"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)

Querky, I'm in Birmingham

This was the state of the garden when we moved in...

Hello everyone, I have been absent for a while but I seem to have got my gardening head back after two years of being the mother of an adorable but non-sleeping and speech delayed toddler. He is sleeping and talking now and it seems to have given me some headspace and I am full of enthusiasm for my garden again.

This winter we have had some help in the garden and it is looking a lot better. I have also picked up some tips from watching the very experienced gardener at work.

Today I am going to attack the herb beds. They are not ideally situated for herbs, being partly shaded, but they are where we sit and eat during the warm weather so are very important. I am going to get rid of the two massive tansy bushes, which I don't like anyway, maybe move the clematis out as the flowers all face towards the sun and away from where we are sitting and replace with lots of green and bronze fennel. The ravenswing has seeded all over, which is great, but there seem to be a non dark coloured seedling sprung up all over as well, does anyone know if it reverts?

Congratulations funny person on your prize winning. I am AGHAST that your hellebores were replaced! Skullduggery at the horticultural show is not what I expected.

My mock oranges are not doing anything at the moment NigellasGuest, there is still hope!

Anyone fancy helping me plant this up for this year. Many years ago it held our rotary line. It does support plants despite being 90% concrete. There is room for about 3 -6 inches of soil. In the past it has been a thyme bed which worked quite well. Sedums not so good. Last year it had grasses growing in it. I only want something low growing.

It is a walled courtyard garden iin London, it gets full sun all day. The garden is fully enclosed by plants because I live in The middle of a big estate housing and when I sit in the garden I like to feel that I am in a very small part of my vast country pile with no living soul nearby. Except the boy who brings me tea of course.

So inspire me, hope the pic is ok, here goes

Ok so photo crap, but it is whole the size of a large plant pot.

This is my Phili at the moment. Did you prune it. I think that if you have lost some of the root system a light pruning might help. I know that means you will lose some flowers this year.

I have got london pride planted in holes like that. Looks good all the time.

thanks Humphrey, I love seeing that in other people's gardens but never growing it. certainly on the short list. Any ideas where to buy it on line.

Welcome back Humphrey - it's lovely when you're free enough of baby demands to get back into gardening isn't it?

Elle your garden looks like it is actually quite a good size once you've cut everything back.

Jo how low do you want the planting to be? How about Erigeron Karvinskianus (it supposed to self seed freely but doesn't in my garden even though it's hot & dry where it is - but my one plant flowers its socks off all through the summer):

www.sarahraven.com/flowers/plants/perennials-plants/erigeron_karvinskianus.htm

I had a happy time today tidying up the veg plot in soft sunshine, including digging up the old strawberries, and discovering that the leeks and beetroot I'd forgotten about were not only still edible but really rather good specimens. Ooh maybe I can grow veggies after all. I also got a very nice zinc planter holding some easily-tidied White primulas at the knock-down price of £5 from the Shelf of Doom in Homebase.

SeaRabbit - it is, really - the lawn alone will be just shy of 12m sq. - marked it out and dug manure in today - I ache quite a lot now! The space really is bigger than I think.

Erigeron is fabulous. We have finally managed to get it self seeding in the gravel.

What a nice surprise, finding leeks and beetroot!

Congratulations on your prize funny - but I am at the hellebore sabotage! The dastardly people!

Oh I'm over it now. It made me appreciate my hellebores so much more. I will definitely enter that section next year
I've been looking at the moss in the lawn with new eyes after looking at pictures of Japanese gardens while thinking about your inside/outside terrace, shove The Japanese really rate moss and carefully cultivate it in mounds on the round or on walls. I might do this with the shady bit of lawn under the oak where moss always grows
Humphrey glad to see you back!

PS
I bought my Hampton Court preview ticket!

Qwerky thanks for the pic - it has reassured me a little! Yes I pruned it immediately before moving it, to make it easier to carry. (which was at the wrong time for Philadelphus, being about 5 weeks ago). Hadn't pruned for a couple of years, and last summer it didn't flower well (just a little at the top) so I don't mind if there's no flowers this year. Some nice greenery would be good though! Humphrey - glad yours are looking inactive at the moment too....

