The potting shed: sheltering from the rain and musing about the garden

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Years ago, there was a potting shed in which we could recline on slightly faded deckchairs while browsing bulb catalogues, so might it be time to re-open it? I’ve hung some bunting at a jaunty angle and put the kettle on, so come in and tell us about your summer gardening joys (or woes) or plans for the future.

All welcome.

I had a gorgeous hour yesterday choosing bulbs for one of my clients' garden, and it was just so soothing. Spending someone else's money is the best. And I got to think about what I want for me at the same time, too. I've not bought much this year and need to be very disciplined, but I have bought paperwhites. Last year my daughter planted the paperwhites in with other narcissi in an outdoor pot, and they were actually lovely there, which I hadn't somehow expected.

My own garden is a wee bit neglected at the moment (the kuri squash have gone through the hedge and up into a tree, oops). But I have an absolute ton of fruit on all my trees, which is lovely. And I bought beautiful cobalt-blue violas yesterday, which feels like a 'beginning of autumn' thing to me.

Violas are one of my favourite things. I got a beautiful standard rose last year, to go in a grand pot. I underplanted it with violas and am thrilled that self-seeded violas are now popping up everywhere.

I’ve already bought too many some bulbs, mostly tulips but also narcissus ‘Pipit’. So much for my resolution to reduce the number of pots!

Oh, but Pipit is lovely! One of my favourites - I love the smell.

Spending someone else's money is the best

So true! I have to choose Camellia for someone, so I’m currently researching varieties. She won’t tolerate the ones that look a mess, so I have to find one that drops its flowers instead of letting them rot on the bush. Any suggestions?

I started turning the compost heap yesterday. What a job that is! And a neighbour asked if I could use any soil - he has been diligently collecting up all the mole hills on his lawn, and had huge buckets full. I’ve used it to even out some depressions on my lawn. It’s beautiful, fine, stone free loam. Thank you moles (and slightly bonkers neighbour!) Today I will seed it and cover it with fleece so that the cats don’t decide it’s a perfect toilet, as happened last time I seeded some lawn 🙄

This morning, everything aches.

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of camellias. We had a lot of varieties in the nursery and I never saw one that didn't look a mess at some point. And even if the flowers drop, they do that horrible mushy thing on the ground. Sorry! Not helpful.

Sympathy for the aching! I have mole hills all over my back field that I ought to be diligently using.

I love Camellias although have never had any. Might just admire from afar if they get messy though!

@VenusClapTrap - we get moles too. Must collect the soil from the hills. Great idea. Hope you don’t ache too badly.

My recent lightbulb moment has been peonies. I like them but they do badly here (despite me following all the rules about shallow planting etc) so I’ve dug them all out.

My question for today is about auriculas. Half of mine have perished over the summer. I thought I’d provided ideal conditions for their summer holiday, but evidently not. Any tips?

I’m with @SarahAndQuack on camellias. Next door have one that overhangs our garden and it’s always half full of brown dead blooms during the flowering season.

I always feel guilt at the mention of camellia as when we bought this house they were everywhere and the previous owner was very proud . We had much discussion about their care but I chopped them down as soon as I moved in as a)I don't like them in a garden situated deep in the country and b) they were block out the light from the downstairs windows. I hope she never comes back to visit!

Right, hearing you all loud and clear on Camellias! 😆

Any other suggestions of evergreen shrubs that flower colourfully in shade… that’s my brief! There was a Skimmia there but it expired over the summer, so definitely not another one of those. She’s rejected my suggestion of Viburnum tinus and already has a number of Daphnes and loads of Rhodos.

Maud I don’t know what to suggest re the Airiculas. It’s been a tough summer for them. They like cool and damp, and it’s been SO hot and dry. Mine are looking very peaky. Mind you they’ve been very neglected and need repotting with fresh compost, and all the offsets taking off - I’ll post you some!

Thank you, Venus! I feel I always get it wrong with watering auriculas over the summer - last year I overdid it and possibly this year I’ve overcompensated by not watering enough. Hey ho.

Room for another?! I have apple pie, apple crumble and Dorset apple cake as my neighbour asked if we could cut the apple tree back as overhanging his greenhouse so ended up with a plastic trug of them and loads more on the tree.

I have moved since we were last in the potting shed, twice as one was tempory. Inherited a much loved but neglected garden and wasn’t able to walk for a year when we moved in 2 years ago so this is my first proper gardening year. Not sure we are going to stay, will decide in the spring.

@VenusClapTrap so sorry about the honey fungus. I personally do like camellias and was pleased to inherit one in this garden but that’s probably as where I lived before there were loads as near a specialist nursery.

Finally winning with the garden but still have some more slabs to uncover, years of composted leaves. Every time I think I am done and going to do some planting my spade hits concrete. The soil is really sandy and it has been a struggle this year as lots of things newly planted and needed loads of water. My new roses are very unhappy and my lawn is awful still.

We do have an underground water tank though that does appear to be still connected to the downpipes so I need to pump that out somewhere, I need more water butts really. Apparently the water from the tank was pumped into the kitchen as the hard water made it hard to lather the soap for washing.

