I think I might add Heleniums to my failure list or certainly one of my frustrations, Fabulous first flush of flowers but no repeat despite being dead headed? They were the same last year as well. Does anyone else have the same problem?
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Failures...mainly involved my roses in one form or another. Two, Windflower and Gentle Hermione, had been replanted to 'better' spots, but unfortunately ended up being swamped by the Verbena bonariensis, and consequently just seem to give up for the Summer, and will be moved to pots in the Autumn. My new foray into hybrid tea's was a disaster, suffering from either rampant black spot or blooms which just disintegrated on contact with any rain, and all have subsequently been binned. And not getting on top of the sawfly issue soon enough Successes...not too many because of the awful Summer we've had up here, but Graham Thomas the climber has had it's best season since planting it 4 years ago...oh, and the Verbena, it might have turned out to be a bit of a thug, and will either have to be reduced or moved, but it has been spectacular.
I've just Googled Graham Thomas - what a beautiful colour!
Not really been a stellar year in the garden TBH. Bulbs in pots did ok in spring. Peas - disaster - old seeds (my fault) Radish - rubbish - no germination Courgette - pulled 'em due to the scare about toxicity issues. Beetroot - fair. Lettuce (Little Gem) - ok. Kohl Rabi - ok. Turnips - eaten by slugs. Probably last time I'll bother with them. Swede...we'll see. Kale.. looking better after cabbage white attack. Roses - fair. Brugs in pots - fair. Bog garden plants - ok Cosmos in containers - lots of green - no flowers. Calendulas - good show. Zinnias - hopeless. Phlox - good show French Beans - ok Carrots - disaster - clayey soil. (my fault)
All I can think of for now...
@SydRoy it sounds as though this year was a "learning year" for you! For me too! How do you grow your little gem lettuce and french beans?
@Songbird-1 this has been a real lesson for me also this year. I had spent so much time working on the soil - laying down cardboard to smother the weeds (last year), compost, feeding the soil etc and it has definitely worked a treat, but where some plants have responded to the enriched soil others have become lanky and floppy. This year I will be a lot more selective about which beds / borders I feed.
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East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham