Category Archives: Guest Gardeners

More Downbeat on Shortwave this weekend!

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This weekend Imaginary Stations bring you the fourth episode in the Downbeat on Shortwave series with Jesse Yuen (from Perth, Australia) and One Deck Pete (from Catford Village, Londres).

Jesse and Pete bring you two 15-minute downtempo mixes each over the hour-long show. Expect some ambient, dub, reggae and downtempo tunes for a chilled-out weekend.

The show is broadcast on Saturday 13th June at 1100 hrs UTC (12 noon in the UK) on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 14th June at 1300 hrs UTC (2pm in the UK) on 6160 kHz and 2000 hrs UTC (9pm in the UK) on 3975 kHz/6160 kHz. Thanks to the great Shortwave Gold for beaming those radio waves skywards.

Don’t worry if you haven’t a shortwave radio you can tune in via an online Software Defined Radio here (pre-tuned into 6160 kHz). Just plug in at the right time(s) and experience that shortwave mono sound with all the fading and cross channel interference live.

Here’s the older shows for your listening pleasure!

Programme 1

Programme 2

Programme 3

Kings of speed(well)

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Here’s a recent addition to the Weeds HQ garden, a couple of white speedwells (AKA Veronica) which have gone in next to a poppy that is on its way out (and now producing seeds to be distributed around the garden/to mates).

Also, a few weeks ago when we moved one of the Belfast sinks that contained a climber, we stuck it by the trellis halfway down the garden. We then stuck a couple of pots of pelargonium cuttings we took from the kind folks at Honor Oak station on the top.

We think the humble pelargonium has a bit of a bad reputation, as someone we know calls them “Granny flowers” and we were told pollinators go nowhere near them. It was through the success of those cuttings (they are doing great and so easy to propagate) that we have been trying more, as we never were that interested in taking cuttings before. Anyone got any good “cuttings” tips?

If you look closely, you will see the famous Theatre of Hate stone, that gardening legend has it, that Kirk Brandon used as a prototype for the band’s logo. More on that famous stone here.

Love in a mist, it’s (not) so dumb

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Here’s a few pictures from around the Weeds HQ garden.

We’ve had the above for a few years now and it pops up every year in the wild bit at the bottom of the garden. It’s quaking grass and we’re not sure who we got it off, but it was off a gardening mate somewhere (if it’s you, do remind us!) from 2023. It’s only small but it’s interesting stuff. Original post here.

The above is also in the wild part of the garden. Nigella or love in a mist is a great plant and as soon as the seed pods are ready, it’s a seed to chuck around the garden in an anarchic Crass-like sowing style. You’ll get results and it’s a great plant to cover a large area.

One of the great poppies that are just popping up all around the garden. They can seed where-ever they want in our garden, as we love them so much.

And finally, the mad plant that is the teasel. Bought off the internet (post here) and then moved from its original location. The wind blew it over last week and we’ve staked it up but before we did, it tried to straighten itself up hence the mad angles. Unless they always are like that!

Let’s hope the weather is better where you are tomorrow and you can get out in the garden!

How does your garden grow?

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Here’s a few pictures and reports this week from our gardening mates around this island and globe of ours.

The first report is from Jesse Yuen in Perth, Australia who let us know that he planted a lemon tree this week (how good will that be, freshly picked lemons from the garden) and sent us some pictures of some flowering aloes (above) plus some nice cacti which are something that he is now really getting into. Love that large barrel cactus (is it called that?) in the tub, that’s a brilliant garden Jesse, ta for the pictures and we love cacti too!

Talking of cacti, the above is a photograph from Debby H in north London of her orchid cactus that has just sent out a flower bud for the first time in a few years.

She also sent us pictures of her dwarf sunflowers that are planted in food waste bins (great idea!) No flowers yet but look at size of those leaves. Cheers Debby.

Here’s a great pic of some gardening “work in progress” from Rich in the Lake District. He was in his garden, putting in these plants (that he started off indoors) into the rockery. What a view from a back garden. Cheers Rich.

Finally here are some wonderful rose pictures from Mike & Julia‘s garden near Coventry. Thanks for the great photographs from Julia as ever. As they said, “Attached are some pics of our roses, which have gone ballistic in the last couple of days!” Some nice colours there.

Thanks for everyone for sending in their pictures of their gardens in, we appreciate it and do keep sending them on as the season progresses.

And now from the north of the Capital…

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Great to hear from Debby H in north London this morning, she sent us pictures of her phormium tenax before she goes away for a while and here’s the how the flowers are developing.
She also sent us pictures of her Peonies (below), as she said “Not so many flowers this year but still pretty!” They look great Debby, hope all’s good with you and ta for the pictures.

And over in France

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Thanks to Spike from Morschen43 in Le Puy-en-Velay, for sending over more pictures of his house and garden over there. It looks like they’re enjoying some lovely weather right now too.

We mentioned in the post the other day (here) that we loved the use of an old staircase to put window boxes on and here’s a couple here above with also a nice table from a restaurant in the Marais in Paris which was originally green and has now painted black. Nice stuff.

Another thing we love is the use of fossils (above) and some fossilised wood (below) in the garden as well. The fossilised wood was from his father who used to swap fossils and minerals with a friend in Bourgogne (aka Burgundy). Really great ideas Spike!

It’s mediterranean in the Midlands

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The sun is out in full force in south London today, looks like our friends Mike & Julia have got the same up near Coventry. Mike sent us a couple of pictures of their “Mediterranean themed patio in the actual sun!” It looks brilliant, and there’s some lovely ideas going on there. Do keep sending us more pictures as things progress, ta again for the pictures and try and keep cool up there today.

We didn’t see Gene October sadly

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A million thanks to Araba for getting us tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show this week (above, the crowd in full swing). We didn’t take half as many pictures as we should have, but here’s a couple of snaps of stuff that really caught our eye!

Some nifty gardening ideas

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Cheers to Spike from Morschen43 in Le Puy-en-Velay, France for sending over these great gardening ideas. We love the use of tiles as frost protection (above and below), an old trick learned off his grandfather. All you do is leave the tiles in sun all day beside the plant and in the late afternoon before the sun sets, put them over the plant for some great protection from the cold.

And another great idea, using a part of an old staircase to put window boxes on. Picture below of Annette and human. Great stuff Spike, some useful ideas here!

More potatoes from Dorset

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Cheers to Gerry Hectic also in Dorset for sending us a picture of his potato plants, he said “think I might have got a bit enthusiastic about the spuds, I’ve some in an old water butt and a big plastic pot; got a bean growing up the fence too!”. We think they look great Gerry, you can never have enough potatoes!