The first rule of potting shed is YOU ALWAYS talk about potting shed. The thread continues.

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Here goes, and feeling bit cheeky as I didn't post much on the last one.

A fine autumn day here, with much seasonal clearing done. Now I come to think of it, is there ever a non-clearing season? :o

oh dear MrsBert .
I was gifted some chrysanthemums yesterday. A friends husband sadly died, and he grew show blooms. I have been given four in a rather sorry state, as he wasn't able to do anything with them . Sad things in 4" pots , kept in a cold frame since April. They are all alive, yellow/green , tall with two stems. I ran home with them and immediately repotted them ,
then fed and watered too. Fingers crossed I may get a flower or two - I said I would take a picture for her . Fingers crossed .......

x post ! - hello Pansy - still happy with your make over - it was looking lovely in the last set of pictures :)
Yes , enjoying it , its less rushed, but I wish they had just a tweak more gardening and less eulogising from Monty ( or am I being mean ?)

Still enthralled with it. The daily changes and the way it has filled out are great. The Amelanchier and the Acers are just starting to turn. The early flowering plants have beautiful seed heads now, which I am intending to leave until next spring.

My Robinia Frisia which I thought I might lose is better than ever. It was in August last year that I made the decision. So glad that I did

Lovely pictures, your garden has settled in well and looks very mature.
I am also enjoying Gardeners World, if it was on in the daylight I'd be straight out doing things after it finished!
I have made a note of the gardens that might be open next year.

Pansy - just ^lovely* - I am not surprised you are still enthralled :)

So lovely, Pansy. I love asymmetry.

Here in the Melbs it's fecking cold, and three orchids that have never yet flowered have put up budding stems. I'm not holding my breath as they can take weeks to bloom. I've shifted the pots into the sun, fed with weak fertiliser and the wait is on. On the other hand, the divided pots of dendrobium speciosum, the rock orchid are sprouting madly. Will post pics when they finally get their blooms on.

Nasturtiums have gone berserk so I'm going to try making nasturtium pesto this weekend.

Nasturtium pesto? One of my ridiculous hang-ups is that I never eat those things from the garden - nasturtiums, violas etc - that I know are perfectly edible.

I have been so busy recently the garden (and the allotment) have had to take back seat. But I managed a little look around this afternoon, and I am so happy with the resurgence of my hibiscus. They have looked sad for a few years, and was resigned to digging them out. But - Last year I gave them a bit of a chop ( not too heavy) and we managed to really clear the bed of rampant bluebells. early spring- It has also been much wetter over winter /spring. And they are looking well!
Also a small joy - I bought 3 Japanese anemones from a plant sale last year, and I thought I had lost them ( DH doing some major hedge trimming) - well two have survived and are flowering. Pink ones :) Sadly the double isn't anywhere to be seen ( Pansy may remember - she very kindly offered me some from her garden when she was having it re - done)
Nasturtium pesto sounds very exotic !

SeaRabbit, since you mentioned the smell of wattle, I was out for a run today and stopped in my tracks by a smell, rather dry and musty, but attractive. It was this, my favourite of the wattles.

Well, I finally made the nasturtium pesto half an hour ago, and not bad at all, though I say it myself. The recipe I followed had lemon juice and nasturtium seed pods in addition to the usual pesto ingredients.

A definite nasturtium-y pong and lovely green colour.

Now I need to find a use for it. Silly I know, but I use very little of it. I'll probably put up one jar and ice cube the rest.

I make my own spinach pesto, usually with hazelnuts. It works really well as extra oomph in soup :)
Beautiful day here, but as I have been busy, the allotment got first attention. DH is cutting all the old fruiting stems off the summer raspberries. I am pottering in the greenhouse, picking tomatoes ready to make pasta sauce.
I have just got my seed catalogue from our horticultural society, so I am going to enjoy an evening of browsing. Its interesting that now I have more time ( Hah!) I am much more into the thoughts of growing from seed, rather than buying a plant already in a pot. Maybe because I can choose a bit more specifically the varieties ,and maybe a bit more patience !
Also getting ready to shop for my new greenhouse - upping up from an 8 x6 to a 10 x 8 - and making sure it will fit - well I know it will, but worry it will dominate , though its going on the same spot as the smaller one .

Ah, seed catalogue porn.:o

I like your suggestion of spinach pesto, bookbook. As it turns out, DD loves the nasturtium one, so it's disappearing rapidly.

It's the first day of spring, and right on cue a fly has arrived. They are definitely at their most vigorous in spring, so fly traps must be set soon.

In the garden the boronia is blooming madly in its pot. The single plant's perfume is so strong, you can smell it on the street. Its pong is in the range of sun-lit wallflowers for intensity, but its notes are intensely violet. It's the smell of Australia for me.

Beautiful day here in London. I love Autumn, I Trying to think of somewhere botanical for today. I think maybe Richmond park.

Sigh I cleared out my summer bench on the weekend. It's getting cold up here again and everything was flagging. Enjoyed it again thus year despite sweet peas being less prolific. This is it pre being cleared

It's the second summer I haven't done well with establishing creepers up the garden walls. The honeysuckle looks sparse and messy. The passion flower has grown very little and the jasmine having suffered a number of inadvertent chops still hasn't even made it to the trellis.
Any suggestions for something nice and vigorous not clematis- my dd is severely learning disabled and will eat things. Maybe ivy isn't as poisonous as I'm assuming? The garden has a high brown fence all round

Think it might be case of patience with the ones you already have. Some of my climbers and creepers seem to spend year one and sometimes year two putting doe. roots. This year there is a lot of top growth so I am Hoping for flowers next year.

That's peral you're right. It's only been one summer really for mine. I had another look at ivy and its just no good for us.

I meant thanks peral

Hello hello! After several years on MN I have only just (like this minute) discovered there is a gardening thread. What a waste of time, pottering around chat and AIBU when this was here all along.

Please may I join you all in your lovely potting shed? I have compost!

Here is my garden (in May, it's a bit more grown over now, especially with today's high winds)...

Welcome 'Fuzzycustard. That looks a lovely sunny spot. Lots of help and ideas on here.💐

Thank you for the welcome.
My garden's been in a howling gale today. In fact, wind is the greatest issues in my garden (Atlantic gales) so if anyone knows of wind-tolerant plants that like heavy soil, that would be such a help!
I'm doing astrantias and might get some phlox (thank you Monty) but roses are miserable and tomatoes a failure.

Hebes might do the job. They're quite tough and come in a variety of sizes, shapes and have deep purple through to white flowers.

how about escallonia -Fuzzy ( oh, and hello!) though maybe I am thinking good for coastal - rather than wind - and maybe a bit big?
I do love hebes too
I noticed on a list elsewhere that Erysimum (eg 'Bowles's Mauve') is good for wind. I have planted a couple this year, and they have flowered their hearts out

Good idea about hebes (especially as they take so well from cuttings) I am cultivating a few small plants in pots and they do seem to be doing better than most.
And I am thinking about another hedge so escallonia, yes.
I've grown the erysium in the past but it goes woody (I suppose I need to take cuttings more frequently). I would have thought it would prefer lighter soil?

I am having spectacular success with schiztostylus (Sp?) at the moment. I have the red version (cocchinea?) and it is spreading everywhere and flowering like blazes. I shall have to thin it out a lot soon! Anyone want some corms?

Thank you for the very good suggestions!