I’m a subscriber but I can no longer get access via Substack as they say they are sending me a link to my email address but they never do. I’ve checked my spam and I definitely don’t receive their link. Any ideas? Is there a dedicated “helpline” or even phone number I could use?
Yes to wearing pyjamas while gardening! I have to at least feed the hens first thing, but that can turn into all kinds of side projects. Best case scenario the PJ bottoms are just wet. I favour the mens pyjamas from M&S or Dunnes Stores here in Ireland - years of farmwork has made my biceps and shoulders too big for women's PJs. Better quality and price too...
I had a cutting garden in my other house and I will have one here one day in the future. I do not like to pick from the borders. Instead will I pick from the cutting garden and there I will have all the flowers and bulbs etc. I have in the garden that I like to bring in.
I live in the woods so I would say that what you say about leaves do not apply here. I need to get most of the leaves off my borders as there are soo much the will form like a sheet that is very tuff for water to come thrue and leaves many bulbs and plant destorted. Kills some of the as they rot under the wet bladet in fall. But I do not a good job of cleaning everything out as they do protect the plants as well. I just toss all of the leaves in our woodlands. Will have a. Compost just for leaves later on as I like to use that with seeds.
I'm sorry to hear that - it is a very unpleasant condition. To be honest I haven't found anything that really helps. I double glove and double sock whenever I go out in the cold - sheepskin seems to be the best to keep hands or feet warm. But accept that I end up with painful extremities and chilblains. But it won't stop me going outside!
Thank you for your newsletter Jo, I really enjoyed every word. You confirmed my thoughts that it was not cold enough to plant bulbs. I shared it on my facebook page - Jessica Barnecutt, still in my maiden name as haven't got patience for technical stuff. My home is permanently filled with vases of flowers I've cut from garden, at the moment here in very mild Cornwall, the garden rather bonkers and a lot scary, it looks like early September. I currently have a wonderful old olive tin on my dining table full of nasturtium foliage and flowers, that I have stolen from the bees and I do feel a bit mean but there is plenty out there still, wouldn't want them to get fat, and normally they'd be in their nests and hives by now. I can't resist but well done you for managing it. I saw a huge bumble bee on a rose yesterday. I am on here writing to remember my son who died 19 months ago. He was six he had a brain tumour. Before he died I asked him what he would be if he were not human and he said straight away, a bee, mummy. and now whereever I am there is always a bee. even the other day swimming in the sea, one swooped down to see me. THank you for your newsletter.
Right behind you on the leaves - and the wind is so good at clearing paths. It's beyond belief that people write pieces about how to make leaf mould, as if it didn't naturally make itself. I hate bare soil!!!!
Anne you’re a trailblazer. I hadn’t seen this and I would absolutely have acknowledged - being a firm believer in Credit Where Credit is Due, as I am. So, the next post in this sporadic series - I’ve looked back and seen that my Jan 2022 post was still about bulbs - still! - and will have a very firm pointer to your new substack which I DO subscribe to!
Jo, it's about time there were hundreds more of us confronting the nonsense in garden media. People waste hours on pointless or worse, damaging, activity when they would be a million times better occupied sitting with a drink admiring the fruits of their garden work.
Clearly though some people just love endless garden housework. Or, at least, garden writers just love telling people to get on with the garden housework.... Xxx
Sarah: I have euphorbia oblongata in my garden and so far it doesn’t need staking. Good zingy colour in the spring - too much though with other plants in the border so they have been moved.
I still have Narcissus Minnow to plant in pots - should I wait a while? The foliage of Scilla, muscari, and a few camassia is already growing strongly here near Bath and I’m worrying I won’t have my usual blue carpet in the Spring. It would be good too if the temperature dropped and my two large wisteria could drop their leaves - growth has been so prolific that I haven’t been able to give them their normal August pruning. You have to be a optimist to be a gardener!
I’d say you could get the other bulbs in, especially if you aren’t planting tulips with them. I’m hanging on for another week but that’s mainly because I’ve got a mix . Oh how optimistic we remain!!!!
Thanks Jo, that's made me feel more relaxed just reading this! I spend way too much time beating myself up about all the things I'm not managing to do in time & definitely not enough time just enjoying what is there now. As a great example of things working out well even though they were planted late I have a large pot of acidanthera murielae flowering away even though they didn't get into the pot until August. I've also been known to be planting my daffs and tulips on New Years Eve - they just flower a bit later. You'd think this would make me a little less stressed about time...
