Not without that...or that....part 3.

Lovely pics and plants Spritz. The only one I am not so keen on is the Nigella. I still have some flowering now, which is lovely, but they have rather taken over the garden and are now too much of a good thing.

Don't they all look lovely, my favourites are the love in the mist, the Californian poppies and those gazanias are spectacular.

All lovely. Californian poppies - I would love to be able to turf out the orange ones and have a big patch of cream ones, but haven't seen seeds of cream for sale. The orange ones class brilliantly with some very pink geraniums and cool cream would be such a nice change.

You've some glorious plants there Spritz and good shots of them too!

such a good selection of lovely plants,Spritz..I didn't know that about Godetias..I didn't have any success either,sowing in trays..thank you for that tip ..My Cerinthes seem to make more foliage than flowers,and I never get as many on,as yours..wonder why ? A nice cheery blog and pics,just what we need right now..:o)

My Lovely OH brought me back some Cerinthe seed from his last trip, so I can't wait for those to grow next year. Steragram, T&M do a very pale Californian poppy called "Peach Sorbet", and a pink one called "Summer Sorbet" if you trust T & M, that is.
Beautiful pictures, Spritz - you've got me yearning for warmer days again - can't wait for spring! (Although we have violets, chicory and knapweed in full flower up the garden!)

Lovely pics. It's interesting the difference between the behaviour of plants between Uk and my garden in Hungary. Your self seeders do not do the same here, but I have discovered some real thugs that have tried to take over such as evening primrose and Amaranthus.

Lovely Barbara. You have reminded me of a lot of annuals that I haven't grown for years. I do love Nigella and Godetia especially. I find Borage is my 'for ever' annual...I adore it and so do the bees, and it is very easy to pull out if you need to. Must try some of those butterfly antirrhinums soon...oh, and I do love Cerinthe too, particularly when the field mice come and I watch them climb up and pinch the seeds!

How lovely to see some bright colour on what seems the darkest day of the year....Thanks Spritz

all lovely Barbara, especially like the Nigella, they are so pretty, but like seeing all your pretty flowers :o)

do the pink nigella seed as freely as the blue?

I have the same self seeders to spritz, as well as anual borage, symphandra and white alyssum.

lovely pictures.

Lovely to annuals getting a look in as well! The photos you take a gorgeous, Spritz!

I find it curious what you say about the Godetias not liking transplanting as I grew a packetful on the allotment this autumn. They are favourites of my wife's & I grow a few for her on the balcony most years. They generally do pretty well but this year they did very badly indeed. So I bought another pkt & sowed them in a seedtray in the GH on the allotment. Unfortunately I was kept very, very busy, & I didn't have much time to look after them. I had intended to take them home to grow on the balcony but I never got around to it. Eventually they got too big to take home & rather lanky, in spite of the light in the GH. I decided to put them in a piece of spare ground at the top of the plot. As they were so rootbound I had to tear them apart to plant them but I don't think I lost a single plant.

Thanks to the wonderfully warm autumn we had they bloomed very, very well & I was very pleased with them. I uploaded several photos to my pictures on GoY. They were still flowering the last time I saw them more than a week ago, even after a couple of frosts.

Yes, Balcony, my Godetias are still flowering - just! I do find I get better results and sturdier plants by sowing them directly into the soil, then thinning them out. I remember seeing yours on the lottie! :-0)

No, pink (and white) Nigella certainly haven't self-seeded freely, Sbg. :-( Such a shame. I know that 'Miss Jekyll' can go a bit mad, but the flowers are so pretty. Ginellie, try a packet of 'Moody Blues' - they're much better behaved. :-)

Gattina - sorry to say that it 'was' T&M seeds I tried - no less than three packets, and I got ONE plant with pink flowers from those! (Summer Sorbet). :-((

Thanks, everyone, I'm glad you enjoyed my blog. I might even come up with a part 4! lol.

Spritz, I got 4 packets of winter pansy seed from T & M last year - only 6 germinated, and not one has flowered yet. It's such a shame, since the catalogue promises such a wonderful range , of both flowers and vegetables. I obviously can't order plant plugs from here, but I believe those aren't always top quality, either. Do you have any recommendations for other seedsmen?

chilterns seeds are usually very good. i too have had mixed results with T&M.

Suttons are usually ok in my experience.

Thanks, SBG, I might try looking through what they have to offer. It's just that T&M's range looks so fantastic.

Gorgeous photos Barbara . . . I've always loved Godetia, so must remember to sow it 'in situ' next year; and your Butterfly Antirrhinums are just so scrumptious I'm adding this to favourites!

Gattina - Chiltern seeds have an excellent catalogue and website; ditto Derry Watkins' Special Plants.

Look at 'Plants of Distinction' too, Gattina. They have really 'special' seeds, not just plants. I'm right off T&M! :-(

Thanks, Sheila. :-)

Thankyou so much Sheilabub and Spritz - I shall have a very happy time sifting through websites!
Has anyone any recommendations for companies supplying seed potatoes? I'm going to try growing those this year.

