[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Bold Seagull]

Clump or not to clump, that is the question.

Hopefully this afternoon I shall be planting, and I have some multiples.
So I have the day to decide whether to plant them altogether or space them round the garden.

I have:-

6 hardy fushias
8 (6 free) Dianthus - pink red and white.
2 Digitalis
3 Nerine bowdenii
5 Zentedeschia
5 Dahlia
&
3 Arisaema - which will be clumped together.

Scattergun approach.

If you go for thoughtful placement like Mrs Bold does, you’ll be forever going “I should have put that one over there” like Mrs Bold does.

My gardening is basically digging stuff up and digging a new hole on the whim of a mad women.

 

[Stat Brother]

Scattergun approach.

If you go for thoughtful placement like Mrs Bold does, you’ll be forever going “I should have put that one over there” like Mrs Bold does.

My gardening is basically digging stuff up and digging a new hole on the whim of a mad women.

Had the discussion with Jnr this morning, coming to pretty much the same conclusion.
You'd have thought we were French what with the amount of shrugging and monosyllabic grunts the 'conversation' induced

But I do want to clump a couple of things, begging the original question.

 

[Weststander]

Had the discussion with Jnr this morning, coming to pretty much the same conclusion.
You'd have thought we were French what with the amount of shrugging and monosyllabic grunts the 'conversation' induced

But I do want to clump a couple of things, begging the original question.

Plant in drifts, not scattergun, imho.

Otherwise the effect of every plant/flower will be diluted in a sea of ‘Smarties’.

 

[Stat Brother]

Plant in drifts, not scattergun, imho.

Otherwise the effect of every plant/flower will be diluted in a sea of ‘Smarties’.

I can't do that.

I'm too lazy to be OCD but I'm close!


I won't be able to plant in some kind of order as that will end up everything in a line, 1 to 6, then back to 1, and so on.

 

[Weststander]

I can't do that.

I'm too lazy to be OCD but I'm close!


I won't be able to plant in some kind of order as that will end up everything in a line, 1 to 6, then back to 1, and so on.

I’d love to achieve a mini version of this one day.



That’s Rosendals Trädgård in Stockholm, 5 years ago.

 

[Jack Straw]

Clump or not to clump, that is the question.

Hopefully this afternoon I shall be planting, and I have some multiples.
So I have the day to decide whether to plant them altogether or space them round the garden.

I have:-

6 hardy fushias
8 (6 free) Dianthus - pink red and white.
2 Digitalis
3 Nerine bowdenii
5 Zentedeschia
5 Dahlia
&
3 Arisaema - which will be clumped together.

I'm assuming you're planting the dug over bit in one of your previous photos?
I would plant the Fuchsias and Dahlias singly to create the "Rhythm", then plant the rest in clumps.
All the rest needs to go in front of these as they don't grow anywhere near the height of the Fuchsias and Dahlias.
If you can seperate the Dianthus in to their seperate colours, clump them in their seperate colours.
Leave half of the Nerine bulbs poking out of the ground as they like to be baked.
If after seeing how it goes this year, if you don't like what you've done, you can move things around late autumn.

At the end of the day, no matter if you've clumped or not, if you like what you've done, you've done it right!

Photos please.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

At the end of the day, no matter if you've clumped or not, if you like what you've done, you've done it right!

Photos please.

No, no. There are rules. He has to follow the rules.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Any recommendations for this area between a large Butia palm tree a few succulents and a stand of bananas? It used to be a successful succulent bed but most gave up the ghost once the garden matured. It is now partially sunny. I was wondering about daisy type flowers and I wouldn't be averse to only planting one species. Maybe 2 for contrast. I would like a long flowering season, so lots of dead heading, and probably perennials as they would last longer. The soil is probably quite poor as it's been neglected having in recent years been home to succulents in pots from spring until autumn. Oh, and hot colours! The bed is roughly 6 feet by 3.

 

[Stat Brother]

Concrete.

 

[Weststander]

Any recommendations for this area between a large Butia palm tree a few succulents and a stand of bananas? It used to be a successful succulent bed but most gave up the ghost once the garden matured. It is now partially sunny. I was wondering about daisy type flowers and I wouldn't be averse to only planting one species. Maybe 2 for contrast. I would like a long flowering season, so lots of dead heading, and probably perennials as they would last longer. The soil is probably quite poor as it's been neglected having in recent years been home to succulents in pots from spring until autumn. Oh, and hot colours! The bed is roughly 6 feet by 3.

