Want to grow flowers - please help!!

foxgloves

When you do get a bit of time, it'd be worth going to the library and borrowing some gardening books. Then, you can flick through the pictures and jot down the flowers you most like before checking they are suitable for your soil. There are lots of nice cottage garden style flowers that grow more or less anywhere. You'd also get some ideas of what flowers look nice together and perhaps what style of garden or beds/containers you most like and want to aim for.

knithryn

Megansmum...let me have until the weekend and I'll get onto it.
I'm a teacher and have just been told we have an inspection next week (Local Education Authority wanting to do a Pre-Ofsted check) so I'm a bit up to my eyes, though I might sneak some time tomorrow (Thurs) night.
In fact I'm going to have an early night tonight, so I'll take the books to bed for some reading...I haven't forgotten you!

knithryn

OK, I've got some information...relating to shrubs. OK. I know you want perennials, but shrubs are perennials in that they come back year after year, plus many will keep their leaves in the winter, and need little pruning.
The main reason I'm on about shrubs is because Aldi are selling shrubs on Thursday and it would be a great way to cheaply start off the backbone of your garden

To tell if your soil is clay or not, think... does it stick in great lumps onto boots and shoes? If yes, then it is clay.

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2827_12717.htm for the shrubs.
Personally I would recommend azaleas and camelias if you have acid clay soil, lavatera if you have chalky soil, though I'm going to risk getting some lavatera for myself even though I live on clay.
Check out the growing requirements for the different types of plants here
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/
Use the alphabetical list to quickly find examples of the plants.

Right... next cheapo suggestion... Aldi are also selling seeds on Thursday. I'm SURE your DD would love to grow some sunflowers and nasturtiums (you can eat the nasturtiums).

Now, depending on your budget, 5 or 6 shrubs and 5 or 6 packets of seeds might be it for this year, but that would give you shrubs to look at all year round and which will fill out and grow, plus flowers for instant colour this year.

If your budget stretches to buying a few more plants, we can then look at perennials and I'll list some later in the week (and looking out for deals to help out).
By the way - compare the Aldi price with the crocus website - yes the Aldi ones will be smaller but even still.....!!!

If you plant perennials first, before the shrubs, the 'plan' generally doesn't look so good. Shrubs tend to go towards the back of borders, so you need them first to give a backbone. Then you fill in the spaces with hardy perennials, bulbs and annuals.
If the perennials have gone in first, it can be more difficult to work out where to put the shrubs (how I know this... I started my current garden before I knew Aldi sold plants, so I filled it with a mishmash of cheap perennials and have regretted it ever since! The garden is a 'cottagey mess')

Megansmum

Thank you SO much for that knithryn

I will DEFINITELY be at Aldi on Thursday for those shrubs (and also the packet seeds for 39p!). As these will be small, what sort of a gap should i leave between them? (I assume over the years they will grow quite "bushy"?)
I would like to add some perennials too, i know my initial outlay for everything may well be substantial, but i want the whole "visual effect" this year (although i do realise they will be small for a few years), rather than waiting years for the garden to be filled with colour.

Would things like cordyline be okay to go inbetween the shrubs? I am thinking for some height variation between things???

(p.s - i hope the pre-ofsted inspection went well). Thanks again for taking the time to do this for me..... :A

knithryn

The Aldi packets usually tell you how big the plant will get at maturity.
The Lavatera are described as being very fast growing, and the pruning guides I have seen almost suggest cutting them down to just a few feet every year, so they should give you some colour this summer. (I do hope so - it's why I am buying some for my partially sighted neighbour's garden!).
The Camellias will take a fair few years to grow to maturity and give a decent flower show.
If you know how big they grow at maturity, then plant them at least that far apart. Give a little extra space and you will have plenty room for perennials in between.
Also look to see if it says how many years to get to that height. Faster growing plants will fill the garden up quickly, and provide faster colour and shape.

Another way to fill your garden with colour all year around is to visit the local garden centre once a month and buy the perennials in flower. That means that each month you know that a plant will be in flower. The disadvantage is that these plants will need more watering etc as they have a whole stack of leaves etc and their roots have not made it out into the ground.

No problem with a cordyline or two - it's a case of whatever takes your fancy!
And my info on Acers indicated they were fairly easy to grow on acid/clay too... I know you want one of those! An acer will give beautiful colour in the autumn, along with exquisite leaf shape.

For instant impact you can sow nigella seeds direct into the ground, and many other seeds - look for Hardy Annual on the packets. To get the best impact from hardy annuals you need to sow a few sections every week, otherwise they will all flower at the same time and then die off...
Marigolds and Calendula can be grown from seed and have a fairly long flowering period.

As for pre-Ofsted, well I've planned and replanned, provided information on every student (who is on the Special Ed register, and what for, specific reading ages, who gets free school meals, who is gifted and talented, described progression, extension and support activities in every lesson plan... ) and have they come into my class? No. I've also had vivid horrible nightmares from the stress, and my year 11 are looking at me like I have lost the plot (I have explained to them about the stress, and although a low ability and sometimes naughty class I know from past experience that when an observer comes into the class they behave like angels!).
Come this time tomorrow it will all be over....until the Real Ofsted come a calling!

