Hi,

Just finishing doing up the hanging baskets, what do you put in yours; trying to think of something a little different from surfinas/fushia etc.

Any suggestions?????

Karen

Hi,

I am a flower fanatic,

I put up baskets here there and everywhere, and to like you Sufinas , fushias are my favorites,

I think the Sufunia family are lovely and if you take them in they will come back.

I tend to put a large sufinia at the front, a trailing lobila at either side pointed outwards to encourge to growing direction and an upright petunia for hieght to the basket,

My favorite thing of all which always attracts nice comments is the plant bags where you put holes in it and slot the plant in , Petunias do well in these, I hand them on my fences and either side of my garage piiars, after about 4 weeks no bag can be seen just flowers.

Busy lizzies are quite nice but they don't get a good height so seem better in pots or at the front of baskets. Geraniums also nice and B&Q are doing really good value trays this year. I was well impressed as just moved her so didn't do any in green house.

Don't think I have been much help but I have been basket hanging and pot filling all week I must have done about 200 plants. my favorite time of the year.

I have the most lovely Passion flower in my garden first time ever , worth getting one as the flower is amazing. Taken lovely picture of the first bud that opened if interested.

Regards

Pamela

Glad to find some other plant fanatics! I got some great hanging baskets this year, they are a pointed cone shape, and came complete with the liner. I have hung 4 on them on the posts of the re-vamped kennel block, and just put surfinias in them (hot pink & giant purple). On the runs on the other side of the yard I am doing the ordinary half round shapes, with just Fuscia and trailing lobelia (lots of it). I love the flower pouches too, and hand them from the down-comer beside my front door (1 either side) again with trailing lobelia - it takes a few weeks, but looks fantstic when grown in. I keep a few pots for all year appeal, with conifers, boy and Ivy (I have a big post with a 4' hi ivy pyramid, now almost to the top - looks great) My favourites are a couple of standard lavendar "trees" with almost black violas around the bottom. I love to have quite a few lavendars and dianthus for the fragarance. I have bough million bells for the first time this year, and am planting them with pink geraniums - looks good so far.

Saw a great hanging basket last year with ivy and scented herbs - it was a big one, with lavendar (2 sorts), thyme, mint, mini leaved Ivy, and a scented leaf geranium. It looked great and smelt wonderful - less colourful than the traditional, but cool and green, with just the tiny herb flowers, and the splash of geranium red. I have been amazed at how well my spring violas has carried on, and am thinking about using them it a delicate basket arrangement, just trying to decide what to use for the traling element. They seem ideal for the slightly less than perfect growing conditions offered by a basket!

bye
Gwen

Hi Gwen,

We must all share other nice things then other thatn doggies.

You have been at the cones also. I bought 4 from focus the are wicker with a darker wicker top circle. Are these the same ones? LOL

I also bought the half ones that stick straight to the wall they are quite nice also. I think I had to buy including my hanging bags and a couple of flower towers ( same as bags) about 30 ish as I have jsut moved here and althought the previous owners have done the garden very well they were no baskets or pots , I also bought 2 sets of each types of focus's pots this year quite good value and quite big. Shiny glaze ones which I prefer for contrast with the plants. I am on just having a check at posts then away back to my plants. It is sunny again in Sunny Scotland so will get my puppies out in the pen today again. They slept like logs last night with all the fresh air yesterday. The normally get breakfast at 6ish but were sound till I woke them at 7 ish.

BFN

Pam

Must admit both Hubby and I are not lovers of the Garden - we have just spent the past couple of days doing Hanging Baskets, 9 so far and endless pots of Various sizes for when we ever get our Garden sorted out!!?? We have nearly finished the Dog Run, need a new Sun Lounge (anyone know of reasonabley priced ones?) and part of the Garden Slabbed, I want not to be around when that is all done! Where to start?

Hanging basket contents are Fushias(they are so pretty) - Lobellia(trailing & bush) some pretty orange ones and pink ones too, see I said we weren't into this gardening lark.

Sweep;)

Sweep,

Homebase had some quite good quality ones for £19.99 colours were nice not at all like the budget ones you usually see.