My 2 dahlias bought from Sarah Raven still haven’t flowered yet but I think one is about to finally. Doing as many cuttings and dividing as much as I can as spaces to fill and it gets expensive. We do have an excellent local nursery though which sells really good plants for good prices and combine that with a local farm shop that has good offers. Need to go there for bulb shopping soon as they have 3 packs for £5. There’s also a great plant swap locally which is lovely.

Mahonia? Nandina (I know not flowers, but it is colourful). Would she go for any of the semi-evergreen viburnums that are (dare I say) a bit nicer than tinus?

Aha, SarahAndQuack! I’d been wondering whether viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ might pass muster. I’m fond of my viburnum tinus, but because it’s a reliable doer, not because it has any great charm or merit.

You’ve had your work cut out, Seaitoverthere! I’m also trying to be thrifty and want to get better at propagating. I knocked a lump off a shrubby salvia so have used it for cuttings. Fingers crossed.

An afterthought … sarcococca? Happy in deep shade and lovely scent.

Ooh, apple pie! <helps self> Thanks Seaitoverthere. Your garden sounds quite the project.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have considered Mahonia, but it’s such a spiky bastard; and it’ll be me who has to mulch around it. I’ve been (literally) scarred from past experience. It definitely needs to be fully evergreen and she wants ‘proper’ colour, hence rejecting Viburnum tinus, which rules out other Viburnums and Sarco. I fear it’s a holy grail situation.

Ha another who isnt a fan of camellias . I inherited one from my In Laws garden as a momento for DH ( I had to put it in a pot due to our soil conditions ) , and the faff ..It eventually gave up the ghost , even with lots of tlc after about 5 years - without ever really flowering well .
VenusClapTrap not colourful per se , but I have a couple of choisya 'Sundance" in shade , and they bring a pop of bright - they do flower , just they are white and smallish .
My biggest joy a couple of years ago was a Daphne Bholua "Jaqueline Postill' , which is settling in nicely in a slightly shady corner . Fragrant flowers early in the year . It was the most expensive thing I have ever bought for the garden , apart from my bare root trees years ago , but worth every penny .

That is a tough brief @VenusClapTrap and I fully get why you don’t want to deal with Mahonia. There was one in a pot on the patio here when we moved in looking sad and pathetic. It is still in the pot looking absolutely no better but I can’t face it being in the ground after a large mahonia in a previous house.

If you do decide camellias may still be a possibility what about this one :

https://www.trehanenursery.co.uk/Camellia_hybrid_Yume_p/c.yume.htm

It Is mentioned in the review that it drops its petals. Might not be colourful enough.

I think I want a Daphne now, oh dear..

That’s beautiful, Seait! I think sasanquas are really classy, as Camellias go, although the Nurimagatas I have in my garden are poor flowerers. They’re in a tricky spot though, to be fair, and at least they haven’t succumbed to honey fungus yet. I will suggest this - thanks.

Hello all!

<<proffers sherry, hot chocolate or both>>

How’s it going?

I’m revelling in the remaining spots of colour in the garden - the canna has just produced a new flower spike in brilliant orange. I’ve zhuzhed up the window boxes and thought I’d finished bulb planting until I succumbed to another of the very cheap online deals …

Hot chocolate please!

Cut the grass this afternoon. My Pomponella rose is doing well having been awful all summer and I have a solitary white narcissus out, strange times. A clematis I bought in an end of season sale has a flower. Picked a courgette earlier and the green tomatoes I brought in have mostly ripened. I haven’t planted my tulips yet as would prefer it to be a bit colder. I’ve been round chopping off bits of as many perennials as possible and taken some cuttings.

I’m seeing an allotment tomorrow which I am really excited as miss my old one and have spent ages on the waiting list in new area. Site manager said it is a very nice plot which is very encouraging. If I take the plot my well travelled rhubarb I got on my first allotment plot can go there. It’s been to 3 allotments and been in 3 gardens so far. I don’t even like rhubarb 😀

What have been the successes of 2025 and what is on the list for next year?

Ooh, Sea. A new allotment.

As I say almost every year, it’s been a strange year in the garden. Many things sulked in the drought. Possibly the greatest success were the roses ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ and ‘Buff Beauty’ which powered on even when Darcey Bussell and many others were sulking. My aim for next year is to carry on simplifying things; when I started this garden I made the rookie mistake of planting too much, so I’ve been taking things out to ease the overcrowding.

How about you?

<<serves hot chocolate with an assortment of enticing biscuits>>

Hello fellow pottings, I posted on this thread a while back but it was in anticipation of moving into my new house with great garden which has now happened! Been here 3 weeks and while there's a total avalanche of things to do in the house II am managing to garden too. In fact today - the sun's shining - I'm going to prioritise the garden. So happy. Have already spent way too much on plants. There are lots of sales on at the online plants retailers and they've definitely clocked me...😂I finally have my happy place.
Hot chocolate sounds ace! Shall I make a cake? Love a nice Victoria Sponge...