Megansmum

Thanks again, i am counting the hours until I can get to Aldi!! I spoke to the girls who run the nursery dd2 goes to today and they are going to start the little ones growing sunflowers, herbs and some veg this year,:T so i am going to treat them to some seeds tomorrow from aldi too! On another thread i saw homebase doing terracotta pots for 18p so i have reserved 40 of them for nursery!! I love that they are going to encourage the little ones to grow stuff! Megan last year loved picking fruit and veg in the garden. This year i know she will also love smelling and touching the flowers!

One more question (sorry for being a pain!), do you know of any fence paints or paints suitable for outdoor painting, that you can get in bright colours? Also, some of my fencing is against the raised bed - do i need special paint so any rain run off will not contaminate the fruit plot?

How did today go? At least now you can sit down, sigh and be glad it's over (for now - as you said). I used to work in schools and nurseries as a volunteer echo worker - i remember the panic and stress of ofsted visits! :eek:

Thanks again. :A

knithryn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1AzrqyzMOQ
You could always make some paper pots using that link above...

On fence paint...
If you paint with gloss (which needs undercoat) it won't last very many years before it starts to flake and gett tatty.
You really need a wood stain and preservative all in one. These are designed for fences, so should not 'wash off' as they are staining the wood. (NOT creosote!)
Most stains are in 'natural' tones, greens, browns, even black.
White as a colour will jump out at you - but I think white looks great with colour in front. It can look a bit green and algaed after a few years....and it would have to be white paint. I intend to get a white picket fence for the front fence for our house...

Green will make a fence 'disappear' as it blends in with the plants, also black will disappear into the shadows...
http://www.greenshop.co.uk/natural-paint-128/wood-exterior-199/osmo-one-coat-only-171/?osCsid=beje048emurb5j7bsk9e8lee62 give an example of the range of stains available - that's a random site I picked up on... any DIY store will have a range of stains.

If you're determined to have bright eg primary colours, then you'll have to undercoat and gloss in an exterior woodpaint, and be prepared to repaint perhaps every few years.

If the fencing isn't wood then any paint appropriate for that surface, outdoors, will be fine. (eg masonry paint)
Best to do the painting soon, otherwise you'll be treading all over those delicate plants you've just bought!
You could always paint part of it as a mural, complete with bugs etc if you really want to make if child friendly for DD, maybe with 'hidden things' that she has to find, like butterflies, worms, caterpillars, ladybirds, ants, slugs). This would help to teach her about wildlife too... maybe even the stages of plant growth... uh oh I'm turning into teacher mode....

Work... ha.... Inspector came into my classroom, sat down... then a member of SLT came in and told him he was in the wrong room. He got up and left. Pah. Hours of work for nowt. It's all over anyway, thanks for asking. Just waiting on the judgement.

ixwood

I love perennials too. I wouldn't just buy random ones though. There's 1000's and none of us ever have enough room, so maybe try and be a bit more selective.

Wildlife and/or edible sounds like the ticket. Fruit could be an option. You get the fruit, they get somewhere to live, blossom and any spolied/leftover fruit. Pretty much all fruit plants are good for wildlife.

A "nectar bar" will attract all sorts of interesting wildlife. I had loads of butterflies this year, as well as daily visits from a very cute Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

Buddleia is the infamous "Butterfly Bush" (my collection is ever growing), Red Valerian is very attractive to the humming bird moth, butterflies and some damsel flies, Sedim's and verbena Bonaris are also popular.

If you can make Butterflies happy, then you'll automatically making loads of other things happy too, as lots of things appreciate nectar.

Lavender's a brilliant bee plant, as are most other herbs. I'd recommend Lavender (makes a lovely low space dividing or path lining hedge), Rosemary, Chives, Lemon Balm, Mints, Sage and Monarda off the top of my head, but most herbs are highly attractive to wildlife (they know a good thing when they see it!).

You can't really go wrong with herbs. Generally they're pretty, not too big, undemanding and good for wildlife. And of course you can use them too. Apart from cooking, you can make lovely lemon or mint teas and choose between a relaxing evening Lavender bath, or a zingy morning mint or lemon balm bath.

I grow mainly fruit, herbs and wildlife friendly plants and although it's still in progress with a lot of things needing to fill out a bit, it's absolutely buzzing with life in summer. Damsel flies, hover flies, butterflies, loads of different bees, ladybirds, lacewings, Humming bird moths. It makes me happy just wandering outside.

PS How's the ex phobia? Hope I haven't put you off too much with the last line above!

mjm3346

Which? have a few suggestions for edible plants to grow in pots

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/grow-edible-plants-in-pots/index.jsp

ixwood

It gets even better with the seeds... Netto's are 19p again.

J Parkers bargain section is where I got a lot of my perennials from:-

http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=category.specialoffers&category_id=0&page=1

These all look like good cheap options:-
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=47889
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=48123
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=50016
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=50175
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=48267
http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuseaction=product.standard&continueaction=category.specialoffers&producttype_id=50039

The 1st are bulbs (bulbs come back every year with no effort, so maybe you could look at including them too) and the Mock Orange and Lilac are fairly vigorous shrubs, but can be kept in check with a chop once or twice a year if needs be.

The plants are quite small when they arrive usually, but the prices are brilliant. I got 6 Verbena Bonariensis off them last year for £2. I usually pot them up to grow on a bit before planting them out. The free gifts are a nice bonus too. My best so far being 12 Monarda's (which is also known as bee balm).