Gracie5

Viola seeds

Has anyone sowed Viola seeds, are they easy or difficult?  I have a lot of seeds collected this Autumn and was wondering whether to sow some now or just buy the plants.

New flowers to recommend

Adam Pasco wrote (see)

The compact Buzz varieties of buddleia are bought as plants (not seed), and these compact plants are perfect for small gardens,

I know but can't help promoting this brilliant shrub at every opportunity.   I didn't know about the new colours coming in, I look forward to seeing them in the future.

Talkback: Most hated plants

A friend once said how he hated that awful shrub Ceanothus, I told him to wash his mouth out and that it's a beautiful plant with gorgeous blue flowers. Years later I planted one in my small garden, it grew into a monster and a thug off a plant. I remembered his words and I now also hate this shrub. After we dug it out, and it wasn't easy, I vowed I would never, ever have that thug in my garden again.

New flowers to recommend

I grew from seed Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun' last year, I think it’s a fairly newish introduction. It puts on a beautiful show and it’s still in flower as I write. It germinates very quickly and an easy plant to grow from seed.  There is one new introduction that I just have to mention. I can’t praise highly enough the new Buddleja ‘Buzz’.  It’s perfect for those of us with a small garden and especially important for Bees, Butterflies and other insects. I am growing three varieties, it never seems to stop creating new buds and is still in flower. My perfect plant/shrub for the wildlife gardener.      

Talkback: How to lift and store dahlias

CornishCris, I so agree with you about Dahlias. I absolutely love the open flowered varieties because they are a magnet for bees.  Last year I lifted and stored the tubers but they all died. This year I am leaving them in the ground because I cant be bothered with all the hassle of overwintering them. They are high maintenance, attracting pests and needing staking. Next year I am going to buy new tubers but will try and go for the shorter varieties and those that the pests leave alone.

"For goodness sake, Google it!"

I am not on any other forum and if I want a plant identified this is where I ask, and always find the answer.  If I 'Googled' it, I would be on the computer for hours, life's too short for all that malarky!!

Wildlife gardening...hopes for the future

I'll knit you one  Well done you!!

buddjlea buzz

Yes, Lynne that should be ok. Just leave them outside and forget about them until Spring when they should start to show new leaves which means they have rooted.

Potting on Perenials plug plants

Agree with sotongeoff, leave them in the greenhouse. I lost a small lavender plant by leaving it out during winter.

Wildlife gardening...hopes for the future

When I first started gardening with wildlife in mind I didn’t have a clue about what plants to buy.  I wrote to seed companies to ask if they would mention on their seed packets which of the plants were nectar rich, I never got a reply . I asked at garden centres for advice but without much help, but if I saw bees surrounding a plant I would buy it, at least it was a start.  I did most of my research on the internet and bought books which helped me in creating a fantastic garden for wildlife bringing a whole new dimension to my gardening, and the rewards have been amazing. A new hobby emerged, taking photos of the wildlife that comes into the garden.   I started eight years ago and now with all the recent publicity on the benefits and importance of attracting wildlife to the garden, new wildlife gardeners shouldn’t have a problem in knowing where to start. I do think though, that we gardeners for wildlife are very much in the minority.  

"hopes for the future"  lets just hope that all the recent publicity is not making it become 'fashionable' to garden for wildlife, it has to be forever.

Viola seeds

So annoying or not!!

Plant ID

Hardy Annuals

Plant ID

Leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'

Another plant ID

Storing seeds

Plant ID