Monday, July 06, 2015

WHAT TO DO...THE JOYS OF GARDENING

Just as I was leaving sis-in-law, with my arms laden with a variety of seedlings, I was offered a few Livingston Daisies.  I could have had loads more of everything, but where would I put it all.  No, I had to be sensible about this and just accept limited bounty. "I could find space", I said, "for just three more little plants".  Easier said than done.  Seedlings happily sitting in pods will not be counted out that simply.

So it was that I planted out ;
  • Half a dozen Holly-Hocks,  they can grow very tall given the right conditions and time;
  • Double the number of Cosmos seedlings I reckoned I had suitable space for;
  • Too many Livingston Daisies to count, (they were bunched up);
  • Some Petunias;
  • An unknown... Penstemons.  
L-base of tree trunk a Holly Hock: R-Livingston Daisies...closed

The planting advice, sun/shade etc  went by the board, these seedlings were going to have to take their chances wherever there was a space. I did try and give them the advised spacing  and some of them seem to require quite a lot.  It is very tempting to enlarge flower beds and yes, I admit it, I did create a small additional area in which I planted Cosmos, Penstemons and two of the Holly-Hocks. That's it now, no more new spaces.


More closed daisies and varieties of Primulas.
Because of rainfall, I nearly drowned some of the Livingston Daisies in a ceramic plant pot without a drainage hole. Accidents do happen! I rescued them and they are now living, a bit overcrowded, with their siblings. The flowers, vibrant and pretty though they are when you see them, only open in bright sunlight. We've not had much of that.  Blink an eyelid and they've closed up.

New small plant patch-established Mimula, three Cosmos, Petunias & Penstemons. Two small Holly Hocks...maybe for next year.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I smiled when I read this as all gardener's say that but never do stop acquiring and planting something else.
Happy gardening. Flighty xx

ZACL said...

I kinda thought the same about enlarging plots Mr F, as I wrote it and I had a silent bet that you would raise the thought! Being practical, I can't play with more than I can cope with. :)

xxx

Anonymous said...

What a joy. Hope you have a lot of flowers this summer

ZACL said...

Hello Shimon,

What a lovely wish; it would be really nice to have a reasonable period of time of warmth and sun. I think the potential blooms would appreciate it too!

Snowbird said...

I am always so thrilled to get free plants that I never pause to think where they will be planted!
What a haul though, I'm glad to hear how many you actually managed to get in the ground!xxx

ZACL said...

There were quite a few varieties of seedlings to try out; Snowbird. Two types might be perennials, one certainly is.

One of my many Aloe Vera plants is outside now ...it kept getting knocked over on the sill, balance was not its strongest point. I've wedged the pot between large stones, on a wall, in company with hubby's pots of cacti.
xxx