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Do they actually get on together?

lydiaannlydiaann Posts: 300
in Garden design
We went to Giverny this year - fabulous, hot and another place off my bucket list.  While there, I bought some seeds one pack of which is Gypsophila.  On reading up on a couple of sites, it would seem that they do not recommend clay soil - big oops!  Would I be successful with it?  I had planned to sow it near a rose 'Tranquillity' with some cosmos through it.  I thought the slightly 'ethereal' look would set off the more solid rose and the white lilac to the rear perfectly.  Your thoughts, Chatters, please!

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Roses like clay soil because it is high in nutrients but clay soils tend to hold more water thany gypsophila likes.  If you check its cultivation requirents on the RHS site, for example, it says it wants well-drained loamy or sandy soil and likes alkaline or neutral but not acid soil - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/121180/Gypsophila-elegans/Details 

    If you can work in plenty of well-rotted garden compost and manure into the soil you will certainly make the rose happy and it may just open up the soil structure enough to please the gypsohila but you could also grow achillea "The Pearl" and get a small button flower to contrast with your rose and then grow the gypsophila in a different bit of the garden where there is less moisture retention.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Or grow the gypsophila in a big pot and stand it near the rose.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • lydiaannlydiaann Posts: 300
    Thank you Obelixx: it sounds as though it won't enjoy being buddies (sorry!) with the rose, which just looks so perfect where it is.  The places where there IS less moisture retention are, sadly, in deep shade, I think too deep for the gyps to survive happily.  I shall have to rethink.  raisingirl: thanks to you too.  I suppose I could hide a pot within that border...but the cosmos would not then be through the gypsophila. Thinks:  Maybe I could sow the seed around the edges of 4 or 5 of my summer containers and fill up with the usual plants, then when autumn comes and I need to dispose of the petunias, surfinias, lobelias, etc. I could move the pots into a corner of the patio to overwinter before starting again the following spring.  Do you think that would work?
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    I think if I were you, I'd pop down to a local garden centre that does pot recycling and raid their bin for some nice large plastic pots. Then sow the gyp into them in nice free draining compost with plenty of grit. Put them somewhere sheltered that you can keep an eye on them for now. When they are big enough to fend for themselves, sink the whole pot into a hole in the ground in your bed and it will look just like it's growing there
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • lydiaannlydiaann Posts: 300
    raisingirl:  Brilliant idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  No need to get pots, there are a family breeding behind my shed so I can sow a few pots and scatter them around.  Give raisingirl a star!  Thanks so much, now onwards and upwards (or rather outwards and downwards) to the weeding - and hunting out of blank spots in which to put above plan into action next year.  I am forever in your debt<3 .
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