"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)

::clears a space on the potting bench for some Buck's Fizz and mince pies. Slight dusting of compost optional::

So, what lovely gardeny things did everyone get for Christmas? I didn't, this year, so am off to buy myself a hippeastrum/amaryllis or two.

This was my present, delivered on Christmas Eve

And from my granddaughter

Oh, that all looks lovely. Are those trellis panels in front of a fence or are they the fence itself? It seems like we're finally getting a new fence in February, and I'm hoping for something prettier than the usual larch lap.

The painted or fence black and then attached the trellis. They do however stand alone as they have wooden gravel boards. It is Secret Garden from Jacksons Trellising.

This is it tonight after the first stage of planting. Next is my trees, which are on order, two Amelanchia and two Sorbus Cashmiriana . Thrni I will put in my Acers

That's going to be gorgeous.

I've just had a very satisfying couple of hours in the garden. I've repotted some congested snowdrops, tidied up some of the fallen leaves that were in danger of swamping emerging plants and been very pleased to see flower buds on the winter box and hellebores. I've also found places to squeeze in the 30 violas that were too good a bargain to resist.

It really looks good pithivier. This was under our tree for me. It is very substantial and the Rose looks like it was hand-beaten. Santa got me some copper slug tape, and I also got the Virago Book of Women Gardeners

That looks great SeaRabbit. Life is so lovely whe full of simple pleasures.

My pyracantha became disrorted due to the weight of other plants on them. As I planted them I noticed that the contortortions on hentwo plants mirror one another. Looks like I have cleverly designed it rather them rather than neglected them.

Oh wow Pithivier! That is going to look really fabulous. Lovely watering can Searabbit.

I didn't get anything garden related either Maud. Actually I'm lying, DS gave me two sweet little birds that could go outside and I got an orchid. I also got my garden turned into a mudbath and 3 beautiful strips of concrete. A Travis Perkins lorry is currently delivering 8 pallets of building blocks and some concrete beams.

Wyevale were marking down as I was doing some last bits of shopping on 23rd. My Amaryllis has started growing and I bought a lovely dark one (well I hope it is) inspired by this thread for a friend.

Hello to all!
Hope you all had a lovely time.
Maud - gardening? It has been very very frosty here for the last few days, so no gardening here.
Orchids do okay for me, as long as they are on the north facing kitchen windowsill. Once flowered I cut off the spike and let them sort of dry out for about 8 weeks, on a dark windowsill. Then I bring back out, water and feed them, They tend to throw up a new flower spike in about 2 weeks. ( Though the new one has two flower spikes on the same one branch - never had that before!) Here they rather thrive on neglect...
I got some lovely gloves ( always on my preferred presents list! ) and this book which looks interesting :)

That is indeed a beautiful watering can!

It's been cold here too - I knew I should have made the effort to get outside on Tuesday, when it was much warmer - but as I was mainly standing on hard surfaces I could get where I needed without damaging the frosty grass. I noticed too that some of the clematis are already sprouting, so hope the frost doesn't get them.

I forgot that I did receive a rather intimidating-looking book on ecology. Hmm ...

The weather here was lovely too - so cold and crisp, and yesterday thick fog; all non-gardening weather, though I may follow Maud's good example and clear some leaves today.the And the Avon bulbs catalogue has just arrived!

I was thinking of sowing my seeds of Oysterleaf (Mertensia maritima), but on reflection will wait until spring. They need cold to germinate so the weather of past few days has given them a head start. They do taste amazingly of oyster.

I didn't realise mertensia was edible. I bought a little plant when on holiday once, but it clearly didn't like being relocated to London and quickly died.

Very gloomy here today. Have just watered some pots, but not otherwise venturing into the garden until next year!

Happy New Year to you all

Happy new year. I have been drooling over plants all over the holidays. I think I have settled on grasses. Not sure I can copy this, but a gal can dream

That's gorgeous, pithivier, but I think you're right - Piet Oudolf-style planting is hard to reproduce on a small scale.

It was really mild at the weekend so i managed to plant up the rear beds, with the Acers, Robinia, Lilac and rambling roses.

Today I have got the little low growing conifers in, and planted up my 3 terracotta pots. My son bought them for me for christmas from
Witchford Pottery. Then I saw Monty sending a lady there on Big Dreams Small spaces.

Anybody watch that. I thought the gardens and the gardeners were so nice.

Tomorrow 2 of my trees will be arriving and I think the garden will come to life.

Just dropping in to say that I have celebrated the prospect of spring (I know, I know) by ordering plants. I've also been rearranging the pots in the garden, trying simultaneously to show off the best plants, hide the weaklings and make space for the gigantic wheelie bin just delivered by the council.

Well done Maud ! My Hippoeastrum has just broken into flower on the kitchen window sill. I've found a solitary snowdrop shivering in a rain soaked garden but within view if the kitchen joined by the first flower opening on a Camellia and a Primrose or two lurking .

Vile day here, cold and wet with a wind. I need to get out and empty the old shed as a skip available but can't really face it. The glass is all out of the greenhouse so in two weeks time the frame will come down. It can't go back up till the old shed is gone.

Little bit of sunshine here today. I built a make-shift green house using cardboard, bubble wrap and two garden chairs. Crocus sent all my plants a bit earlier than expected and with the wet I don't want to risk planting just yet.

I did plant two peacock grass plants in the shelter of a tree.

Well done Astrantia, that was very enterprising of you ! Still raining here.

The rain has picked up, so now it's raining horizontally here. Oh joy.

Sorry, I think it came from us !

Still standing,just after last night's storm. Can't see any funding from Dragons Den though.