Ladybird4: Rudbeckias gave me a spectacular show last year. They are bold and striking and flowered well past the first frost. I got them £1 for 3 last year from Aldi. Sadly, haven't seen any of these bargains this year. Perhaps give them a different spot, I am sure you can grow them successfully.
With me, it has got to be anemone, and Pasque flowers. I have only one surviving Pasque flower plant from my dead donkeys. I keep my finger crossed that it will still be here after the winter.
I might be tempted to give them another go but defo not Monardas! aym I have to ask 'dead donkeys'? I have one Pasque flower in the most starved of all composts in a tub outside my west facing front door. Occasionally watered when I remember and fed similarly and every year without fail (thats the kiss of death) it puts on a most magnificent display. Daren't move it in case I lose it.
Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
Thanks Verdun. I can't see your Genii properly, the photo is a bit blurred. It definitely looks upright. I wish I knew how to make cuttings. That's a different thread I suppose. I have tried and they usually die. Why has my genii got flowers but it's not upright?!
Campanula persicola Takion Blue - bought 2 at NEC and was told they would flower for 8-10 weeks but they didn't. Very beautiful flower I hope it does better next year
Penstemen Raven - I was told these flower for ages but mine didn't
Geranium brookside - leaves went red and it hasn't flowered...ditto geranium Max Frei - also hasn't flowered
Nasturtium ( careful of that predictive text!) Empress of India. Pictures show dark leaves and deep red flowers. In reality, miniature , scrawny version of bog standard orange nasturtium. It is equally attractive to blackfly but on a smaller plant, it's more damaging.
Lantana. It's organic matter. I use my own stuff mostly, but I also tip spent potting compost onto r the soil. It hasn't got many nutrients left but it improves the structure. Grow more etc will not improve the structure but should improve fertility.
my disappointing plants are cistus x laxus, i bought them as they were evergreen, they have grown considerably since planting in the spring but the abundaance of white flowers i was expecting hasn't come. They put out one flower at a time literally then that dies off in a day or two and a week later another one appears,
anybody else got this plant ? what is your experience of it?
if this is how it's going to be i will hoik them out as they are pretty unspectacular for how much space they take up
Another disappointing dahlia - 'Color Spectacle' - it's orange, big, semi-cactus and a bit garish. I didn't buy it - it's my mum's, she planted it last year but I didn't see it.
This a great thread, makes you feel better to let out some of the disappointment!!
But Maybe we should start an opposite thread of plants which habe exceeded our expectations?! Calling it 'Exceeding expectaion plants' or something. I am sure there will be a better name. Then we can tell people what we're proud of, what we never thought would be so beautiful/successful, what new or old varieties we've grown and were surprised etc.
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I might be tempted to give them another go but defo not Monardas! aym I have to ask 'dead donkeys'? I have one Pasque flower in the most starved of all composts in a tub outside my west facing front door. Occasionally watered when I remember and fed similarly and every year without fail (thats the kiss of death) it puts on a most magnificent display. Daren't move it in case I lose it.
It flowers its socks off! Thanks for explaining about dead donkeys too
Thanks Verdun. I can't see your Genii properly, the photo is a bit blurred. It definitely looks upright. I wish I knew how to make cuttings. That's a different thread I suppose. I have tried and they usually die. Why has my genii got flowers but it's not upright?!
More disappointing plants for me:
Campanula persicola Takion Blue - bought 2 at NEC and was told they would flower for 8-10 weeks but they didn't. Very beautiful flower I hope it does better next year
Penstemen Raven - I was told these flower for ages but mine didn't
Geranium brookside - leaves went red and it hasn't flowered...ditto geranium Max Frei - also hasn't flowered
Nasturtium ( careful of that predictive text!) Empress of India. Pictures show dark leaves and deep red flowers. In reality, miniature , scrawny version of bog standard orange nasturtium. It is equally attractive to blackfly but on a smaller plant, it's more damaging.
Lantana. It's organic matter. I use my own stuff mostly, but I also tip spent potting compost onto r the soil. It hasn't got many nutrients left but it improves the structure. Grow more etc will not improve the structure but should improve fertility.
my disappointing plants are cistus x laxus, i bought them as they were evergreen, they have grown considerably since planting in the spring but the abundaance of white flowers i was expecting hasn't come. They put out one flower at a time literally then that dies off in a day or two and a week later another one appears,
anybody else got this plant ? what is your experience of it?
if this is how it's going to be i will hoik them out as they are pretty unspectacular for how much space they take up
My tall cosmos, about a metre - no flower buds yet. They'd better get a move on it it'll be too late!
Sanjy67 yes I have a cistus it keeps giving one flower at a time and then that one dies and and then a long gap and another one comes lol.
I have a few more disappointments I realised today!! Don't take my word for it though - I may have wrong technique lol.
Delphinium seeds (can't remember brand) - sewed 20 only 3 germinated
Thompson and Morgan - aquilegia barlow mix (I really wanted Nora Barlow) - nothing has sprouted and it's been 2 months
California poppy seeds (can't remember brand) - sewed aaages ago.. April I think - one came up and then disappeared
Arabis blepharophylla rockery plant - didn't flower!!
Another disappointing dahlia - 'Color Spectacle' - it's orange, big, semi-cactus and a bit garish. I didn't buy it - it's my mum's, she planted it last year but I didn't see it.
This a great thread, makes you feel better to let out some of the disappointment!!
But Maybe we should start an opposite thread of plants which habe exceeded our expectations?! Calling it 'Exceeding expectaion plants' or something. I am sure there will be a better name. Then we can tell people what we're proud of, what we never thought would be so beautiful/successful, what new or old varieties we've grown and were surprised etc.