Looking to fill a few flower beds...

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by badgerer, Aug 1, 2005.

  1. badgerer

    badgerer Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi guys and girls,

    The subject says it all really...I want to grow from seeds (cheaper and more rewarding) so I'm assuming they will need to be grown in a greenhouse.

    What would you suggest at this time of year?

    I'm looking to fill two flowerbeds, about 3' x 15' each. I would like low growing (no taller than say 10"-15"?) and nice and colourful.

    I think it may be the wrong time of year for this, but what would you suggest?

    As you might've guessed I am not an experienced gardener at all (great at weeding, ho-ing and all that, but when it comes to planting anything I'm lost!) so your help would be greatly appreciated.

    Cheers
     
  2. Fran

    Fran Gardener

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    Mmmmm, this time of year is not good for starting beds from seed, they will not give you a display until next year. Remember its only 6-8 weeks until autumn. Though some of the salad crops could give you some autumn colour.

    From the size of the plants, are you looking for the kind of effect that municipal garden design displays achieve, blocks of colour to a design or herbacious perrenials (plants that come back year after year) or something like a rockery with small plants growing between hard landscaping.
     
  3. flower123

    flower123 Apprentice Gardener

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    you could also wait until september and start underplanting with bulbs etc for next spring and top plant with pansies and primulas and also plant one or two coredalines to give the bed some height and with its bronze leave it would give yyou some colour
     
  4. badgerer

    badgerer Apprentice Gardener

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    This is just a straightforward flower bed. However, I do also have a patch which I would like to have as a rockery, i was thinking of Alpines for that section
     
  5. Fran

    Fran Gardener

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    For a straight forward flowerbed, then wait til spring if you want to grow from seed - and yes it is infinitly satisfying to grow from seed,

    or if you want something now plant established plants - or temporary pre-planted containers from a garden centre.

    Sorry - this time of year is not good for seed growing due to the soon to be decreasing light levels. However it does give you the time to explore the kind of plants you would like to grow here or with a book, so that come March, your ready to go.
     
  6. Noel

    Noel Apprentice Gardener

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    Maybe I don�t really want to know
    How your garden grows
    I just want to fly
     
  7. Ladybird

    Ladybird Gardener

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    Noel fly then ! lol but don't peep at our gardens while you up there lol

    Ladybird
     
  8. Ladybird

    Ladybird Gardener

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    Noel, maybe there is a pilot corner lol

    Ladybird
     
  9. Fran

    Fran Gardener

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    Badger, alpines and rockeries go well together, I have never grown alpines from seed sorry
    - my plants have either been ready purchased, or more preciously plantlets from friends.

    Sorry can't help with that one.
     
  10. Jaxom

    Jaxom Apprentice Gardener

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    Hello all, when I moved into my new home I bought two packets of mixed seeds, that were labled "Butterfly and Bee Garden" and "Fragrant Garden" each pack contained a mixture of annuals and first year flowering perennials. the mix in each pack was sub devided into size 3"-20" and 20"-60" sachets.I think they were from Mr. Fothergills. Anyway I now have a garden full of cottage flowers with a vast rainge of colours and sizes that come up year in year out.
    Year one saw me giving small plants away as I had too many to plant out; infact this summer (year 3) I sub divided and gave a lot of plants away. the amount of bees and wild life in the garden from year one was huge. Each pack cost me �£2.99p.
    I hope this may help for next spring.
    Jax
     
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