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

I was wearing four, 4!, layers of fleece today including 2 thick zip tops, to feel warm enough. But it was so beautiful out there in the sunshine!

The ground was frozen hard, so I had to do pruning and tying in and gathering up leaves instead which was A Good Thing as I usually pass on those jobs.

Some Iris Katherine Hodgkin that I planted last year are flowering- so pretty.

I’ve been hacking serious amounts of brambles. Had moisturiser with factor 30 allegedly in it and have a red nose from the sun

I've down some seed for the propagator but was glad to have a long break for lunch as it's so cold. The dipping tank pond is frozen and the grown is rock solid. Even the paint for my windowbox is semi-frozen.

I think we must have it a few degrees warmer, it’s ok if you keep moving here. Having said that I am drinking lots of hot tea to warm me up, My Cobaea has started to germinate in the propagator.

Those are very pretty irises Searabbit.

I have finally managed to get all the unwanted plants out of my new perennial bed - moved the last few lavender bushes today and managed to get out a satisfying amount of weed roots. I'd originally planned to ditch the lavender but, in the interests of the bees, decided to stick them in another bed. Once the cold snap is over I can start digging in compost and getting my new plants in!

We were stuck on mountainous homework and room cleaning today, but I managed to get a tray of Nicotiana sown and into the propagator, having decided to globe amaranths have had their chance to germinate.

I now have a queue for the porch as I am too scared to move anyone else out there until this cold spell is done.

We've been out to buy logs in case we're snowed in (very unlikely here!) My greatest worry is that the pots in the garden will crack.

My newly-filled propagator is clearly broken as it's not heating up. I am trying to persuade DH to venture into the cellar (really just a glorified coalhole) again to look for the other one.

I've lagged the outside tap with some old towel and piled some soil on the verbena bonariensis.

Hoping the things in the cold frame and shed all survive...if not, I'll have to buy some new plants!

It is very cold but bright still here. Not much in the way of snow forecast, but who knows?

Ah. I didn’t think about protecting the verbena bonariensis. It’ll have to take its chances (although so far we’ve only had some very small flurries of snow).

I’d like a porch, that would be very handy right about now! Just waved goodbye to my Greenhouse, plans are formulating for its replacement.

My Cobaea is up and this morning I was very surprised to see lettuce and radish have germinated under a cloche in raised bed. I have no fleece so everything will have to take their chances. We are quite sheltered which might help. Or not, will see...

Just seen my plum tree has decided now is the time to blossom. I think the plum tree is probably wrong there. Chance of blossom surviving frost or snow?

Any chance of popping some sort of cover on it, Cath? It's amazing how much difference just a bit of protection can make.

I covered mine in fleece last year Cathpot while in full bloom - it had to stay on for 3 days , and I never got a hint of a fruit ...( they were 2 years maiden Victoria plum and greengage ) An allotment that had been given up. so no cover - the plum tree was laden

Should have checked earlier- I’ve only got padded envelopes to hand but I am about to go out and wrestle some over the branch ends. In the dark..

Cath I hope you are back in the warm with your plum trees nice and snug. If the weather stays bad then you may want to do a spot of artificial pollination if possible as pollinators will not be flying this weather and there is no point saving the blossom if it can't be pollinated!

Currently -2 here, so we have it relatively easy. I'm quite concerned about the contents of the [plastic] greenhouse, as what was a little tear in the cover seems to have become a huge rip, so it's not doing much to keep its inhabitants warm.

I gave up my plum tree because I couldn't persuade it to flower. I hope Cathpot's pulls through.

Well, it turns out that the padded envelope is not ideal for the job. Branch too flimsy, doing more damage to flowers than good. Got cold, abandoned plum tree. Note to self, buy fleece for next year.

My Mirabelle tree has produced two tiny fruit in 5 or 6 years. Did read that plums can take a long time to get going so maybe this year it might do something.

I picked up fleece in Wilko the other day then put it back. Can’t remember if I said before but their Dahlias are great, I got 8 for £6 and they have bare root paeonies, astrantia, hardy Geranium for £2 each. I didn’t end up checking out on my Peter Nyssen dahlias for some reason but was glad it hadn’t worked when I went to Wilko.

Brrrr - it's -4º here this morning, thick blanket of snow.
Will just read the flower catalogues today. I haven't bought any dahlias this year - I got 3 last year, and I am hoping to overwinter them - it worked with the ones I had last year.
I did buy a Ranunculas - called Pauline Violet - I just loved the deep purple colour. I've not grown them before - being on free draining chalk I had it in my head they needed a bit of damp , but I fell in love with it .

My bargain Chrysanthemums , 6 got £6 have survived in the ground so far.

Just been out and fed the birds - and saw these - they have been out about a week, but you can't keep a dwarf iris down :)

Proper snow for the first time in years. I’ve got unimpressed chickens and frozen daffodils everywhere. It look very pretty now but just hoping too much has died!

bookbook those are lovely.

No snow here yet...maybe tomorrow,. But it is zero degrees and windy so feels Arctic. Bloody bin men missed my garden waste bin today. Grrrrr.

But on the good side I bought "3 summer flowers for £5" from Morrisons...a white peony, acidanthera bulbs (called some sort of gladioulus now) and pineapple lily bulbs. No idea what they are but they look interesting. I shan't be planting them just yet!

My broad beans have keeled over. Love those irises, really pretty. No snow here but school is shut till next week now.

Think the lettuce and radish germinated due to the raised bed effectively being a hotbed with manure in it plus cloche so raised the temperature. I’ll be impressed if they survive these temperatures.

Very windy here, our polycarbonate citrus house fell over so I've shoved them in the garage for protection and gone round moving pots/chairs that look in danger of getting blown over. Fingers crossed we don't get too much damage overnight!