Calling all gardeners ...

**Stanfield** · 14-08-2009, 02:43 PM

I need some advise please...

I have a new garden area / play area sectioned off in our field, the work is all underway and I am looking at plants.
I am not a vvery good gardener, infact most of mine in the past have died!

I am going to try hard with my new garden, and starting off small. These plants need to be pretty simple to look after ie watering, a bit of pruning and picking off dead heads! No transfering in frost, covering in winter etc - all too much for me!

I am having two medium size pots outside my summerhouse and was thinking of having some flowers in them ... I would like somthing big and bright for a big impact and preferably somthing that will flower for sometime.

Need something to provide a bit of privacy from our neighbours garden which backs on to the field, thinking along the lines of some Hydranger bushes as I have heard these grow rather large annd have long lasting big flowers.

Also thinkinh of having something to climb my garden arch

Obviously these all have to be child friendly too. Oh, also, the garden is in full sunshine for around 80% of the day.

Thanks for the help,

Lucy

**sweets** · 14-08-2009, 02:48 PM

i think your best bet would be to go a local garden centre, see what theve got and if you see a plant you like check on the label or with staff if it will grow in the place you want it, most only stock plants that will thrive locally. they may also test your soil and see what type it is as no plant will grow in the wrong conditions.I wasted a lot of money and plants when i first got my garden as didn't read labels to see how and where they grew.
How exciting starting a new garden, mines established and i struggle to find room for new plants!

**nannymcflea** · 14-08-2009, 02:50 PM

Buddleia(butterfly plants) are fab and hard to kill.

We have Winter Jasmin growing up our arch.

**uf353432** · 14-08-2009, 02:53 PM

It go for a clemetis or jasmine for your archway. Budlia are hardy - but they can get very unruly and frankly are a pain in the ****. Though they do attract butterflies and bees which can be nice. If you want a nice all year hardy flowering plant i'd personally go for a camelia - lovely big flowers March/April time and the rest of the time nice dark green foliage which is very hardy.

**uf353432** · 14-08-2009, 02:53 PM

ooooh sorry

change that word to bum loL!

**Stanfield** · 14-08-2009, 02:58 PM

Yes, I have a budlea plant (with orange balls) that my dad has donated, but looks half dead after only a couple of weeks with me! I am planning on getting at least one more due to the butterfly attraction.
Went to wyevale today but ours has just extended and there is just too much choice! I need to do some research as #I dont want to rush in and buy when I may see somthing nicer the next week!

**sarah707** · 14-08-2009, 03:30 PM

I kill most plants but I seem to do ok with lavender.

It depends on your soil type - certain plants thrive and others don't.

Have a look at your neighbours gardens and see what grows well there, take a photo and show it to the guys in the garden centre

**Princess Sara** · 14-08-2009, 04:49 PM

Lavender and Buddleia are my favorites as they are so hard to kill, butterflies love them and the lavender smells fab. Also come is lovely shades of purple. Pansies grow like wildfire in my garden, once you have one the seeds get everywhere, cracks of the paving etc! They come in loads of different colours that can match the lavender and buddleia... can you guess what my favourite colour is yet? A few viola's to match and you're off!

**Trouble** · 14-08-2009, 05:05 PM

buddlia

**Blackhorse** · 14-08-2009, 08:34 PM

here a little hydrangea story.

bought a plant 5 years ago to have at my fron entrance of the house...that worked well until a really really bad windstorm went through and bent all the stems (it was a little plant then)
I was so annoyed that I threw the pot in a dark shady corner where no sunlight gets to..at all.
(I had my granny round from austria and had no time to care for the plant to see if it could survive or not..so I wrote it off and was annoyed I spent £15 on it)
the next time I remembered the plant was there was about a year later in spring. It didnt look good but not dead either. (it never got watered apart from the rain that manaed to get into that corner.)
so I was really pleased that the plant had ''made it'' and thouht I should really plant it... So I moved it from it's little pot into my back garden.
plant recovered well and started growin again..
then for childminding I had to get a new fence and the gardeners trampled it down into the ground..covered it in mud and I thought it has now had it..
but it has come back..the roots must have survived..
it has now grown quite a bit..and hopefully next year it will flower...
(it is now in a very safe place I hope so it will survive..)
I would buy another one in a moment...(in fact I did...a strawberry hydrangea)

clematis are easy to grow and you get loads of different ones. they are nice climbers.
some perennial flowers (the ones that come back year after year) are also a good option. In our garden we have lupins and they are doing really well. Red Hot poker is nice too...and apart from planting them I havent done anything else to these plants. (well a bit of watering)
another really nice climber is honeysuckle..it doesnt like being cut back..but from one plant you can have runners all along your fence. it is very nice
lavender is always good and you get lots of different ones. they also smell lovely.
heather is another plant that is doin well in our garden.
also check out your garden centre..they have lots of different things that are easy to grow. I bought 2 shrubs a couple of years back out of Dobbies and havent done anythin to them..they look lovely and have nice long lasting flowers on them. I dont know their name..but there are many different ones!!

You could have a big pot with some herbs...mint grows well (but keep it in a pot because it will take over your garden..unless you want that)
I also have some thyme and rosemary...nice plants and maintainance free. Sage works well in pots too.

another plant I can recommend is a perennial marigold. Mine flowered all summer and I kept deadheading it and now it has a second flush of lovely flowers.

if you need any more ideas let me know

**miffy** · 14-08-2009, 08:39 PM

What about Pieris or Potentilla (this one is deciduous so might not be suitable) both are long-flowering and hardy

Miffy xx

**Playmate** · 14-08-2009, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by nannymcflea

Buddleia(butterfly plants) are fab and hard to kill.

We have Winter Jasmin growing up our arch.

totally agree with the buddleia, we planted a dwarf variety last year and its been beautiful this year and the children have been studying the butterflies we see on it too.

LOOPYLISA · 14-08-2009, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by rascal

buddlia

Have to agree

**ZoeAlli** · 14-08-2009, 08:57 PM

For the end of your garden if you want something bright to flower in spring get a forsythia, they are easy to grow you can chop loads off and they will grow back ( tried and tested!!).
Clematis are lovely and some have great seed heads. Jasmine is great particularly if you get a winter flowering one!! Honeysuckle smells lovely and attracts bees, not only will look great on your arch but acts as a nice screen between you and neighbours (never had a problem with cutting ours back!) All are climbers and will look lovely round your arch!
Hebes are great too!! easy to grow, attract bees and butterflies, and can cover ground or be bushlike!
Lavender is child friendly and smells great. You could also grow thyme, again can get different varieties grows well and covers ground.
If you want a fast growing, interesting tree go for a tortured (twisted) willow. They grow how you want, depending how you cut them back- you can make a great climbing tree with these!!! They are also great for crafts as they can be stripped ( the bark is best to take off when fresh!).
All the best with your garden!