Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

Hi,
Family crisis sadly worse than ever. Mum now critically ill & am feeling very stressed. Am home for a bit though.
So answering questions about gardening is a really welcome change from worrying.
I like to do 'lasagne planting' when I plant up my autumn containers. I do them mid to late Sept. I get a big tub & fill it about barely a third with compost, then arrange a layer of tulip bulbs. Then a compost layer, then some narcissus/daffodil bulbs (tall ones can bend/break in the wind so I often choose reliable small varieties like tete a tete or sundisc). Ok, then a bit more compost. If you want a pop of colour in Jan/Feb, you'd add a few crocus or snowdrop bulbs now. Top up with compost. Then for the top, I just go & choose a small selection of autumn colour bedding from the market or garden centre.....I use pansies to set my colour scheme....usually purples or bronze colours, I often get a couple of heathers, an ornamental kale, primulas, etc. I like ivy to trail down the sides but I usually root that myself from what I can find in the garden. So that will be your autumn colour. Then the bulb layers each grow through when it's their time & I find that I get colour from that tub from September through to April. I have found that just doing 1 or 2 big tubs but really putting a nice lot in there often looks more effective than having 6 tubs with just a couple of bits in each.
Hope this is helpful anyway.
There's nothing else I can do to help my Mum, but maybe this post will contribute to you having some fab containers. Hope so. Flowers are so cheery through the colder months, aren't they?
F x

foxgloves

Oh sorry, Dawn. I just popped up! I've not long arrived back home & was just sitting down with a cup of coffee. I think winter pansies are really good value, & violas. They don't like extreme cold weather but I find that with a bit of a trim at end of Jan or Feb, they will often put out more flowers as temperatures rise a little. I saw a really nice idea on a snowdrop walk too, where someone had filled 2 semi-circular wire hanging baskets with moss & snowdrop bulbs then wired them together & hung as a sphere. Have also seen those little net bags you get fruit & stuff in planted with snowdrops & hung with coloured ribbons from the bare branches of trees. Another nice way to get some colour.
F x

Chrystal

So sorry to hear about your Mum Foxgloves. I think the worst part is knowing that you can do nothing except wait and see what happens. Sending you (((hugs))) X

foxgloves

Thanks Chrystal, you are right. It's just waiting. No good for me, as I'm a planner & a do-er, but I intend to keep myself busy this week & see how things pan out. I lost my Dad last September & I can't believe we are back to this terrible stress, this time with Mum. Hey, I'm off down my veggie plot with a basket to see if Nature has provided some goodies while we've been away. That should cheer me up.
F x

Kantankrus_Mare

Thoughts with you foxglove re your mum. Been in the same situation with my own the past month or so and though she is now out of hospital, it's end of life care where we are at now.

Thanks for info on lasagne planting. Might give that a go.

Been at my plot for a couple of hours, mainly sorting all my various compost bins and heaps. Now I have room for more veg peelings, coffee grounds etc from work to restart the process. never seen so many worms :eek::eek:

Honeysucklelou2

Sorry to hear about your mum...


Lasagne planting is great, I do that at home and work. Iris reticulata bulbs are also useful for the top layer.

Toni'sfriend

Sorry to hear about your mum. Sending hugs to you and your family.

Onebrokelady

Sorry to hear that your poor mum has taken a turn for the worst,I hope you have more positive news soon xxx

wishingthemortgaheaway

Oh Foxgloves sorry to hear about your Mum. Thank you to you, One broke lady & others for the planting tips. I will screen shot the posts so I can find them later. That's absolutely brilliant and will mean a bit of work now will see me through to next spring.

Am I right I'm thinking this year I plant the whole lot up (Becuase it's new) but the bulbs will come back year after year so I just need to replace the top, floral autumn layer?

Sending you loving thoughts and lots of Peace.

Wish.

foxgloves

Wish - The bulbs won't all come back reliably next year, esp the tulips. Mini daffs & snowdrops usually will but it"s not an exact science. I usually tip mine out & replant the biggest fattest bulbs in the garden, then plant a new 'lasagne' container for the next year. F x