What does your garden grow?
By marshmallow
14 comments
It’s that time of year when the garden has reached it’s peak and, although I’m enjoying the harvest and late summer flowers, I start to plan for next year. What could be better and what needs to move and what has not worked at all.
I’m interested to know what has done well for you this year. Have you tried something new that you would recommend or maybe an old favourite that always does well for you?
Lets face it, when the seed catalogue pops through my door I get carried away with the idea of all those fablulous varieties and their abundant produce. Everthing looks so good. Much better to try something that has been recommended.
I have tried this mangetout pea called ‘Carouby de Maussane’ for the first time this year. The pods are huge but with no hint of stringyness. All grown with very little attention just some support. The plants are about 5’ tall.
And as a bonus have pretty pink flowers but sadly no scent. Well, you can’t have everything.
Also for the first time I have grown tomato ‘Sakura’. Lovely, long trusses of bright red cherry tomatoes with a wonderful flavour burst. Now I am sounding like a seed catalogue. I’ve grown them in a green house so I can’t say how they would do outside. They look set to go on producing for a while yet.
These are ‘Matucana’ sweet peas which are well know but I have never grown them before. The flowers are small but there are plenty of them and the scent is overwhelming.
Old favourite courgette ‘All Green Bush’ has not let me down but 4 plants are too many! I am giving them away which is lovely.
Lastly I have tried Cosmos sulphureus Polidor mix. Some of the plants were attacked by slugs when they were put out so I don’t have as many as I would have liked. I should have pinched them out as well but I will definitely try them again. They are mix of oranges and yellow.
Is there anything you would recommend for next year?
10 Aug, 2011
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Comments
I've had trouble with courgettes in the past but this year they are in a very sheltered spot which I think suits them. Mine sometimes get too cold in spring. We have not had much rain but they get some shade so maybe that helps them. I hope yours will start producing soon.
I haven't tried sweetcorn for a few years. Hope it tastes good too. I'll bear it in mind for next year.
10 Aug, 2011
Hello Marshmallow! This year I grew Sonata Dwarf Mixed Cosmos from seed for the first time...and I thought they were fantastic! I always loved seeing the white Cosmos 'Purity' in other people's gardens and in photos, but they were too tall for my garden, but the Sonata Dwarf Mixed only grow to about 1.5ft, 2ft max. Blooms prolifically and continues to branch and produce more buds all the time and just needs deadheading. I had the seeds of your cosmos, the Polidor mix, but I 'misplaced' the seed packet, and didn't find it again until 2 weeks ago...and seeing your lovely pictures, I'm really sorry I haven't grown it!
The other flower I would recommend is Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise'. It's another 'no bother' flower, again, easy to grow from seed, branched really well without me pinching it out, and flowers it's socks off, lovely egg yolk yellow, double, sunny, happy little plant, about 1-1.5ft with no problems, as far as I can see! Oh! And the old stalwart... Gardener's Delight tomatoes!
10 Aug, 2011
Make sure you put the Polidor mix somewhere safe now so you can find them in the spring! lol
I like flowers which grow without any fuss. There is always so much to do in spring and things get overlooked, don't they. Things which flower their socks off must be good! Cosmos are lovely flowers but I have never tried the dwarf ones. Did you pinch them out?
11 Aug, 2011
Yes, Auntie Marshmallow! I have put them in a nice cool dark place until the spring time! Lol! I didn't pinch out the dwarf ones, I was sorely tempted, but I'd never grown them before, and I thought maybe, because they were dwarf, that they might end up flowering at ground level!! They didn't seem to need pinched anyway, they seemed to bulk up ok, but maybe once when they're young wouldn't do any harm, I'll do that next year, maybe half and half!
Seemingly, there are new coreopsis that are better for butterflies and insects, well, so I was curtly told by a landscape architect who was visiting at the house today! I felt about the height of a dwarf cosmos! The new ones aren't double, they are more like a yellow daisy, I can't remember the name at the minute, but I'll find it for you in the morning!
I think this has been a great idea for a blog, I don't know why more people haven't joined in! It would be really useful to know all the favourites and the ones you'd throw on the compost heap!
12 Aug, 2011
Thank you. Maybe you could have a go. People know you and I am quite new. Perhaps i just put it up at the wrong time.
As far as flowers for insects go, I have a mixture of many different plants and my garden is always buzzing with insects. I have lots of double flowers which I know are not the best for them but also things like oregano which is always covered in bees. I think variety is the key. I believe there is a programme about our insects by Sarah Raven to be shown in the autumn. So that will be interesting. In the meantime enjoy your corepsis and remeber it's your garden!
Thanks for the info about pinching out. I often end up with plants with one main stem and flower which don't branch until I cut off the first flower. They look very silly. So a plant that branches naturally is good.
13 Aug, 2011
Sorry I’m all behind on commenting on everyone’s blogs.
I really enjoyed reading about your garden. I have a very similar layout flowers and veg. At the beginning of the year, OH chopped down most of my long border it was old and mainly 10 foot tall shrubs flowering high up. So this year I just planted lots of perennials and annuals it’s a bit of an accident in a paint factory, but hay I’ve had lots of colour and lots of thing in the wrong place. Found flowers I love and some I would never grow again!
Likes Cosmos, Lupinus The Governor Band of Nobles Series, Poppies Pizziacto White large blousy ones.
Dislikes Eryngium sapphire blue, Smells like cats wee.
Now I can plan out what I want next year thinking may be blue and white ???!!!
20 Aug, 2011
It's good to have a change now and again and a chance to try new things. I'd never be able to stick to 2 colours. Do you think you will?
25 Aug, 2011
Thinking about it ........ no guess I would not as I like to many plants.
28 Aug, 2011
Love those Cosmos MMallow..didnt know they did them in yellow! Must get me some.
Im very much like you Sueb, love so many different plants and colours..I would need several acres to plant a "drift" of anything!
14 Sep, 2011
The cosmos have been great. Still flowering now. Oh for several acres...
15 Sep, 2011
If I had that, I wouldnt be chucking away clumps of crocosmia right now..Ive been palming some off to the neighbours but still have a fair clump or two.
15 Sep, 2011
It seems awful to throw it away but sometimes you have to. Crocosmia is one of those spreaders, isn't it.
15 Sep, 2011
It doesnt go mad in my garden, these clumps are 5 or more years old and for my garden they constitute a "drift" lol! Ive got a Severn Sunrise that is a 3 year clump and is only about 18" diameter..give it another couple of years and it will become a drift!!
15 Sep, 2011
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Hi Marshmallow, for veg growers i would recommend sweetcorn..Minipop.ours are the biggest on the allotment, & not so " mini "about 6ft & still growing with 4-5 cobs on each one..mind you not tasted them yet,i also have courgettes..green bush & they have not done half a good as last year..only had a few little ones... from 5 plants up to now.
10 Aug, 2011