Garden resolutions 2016

Lovely photos .. and good luck with your resolutions :o)

Beautiful plants!! I would also like to live somewhere else Siris, where there is no risk of flood, 3rd runway and the ever present winds we have here in the flightpath at Heathrow.
Then again, as I'm always quoting to the grandchildren, there is always someone out there worse off than you.
I have a little bit of peace down at the nursery even though it's very muddy at the minute but I wonder for how long as a planning notice went up just before Christmas re M4 and crossrail or some such. Another waiting game I think.

I often wish we had more sunshine here in Scotland than we do but I am lucky to have a large walled garden even tho' it is in the city. I decided not to make any new year resolutions that I couldn't keep. We gardeners act on impulse when we see plants. I put them in pots if space is a problem. :0)

I think I need to consider more marginal/bog plants as many of my grasses are rotting/dying as they sit in wet soil.I had no idea when we first moved here, just over a year ago, how wet the garden is.Some of the borders under water this afternoon and the whole lawn looks squelchy.
Those,Sarracenia look spectacular.....are they Carniverous plants??

Thanks Sterra, the photos might be lovely, the actual plants were gorgeous.

Thorny, I feel for you, your life must be put on hold. You must be so resilient.

Linda, A balance of sunshine and showers would be nice, which ever part of the country in which we live. Your large walled garden must be a pleasure, I hanker after a larger one to satisfy my plant compulsion, but truly I could not manage anything too big now I am older. I have been looking through plant catalogues again, so that is not really impulse. I will resist, mostly because of the price of postage. I balk at paying more for postage than the plant!

Paul, the Sarracenia are carnivorous, some of the pitchers apparently have become naturalisedin the Uk. They are exacting about growing conditions, requiring to be grown in damp acidic sphagnum moss/ medium. I found on the Internet a nursery close to where I live that specialises in carnivorous plants, where one can be advised and collect ones purchases. I thought I would try a hardy one (2 if no postage) in Spring, to grow in a pot in the shallow end of my small pond. Would be more sensible just to buy one to see how it fares!

Good luck....they certainly add something different to a garden.

Oh Siris.......I admire you for putting your resolutions down on paper!! and for all of us to see!
I am with you on the appreciate ones own garden......if only! also not to buy any more plants that cannot be grown without a mollycoddle.....or two
I am hoping the Acacia tree will hide the houses at the back of us, I know what you mean by trying to borrow a landscape good luck with that one...
It is Jan 8th and I cannot believe I have not bought a plant, unfortunately we need to spend some money on the house for a change, boring I know...
Btw we have our NGS luncheon at Otterbourne Village hall on March 10 do you know it?

Yes, Dd, went to a 70 birthday dance at Otterbourne v. Hall, couple of years ago. Ps. it is near Brambridge GC, always pop in if near to look at their bargains' corner, (far back right corner, near the goats.)

Hi I grow Sarracenia, I think the one in the photo is "Flava" which survived minus 7 for 5 days in 2011/12 with me . so its a easy one to start with plus has good height when it flowers and lovely tall pitchers. sell on ebay so much cheaper than a nursery.

i will have a look does it need splinting and send you a couple if you want , I do have some unnamed seedlings that are tall as well as long as you not bothered with name .. the short ones will lose them selves at the edge of a pond so I would go tall if you can.

Should do well in a pond (full sun) but likes just to be damp over winter not sitting in water too deep over winter totally the opposite during the summer , you have to keep a eye out for slugs as well in the spring ... with the new growth.

Growing in a pot is ideal , but make sure no run off from around the pond with any fertilizer they just hate it... plus in a pot you could over winter in a shallow tray in the greenhouse (just keep damp) .

I have been looking at the iris on Cayeux

"Royal Snowcap" (must have )
Velvety plum purple falls handsomely contrast the cool pristine white of this exotic amoena's standards. Note that a razor thin rim of white bands each fall. Copiously ruffled petals add to the flower's kinetic energy. Aristocratic breeding (Fit for a King X Parvin's Pinot) guarantees that each stalk will produce an abundant 10-13 flowers.

The above sounds like a M&S description lol

Gg

Gnarly, you have a good eye. I. Royal Snowcap is one I admired for looks and robustness. I photographed it but did not put it in my Cayeux blog last year, as there were already enough pics on it. I had put in an order, prior to visiting Gombault Iris,in Jan 2015, which I am hopeful will flower this year. My purchases are under b ...bearded in 'my garden'. They take about 4-5 years or more to become divisible. I do have older varieties if you wants some.
Thank you for the advice on growing Pitchers. I was looking at S. Flava and hybrids on Hampshire Carniverous Plants site which give good information on hardiness and growing requirements, and is not far from where I live. The shelf of my small pond, in full sun, would be ideal, raised higher on a brick in winter?
Roll on Spring!

just broken my New Years resolution, not to buy any more plants, to be honest I have not really as I have bought seeds, so technically not broken the resolution YET! Good luck with yours lol :O)

Seeds don't count Olive, until they become plants, and need unavailable space in the garden!

Siris thanks for that.......always on the lookout for a bargain, forgot to say we tried to grow some sarracenia in our bog garden, unfortunately no joy, we were rather halfhearted in our attempt I must add.... have bought from Carnivorous plants, good quality plants....was very much into pitcher plants a fews years ago, grew them in the conservatory, to eat the flies, but they attracted them instead lol I hope you do well!
We have been given several pounds worth of garden tokens.......oh dear!! now what lol

Dd, when I visited you last time saw Sarracena, at Abbey, that was when I wondered if there were some hardy ones.
Did you visit HCP?

Beautiful pick ,love Sarracenas ,easy to grow and very hardy!

Mossy, Nice to see you back, no pics since 2012!
So far 2 weeks from New Year, I have kept my no more Iris resolutions, keep looking at the catalogues though and wavering. Thanks for the advice about Sarracena hardiness, I am definitely going to try them in Spring, am now looking into growing medium. Think 1 part moss peat, 1 perlite, plus a bit of charcoal to keep the mix sweet. And rain water, that bit is no problem, I have 4 rain butts full and overflowing.

Hi Fabrice good tom see you back on here, what about some pics of that fabulous garden....
No I didn't visit HCP.....why do you ask?

Dd, cause I thought that was who you meant by Carniverous Plants?