There are still some roses flowering away - Claire Austin, Madame Alfred Carrier, The Generous Gardener, Lichfield Angel, Geoff Hamilton, Sharifa Asma and Rose de Rescht. They are all developing the flowers that should have come earlier but they paused everything for the heatwave and started up again when everything cooled down & they had some rain. The dahlias and cosmos are just hitting their stride on the allotment now the weather is more to their liking. It's still difficult to pick them but it's made a little easier by thought of losing them to an unexpected frost.
Thanks also for the clothes inspiration, I'm always looking for something warm & comfy.
Oh I love the permission that shouldn’t worry about all that needs doing! It will all get done, when you work in a garden that’s open to public it’s easy to panic about everything you’re not doing in your own garden. Daffodils and Scilla may get planted tomorrow though . On another note looking to replace my palustris euphorbia in my border - they’ve got too large now and need support .. but still want a euphorbia with that zing in spring but more self supporting? Any suggestions ? Sarah x
A public garden - gosh yes it must be really easy to start panicking…. serenity required! I’m going to put your question to all our readers right now…:
We have way warmer than normal and my allium that I put in the ground in the beginning of oktober has started to sprout. Do you think they will be ok and flower in spring? I have not seen this ever before here in Sweden…
Great advice as always. Like you I am a lazy gardener and it's great for teaching us not to fret over the small stuff...or ignore the small stuff like "established rules" completely.
That’s a great list Jo - thanks. Our trees are too small in this new garden but we had some whoppers in our last one including an old oak and sycamore tree and so lots of leaves. Like you, I only ever used to rake them up from the lawn - the borders were left well alone. I’ve planted my daffodils in my front garden as I had no bulbs in there - hope they will not sprout! Would have loved some Alliums there too but we face Farmers’ fields and it’s too windy for them. I’m also waiting until November to plant tulips in pots and in my back garden which is still flowering away merrily with Dahlias, Cosmos Purity, Verbena, Agastache, Gauras and claret Penstemons as well as Cobaea Scandens.
A super post of 'gardening don'ts'! I long suffered from crippling perfectionism, but the more fully I've embraced 'light touch' gardening the greater the joy and peace I've found, and if measured by the life, texture, colour and movement in my garden, the more beautiful the result.
Oh and I've finally subscribed to Dan The Earthworm... genius writing!
I am really on the fence about bulb planting here! I am in Zone 7b but the weather is so volatile lately. My saffrons arrived late and I just planted them...very late...but they are already popping up and the 10 day forecast shows weather in the mid 70s which is wild. Now I'm very concerned about the tulips I just put in, haha.
I did finally rip out many annual cut flowers to have space for garlic going in the ground, which was an achievement. My toxic trait in the garden is waiting until something is 1000% dead to remove it and then realizing I never planted something else I really wanted in that space and now it's too late. I'm improving!
Jo, how do you get gladioli to bloom that late? Though I planted my bulbs in different time ( month in between), they all bloomed in July. And that was it ...
Hi Elena! Well, here’s a thing/ it won’t surprise you to hear that I planted my gladioli late - due to procrastination , forgetfulness and late tulips, they didn’t go in until June. This wasn’t an actual decision- it was just the way things worked out. And as ever, I’m
not recommending that anybody does this. But it shows that all is not lost if things go in a bit late. Also, I think they extended period of drought made them just seize up - so they had a few weeks of not doing anything before getting going again
Jo. I have a different query!
I’m a subscriber but I can no longer get access via Substack as they say they are sending me a link to my email address but they never do. I’ve checked my spam and I definitely don’t receive their link. Any ideas? Is there a dedicated “helpline” or even phone number I could use?
Love the articles and advice. Thanks. Andrew.
That’s very weird - I’ll message them ..
Yes to wearing pyjamas while gardening! I have to at least feed the hens first thing, but that can turn into all kinds of side projects. Best case scenario the PJ bottoms are just wet. I favour the mens pyjamas from M&S or Dunnes Stores here in Ireland - years of farmwork has made my biceps and shoulders too big for women's PJs. Better quality and price too...
I had a cutting garden in my other house and I will have one here one day in the future. I do not like to pick from the borders. Instead will I pick from the cutting garden and there I will have all the flowers and bulbs etc. I have in the garden that I like to bring in.
