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Birthday gift voucher purchases

30 comments


Yesterday we visited our favourite Garden Centre, a birthday garden gift voucher from August was in my bag, desperate to be used!

Upon our arrival we saw huge reductions on Summer garden furniture (not needed by us), then spotted many of the staff preparing displays for Christmas, obviously, as it’s now nearing the end of September!

Moving swiftly past them, we headed for the outdoor plants displays and found offers such as ‘3 Perennials for Β£20’ and ‘3 grasses forΒ£10’, mind you the Grasses were very small!

Here are my purchases:

A pleasantly shaped terracotta pot

Two small Grasses, Golden Japanese Rush, ‘Acorus gramineus Ogon’ with yellow striped leaves. They will be joining two other grasses in the big blue pots by the front door. All part of the plan for low maintenance!


A Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ with lime green flowers above grey-green foliage. I have never grown Euphorbias before and am hoping this fares well.

Another genus new to me are Ajugas … two are ‘Chocolate Chips’ with blue flower spikes above dark foliage.

One is Ajuga ‘Braunherz’ with deep blue flowers above glossy, purple-bronze foliage.

Any planting care for the Euphorbia and/or Ajugas would be welcomed!

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Comments

 

all lovely plants, that I also have/had. Ajugas make excellent ground cover plants in shady areas. I have Braunherz and it is an excellent doer.
I have the Acoris in the margin of my pond and it has always been a good plant.

I had the Euphorbia for about 3 years in a pot by the side door. One spring hubby moved the pot into full sun and I lost it. so that could have been due to light or more likely wind chill.

I agree that pot is a lovely shape.

23 Sep, 2022

 

Very good bargains Shirley_tulip. The grasses will look lovely in your Blue Pots. If I remember correctly, you had a variety of different plants in them over the past years .

I do not have luck with Euphorbias but I like them and buying them all the time even if they do not stay with me very long.
I found Ajugas too happy and rapidly spreading in our location but agree with SBG that they make excellent ground cover.
Good luck with all of these

23 Sep, 2022

 

Eileen, I am wondering if the Ajugas would thrive in an East facing border where I have many Sedums growing. Would you take a look at a recent photo I posted of said Sedum border and see what you think please?

Also, the pot is going to filled with Spring bulbs very soon.

23 Sep, 2022

 

Klahanie, well remembered re. the blue pots as they were planted with an Agave in each, for seven years! Last Autumn it was time for a change, so out they came and were planted up with Dahlias, Black grass and Violas for a little while. I feel now that 3 grasses in each will be really easy to care for. They already have a Carex 'China Blue and a C. 'Frosted Curls' with space for one more.
Thanks for your good luck wishes for the plants ... :o)

23 Sep, 2022

 

I’ve some ajuga plants on my rockery, Shirley. They seem to do well here with not too much interference. They flower well too. Agree with Eileen's comments.

23 Sep, 2022

 

Ooh! I love a good plant shop and you got some lovely plants at good prices too.

24 Sep, 2022

 

Great selection of plants there, Shirley. I have a few ajugas in sun and shade and they have all spread well. Sometimes light seems to alter the colouration. My acorus seems to need more moisture than I can give it easily. Good luck with them all!

24 Sep, 2022

 

Kate, I planted the two Acorus in the blue pots before lunch today. They should do well in the South facing front garden.

Hb, good to see you again. I've decided at the GC that 'SALE' is my favourite word!

Thanks Ange, pleased you are still here with us ... :o)

24 Sep, 2022

 

Thanks, Shirley.

24 Sep, 2022

 

Some nice plants you have bought, Shirley!

24 Sep, 2022

 

Thanks David, they're not my usual choices so I'm looking forward to seeing how they fare in my garden.

24 Sep, 2022

 

No doubt they will do well for you, Shirley! πŸ‘πŸ˜€

25 Sep, 2022

 

I do love garden vouchers Shirley, never have to feel guilty when spending them, you have made some very good choices, I love Ajuga's it does well for me in sun and shade....

26 Sep, 2022

 

You got some great bargains Shirley!
I have had Ajugas in the past and I agree, they make good ground cover but do tend to take over!
I am looking for plants for the front which gets full sun and lost a couple of plants in the heat wave.
Others just survived!
So a big job for me this autumn as I have plants to move and replant in the main garden and heat and drought tolerant plants to buy.
The garden centre near us is very expensive , so may look online.

1 Oct, 2022

 

Sue, I still haven't planted them out! Tomorrow is set to be a wet and windy day down here, so that's another day lost ... :o(

1 Oct, 2022

 

Rose, I have a South facing front gravel garden with Kniphofias, Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb', Lavender, Rosemary and a couple of Osmanthus (False Holly) shrubs They all grow well in that aspect.

Good luck with all of your gardening, but do mind you don't overdo it!

1 Oct, 2022

 

Rose, there was a good section on GW on Friday where a Head Gardener was trialling drought-resistant plants. Might be worth looking up on IPlayer. My front garden faces south and I have tried all sorts. What remains are ceratostigma, sedum, penstemons, echinops, iris, shrubby potentilla, and dianthus.

2 Oct, 2022

 

Shirley you have plenty of time, the earth is still warm so they'll be alright, we had the same weather here, I was actually very good and did housework instead, now you don't often see me write that....LOL...

2 Oct, 2022

 

Ha, ha Sue! I am looking after OH as he has got a bad case of Shingles and is struggling to open his left eye, all quite worrying. Eye clinic out-patient appointment tomorrow and I really hope his eye isn't damaged.

3 Oct, 2022

 

Thanks Shirley and Ange! I will definitely look on GW!
I will also make a note of both your plants too.
I have been looking online , but then get confused as there are so many!
And Shirley.. I am being careful!
Thanks for caring!

4 Oct, 2022

 

Rose, I'm glad to hear you are being careful! I planted the three Ajugas yesterday ... just right for the rain to fall on them later today.

5 Oct, 2022

 

Sorry to hear about your husband, Shirley. I hope it doesn't damage his sight.

I had a Shingles jab the year I was 70! My wife had hers this year as well as she has also turned 70.

5 Oct, 2022

 

Crikey, that’s pretty horrid for him, Shirley! I do hope he recovers soon and his appointment at the the eye clinic proves positive.

6 Oct, 2022

 

I do hope your husband is improving now Shirley.

7 Oct, 2022

 

David, not quite 70 yet, so we have not been offered the Shingles vaccination.

7 Oct, 2022

 

Hi Kate, I am so pleased to say that his eyesight has not been compromised, just took about three days for him to be able to open it up fully without pain. I am playing 'Nurse' with his eye drops, cream and anti-viral tablets!!

7 Oct, 2022

 

Rose, he's had a few pretty rough days with it as the scalp and left side of face, especially around the eye have been itching so much. As my daughter bluntly put it 'Chickenpox for grown-ups'!

7 Oct, 2022

 

I'm glad to hear he is getting better & that his eye hasn't been compromised! πŸ‘

'Chickenpox for grown-ups'! That's a novel way of saying it! Sounds like something a 7-year-old might say! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

7 Oct, 2022

 

That's my 40 year old daughter ... always did say strange things ... ha ha!!

8 Oct, 2022

 

πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

9 Oct, 2022

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