I've been potting-on this afternoon. Zinnia, blue chrysanthemum, malva, centratherum. Also popped 3 x pale yellow & pale pink polyanthus into a pot. I paid 50p each for them in garden centre clearance.

funny - Japanese moss gardens are just amazing! So utterly beautiful and atmospheric. (I do like me a bryophyte: when you look closely, different mosses are so utterly varied in form and colour). It's funny - you see the gardeners in Japan on their hands and knees, literally using tweezers to remove the grass from the moss. And British lawn maintenance fans spend their entire time doing the exact opposite! Anyway, I bet your moss lawn will look incredible.

I've heard that you can cultivate moss by putting it in a blender with yoghurt. Unfortunately, I told DH this before trying it and was summarily banned from repurposing his precious kitchen blender for health juices this way. I am now very that I threw out my old stick blender when he got it and considering doing the moss thing anyway when he is out then sterilising it.

Anybody needing moss, can come and rake out mine! It doesn't need the encouragement of yoghurt! Though if I managed to get rid of it, my lawn grass wouldn't even be green, but brown earth

Yes - I discovered too late that you're not meant to put moss in the compost bin. I have a bit off moss in my flower beds as a result. I also love the thought that Japanese pick out the grass.

I have moved a lot of aquilegia into the herb beds. There goes my herb status! We are having a huge truck full of mushroom compost coming in the next day or so, to mulch with. A bit late but never mind! We didn't mulch last year and we certainly regretted it.

Humph how lovely to see you

It is lovely to see you too!

I am so pleased to get my gardening enthusiasm back, this thread feels like coming home

elledouble your garden looks lovely imo

I had a happy time today hoeing the remaining winter debris from the flower beds (got halfway round) and they really look like the decay of winter is over. I carefully exposed the iris corms. I do like the hoe, such a useful tool.

The clay soil, though not waterlogged, is quite compacted from the wet February and will need lots of compost and structure providing material. But it is exciting seeing the hosta and hydrangea Annabelle beginning to shoot up and the buds on the cherry tree.

The Mme Alfred Carriere rose which was vigorously cut back by one of you is thriving, and the plants in the bed under it even more so. given space and light!
The Rosa Mundi has also survived the winter!

This year, the roses which have been growing in pots are gong to be planted out . I will plant Mrs Fisher next to Mme Alfred, as I am thinking of turning the white border into a white and orange and green border!

I have collected last years hydrangea Annabelle seed heads today, as they provided winter interest so I had left them on the plant, and I will sow the seeds in pots.

A professional gardener used to post on another forum I visit - he used to do garden maintenance for a number of clients. He swore by frequent hoeing for keeping gardens immaculate. I suspect his clients like things more pristine than I do, and with no self-seeders, but I follow his guidance in the vegetable garden and it does make life easier.

I must pop out and look at my Annabelle - & when do irises start making shoots? Am I right that slugs like them, too?

A white, orange and green border sounds gorgeous.

The mushroom compost arrived today! So lots of busy work ahead, barrowing it around the garden. I don't think I will be doing much of it, DH usually does it with some help.

I wish I was as good at keeping on top of the weeds SeaRabbit.

I have got lots of seedling sweet peas and sunflowers ready for the cutting garden. I am going to direct sow lots of cornflowers and a patch of wildflower mix. Some lime green and bright pink gladioli (the only colours I really like) and some dahlias.

funnyperson it looks quite different now!

Today my garden recycling bin arrived! I was probably more excited about this than I should have been. I have dug over the patch where my lawn is going (again) to get the weeds and stones out and then I'm hoping to sow it! I started clearing the left hand border, which is mainly taken up with bluebells, winter jasmine and some creeping thing that seems to have wrapped itself round pretty much everything. I'm hoping to get some cheerful flowers in there, does anyone have any suggestions of easy to grow things that will gladden the heart to look at?!

Searabbit - I am a fan of the hoe! (That sounds wrong). I do that in my allotment: try to just turn the very top of the soil before much has sprouted. It's not much slower to do that hoovering the same area, IYSWIM, and I swear it saves me time in the long run.

I'm, ahem, a bit less organised in my back garden