I got excited this year by my Roscoea cautleoides Kew Beauty. It produced seed for the first time, and while googling for methods to sow it, I got excited by "Red Ghurka". At the nursery , they also had some R.purpurea hybrids which were huge compared to the old R.purpurea and humeana I had. So I had to have some. Then I had to make a special bed for them.
Hellebores, I have got 6 in the last few months, and plan a few more.
Phlox, I want some more colours.
I did have a pulmonaria fetish a few years ago,marjorie fish seems to dominate long therm though.
I have an extensive boundary with the surrounding farm fields and i keep the edge - about three foot wide - beyond my existing shrubs etc totally weed free (with the farmers tacit approval). I know some people would prefer the original nettles but my current project is planting spare herbaceous plants (which I am already obsessed with). All the plants are nectar rich and will attract pollinators. I have already got Helianthus on the field side of a short stretch of dwarf wall and things like Inula hookerii, Sedum spectabiile and Aster novae anglae divisions will be going in. I have previously planted certain plants there that host insect an beetle larvae.
The farmer is kind enough to be careful with his herbicide each year
(can't figure out how to quote Nut!) really fancy P Sissinghurst White but I have held off buying it because never seen it (looking gorgeous) at less than £15. If it's a bit feeble, maybe I'll stick with the two I've got. I tried that Blue one - is it Blue Ensign? - that disappears for a rest when it's dormant..... it never came back!
Also sympathizing with the Aquilegia obsession. I'm desperately trying to get some A. Nora Barlow seedlings going in a pot and also looking out in the borders for some self-sown seedlings that I can transplant. They are such lovely plants
Grow Aquilegia viridiflora Gg. It doesn't survive long for me but creates some great hybrids with the standard A. vulgaris and those yellow/red species, A.canadensis in particular
I get excited about anyrhing new that I grow, so some of next years seeds will become my new darlings. I have a fair few Euphorbias and so will try a few new species next year. This year I grew martinii for the first time and it is a beauty. I love the lime green flowers on Euphorbia which seem to look good with so many other colours and styles.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I did go a bit overboard with aquilegia seeds this summer.20 packets from the national collection(touchwood), half planted this year, up and waiting to be pricked out. Half waiting to be sown.I am going to prick them out into 3 inch pots, plant out into the veg patch after the broad beans come out, and then select my favourites when they flower. Most are yellow and orange doubles and poms poms, I suspect there will be many spare.
Posts
I got excited this year by my Roscoea cautleoides Kew Beauty. It produced seed for the first time, and while googling for methods to sow it, I got excited by "Red Ghurka". At the nursery , they also had some R.purpurea hybrids which were huge compared to the old R.purpurea and humeana I had. So I had to have some. Then I had to make a special bed for them.
Hellebores, I have got 6 in the last few months, and plan a few more.
Phlox, I want some more colours.
I did have a pulmonaria fetish a few years ago,marjorie fish seems to dominate long therm though.
I have over 300 varieties of Hemerocallis, I think that could be called an obsession.
Oh yes, Mark, thats definitely an obsession.
I have an extensive boundary with the surrounding farm fields and i keep the edge - about three foot wide - beyond my existing shrubs etc totally weed free (with the farmers tacit approval). I know some people would prefer the original nettles but my current project is planting spare herbaceous plants (which I am already obsessed with). All the plants are nectar rich and will attract pollinators. I have already got Helianthus on the field side of a short stretch of dwarf wall and things like Inula hookerii, Sedum spectabiile and Aster novae anglae divisions will be going in. I have previously planted certain plants there that host insect an beetle larvae.
The farmer is kind enough to be careful with his herbicide each year
(can't figure out how to quote Nut!) really fancy P Sissinghurst White but I have held off buying it because never seen it (looking gorgeous) at less than £15. If it's a bit feeble, maybe I'll stick with the two I've got. I tried that Blue one - is it Blue Ensign? - that disappears for a rest when it's dormant..... it never came back!
Also sympathizing with the Aquilegia obsession. I'm desperately trying to get some A. Nora Barlow seedlings going in a pot and also looking out in the borders for some self-sown seedlings that I can transplant. They are such lovely plants
Grow Aquilegia viridiflora Gg. It doesn't survive long for me but creates some great hybrids with the standard A. vulgaris and those yellow/red species, A.canadensis in particular
In the sticks near Peterborough
I get excited about anyrhing new that I grow, so some of next years seeds will become my new darlings. I have a fair few Euphorbias and so will try a few new species next year. This year I grew martinii for the first time and it is a beauty. I love the lime green flowers on Euphorbia which seem to look good with so many other colours and styles.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
I did go a bit overboard with aquilegia seeds this summer.20 packets from the national collection(touchwood), half planted this year, up and waiting to be pricked out. Half waiting to be sown.I am going to prick them out into 3 inch pots, plant out into the veg patch after the broad beans come out, and then select my favourites when they flower. Most are yellow and orange doubles and poms poms, I suspect there will be many spare.