I live in the woods so I would say that what you say about leaves do not apply here. I need to get most of the leaves off my borders as there are soo much the will form like a sheet that is very tuff for water to come thrue and leaves many bulbs and plant destorted. Kills some of the as they rot under the wet bladet in fall. But I do not a good job of cleaning everything out as they do protect the plants as well. I just toss all of the leaves in our woodlands. Will have a. Compost just for leaves later on as I like to use that with seeds.
Couldn’t agree with you more about not sweeping leaves off the beds - too much effort when what you want is them to break down and feed the soil!
I can never keep warm in Winter as I have Reynauds and fibromyalgia but I won’t let that stop me spending time outside!
I have a family member with Reynauds - is there anything that helps? Pocket warmers maybe?
I'm sorry to hear that - it is a very unpleasant condition. To be honest I haven't found anything that really helps. I double glove and double sock whenever I go out in the cold - sheepskin seems to be the best to keep hands or feet warm. But accept that I end up with painful extremities and chilblains. But it won't stop me going outside!
Thank you for your newsletter Jo, I really enjoyed every word. You confirmed my thoughts that it was not cold enough to plant bulbs. I shared it on my facebook page - Jessica Barnecutt, still in my maiden name as haven't got patience for technical stuff. My home is permanently filled with vases of flowers I've cut from garden, at the moment here in very mild Cornwall, the garden rather bonkers and a lot scary, it looks like early September. I currently have a wonderful old olive tin on my dining table full of nasturtium foliage and flowers, that I have stolen from the bees and I do feel a bit mean but there is plenty out there still, wouldn't want them to get fat, and normally they'd be in their nests and hives by now. I can't resist but well done you for managing it. I saw a huge bumble bee on a rose yesterday. I am on here writing to remember my son who died 19 months ago. He was six he had a brain tumour. Before he died I asked him what he would be if he were not human and he said straight away, a bee, mummy. and now whereever I am there is always a bee. even the other day swimming in the sea, one swooped down to see me. THank you for your newsletter.
Jessica thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I’ll be thinking of you when I see a bee 🐝
You can't possibly have known that I've been doing this for years? (I know I shouldn't mind and you are totally entitled!) https://gardenrant.com/2022/01/what-not-to-do-in-your-garden-in-january.html
Right behind you on the leaves - and the wind is so good at clearing paths. It's beyond belief that people write pieces about how to make leaf mould, as if it didn't naturally make itself. I hate bare soil!!!!
Xxxxx
Anne you’re a trailblazer. I hadn’t seen this and I would absolutely have acknowledged - being a firm believer in Credit Where Credit is Due, as I am. So, the next post in this sporadic series - I’ve looked back and seen that my Jan 2022 post was still about bulbs - still! - and will have a very firm pointer to your new substack which I DO subscribe to!
Jo, it's about time there were hundreds more of us confronting the nonsense in garden media. People waste hours on pointless or worse, damaging, activity when they would be a million times better occupied sitting with a drink admiring the fruits of their garden work.
Clearly though some people just love endless garden housework. Or, at least, garden writers just love telling people to get on with the garden housework.... Xxx
Oh how much I agree with you … that cup of tea and an observation..::
Sarah: I have euphorbia oblongata in my garden and so far it doesn’t need staking. Good zingy colour in the spring - too much though with other plants in the border so they have been moved.
I still have Narcissus Minnow to plant in pots - should I wait a while? The foliage of Scilla, muscari, and a few camassia is already growing strongly here near Bath and I’m worrying I won’t have my usual blue carpet in the Spring. It would be good too if the temperature dropped and my two large wisteria could drop their leaves - growth has been so prolific that I haven’t been able to give them their normal August pruning. You have to be a optimist to be a gardener!
I’d say you could get the other bulbs in, especially if you aren’t planting tulips with them. I’m hanging on for another week but that’s mainly because I’ve got a mix . Oh how optimistic we remain!!!!
Thanks Jo, that's made me feel more relaxed just reading this! I spend way too much time beating myself up about all the things I'm not managing to do in time & definitely not enough time just enjoying what is there now. As a great example of things working out well even though they were planted late I have a large pot of acidanthera murielae flowering away even though they didn't get into the pot until August. I've also been known to be planting my daffs and tulips on New Years Eve - they just flower a bit later. You'd think this would make me a little less stressed about time...
