Show us your purchases 2024

Have also been tempted by more Osteospermum this week. Rusty coloured one from GC on Tuesday, purple one from Lidl this morning.

 

I bought a narrow pointy trowel and a weed digger in Lidl today. They seem decent quality - stainless steel, wooden handles, £2.99 each. I'm always leaving those kinds of things lying around in the garden and finding them weeks later, so I need multiples and there's no point in paying a lot for them.

 

Nice @Escarpment. I need some more, they don't last that long do they?

 

No, apparently not - it's my first time growing them though so I can't answer from experience! If they get on well in my garden I will try taking some cuttings.

 

Peter Nyssen order has safely arrived, 3 dahlias, Trooper Dan, Bull's Pride and Hapet Blue Eyes 1. All dinner plate size.

 

Mine last yrs! I do pop them in the garage overnight if it is going to be below 3 degrees. They are best in pots, in my experience. Cuttings take easily, so you can safeguard against winter losses.

 

Mine usually only go for 2 years. I really like them though so I'll always have a few.
I can't be doing with pots, although I have a few! I'm on a water meter and their prices are so high now that I'm paranoid about using too much!

 

I'm on a meter too, but in dry spells, pots are more economical than watering the ground where so much gets lost and doesn't penetrate deeply enough.

 

I'd still have to water the ground as well as the pots though.

 

True ... unless it carries on raining all summer, of course.

Apart from hydrangeas, I very rarely water plants in the ground unless they are in their first yr. If anything looks thirsty, I give it a can-load, but most things manage most yrs without too much intervention.

 

Just found this thread.

Somewhere on another thread people were saying that having a water meter is much cheaper.

I'm a bit of a plantaholic, but then I've been making a garden from scratch for the last 3 years. I had a trip to the big plant nursery a couple of days ago and bought a dozen perennials and a fuchsia "Delta Sarah" the perennials are in quite big pots, only 4€50. Can't remember all their names now but includes a cornflower, oriental poppy, a hardy geranium, delphiniums, gaura, nepeta and liatris. Like @JennyJB, I buy one at a time of most perennials and divide them or propogate when they get big.

3 more roses are due to be delivered on Monday from André Eve, Marie Pavie, Boscobel and Jardin de Granville. I've planted 41 roses so far.

 

Delta Sarah is one of my favourite fuchsias, @Busy-Lizzie.
Some lovely purchases there. No wonder your garden always looks beautiful.

 

Got these two today on my ventures to the GC . Last year I kicked myself for not picking up a hellebore in the sale section but not this year . They looked much better later after a trim .

 

That's a decent price @Perki - considering what they are in GCs. I rarely go in them, because I use a good nursery about 45 mins away.
I was in one of the local GCs recently while waiting for my car at a nearby outlet, and was horrified at the prices - 30 quid for a Forsythia!

 

I had a delivery of bare root perennials from Farmer Gracy yesterday.
3 x Astrantia Shaggy
3 x Astrantia Sparkling Stars Pink
1 x Persicaria Fat Domino
1 x Salvia Hot Lips
3 x Thalictrum delavayi
All look good, the Persicaria root is enormous. I potted up the Shaggys yesterday, and the rest are now soaking ready for a potting session this afternoon. I tried to grow Astrantia last year from a Wilko pack but nothing ever appeared; but it's probably my fault for not planting them immediately.

A few weeks ago I potted up Liatris from a Morrisons pack and they are all showing now.