Pam

we spent all day last saturday in the garden centre. hubbs loves flowers. we had to build decking and seperate area where the dogs couldnt ruin them. we managed to fill ten baskets and eight pots....:). just in time for spell of hot weather. hubbs does all the hard work and i wander round with the hosepipe watering them lol.:d :d.

Pam - I think we may have our wirers crossed - I said Cheap Sun Lounge - I think you thought Sun Lounger. Thanx anyway. :) :)

We have have also just potted some Winter Jasmine climbing I believe as Hubby has made a wigwam for them, also a lovely Marguerite (Hubbys Mum's name). I have potted a Mesembrebruim, the flower that goes to sleep at night(one of my Mum's favourites)

Sweep x

LOL Sweep, do you mean like a conservatory LOL never mind ignore me, don't think Homebase have it anyway LOL

Pam

Hi Pam, my 'cone shape' baskets are the wire ones (green plastic coated) , realy liked the whicker ones, but though the wire onse would look bettwe with the new UPVC kennels!
bye
Gwen

Hmmm very posh indeed. think a nice picture will be in order for us to see. :-)

Pam

Lord, I think I've found the "hidden gardenering corner" I love flowers and gardening in general.

Have just finished putting a few hanging baskets together. I will have to take some pics one of mine is a large cone shaped one too! How odd ;) I didn't know I was in fashion :)

I might try putting a herb/lavender one together I like the idea. Thanks.

Put some heather ones together last winter and they were really nice with ivy and winter flowering pansies.

Actually I might try one of those for now with summer flowering heathers instead and maybe violas instead of pansies.

I love the bags they are really really handy and look fantastic when they flower up, has anyone ever tried "tumbling ted or soapwort I think it's also known as" can't think of the correct name at the moment but it's great in a hanging basket.

I really love my "acer" tree it's at it's best showing this time of year. I will have to take a picture.
Other than that I adore my "red poppies" and the scent of lillies in the evening is to die for with a glass of wine sitting in the hammock, with the pup fast asleep by my side.

In fact I must plant up some lillies into pots.

Would love to see a pic of the passion flower and anything else anyone wants to let me share.

Karen

Kazzstaff.

LOL , I have been swinging in my new hammock all day, I have pups just now so they were out in the pen and me and the older ones swing on the hammock.

I bought some nice cream and burgandy pots today big and almost quite modern look to them I put a brugandy cordaline ( spelling ) in each one and they are " Fair Braw" as we say here in Scotland :-)

Red poppies and acers all all nice this year , I have a few acers, and a few smaller maples in big pots I love mixing with plants.

The red alzelias are out just now also, I picked up 4 last weekend reduced in Focus for £1.50 each a right bargain LOL

Passion flower picture on its way...

Pam

Oh I saw some trendy pink chives today they looked like the pussy willow that you blow, nice colour but for ground rather than baskets.

LOL It's nice being a gardener isn't it, I used to hate it when I was younger thinking my Mom was wasting her time :) but not I'm hooked and she just stands back and smiles:D

The hammock is brilliant, should of got one ages ago, the lupins are good this year at least mine are, hope yours are the same.

Look forward to the pic, I'll try to get some of the hanging baskets and maybe the acer later this week when the one basket has had a chance to "mature" a bit.

Karen

karen,

Snap when I bought my first house at 18-19 ( I thought I was so old ) my dad did my garden, and the highlight of it was 2 large confiers with red stones around it. My father is amazed now at my enthusiasum. The both enjoy the garden to. My father is now disabled my come to me for their dinner often. Hammock, I love it ams so do my doggies. I am going to attempt some photography with the pups on the hammock this week. Picture has been sent.

BFN

Pam

We have spent a fortune on the garden this year ! We thought it would be nice to really go for it this year with having the loft conversion, wood floors, and a new kitchen so we thought might as well do the garden over as well !

We have split the garden into two and have the first half dedicated to herbs and veg and have been living of salad etc for the last two weeks straight from the garden, yum ! The other half is a mixture of all kinds of stuff including different types of bamboo, lots of unusual flowering things ( don't know thw names just liked the pictures ! LOL :) and lots of the wicker hanging baskets ! We also got a load of aluminium plant containers from Ikea which look really nice with all the pots as well ! Move over Groundforce !! Mike has done a fabntastic job ! I have been directing rathe than helping which is why it probably looks so good !!