There are still some roses flowering away - Claire Austin, Madame Alfred Carrier, The Generous Gardener, Lichfield Angel, Geoff Hamilton, Sharifa Asma and Rose de Rescht. They are all developing the flowers that should have come earlier but they paused everything for the heatwave and started up again when everything cooled down & they had some rain. The dahlias and cosmos are just hitting their stride on the allotment now the weather is more to their liking. It's still difficult to pick them but it's made a little easier by thought of losing them to an unexpected frost.
Thanks also for the clothes inspiration, I'm always looking for something warm & comfy.
Yes it’s that thought of a sneaky frost that is a good reason to pick - you’re absolutely right.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading this - honestly, Wherever we can derive happiness and satisfaction from in the garden, let’s go for it!
Oh I love the permission that shouldn’t worry about all that needs doing! It will all get done, when you work in a garden that’s open to public it’s easy to panic about everything you’re not doing in your own garden. Daffodils and Scilla may get planted tomorrow though . On another note looking to replace my palustris euphorbia in my border - they’ve got too large now and need support .. but still want a euphorbia with that zing in spring but more self supporting? Any suggestions ? Sarah x
Also, as well as the new thread I’ve just put up on this subject, see Gillian’s note above
A public garden - gosh yes it must be really easy to start panicking…. serenity required! I’m going to put your question to all our readers right now…:
We have way warmer than normal and my allium that I put in the ground in the beginning of oktober has started to sprout. Do you think they will be ok and flower in spring? I have not seen this ever before here in Sweden…
Get them in - they should be ok….
Great advice as always. Like you I am a lazy gardener and it's great for teaching us not to fret over the small stuff...or ignore the small stuff like "established rules" completely.
Hear hear Tim!
That’s a great list Jo - thanks. Our trees are too small in this new garden but we had some whoppers in our last one including an old oak and sycamore tree and so lots of leaves. Like you, I only ever used to rake them up from the lawn - the borders were left well alone. I’ve planted my daffodils in my front garden as I had no bulbs in there - hope they will not sprout! Would have loved some Alliums there too but we face Farmers’ fields and it’s too windy for them. I’m also waiting until November to plant tulips in pots and in my back garden which is still flowering away merrily with Dahlias, Cosmos Purity, Verbena, Agastache, Gauras and claret Penstemons as well as Cobaea Scandens.
It’s sounding beautiful there… and you’ve reminded me to plant penstemons: I don’t have any of my own and I really need to. Which do you have?
Thank you Jo. I have claret coloured ones from Sarah Raven - Penstemon Rich Ruby and they look lovely with the sedums I also have.
A super post of 'gardening don'ts'! I long suffered from crippling perfectionism, but the more fully I've embraced 'light touch' gardening the greater the joy and peace I've found, and if measured by the life, texture, colour and movement in my garden, the more beautiful the result.
Oh and I've finally subscribed to Dan The Earthworm... genius writing!
The serenity oozes through your words Julia! So glad you’ve subscribed to Dan - entertaining each week!
I am really on the fence about bulb planting here! I am in Zone 7b but the weather is so volatile lately. My saffrons arrived late and I just planted them...very late...but they are already popping up and the 10 day forecast shows weather in the mid 70s which is wild. Now I'm very concerned about the tulips I just put in, haha.
I did finally rip out many annual cut flowers to have space for garlic going in the ground, which was an achievement. My toxic trait in the garden is waiting until something is 1000% dead to remove it and then realizing I never planted something else I really wanted in that space and now it's too late. I'm improving!
But any approach is ok! You just need to be kinder to yourself - it’s not a toxic trait, it’s just the way you’re inclined to do things!
Jo, how do you get gladioli to bloom that late? Though I planted my bulbs in different time ( month in between), they all bloomed in July. And that was it ...
Hi Elena! Well, here’s a thing/ it won’t surprise you to hear that I planted my gladioli late - due to procrastination , forgetfulness and late tulips, they didn’t go in until June. This wasn’t an actual decision- it was just the way things worked out. And as ever, I’m
not recommending that anybody does this. But it shows that all is not lost if things go in a bit late. Also, I think they extended period of drought made them just seize up - so they had a few weeks of not doing anything before getting going again