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

[echt]

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

Thanks pickle
I wonder if that will attract pigeons?
i think some numpty in the building is feeding them again though...another complaint to management company.

Any advice on how to make my standard roses stand up straight? I've put them in bigger pots, with a garden cane, but they will keep leaning over...

I need to prune the blueberries (late because I needed to look up instructions) and plant a Montana clematis, later.

I would take them out of the pot and trim the root. It is probably the large tap root which is making it unbalanced. If you have not already done so, then a light feed with rose foood before you put it back. Then continue with the cane until it is able to stand unsupported.

I just wanted to pop on and thank SeaRabbit - we took our broken fork back ( with receipt ) today. The people who made the fork had gone bankrupt - not surprisingly maybe. But even though 6 years ago, the shop let us choose another fork to the same value . We actually put about £8 towards one . Pleased .
It has been busy in our garden, in the never ending battle against invasive bluebells and wild garlic. I dug up masses yesterday. However much I tidy up after one of these , there is always loads of debris scattered around.... This morning, I was looking out of the kitchen window watching a blackbird gather up loads of dried out bits of leaves and twigs for nest building. A small joy - must now rake up some moss for them to gather too. :)

Thank you astrantia!

That's great news bookbook. Impressed you still had the receipt!

I hate digging out bluebells too though I wish I had wild garlic (&also a big garden to contain it). We saw a Bluetit taking bits of the twine holding the bird feeder for its nest - that bird will go far - seems an excellent choice of material.taht is a good idea about moss. I have no shortage of that.

well, what a day. Totally not what I meant to do.
We are having our drive resurfaced shortly, so firstly we have to move all the pots. We saved a little money ( not enough! ) by promising to have it clear, and swept clean ( it was originally gravel)
I have a big, old pieris in an oak half barrel. The bottom fell out when we attempted to move it. So we have been and bought the only pot big enough to move it into that wasn't ugly, or cost a fortune. Then we have had to root prune it to get it to fit. It is in all it's lovely glory at the moment too. I am keeping fingers and toes crossed that it is all right. But it has taken up all day , and I am bushed. No allotment, no digging up more bluebells, no weeding . Ah well - it does look rather nice in its temporary home against a west wall , in the sun :)

I could SCREAM. My plastic greenhouse thing tipped over while we were out. Trays and trays of pricked out seedlings smashed to fuckery.

How awful! Is nothing salvageable? Time for

oh no MrsBert thats horrible.All that hard work, set back too :(

😱 how frustrating. Could you salvage anything?

Aww, my other half scooped quite a lot up while I sulked upstairs. Bless him, I think he's scared I'll go on a massive garden centre spree.

It's going to be a bit of a magical mystery tour in terms of what comes up, if they survive, but I realised for the two trays I was most upset about (a snapdragon and some nicotiana) the original seedling trays are still ok, so I can prick a load more out. I try to give some to my Dad's church plant sale, so I need to know what's what for that. If his violas came up as teasel he'd never live it down!

Oh Mrs Bert I sympathise- that happened to me too a couple of years ago. Now I tie them to the house, and put big stones in the bottom. Hope it looked worse than it was.

I still haven't sown any seeds. I've had a virus/vitamin D deficiency but hopefully am on the mend now, and have plans for Easter.

What has everyone else shown?

I've sown Cosmos and Lavatera. My new greenhouse doesn't arrive until the end of May, so I've restricted myself to the small plastic version. I'll be buying plants this year.
Huge sympathy with MrsBert

It have sown lavetera too. I also put a few wildflower seeds around to fill in some gaps. Not sure if they will flower. There were only £1 for a big box.

Good on your DH . MrsBert
I have sown echinachea, cosmos , and asters which have all germinated, plus pots of mixed bee friendly seeds in 'white' and 'yellow' - very specific, but the bees did love them last year( for allotment and cutting)
I bought some cheap plug plants from Aldi too today - 12 for £3.99 in a little carry greenhouse . I bought hanging basket collection and fuchsia and geranium collection. I have 2 DD's baskets and pots to plant up, as well as my own... :) I potted them up straight away, it was so warm in the greenhouse.

Bad luck, MrsBert and definitely house bricks on the bottom shelf.

I love all the spring talk. Last spring I sowed cosmos Diablo which has small orange, yellow and brick red flowers. Just about to go off now, so I've been gathering the seed for next year. I had no luck at all with plugs of the standard tall cosmos.

An autumn plant has finally, finally flowered after three years of waiting; osmanthus fragrans, grown widely in Japan, which is where DH first encountered it. The flowers are tiny, grow on woody stems and have a powerful apricot smell. Only a few buds have arrived, and I'll wait until they open and take some pics. Meanwhile I've moved the two plants into shelter from the gales and lashing rain we're having here in Melbourne.

I stayed in Sydney, years ago. Loved seeing a classic English summer bedding plant/house plant out through the winter, there. I'm having a brain dead moment and its name won't come to me... I'll shout it out randomly when it does...

Aspidistra!
Bromeliads!
Spider plants!
Clivia!
Hoya!
MIL's tongue!

No...

I think it was used as a bedding plant, dark green pointed (serrated?) leaves, likes to get dry before being watered. Darn it...

Well the greenhouse thingies made it through the night (with compost sacks on the bottom shelves.

I've gone nuts this year.

Snapdragons (3 kinds) cosmos ( ditto) echinacea, catnip, viola, dahlia, agapathus, achilea, marguerite, honesty, fancy poppy, teasel, nicotiniana, alyssum. Maybe more. Who can say.

After 3 years and losing two thirds of it in the garden renovatatiom, my Banksii Lutea Rose has a few flower buds on it. No sign of any flowers on the sulking Lilac. It is now on the West facing side rather than the East so hopefully it might decide to reward my 4 year wait.

The Acers are looking stunning, they have gone fro caramel brown to Pinky yellow. They seem to be doubling size every week.

I would love an acer. Apparently our garden is wrong in some way.

Early morning pic