We are very proud of it and I look forward to spending a lot of time out there before and after the bump is out !

The only problem is the next door neighbour's garden is like a dump:( and we have got loads of weeds coming through. I might get Mike to sneakily get a watering can full of weed killer and tip it over theri fence !

I do love gardens !

Lucy

Hi Kazzstaff/Lucy,

You can tell for everyones posts the enthusiasum and joy the garden brings eh?? I have been out this morning doing a few more. Good on you Lucy you have done some work being in whelp ( I mean pregnant LOL) yourself. Mind you in the garden is nice you can sit out with the new baby and the dogs. One of the girls for another group I am on has been doing hers also and sent lots of pics in. Funny how the flowers come out and it lifts everyone. I have a lot of family probs just now but I fell so much better being outside for 30 mins. Wished summer was just that little bit longer eh? Our next project is to take out the existing pond and do a far better one, hubby is going to build a bride as the garden is big enough to justify it and I have always wanted one.. Oh gosh will need to get more baskets for it.. pheeewww :-)

Pam

Hi we are creating a japaneae garden around the koi pond and dog run srrounded by Bamboo fencing .I ve just
started to get into Fuchias my mother used to specilise in these.I'm after 3 certain specimens can anyone help?

I'm after Breeder Dream

Breeder's Delight

Squadron Leader

Sierra Blue

Alaska

Facination

can anyone help ,does anyone have anyone growing these varieties near them or knows someone who does?

Any help greatly appreciated :-)

Briony :-)

Briony,

I have not looked but try here http://www.thefuchsia.co.uk/suppliers.htm

Pam

Edited to add OR http://www.find-that-fuchsia.co.uk/

Briony,

Couldn't get bottom link to work but loads on first one.

pam

gosh, all this enthusiasm..think I will offer a gardening holiday to anyone who wants to come & do mine!!!! Whizzing about on the ride on mower is great fun, but I let all my veg patches etc grow over as it was too much like hard work! trying to get plants big enough not to get destroyed by all the hounds & especially the hunt pups that come here for their summer "walk" is a nightmare...and expensive. i have a 16 foot greenhouse with nothing in it as well!

Thanks Pam i'll give it a try :-)

Briony :-)

(sigh) wishing I could do some planting this year but with a 19 week old dobe who loves the garden and digging up plants Im afraid anything in pots is out of the question this year, let alone anything in the garden. Thanks for the interesting ideas though.

I've got a CRAZY 6 month old stafford who thinks she's been put on the Earth to dig up my plants,but what can you do I Love my dog, and I Love my Garden. She'll grow out of it;) even if the plants don't grow through it (like the pun)

If not I'll stick to hanging baskets.

Anyhow, planted up the herb basket as suggested today 16" backset put some ivy's in in with two really nice lavenders with coloured foliage (lost the ticket at the moment with the name on) and white trailing surfina's, so it's going to be green/grey/white and blue with the lavender when it flowers. Will put it at the front of the house by the side gate should get the benefit of the lavender there early evening through the dinning room widow :)

Pam,

Got the picture if I could figure out how to write in green I would just to prove how jealous I am ;) Its a fabulous plant and what stunning flowers. Never paid any attention to them before, but I might buy one if I see one again.

Really really beautiful.

Karen

I guys, I was away today again up to the garden centre for some more pots and baskets, picked up a few of the hybrid madallion drops , Surfinia and fushia cross they look like minature sufininas but have millions of flower heads and will survive also if brought in.. I am buying no more. I will get the green house up and running for next year but stuggled this year with moving etc.

Hope this good weather keeps up..

Pam

Have got Lavender out the front under the window and Lavender and mint out the back by the conservatory ! Nice when the windows are open in the summer !

Have tried to get as many smelly plants as possible in the garden so will benefit from a smellfest when they are all in flower etc in the lovely summer evenings we are going to be having! :)

Lucy

Hi Briony,

I have emailed you regarding the fushia's I will be at the Perry Barr B'ham dog show and you could collect the fushia cuttings from me there if you haven't managed to get them by then.

Karen