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Talkback: Self-seeding plants

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
I Never plant aquilegia just let them self sow and its so nice to guess what colours they will be
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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Snapdragons were always good in our old garden. And foxgloves.. they're the only ones I've noticed.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Wilting Rhododendrons
    I bought a couple of rhododendrons that had blossomed at the local garden centre and planted them in ericaceous compost a fortnight ago.
    The're in partial shade and for the first week I was watering them each morning. I noticed yesterday that the heads have wilted.
    Is there anthing I can do to rescue them this year? I've tried watering them at night and mircale grow.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Reply to CHOR7ON: It's hard to tell the problem without seeing the plants. Are you certain the flowering isn't simply over, and their flowers have now faded? Rhodo flowers don't last long, you know. You say their heads have wilted, so not sure if this is just their flowers or also shoot tips. Plants wilt for several reasons. Usually it's because they're short of water (drought), but overwatering can cause root death, leading to wilting. Root diseases can also cause wilting, blocking the vascular channels of the plant.

    If you feel you have done everything correctly, planted properly and kept the rhodod watered, then I would consider taking them back to the garden centre for a refund or replacement. Most good garden centres guarantee their plants, so you should have no problem with this.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    It isn't only colour with aquilegia, it is also the flower shape. The length of the spurs varies considerably on self-seeders. I have a purple one with very short spurs that bears no resemblance to anything that has been in my garden.

    As an aside - does anyone else find short tongued bees like chewing into long spurred examples?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I let the poached egg plant seed itself in my garden as it keeps down the aphids on the roses and beans. My butterfly garden is awash with forget-me-nots every year and very beautiful. Leeks left to seed give lovely flower-heads and new leeks the following year. The yellow sysirinchium will happily self-sow and verbascums. Foxgloves and aquilegias are given free-reign and alsoa lovely dark purple scutellaria. my garden, because of this liberality on my part. is a haven for all kinds of beneficial insects.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    must have a similar garden to happymarion...same self seeders! Also some self sown geraniums and astrantias can often be worth keeping...I wait till they flower and keep the good ones.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    It is just the flowers. the stems and leaves look vibrant and have shot up since I bought the plants.
    I noticed other people's Rhododendrons looked similar whereas others still were in full bloom.

    Maybe I shouldn't have watered them in the mornings last week, the humidity may have burnt them last week or maybe it is just that they flower in spring.
    Thanks 4 our help
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Not just self-seeders give dividends if left to thrive. Lots of bulbs will, especially snowdrops and Welsh daffodils, by clumping up. I forgot to include Welsh poppies and Californian poppies and wallflowers and Sweet William are great spreaders as well. It's such plants that make me a happy gardener.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Continuation - why does the telephone always ring when you are blogging? At the end of the summer my garden is cheered by lots of evening primroses-all self-sets from a freebie in my Gardeners' World mag. some years ago.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I'd never really thought about this until reading this blog so I just had a wander round the front garden to jog my memory. I hate formal gardens with box hedges and straight borders but thought I was well in control.

    Now I find I have, at some point in the summer, foxgloves, aquilegias, sedum, poached egg, poppy, cerinthe, evening primrose, nasturtiums and hellebores. Some of which I planted one of years ago, some have just appeared and been allowed to stay. There may be others but I lost count. It is wonderful if you want my type of garden.
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