By Cestina
South Bohemia,
Czech Republic 
Have just bought a small portulaca grandiflora. No indication on the pot of possible colour, nor of eventual height or whether it spreads widthwise. I had planned on putting it in a container to hang over the edge but looking on here that doesn't seem the most sensible use of it.
It doesn't look like the photos of the English Moss Rose by the way - the leaves are much bigger and rounder.
I have a big area of steep slope in the back garden with mainly low ground covering plants but also some height with various potentillas and true geraniums. Would it fit there perhaps?
I'm very excited because I also bought my first cranberries (from the reduced section) which were sold as excellent ground cover......
2 Jun, 2010
Answers
Thanks....that sounds fine for the back. Though temps are wintery again at the moment :-(
21deg forecast for weekend and then back to cold again.
2 Jun, 2010
If the leaves are kind of round instead of skinny and long, you have the type that is close to purslane. I had it last year, and liked it better than the grandiflora types. The colors were brighter, although it was a single instead of a double. Save the seed because it is easy to start. I used it in a large vase that had a pulmaria in the middle.
2 Jun, 2010
Yes that's what the leaves look like. It says grandiflora on the pot but all other info is absent so they may have got that wrong. Will it actually self-seed?
Looking forward to seeing it in flower.
2 Jun, 2010
It is best to collect the seed and start it yourself. It is acually Portulaca oleracea.
2 Jun, 2010
Eeek, just been to look at this and a snail has eaten most of the leaves, plant is looking very sorry for itself. Am leaving it in hopes that it will recover and have taken steps to protect it. It's been very damp here this year and we are plagued with snails in extremely beautiful pale beige/cream shells. Giants!
9 Jun, 2010
Hopefully it will recover. We are having our second day of heavy fog, which is great for snails and slugs. The garden store finally started stocking all weather snail bait. All they had before was the type that dissovles with a little mist.
9 Jun, 2010
Previous question
Height and spread 4-8 inches x 8 inches, half hardy annual, plant it in a sunny spot, flowers close in shade, so if the area you're thinking of is sunny, then it'll be fine there.
2 Jun, 2010