Digitalis

or foxgloves for common folks like me.

anyone found a good (quality and price) place to buy these on-line?

 

You can send for a catalogue from here

http://www.thebotanicnursery.com/foxgloves.htm

 

thanks for that

the site that you mention - would you happen to know their cost per foxglove? and have you used them? Always nervous about buying unseen.

 

came across

www.plantsforshade.co.uk

Seems to be informative and you can buy 3 foxgloves for �£6 - seems quite expensive for a plant that can be cultivated.

 

No, never used them, it just came up in a search, they do grow easily from seed though...I grew some successfully last year

 

Really, thats interesting because I always thought that they need a year without flowering.

Was there anything particular that you did to get them flowering in their 1st year?

We've got some foxgloves in the back garden - been there for about 8 years - and they've not spread from their original area.

thanks for your replies by the way.

 

I said I grew them successfully, not flowered them

 

Emji - but I seem to remember reading that there is now a foxglove that does flower in the first year. