program yesterday evening Searabbit, thank you for linking to that - I really loved the ash dome. Watched it on my newly cleaned up deck and felt all was well in the world.

I too have a planting queue but haven't been hardening anything off much so do need to start that. Really need to do my sweet pea supports but can't face constructing today.

I've only just started hardening things off tooSugarPlum - last year I put the pots out regardless of the weather & the poor things shivered and didn't grow well. In yesterday's warm sunshine though I could almost see them relaxing like a cat in front of a fire, and all my plants were definitely bigger this morning!

I'vw just put the sweet peas in as they looked pretty rough in their containers . But they are in about the same depth as the canes so I think it will all fall over. The ground is too hard to dig down much where they're planted. In fact the soil is stony and pretty rubbish there and needs a lot of improving really for a veg patch.

I've made a resolution to sit outside more in the evening which is lovely - apart from the insects .

I have made pretty good progress with the planting queue today, which means the patio is less cluttered with pots. If I can manage to find spaces for the astrantia collection I bought in a moment of light-headedness, I should be about done. I had to haul out the hosepipe to water them all in.

I too resolved to spend more time just sitting in the garden. Miraculously, dd decided to do her homework out there (she barely knows where it is, as I have failed to inculcate the gardening habit in her).

My sweet peas are all the better for being planted out as they love climbing up the canes in this weather : the ones still in seed boxes are developing wind rock and not growing so tall as the ones planted out . In fact I need to wake up early and get the rest done.
I've tried to plant two plants or so a day and though that sounds measly it does mean the planting q is not nearly so dreadful as last year when I fractured my leg when the q was at its lengthiest and angels came and helped. .
Got the phlomis Russelliana in, probably just in time, as there is no doubt the plants prefer it in the ground!
I'm more confident at identifying weeds now, and the weedy thingy give to me by a friend has been a godsend: it is similar to a spear and jackson elements daisy grubber and is brilliant for dandelions. I leave the daisies and cook the nettles.

Someone I know came round and made nettle pasta once, it looked truly amazing.

Just had a lovely catch up with all that has been going on in your gardens. I bet your DD will catch gardening later Maud, most of us seem to view work in the garden as outdoor housework when we are younger!

I have just walked down to put the geese to bed, it was lovely out there. The cherry trees are all in bloom, the cottage borders are looking lovely with the cornflowers and orange geums positively glowing in the twilight. The magnolia given at my DD's christening is looking really lovely for the first time ever. It SMELLS nice! I am really enjoying the crab apple blossom, there are loads of forget-me-nots underneath with provide a good backdrop. The herb beds under the pear tree (I know, a stupid place to have them) are doing well, I mostly have chives, fennel, golden marjoram, rosemary, ravenswing and sweet cecily.

I have been taking cuttings from he strawberry mint plants, I plan to give them to people as gifts when we go out, they will be perfect for summer pimms. I also have thalictrum aquilegifolium seedlings popping up in the hosta pot. I always think of you when I see that plant Maud!