If only my allotment looked like your photo! I am only using it as a garden and it's just across the road so very lucky and it's private. Hopefully mine won't grow too much till the weather improves. As long as it stays alive it will no longer have to stay in the pot when it's suitable for planting out. Thanks for sharing yours with me.
Yes Lyn's garden does look fabulous, and the echiums obviously like the growing conditions, as do the foxgloves. Over here the echiums grow in gutters, boundary walls and almost anywhere with the tiniest bit of soil, however most don't survive once they reach a certain height, either due to the wind or the lack of any depth of soil although they root easily enough in the first place. For bee attraction they are one of the best plants, but the small flowers only tend to last a couple of months or so, dropping all the time. The seedlings do germinate fairly quickly. The seeds that dropped in our garden in June/July time are already 2 or 3 tall and will flower next year. Good luck with your echium growing Fran.
Thanks for that. Can't believe they grow so profusely where you live and mine from early this year was the first I had ever seen. Not seen any in gardens over here either. Maybe I shall have more than one growing this year and will need the luck!
GD obviously biennial In your place, those in my photo were seedlings from the year before, so need the three year cycle, they survived as tiny ones last winter but if this cold spell gets any colder, I fear I may lose them. ?
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I have one echium at the mo that i'm hoping will survive the winter and flower next year. How to get at least one plant in flower every year though from just one plant.
Will it just happen naturally as the plant self seeds or should i keep back some seed and delay sowing for a year for a couple of years to get a rotation of plants or is it best to buy other plants each spring for a couple or three years.
You’ve done just fine Fran, and I’ve answered, if you click on your avatar picture at the very top right hand corner of the page the drop down box will say ‘messages’
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
CC, keep some seed back for a safe guard, they will self seed but they are not very frost hardy, depends where you live. Sow them at the end of March, pot on, keep in a sheltered place or GH then plant out the following year, they will flower the year after that, providing you don’t lose them in the frosts.
It’s a bit hit and miss, they do come from warm countries, they grow wild down in the depths of Cornwall, and of course where Guernsey Donkey lives.
I've never bought plants, just grew originals from seeds. Give it a try, doesn’t cost anything.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Posts
Hi again Lyn.
If only my allotment looked like your photo! I am only using it as a garden and it's just across the road so very lucky and it's private. Hopefully mine won't grow too much till the weather improves. As long as it stays alive it will no longer have to stay in the pot when it's suitable for planting out. Thanks for sharing yours with me.
Hi "fidgetbones"
Not sure whether I should have clicked on "message" to answer as haven't got the hang of it yet.
Haven't got a frost free greenhouse but I am sure I can find a cold room in the house!
Yes Lyn's garden does look fabulous, and the echiums obviously like the growing conditions, as do the foxgloves. Over here the echiums grow in gutters, boundary walls and almost anywhere with the tiniest bit of soil, however most don't survive once they reach a certain height, either due to the wind or the lack of any depth of soil although they root easily enough in the first place. For bee attraction they are one of the best plants, but the small flowers only tend to last a couple of months or so, dropping all the time. The seedlings do germinate fairly quickly. The seeds that dropped in our garden in June/July time are already 2 or 3 tall and will flower next year. Good luck with your echium growing Fran.
Thanks for that. Can't believe they grow so profusely where you live and mine from early this year was the first I had ever seen. Not seen any in gardens over here either. Maybe I shall have more than one growing this year and will need the luck!
GD obviously biennial In your place, those in my photo were seedlings from the year before, so need the three year cycle, they survived as tiny ones last winter but if this cold spell gets any colder, I fear I may lose them. ?
I have one echium at the mo that i'm hoping will survive the winter and flower next year. How to get at least one plant in flower every year though from just one plant.
Will it just happen naturally as the plant self seeds or should i keep back some seed and delay sowing for a year for a couple of years to get a rotation of plants or is it best to buy other plants each spring for a couple or three years.
Lyn - sent a note via the Message button on your post. Don't know how you receive that? Not very au fait with these things
Cottage Compost
If you read past posts on this thread you could get your answer as very knowledgeable people have replied. If not I'm sure someone will let you know.
You’ve done just fine Fran, and I’ve answered, if you click on your avatar picture at the very top right hand corner of the page the drop down box will say ‘messages’
CC, keep some seed back for a safe guard, they will self seed but they are not very frost hardy, depends where you live. Sow them at the end of March, pot on, keep in a sheltered place or GH then plant out the following year, they will flower the year after that, providing you don’t lose them in the frosts.
It’s a bit hit and miss, they do come from warm countries, they grow wild down in the depths of Cornwall, and of course where Guernsey Donkey lives.
I've never bought plants, just grew originals from seeds. Give it a try, doesn’t cost anything.