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

May I join? We have a big garden which was obviously cared for a really passionate gardener but was then neglected when she fell ill. Brambles, ivy and bindweed all over the place (some of the briars were an inch thick!) which has meant a lot of hard work over the winter. But spring is amazing - all sorts of surprises bursting into life! So far highlights include a sea of chinodoxa, some gorgeous tulips and four lovely camellias. There are two peonies, loads of crocosmia and dozens of roses so I'm really looking forward to find out what colours they're all going to turn out! I'm trying to be good and not plant new decorative plants until I've been through a year and know what's there but we've gone a bit mad on edibles - lots of dwarf fruit trees, big soft fruit bed and now some raised beds, two planted up and two waiting for various seedlings to be ready to go out. It's so exciting!

MrsB, Acers do really well In pots. This one was bought 11 years ago for DH 60th birthday. It is reported every three years?

Philodendron xanadu?

Welcome Una - your garden sounds lovely.

Impatiens! Busy Lizzies!

How are the standard roses @picklemepopcorn?

I sympathise hugely on the toppling growhouse MrsBB - had this happen a few times until we finally got a sturdy little wooden growhouse instead!

I haven't got round to them yet, astrantia. I've been gutting kitchen cupboards in the hope one of them turns into a tardis.

I'm a poor gardener, really. I just love buying plants. I probably ought to go to open gardens instead of garden centres...

Impatiens, ahh.

This should really be a veggie patch post. Today has been blissfully sunny, so a clearing of tomato and aubergine plants. I left a couple of cucumbers as they seem to be producing new fruit, and found some straggling spring onions. What's left are some chard, parsley, and two MONSTER daikon, awaiting the recipe funnyperson so kindly gave me on the last potting shed thread. I was about to pull up some rocket run to seed but saw bees in the flowers so left them.

The produce needed a laundry basket to hold it all.

What a magnificent haul!

I have raspberries and blue berries, red and white currants, a few strawberries. They are great for nibbling while I put the washing on the line, but don't yield enough at a time for any useful purpose. The fig, plum and apricot haven't fruited yet.

Wow Echt, that's an amazing harvest! I'm assuming you're in the southern hemisphere?

echt - we are still on winter brassicas here , and leeks. Though I did pick our first asparagus this week :)
Virtually every flower seed I sowed has germinated - and all last years seed too. They are a bit slow getting going though -it is still pretty cold overnight, so not ready to prick out yet.

That looks magnificent echt. Are daikon easy to grow? Bookbook I have asparagus envy. It seems exceptionally early to be picking it - is it really?

I will be sowing my seeds mostly into modules so I don't have to prick out. It worked so well last year. A bit more work initially but saving so much in the pricking out. I am trying some more perennials this year, like geraniums and gaura, and those I will sow in small seed trays.l must stop buying seed though - I've more than run out of room!

I grow 3 varieties SeaRabbit , to extend the season. We have had a mild winter, so they are maybe a week early . I must admit I picked it as we were forecast frost, so took the half dozen spears rather than let the frost ruin them! (this early variety is Gijnlim) . It will be another week or so before i can pick with abandon My favourite is the last one - Stewarts Purple .
I am also thinking of perennials from seed next year....

Una, yes, I'm in Melbourne.

Searabbit, daikon grows all year round in Melbourne, as does lettuce and rocket. I'm guessing anything from London and south will grow daikon outside, but do check.

I know the rule is only grow things that aren't cheap to buy, but still....

I'd love to grow asparagus, but space is an issue. I tried sprouting broccoli this summer, but not successful.

I'll feed up the beds and plant broad beans, more lettuce, spring onions and rocket for the winter.

SeaRabbit, that's a coincidence as I've just planted Gijnlim and Stewart's Purple asparagus, along with Pacific 2020 too. How long did it take before you got a good crop? We tried asparagus in the old garden but had truly rubbish soil (stones, rubble and woodlice stuck together by clay and patrolled by armies of slugs) so they had no chance. Hoping the new raised beds will suit them better!

Una - that was me!
I bought a collection - and Pacific 2000 is the other one :)
I bought them as 2 year crowns, which were planted in spring 2012. We picked just 2 spears off each 2 years ago, then a few more last year. This year we can be relatively free with them :) I was told that they would crop better and longer if we left them to build up a good root system. I garden on chalk , and we dug down to the subsoil, and refilled with the soil, very well weeded, compost and rotted manure. I planted them on little hillocks, and draped the roots over them so the roots aren't sat in damp ( no chance here!!) . I mulch with about 4 " every autumn, partly to protect them from the cold ( Yorkshire) so, in short (!) about 5 years . The spears were delicious :)

Sorry BookBook, not quite with it here! Was the collection from Pomona Fruits by any chance? We did the ridge thing and have manured and mulched so fingers crossed!

It was ! - they were lovely plants :)

Yes, mine look good too. I've bought some strawberries from them as well - they didn't look much to start with but they had great roots and are growing amazingly fast!

I bought got some Mara Des Bois strawberry plants from Pomona - good plants, delicious strawberries

Yes, I got a mixed pack of Mara des Bois, Gariguette and Manille, will see next year whether they taste as good as the descriptions!

My new herbs have just arrived. I had forgotten I ordered them. When postie offered me a box labelled live plants, I thought they were for a neighbour. Yippeeeeeeeeeee.

I love getting surprise parcels from myself! What herbs have you got, Astrantia?

I like getting surprise parcels too - and our garden looks gorgeous at the moment because last year I forgot I'd ordered tulips, so ordered more, then forgot those too and ordered yet more.