What have you done in the garden today? Part 2

[ThreeRingCircus]

A continuation of the last thread.

Interestingly, Maud, Piet Oudolf method doesn't work at all in the west of Scotland as prairie planting relies on plants growing hard and wiry, whereas here they grow lush and tall and, instead of supporting each other on sun-ripened stems, they collapse in huge mushy piles. DH is a landscape architect and learned this the hard way. He hadn't met me then or I could have told him.

I once went to Carol Klein's nursery. You had to trek through two fields to get to it - no track. I think the farmer denied access when she became well-known and so she had to abandon the nursery. I do like and admire her a lot but I just wish she'd dial down the enthusiasm just a notch. I love that she's an old hippie though and she really knows her stuff.

I have dedicated gardening clothes but often get side-tracked and forget. I need an apron too, obviously. Any recommendations, Maud?

Raining again. The garden so needs a bit of sun and warmth.

My apron came from a botanical garden in France, so probably not much point in recommending it!

There are often some beauties on the shopping porn pages of Gardens Illustrated, but some are so expensive that it might make better financial sense to get one’s clothes filthy and throw them away. That said, what I like about mine is that it has two pockets - the bigger holds my secateurs and pruning knife and the smaller holds ready-cut bits of twine for tying things in.

I'm incapable of doing more than a bit of deadheading without coating myself in mud, so I have an old pair of trousers, coat and fleece hanging in the utility room so I can change there.

My Achilles heel, so to speak, is my feet. My gardening clogs are very convenient and easy to kick on and off, but they fill up with soil and my feet are unspeakable.

Had a welcome dry spell today, so went out & planted some new plants into my new bed - two salvia's, eryngium, phlox & a verbena.

I also have the same problem, 3 weeks ago I was digging up spuds in the day and forgot to wash my feet before going to yoga.

So embarassing to have filty dirty feet out! Never again.

I wear socks with the clogs now. Gardening chic.

Good Lord yes. My socks are often shed in the utility room when I'm changing out of my muddy trousers. I've got a pair of short wellies in there too, which I sometimes remember to use if I'm going to be digging.

I do the conventional thing of downgrading clothes to “gardening” once they are no longer smart. Unfortunately, it takes about 10% of their lifetime to be no longer smart, and 90% to slide down to so full of holes as to be unwearable. So my wardrobe is 90% clothes fit only for gardening.

I only have two gardening sleb claims to fame the first is a bit lame and probably 'outing' - hey ho. Kate Humble lives nearby. The other one is that Helen Yemm (Telegraph Thorny Problems) spent an afternoon at our house when we first moved here and gave us some very useful garden design ideas which was helpful as the garden needed a lot of TLC.

I agree about Carol Klein being high octane as a presenter, but she's a nice contrast to softly spoken Monty.

I have reasonably presentable plain pyjamas which I wear to do gardening. I often garden barefoot so my feet are usually grimy.

I was going to start a new thread about "Fave Gardening Attire"!

my much loved Rohan gilet is perfect garden wear - it's a sort of a browny grey colour so pre-stained . I wear it from around Oct to Apr as it gets a bit hot when the sun comes out. I like the fact it is sleeveless and has 2 nice big practical side pockets with zips, normally chock full of balls of string, clippers, dibber, pen, the list goes on. I have to admit I can't remember the last time I washed it

I'm definitely a gardening PJs girl @InMySpareTime esp on a Saturday morning, it just somehow feels like a good way to start the weekend. Trouble is I have been known to be out there until lunchtime....

I have a pair of old jeans- lots of pockets, protection against nature's more enthusiastic defences- any top and a thin cotton hoodie. Sandals for summer, or if I'm feeling reckless (and want to get my feet in a state) and ankle wellies the rest of the time. Absolute Aldi bargain, £5, hideous design and do a perfect job!

Lovely to come back to the thread after our hols- only upside of the naff weather us that everything has survived! Was going to hold off planting till late Sept, but given the weather am going to crack on...

Helen Yemm wrote an excellent book called 'Gardening in Your Nightie'.

The joys of living in the frozen and soggy north mean my garden footwear is limited to a choice of short wellies or long wellies.

Yes it's brilliant! The new addition is now called Gardening in Pyjamas and taught me a lot as a complete gardening novice.

Handily I often do garden in my pyjamas..... although I try and remember to stick to the back garden and not wander round the front of the house in my PJs to tend to the plants there as I'm right on the street. Although I have been known to if it's early enough in the morning that I'm unlikely to be seen by anyone I know 🤣

Thanks for the book recommendation! I've just ordered a second hand copy of Gardening in your Nightie on Amazon for £2.79 inc postage 😃. I follow a lady called Alexandra Campbell of The Middle Sized Garden on Instagram and really love her style and advice, practical and down to earth. I see that she ordered this book and rated it too.

All of this nightwear reminds me of the woman we used to live next door to before we bought in Melbourne. Her garden was immaculate, and stuffed with flowers. She was invariably to be found poking around/watering wearing a housecoat and always but always with a glass of bubbly in her hand. When not gardening she was always off on cruises. She was in her late 80s then.

She must be in her mid-90s by now. I see her occasionally but not lately. I'll ring her tomorrow.

Just as I have gardening clothes, my favourite shoes finally graduate to being gardening shoes. If I need wellies, gardening doesn’t happen. This explains why the grass has been mown only 3 times this year.

I got an apron. Looked at thousands. Wanted something artisanal but couldn’t afford them. Then found this on Amazon. I love it. I d wanted to protect my legs, but also be safe kneeling. This has a useful front spit. Materials a little thin, but once it’s dirty it will thicken up. Its a generous one size. And about £16.00.

That looks good - reminds me of the aprons they wear on the pottery throwdown. I really don’t need another apron, but I’ve seen a pattern for a mobius apron and might get out the sewing machine.

What’s a mobius apron? Is it the ones where the L shoulder strap joins the R hip at the back, and the R shoulder strap crosses it to join the L hip? I remember those from infant school, used to struggle for what seemed hours to get them on, with head and limbs sticking out of the right holes.

but once it’s dirty it will thicken up