Show us your gardening purchases 2025

2 of my hellebores, a plant that brings a winter smile, in the precious short light days that are dry.

The bottom ones I bought this year and the top one last year.

The top one I mentioned on another thread, that I fed a month ago.

These are in metal pots, that I boughs some petunias in already made up, do you think they are suitable for metal pots?

 

Visited the Garden House today and picked this up.
Hellebore "Viv Maeva (Yellow)"

Earlier this week went to a talk and came away with this Galanthus Grunschnabel.

 

Green nose … if my O Level German neurons are still functioning!

@GreenFingeredPete, those containers should be OK for a while, but I think hellebores generally do better in the ground. That has been my experience anyway.

 

A question about bark chippings. We recently bought a bag of this stuff to use as an alternative to wood pellet cat litter.




The wood pellets got wet and soggy and the cat walked them into the house on her paws. So we thought that this bark might be more resistant to humidity. And it was. But now we would like to exchange the original lot for some fresh. The only trouble is, will it rot down in the compost heap or will it just sit there? We don’t want to spread it round on the flowerbeds as the smell will probably attract neighbours’ cats who will want to add their droppings to the aroma. Apart from the compost heap we can only think of putting it out in the bin.

Anybody know if small bark chippings decompose in compost?

 

Bark chippings will definitely decompose but add green stuff to average it out. I would have thought that the smell would go in a short while if you put it out as a mulch, and other cats would not want to use the same area. Dogs tend to wee where there is other dog wee, but cats are more solitary.

 

Leucathoe "rainbow". It's supposed to like damp shade, I've got plenty of that at the moment. Trouble is, a couple of years ago it was all dry shade. Who knows what will happen in the future?


Some of my recent buys. Two campanulas, an oregano, a cephalaria and daisy called Bam Bam. I had recently been looking at the Knoll Gardens website and was intrigued by the cephalaria which I'd never heard of before. Then I found this one on the bargain table at the local GC for £5.


Bam Bam was cut price too at £1. Who could resist?

 

A nice collection there @Escarpment .

 

A daisy just isn’t a Bam Bam kinda plant, IMV. I would have named it Pink-tipped Tutu.

Mind, I once had an airy grass called Heavy Metal!

 

I got my 2 heucherellas today, as well as the 6 tiny lithodoras / lithospermum. In the back are the two ferns I bought yesterday

 

Lovely haul there, @CostasK.

 

A few years ago I inadvertently killed a gorgeous Clematis - a montana cultivar called 'Freda', a far less vigorous variety with bronzy foliage and deep pink slightly scented flowers. I've searched all over on my travels but never come across it again since. However I've finally succumbed to on-line ordering and bought one from Crocus. I expected the worst but it arrived quickly and I was absolutely delighted when I unwrapped it. The packaging was superb and the plant, in a 3 litre pot, had a good root system and several good buds. Ok it cost me over twenty quid but what the hell

 

I’ve always been impressed with the plants and service from Crocus. Their prices aren’t too bad if you look out for their seasonal sales and offers.

 

Luckily their seasonal sale was on, otherwise it would have been nearer £30.

There were three sites that came up when I searched for this plant - Crocus, Primrose & Waitrose. All have the same wording and very similar layouts, suggesting they're are all fronts for the same nursery.

 

Waitrose is, often with differential pricing . I’m not sure about Primrose. Crocus has its own nursery but also buys and supplies from other growers.

 

I was happy when I purchased off Crocus, but if they don't have sales, they are indeed pricey. I also love their website. I like to use it to get ideas & information about plants.. And then order them from elsewhere