Bedding Plants

peter_the_piper

Bearing mind the atrocious winter/spring and the current financial position are you planting bedding plants /hanging baskets this year.

Linda32

I've voted in the poll, but I've got to ask, sorry, but what was atrocious about the winter? Spring has been a bit cold I grant you but no bedding plants would have been out yet anyway due to the threat of frosts, regardless of the day time temperature. Winter bedding, pansies etc don't care anyway

peter_the_piper

The trade threw away over £50 million in unwanted plants cos people did not buy them I wanted to know if the duff spring (4 weeks late down here) had had an effect on peoples plans to plant bedding.

Linda32

Oh I see what you mean now. A survey from a sales point of view. view. I read it as how the general public preserved the weather, my mistake.

I agree with you on lack of trade, I work two days a week in a Nursery and they are at least 3 weeks behind if not more. We are on our allotment when I look at last years diary.


I guess its just Mother Nature and nothing we can do about it. I doubt that it will stop people shopping as they always have done. We still get people asking for runner beans and tomatoes on a nice day in March!

Davesnave

The trade have been encouraging people to buy tender plants far too early for years.

I bet I'm not the only one who's not bothered that they've been well & truly bitten on the bum this year!

It's the farmers that have my sympathy.

kkgree1

I had a similar conversation with my mum yesterday as she gave me some Begonias and Geraniums to plant. However, there is no room for them yet as all my bulbs are still flowering and it will be a good 3 - 4 weeks at least before I get them planted.

peter_the_piper

With our forecast due to give 4-5deg at night I wonder when summer will start.

tori.k

I still have primroses and 3 lonesome daffs out at the moment may throw some bizzy lizzie's in a a couple of tubs but think im going to add some more herbs and let them set to seed this year and probably stick some more hardy shrubs like blue beard and summer sweet see if we can't get some bee action going

sobie

Actually its not the trade pushing tender plants, its the supermarkets that force us into stocking much earlier than we'd like. We'd miss out on sales if we didn't stock them from early April.

I tell my customers not to plant anything out till end of may. But of course people with greenhouses can plant up earlier for a better display.

I'll be planting the same as previous years (more than last year). And at the same time as I always plant - first week of June.

tanith

I have lots of pansies and primroses still going but I've got some over wintered geraniums to go out but will just a buy few filling plants like lobelia and maybe a fuschia or two.. nothing grand.

Davesnave

sobie wrote: »

Actually its not the trade pushing tender plants, its the supermarkets that force us into stocking much earlier than we'd like. We'd miss out on sales if we didn't stock them from early April.

I don't think the word 'trade' is specific, so I didn't respond to it specifically, but I was thinking about the likes of DIY sheds and others who use plants as 'loss leaders.' They don't look after them well, so it's perhaps no big deal if the wastage rate is high, either Joe Bloggs' or theirs. Joe will be back....;)

The jury is still out on whether we are witnessing the start of a noticeable shift in climate. However, if we are, bedding plants will be the last thing most of us will be worried about!