Fairy, your flower colours sound gorgeous, right up my street. My bright borders on in my front garden, lining the path. I love how cheery it looks. The back garden is softer, mainly pinks, blues, purples, whites and soft yellows. I didn't like orange flowers at all for a long while. I think it was because of my loathing of marigolds that we had in my childhood garden, couldn't stand the smell at all. Then l fell for geum Totally Tangerine, and the Lady Emma Hamilton rose , and l was converted.
Verdun, thanks for the information about Eucomis, I'm glad to know from you and Fairy it's a bit tougher than l thought. That Eucomis Dark Star is fabulous, quite of another planet if you know what l mean . Go on buy yourself some, then show us your pictures. Ooh whilst your here Verdun, how do l start my salvia guanajuato back into growth. I've had it potted up, but kept dry in the spare room all winter, should l trim off the old stems and treat as a dahlia, does it re shoot from the base? Cheers.
I certainly wouldn't leave Eucomis in the ground here lily, but my climate and conditions are totally different to that of the south of England. They'll still be potted if I decide to grow them.
Good luck with yours. Nice gritty mix and yours should be fine
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Oh l wouldn't risk them in the ground here Fairy. I even lift my dahlia tubers, can't risk it , we can get a lot of rain, and I've lost a couple to rot in wet winters. Also the slugs are a nightmare, I've found loads already this morning and have had a very satisfying snipping session. My garden seems behind many of you folks up country. E.g. Doves hellebore Tutu is flowering it's pretty little head off and mine is only an inch through the soil.
Our average annual rainfall is about four feet in the west of Scotland, lily. It's been much drier this winter, but the ground takes a long time to warm up (clay) so many plants are susceptible, even when loads of grit etc is dug in. It's simply too cold and wet for too long a period of time. It doesn't get as hot either (thankfully!) - we have an average of below 20 in summer. Even overnight temps struggle to stay in double figures, so things like tomatoes have to be grown undercover. Great for raspberry growers!
We're used to it though. At least we don't usually have to worry about watering....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Cor Fairy four foot rainfall is damp indeed. I've had a look at the met office site and it says where l am the average is 800mm, up to double that on Dartmoor and Exmoor. My soil dried out too quickly last summer, it's a real suntrap in the back garden. So last October l put on a really thick layer of well rotted horse manure. I've been out gardening today and had a tidy up and a gentle fork over, the soil looks so much richer and there were dozens of worms . I tend to water each plant really well and then mulch, often with grass clippings in the hottest part of the summer. I recycle the water used when preparing veg and salads, and have a large water butt system set up, using the hose pipe is always the last option, it can be a pain lugging the watering can around, but then l choose to plant so intensely, and have so many pots. This summer I've decided to not have pots of petunias or the like, l don't have time to dead head properly anymore, and no more hanging baskets to fret over. I'm just going to have my agapanthus on the patio, and pop my home grown annuals in the borders with my permanent planting.
Verdun, thanks for the salvia information. I'll wait a while then . I'm not going to buy the Dark Star Eucomis, until I've seen how well yours do!?
Thought you would Verdun, you seem to be tempted by the unusual, special varieties of plants. You must have bought the last in stock from Paddock Plants, no longer available ? . Please take a pic or two of the foliage and then the flower spikes for us to marvel over. What are going to plant them beside for dramatic effect?
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Fairy, your flower colours sound gorgeous, right up my street. My bright borders on in my front garden, lining the path. I love how cheery it looks. The back garden is softer, mainly pinks, blues, purples, whites and soft yellows. I didn't like orange flowers at all for a long while. I think it was because of my loathing of marigolds that we had in my childhood garden, couldn't stand the smell at all. Then l fell for geum Totally Tangerine, and the Lady Emma Hamilton rose , and l was converted.
Verdun, thanks for the information about Eucomis, I'm glad to know from you and Fairy it's a bit tougher than l thought. That Eucomis Dark Star is fabulous, quite of another planet if you know what l mean . Go on buy yourself some, then show us your pictures. Ooh whilst your here Verdun, how do l start my salvia guanajuato back into growth. I've had it potted up, but kept dry in the spare room all winter, should l trim off the old stems and treat as a dahlia, does it re shoot from the base? Cheers.
I certainly wouldn't leave Eucomis in the ground here lily, but my climate and conditions are totally different to that of the south of England. They'll still be potted if I decide to grow them.
Good luck with yours. Nice gritty mix and yours should be fine
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Oh l wouldn't risk them in the ground here Fairy. I even lift my dahlia tubers, can't risk it , we can get a lot of rain, and I've lost a couple to rot in wet winters. Also the slugs are a nightmare, I've found loads already this morning and have had a very satisfying snipping session. My garden seems behind many of you folks up country. E.g. Doves hellebore Tutu is flowering it's pretty little head off and mine is only an inch through the soil.
Our average annual rainfall is about four feet in the west of Scotland, lily. It's been much drier this winter, but the ground takes a long time to warm up (clay) so many plants are susceptible, even when loads of grit etc is dug in. It's simply too cold and wet for too long a period of time. It doesn't get as hot either (thankfully!) - we have an average of below 20 in summer. Even overnight temps struggle to stay in double figures, so things like tomatoes have to be grown undercover. Great for raspberry growers!
We're used to it though. At least we don't usually have to worry about watering....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Cor Fairy four foot rainfall is damp indeed. I've had a look at the met office site and it says where l am the average is 800mm, up to double that on Dartmoor and Exmoor. My soil dried out too quickly last summer, it's a real suntrap in the back garden. So last October l put on a really thick layer of well rotted horse manure. I've been out gardening today and had a tidy up and a gentle fork over, the soil looks so much richer and there were dozens of worms . I tend to water each plant really well and then mulch, often with grass clippings in the hottest part of the summer. I recycle the water used when preparing veg and salads, and have a large water butt system set up, using the hose pipe is always the last option, it can be a pain lugging the watering can around, but then l choose to plant so intensely, and have so many pots. This summer I've decided to not have pots of petunias or the like, l don't have time to dead head properly anymore, and no more hanging baskets to fret over. I'm just going to have my agapanthus on the patio, and pop my home grown annuals in the borders with my permanent planting.
Verdun, thanks for the salvia information. I'll wait a while then . I'm not going to buy the Dark Star Eucomis, until I've seen how well yours do!?
Thought you would Verdun, you seem to be tempted by the unusual, special varieties of plants. You must have bought the last in stock from Paddock Plants, no longer available ? . Please take a pic or two of the foliage and then the flower spikes for us to marvel over. What are going to plant them beside for dramatic effect?