 

[Jack Straw]

No, no. There are rules. He has to follow the rules.

Stat's rules normally include concrete, burning or Napalm!

 

[Jack Straw]

Any recommendations for this area between a large Butia palm tree a few succulents and a stand of bananas? It used to be a successful succulent bed but most gave up the ghost once the garden matured. It is now partially sunny. I was wondering about daisy type flowers and I wouldn't be averse to only planting one species. Maybe 2 for contrast. I would like a long flowering season, so lots of dead heading, and probably perennials as they would last longer. The soil is probably quite poor as it's been neglected having in recent years been home to succulents in pots from spring until autumn. Oh, and hot colours! The bed is roughly 6 feet by 3.

A Phormium "Yellow Wave" but would nice there, but your criteria suggests you may be looking at Perennials? The area looks like it's in semi-shade? Poor soil and semi-shade could mean Astrantias or Hardy Geraniums, but these don't have hot colours as such. However, Lobelia cardinalis "Queen Victoria", which have red-hot flowers, could be an option, but like lots of water?

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Lobelia cardinalis has another name here...slug food!
Long flowering season? Perennial? Semi shade?
Technically, begonia semperflorens ticks all the boxes. You didn't specify hardiness but a layer of straw type mulch over the colder months will keep it year on year.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Concrete.

Philistine!

View attachment 148526

Haha!

A Phormium "Yellow Wave" but would nice there, but your criteria suggests you may be looking at Perennials? The area looks like it's in semi-shade? Poor soil and semi-shade could mean Astrantias or Hardy Geraniums, but these don't have hot colours as such. However, Lobelia cardinalis "Queen Victoria", which have red-hot flowers, could be an option, but like lots of water?

Finally a sensible answer lol!

I like the idea of the astrantia and also the Lobelia (would be okay to water a lot as long as not by remaining succulents) which I have grown before but since forgotten about. I don't want anything too tall as the Butia's trunk would be obscured. I think the Phormium is lovely but slightly too high growing. A quick look at astrantias shows there's a variety 'Red Joyce' which is a great tropical looking colour and also a few others from pink to claret. Cheers!

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Lobelia cardinalis has another name here...slug food!
Long flowering season? Perennial? Semi shade?
Technically, begonia semperflorens ticks all the boxes. You didn't specify hardiness but a layer of straw type mulch over the colder months will keep it year on year.

I like begonias. However I am unsure I want the bother of trying to protect too much stuff anymore. When I started 'exotic' gardening about 20 years ago, I was prepared to protect a lot more than now. I am more of the mind that the plant has to fend for itself as I am less energetic these days and also want to spend the time I have sitting and enjoying my labours with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

 

[Stat Brother]

I was going to wait until the sun was out, but figured it'll all get eaten over night so best take them now.

Border on the right has been dug over 3 times so is (hopefully) decent.
Border on the left is 'sink or swim'.

 

[Jack Straw]

I like begonias. However I am unsure I want the bother of trying to protect too much stuff anymore. When I started 'exotic' gardening about 20 years ago, I was prepared to protect a lot more than now. I am more of the mind that the plant has to fend for itself as I am less energetic these days and also want to spend the time I have sitting and enjoying my labours with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

If you go for Astrantias, for approximately 2m2, you will need 11 plants. I was taught always to plant odd numbers! They easily divide, so you can save money buy buying perhaps 4 nice plants and cut through the root balls to make 3 or 4 plants from each. They will soon grow.
I hope I'm not teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs?!

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh and this was it 4 months ago.

 

[Jack Straw]

I was going to wait until the sun was out, but figured it'll all get eaten over night so best take them now.

Border on the right has been dug over 3 times so is (hopefully) decent.
Border on the left is 'sink or swim'.

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View attachment 148532

Looks like it's coming along quite nicely and it looks like you've watered like buggery which is very important after you've planted.
Run a sharp hoe through on a weekly basis (2 minute job), and the soil should stay relatively weed-free.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

If you go for Astrantias, for approximately 2m2, you will need 11 plants. I was taught always to plant odd numbers! They easily divide, so you can save money buy buying perhaps 4 nice plants and cut through the root balls to make 3 or 4 plants from each. They will soon grow.
I hope I'm not teaching my Grandmother to suck eggs?!

No problem, this is all good. I have grown plenty of perennials and have often split them. Thanks for the advice regarding numbers, that's really useful. It's a curious thing in art that makes odd numbers of things appear more attractive. Except for pairs, and you rightly point out that this applies in gardening as well! Gardening could be considered as 'art with plants'.