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

yes Spring!
I have sown nasturtiums and asters, hard pruned the buddleias , and also ( fingers crossed) a pittosporum that was supposed to only grow to 4-'5' but was well over 6' and getting too big for its boots ...... I've cleared a lot of dead stuff, and hope its not too cold now overnight
Pink chinodoxa are out, heathers , the hellebores are in full flower , native primroses as well , lots of dwarf daffodils

That’s beautiful book, mine get shredded by slugs and look very sad

Gorgeous bookbook. Mine have still not recovered from moving house 2.5 years ago. One flower each. I shall nurture them.

And Cathpot, very impressed with your raised bed and netting arrangement. Still too chilly on the Atlantic facing coast to risk anything fab like that yet!

First plants went into the greenhouse today - everything looked much happier (particularly the citrus trees which have been been refugees in the garage since our polycarbonate orangery blew apart a few weeks ago!)

Today I attacked the boring lonicera hedge which runs along our back fence. It has brambles and briony lurking in it, and it looks shit unless it is clipped every 5 minutes.

A LOT of work before it is gone, but when it is, we will slosh some ronseal around, and replant with bushes that flower nicely. I have a hypericum grown from a cutting of my Dad's all ready to go. We fancy a ceanothus, and some lavatera, and a mahonia at the shady end for the bees.

Any other suggestions for bushes that achieve a fair height, (up to 6 feet) and look good from a distance? Part of it is very sunny, part is fairly shady. Alkaline soil, and they need to be fairly low care, it's a big garden, and this is very much the wild end!

well MrsB - I'm a fan of Pittosporum , and there are a few to choose from - I have a Tom Thumb, ( dwarf ) and a couple variegated ones that DH chose. Come in different sizes too . I'm on chalk, and they seem very happy

That's certainly worth a look, thanks. Would like at least some to be evergreen, Or there will be a lot of fence to look at all winter!

I have also just thought maybe a witch hazel? I have wanted one for ages but not had a spot. Perhaps a bit too subtle to appreciate that far off.

Anyone know much about Japanese Quince? I used to walk past a garden with one that was trimmed into a drum shape, and it looked amazing in flower. Missing that garden was the saddest thing about leaving that job.

I’ve got a Japanese quince- It came with the house and had been trained along a short section of wire fencing ( open both sides) . The flowers are really lovely and are the first out in spring and last ages- they survived the snow we’ve had this year - although looking a bit less perky than normal. I chop it back a bit occasionally as it’s very spiky and it’s about 50cm across and likes to throw out long branches. It has ornamental fruit later in summer, I really like it !

I love chaenomeles which I think is the same as Japanese quince - beautiful plant and I think you can make jelly with the fruit. A winter honeysuckle is good for bees - purpusii and fragrantissima are both good. Blackthorn is good for bees and sloe gin.

How about a tay or logan berry in the sunny bit?? you can train them so they loop up and down covering the fence, and the fruit are lovely.

That's a lovely idea but I am scared of pulling the fence over. We are downhill of it, and I am finding as I expose the fence it is a bit on the manky side. I don't think it would take the weight of anything being trained to it. And I am pretty sure it belongs to our rear neighbours (it is their side fence) so I wouldn't want to piss them off!

I have just had a quick look around the greenhouse. I am inordinately happy - 2 little leaves have appeared on one of the overwintered geraniums. I had not held out much hope :)

Yay for dead-looking plants coming into life! I am hoping my hardy ginger, mulberry and goji berry will make it through the winter - the last two are rather sad looking twigs and the ginger has disappeared entirely.

I still only have 3 sweet pea seedlings up (and they are about 2 mms tall)

I am beginning to despair of the garden ever catching up. It is cold again today and everywhere is totally waterlogged. :(

Cold here, but at least its been dry .
I have done much better this year with sweet peas than normal, but I did put another sowing on about a week after the first , ( the ones at the front) just in case of course ....... So I must have just timed it right for once !

I'm awe of all this early prep going on. I don't have the space/ time for seedlings really. Last year I admitted defeat and stuck to sowing straight into the ground and buying plants

I just took the cat for a stroll around the sodden garden under a golf umbrella

Are there any rose experts about? I started a new thread about buying bare root climbing roses through the post (Mme Alfred Carriere amongst others). Will I see flowers this year if I order now and get them in asap? Any advice appreciated!

I think I have Mme Alfred Carriere on a fence. At least, I inherited her and after much research that looks like the most likely one. She's a good doer, even in a rather shady spot, but like all roses here, she gets a bit of black spot.

Don't see any reason why you shouldn't get a flower or two this year, depending on the size of plant, but yes, I'd hope to see something floral!

A lot depends on the variety. Most will flower in the first year. Some very vigorous ones like to spend there energy putting down strong roots in the first year. The Banksaei roses like take 2 years but then you are rewarded with masses of blooms. It is not too late to plant Bare root. May I ask who you are buying from.

Thanks both! I struggle with a bit of black spot too. I pick affected leaves, collect diseased fallen leaves and destroy well away from the plant, use rose spray etc. I managed to keep on top of it last year.

The plants are via Ashridge Nurseries (Ashridge Trees), Newry via their eBay shop. I'm hoping they're still healthy plants, I'd be asking for my money back if not!

*I'm on a budget hence not buying from an David Austin etc

I'll soon find out if it's a false economy!

Hello all. Just clambering back onto the thread.

I’ve had two slightly dispiriting sessions in the garden, clearing away the casualties of the beast from the east. The hardy osteospermums were obviously not quite hardy enough to survive and several pots have burst during the freeze. But there is plenty of new growth in the garden and the bulbs in the window boxes are getting going. Reasons to be cheerful.

I've lost several big terracotta pots too, which is a shame. Not sure about some of the plants...hardy fuchsias and penstemons are the ones I am least confident about.

I just wish it would warm up and dry out so I can get on with it!

I’m dubious about some of the fuchsias, too. I was hoping that a cold winter would kill off the fuchsia gall mite which arrived last year, but I think it’s taken most of the plants, too.

The self sown primroses in my hedgerow are brilliant now though...really floriferous. (Is that a word?) Maybe I should just grow more native plants and forget the fuschias!

Floriferous is very much a word! My most prolific native plant at the moment is the lesser celandine. Planting them was a rookie error. When I started this garden, my mother brought them round, saying "some people call them a weed, but I like them". Little did I know what I was letting myself in for - they get everywhere.

We went for a drive yesterday and it was lovely seeing primroses by the side of the road.