I'm not touching T&M ever again Spritz!

I try not to get seeds from them now. The trouble is that GCs often only stock their brand.

Sorry, Gattina, I don't grow veggies. Why not post a question on the question page? Someone will know.

Thank you, Spritz, I really should have thought of that for myself: I just got caught up in the general conversation.....

No problem. :-)

Oh Spritz that little Viola in the last picture.....to die for.....such a lovely colour. As for Nigella.....it won't grow for me at all. AKA Love in the Mist so pretty. I havn't posted much recently. OH ill with a serious condition. Him falling downstairs over the top of me didn't help....he got 3 weeks at her majesty's pleasure in a noisy geriatric wards (madhouse/rehab)! I got sentenced to 3 weeks home alone going backwards on a rollator(broken ankle) assisted by friends,relatives and neighbours. I just blogged today about a handsome dog fox posing in my urban garden. OH got home for Christmas.....just.

So sorry to hear that Dorjac - hope things improve for you both in the coming year.

You poor things! I'm glad he was home for Christmas though. Let's hope 2012 is a better year for you both.

Just catching up Spritz, hope you had a lovely Christmas? Glad you reminded me about godetia, I always grew salmon beauty (I think) in my old garden also limnanthes and nemophylla. Going to try more hardy annuals here this year. I never had much success with cerinthe at my old garden, it certainly never self seeded and didn't flower much, perhaps it didn't like it so acid? I may try it again here. Must have a go at butterfly snapdragons too, gorgeous. Happy New Year to you:-)

Although it seems incredible but my Godetia growing down on the allotment are still in flower! I saw them just yesterday. They are looking rather bedraggled now but they just keep on going just like the bunny in the battery ad! :-))

Thank you, Ba. I've missed you! HNY to you too. :-)

Balcony, yes, so are mine, also Gazanias!

I only keep away so I'll be missed;-))
I've had loads of catalogues already and I've noticed a plant I've been after for ages in J Parkers...geum Mai Tai alias Tequila sunrise...and it's only £2.99 each! Quite a few nice plants in this catalogue. It's been so spring-like here the last couple of days following the gales. Pelargoniums still going strong ditto fuchsia in hanging basket and some lobelia even in the Midlands!:-)

I've googled Jparkers and found GOY reviews which rather worried me. I did notice that almost all of the complainants were not actually members??? Then saw a few I recognised including your name...all very odd. I must say I've never had any trouble with them personally...unlike T&M! :-)

I buy bulbs from them, and dahlia tubers, but never perennials after some bad experiences. The perennials are expensive for the size they are, I reckon, and not worth it. I also had a set of five Pennisetum which were all dead. :-((

Oh, maybe not use them then:-( I've used De Jaeger for bulbs, good, but rather expensive. I did find Van Meuren had a very good customer services and sent me a lovely apology last year, making good their mistake speedily. Maybe best not to use the vast mail order companies if possible? My lovely son-in-law has a car again ,so will cadge lifts to garden centres this year:-)

Why not try one of the tried and tested on-line Nurseries like Beth Chatto and Beeches Nursery? Both good and reasonable - also Cotswold Garden Flowers - they have more unusual perennials.

I guess I fall for the lies in the glossy brochures:-(
I'll be sensible from now on:-)

Oh yeah? ;-D

Yeah...well for a bit;-)

I had a feeling you might say that.....

Have you ever used Unwins Spritz? I've just had their catalogue and there are some fantastic plants which I've got to have lol. Have you had one?:-)

I've got a whole pile of catalogues - it might well be in there. LOL. I really must sort them out!

It's something to do when everywhere's white and frozen:-)

Oh, is that what it is! Just leave your credit card locked away, won't you. ;-)

Only have a debit card Spritz so can't spend what I haven't got:-) I'm very tempted by you coronilla, does Citrina flower as well? I rather like the paler colour:-)

Yes, I believe so - but make sure you plant it in a sunny and sheltered position. :-)

Thanks, do you think it would be ok in a large pot so I could see it through the window in winter?

Yes, I'd imagine so - you can train them up against a wall, as well as having them freestanding.

I've got clematis avalanche and variegated trachelospermum up only available wall Spritz , so she'll have to stand on her own two feet or whatever:-))

No probs, I'd have thought.

I too have fallen into the snobbery regarding annuals. Sadly, my Nigella just seemed to fizzle out, but I did make a conscious effort to get rid of the Californian Poppies.
So last year I made an effort to address my snobbery by buying Sue some Nicotiana sylvestris seeds - the trial (in her garden!) was so successful that I recommend this plant to everyone! Needs space, but worth a spot!

I've tried white and pink Nigella, but they fizzle out. It's only 'Miss Jekyll' that really keeps going year on year.
I like N. sylvestris. Good choice! :-))

That's spookie, Meanie, I just bought some N sylvestris seeds half an hour ago, before seeing your latest comment. And some night-scented stock, too. I just fancied some perfumed evenings this summer.