Poor plants this year

My plants are a very poor show this year, both annuals and perenials, not much hight and the flowers are small, it is the same around this area, i was wondering if it was the same all over the UK ?.

Mine aren't very great this year either Alan. I'm looking at the hardy annuals/biennials which have finished flowering, like my opium poppies and foxgloves and wondering if I should just yank them out rather than let them go to seed. I want to tidy up all the beds before mid-September so I can add some more perennials from Stockton market. I definitely won't have time to do more than basic tidying once I start this M.Sc in September. I'm really disappointed with my seeds this year.

you should be in my garden right now, well over the last few weeks. I have a riot of colour with so many plants in bloom. photographs cant covey the image.

in bloom right now are 14 hardy Osteospermums, 96 hardy geraniums, 38 Argranthemums, 10 Heleniums, 12s of Gazanias, Arctotis, Felicias, daylilies, centaureas and the list goes on.

it has to be the heat and the rain that is promoting all this growth. we had a 25C last Friday.

Mark

Lucky you Mark. My garden is such a dissapointment. I planned all winter and everything started so strongly in Spring. Then everything seemed to stop at the end of May. Hardly any of my annuals have flowered yet, and all in all very dissapointing.

BooHoo

I don't know how you've got such a marvellous garden this year, Mark. Do you have a greenhouse? That would have given them a good start. I think our weather was too damp and cold here in the spring to give the seeds a good start.
I do have quite a lot in bloom though. Foxgloves just finishing. Lots of different types of poppies, hollyhocks, nasturtiums, calendula, nigella, cornflower, poached eggs, lavatera, osteopernums, night-scented stock (gorgeous scent), candytuft, virginia stock, sunflowers, perennial lobelia, asters, star gazer lilies, lavender, margeurites, a few roses, hebe, rose of sharon, potentilla, shasta daisies, red-hot poker, verbena, tree lupin and others.
It just looks as though the flowers are slightly tired and they're so untidy. Definitely a cottage garden though. It should be better next year when more of my prennials have got established and fluffed out.

Northerner

are your osteospermums hardy or bedding types? if they are hardy which do you have.

Mark

I've one osteopernum which is supposed to be hardy (from the garden centre). The rest, about a dozen, came from the florist and I suspect they're bedding. Don't know the variety.

Well my garden is getting better every year, i always start even my hardy annual inside so when the weather picks up i put them out. This year have grown the annual lavatera Silver Cup, its beautiful, also pleased with the Godetias,Asters,Cornflowers, Nigella, been giving them away by the cart load, so many from so many seeds, not forgetting the Calendulas so cheerful., am now planting some hardy annuals for early flowering next year. My surfinias are lovely as is my wave petunias,African/French Marigolds, my Dahlias have been flowering for weeks,i have got that many plants my neighbours who i am getting to know better thought i had a market garden, its just lovely to see everything flowering and my roses are great, i do not use any pesticides or inorganic fertilisers, no way and i am now glad i did not so every year should get better and better. I am more prepared to meet the cold weather in winter-lost a lot last year, so i bet it will be mild.

Hello Sheila, glad to see you, where have you been ?.

northerner, whereabouts in stockton market do you get your plants from, i might pay a visit when i'm at my mam's one time. I'm not very familiar with the town, so directions may be appropriate!!!

lil

Hello Lil! Stockton market is on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Go in the morning, some of the stalls don't stay open all afternoon. It's in the High Street.
There are two or three stalls between the Town Hall and Debenhams, and one on the other side of the Town Hall. There's another one near Boots. There's also a small courtyard off the High Street near the Green Gragon Courtyard where the stalls sell odds and ends, mostly second-hand stuff. One of these stalls is for plants, sold at 50p and 75p. They're small and young but if you're willing to have a go it's fun.
Plants on the stalls generally cost about £1-£2, depending on size and variety. Maybe doesn't save much on the cost from a garden centre but the market stalls have much more atmosphere and it's fun looking for what's available.
There's a multi-storey car park off the High Street (I just take the bus). There's also lots of good places to have lunch (hmm I really ought to go on a diet...), mostly at the really great pubs just off the High Street. They're all good, better than the fast food shops. Can't go wrong.
I really like Stockton, I'd rather go there than Middlesbrough.
When I went to Stockton on Saturday the Riverside Festival was on. I saw a roller skating act, a contortionist, a fire-eater, acrobats, a brass band, and a juggler. All free. Great fun!!!
Won't have as much time once my course starts so hope to go over a couple more times this summer.
Stockton's well worth a Saturday visit. There's also a museum and a theatre and the arts centre. All close to the High Street. And of course there's also the River Tees and all the activities there! I'm sure you'd enjoy a day out. Hope you can make it sometime!

The annuals in my garden are doing v v well this year - reckon it's due to all the rain we had but not enough to flood in my case. Best year ever for me. Poppy's are wonderful
Ros - near Maldon, Essex


This message was edited Wednesday, Aug 8th 4:38 PM

thanks, northerner, i'll do that, the wednesday morning market sounds good, i might try and drag my mam along!

Yes, this was a terrible year!

Reason: the rains came down in Winter in biblical force and, in my clay paddock, they filled the water table so high that walking on the ground on Xmas day was like dancing on a waterbed. Every little gavotte I did, and water squirted out!

So the perennials I hopefully set out in November never developed any taproots. They just luxuriated in the top water.

Then... come June/July we had a heat wave in the UK. The roots had developed no depth so the plants died.

"Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" was my weeping tribute to my 1/4 acre garden, laid low.

Good news is... the 120 heirloom tomatoes I'd planted under deep, wood bark mulch laughed at the drought, and thrived - even with my negligent watering - regardless.

I'm sure there's a moral there, somewhere...

Yours in mulch

JOHN YEOMAN
The Village Guild, UK
01525 221492

Welcome John

Hello John, and welcone! I see you're a new member. I'm a mature student at Teesside University, so I tend to get preoccupied with assignments and exams from time to time and my garden can only just tick over. Just realized it's Bank Holiday weekend so hope I get a chance to do some tidying again.
I grow mainly perennials and hardy annuals, not very great this year - blame our cold, wet spring. Your tomatoes sound wonderful. My grandfather grew the most glorious tomatoes with the most delicious scent. My Uncle Jim and Uncle Andrew also grew terrific veggies. Mine's just a very basic cottage garden.
I think you'll like it here at Dave's Garden, people are very friendly and helpful.

Dear Northerner (and even Southerners)

Your gracious reply is most welcome!

I'll keep posting, provided folk keep replying...

Yours in mulch

JOHN YEOMAN