I have given up on Canna. I had some three years ago about to come into flower but was taken into hospital so never did see the flower! Since then they have done nothing so I dug them up or so I thought as two have appeared this year but no hope of flowers on them. I will probably leave them in the ground and next year they might perform. I probably didn't give them enough TLC. Will look forward to seeing yours in flower @Fire
Mostly was just keeping them alive in a small pot. I had put them in the ground early in the year and nearly lost them to slugs. Whacked them back into small pots to see if they would regrow survive. I am chuffed one wants to flower. Long term I'd have to keep them in large pots, like dahlias, but I think it's worth it for the colour hit, and as a present.
Also chuffed that my delphinium has a re-flowering spike. Again it was an experiment to see if it would survive. It's in a tiny pot. It flowered in about June, I cut it back and - hey presto - it's ready to flower again, which feels like a triumph. No chance for it in the ground but - again for the colour pop - it's worth trying in pots.
Some years ago I took everything out of pots in an effort to use less water. I then confronted the slug reality and lots went back into pots, just so I could grow them. Now pots, oddly, feel like a low water option, as they need little compared to droughted perennials in the ground. Quite a bit I have in the garden is dessicated but the plants in pots are happily flowering away. I just added a load of manure to the pot tops to hold water and act like a mulch. It quite little water needed for colour that lifts my heart.
I've cleared out the beds at the front of the house that are just a dust bowl. There's no point in using water there. I'll fill them with tulips for the spring.
One of my delphiniums looks like it’s about to flower again as well. With all this heat I haven’t seen any slugs in a long time, not even under pots. I’m sorry to read that you have such a big slug and snail problem, @Fire. Even on sedums…
I’ve given up on cannas for now after they didn’t survive being overwintered in the shed. I do admire them, especially the dark-leaf varieties, but I don’t mind variegation or plain leaves either. That about sums up my gardening style: I like too many plants and I would like to grow them all!
There’s something beautiful in all plants… perhaps the ‘simple’ fact that they are alive. When the time comes, I might restrict my colour palette and adhere to an aesthetic style or other, but for now I want to open the door and be awestruck by the exuberance of colour, form and scent. In the winter, I want to kneel down and admire little jewels and learn from them the power to be strong and harmonious when tough times arrive.
An impressive variety of cosmos flowers, grown from the same seed packet, Fizzy Rose Picotee. I really recommend this cosmos if you like the look of the flowers.
The first two photos are of the same flower which seems to have darkened with age in the most wonderful way. I know it will not necessarily come true from seed, but I would definitely like to save a few seeds of this one.
Here's my border right now, with Sedum Matrona, Anaphalis margerataceae, Lythrum Swirl, Scabiosa ochroleuca and Eupatorium Baby Joe. Sanguisorba Raspberry Coulis somewhere at the back.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Few snaps whilst I remember. Sun did come out, but quickly went! Dahlias haven't fared well this year, kept getting munched when coming up. One is about 1ft tall and can't even see it. It should be right up at the back more around 4 to 5ft! Hopefully next year... Clematis is covering the fence nicely. Even chucked out a few late flowers. A lot of my smaller rudbeckia wete munched by slugs and snails, so they haven't really flowered this year, but luckily the taller ones have.
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I’ve given up on cannas for now after they didn’t survive being overwintered in the shed. I do admire them, especially the dark-leaf varieties, but I don’t mind variegation or plain leaves either. That about sums up my gardening style: I like too many plants and I would like to grow them all!
There’s something beautiful in all plants… perhaps the ‘simple’ fact that they are alive. When the time comes, I might restrict my colour palette and adhere to an aesthetic style or other, but for now I want to open the door and be awestruck by the exuberance of colour, form and scent. In the winter, I want to kneel down and admire little jewels and learn from them the power to be strong and harmonious when tough times arrive.
The first two photos are of the same flower which seems to have darkened with age in the most wonderful way. I know it will not necessarily come true from seed, but I would definitely like to save a few seeds of this one.
Here's my border right now, with Sedum Matrona, Anaphalis margerataceae, Lythrum Swirl, Scabiosa ochroleuca and Eupatorium Baby Joe. Sanguisorba Raspberry Coulis somewhere at the back.
Dahlias haven't fared well this year, kept getting munched when coming up. One is about 1ft tall and can't even see it. It should be right up at the back more around 4 to 5ft! Hopefully next year...
Clematis is covering the fence nicely. Even chucked out a few late flowers.
A lot of my smaller rudbeckia wete munched by slugs and snails, so they haven't really flowered this year, but luckily the taller ones have.
Have no idea why it came out sideways.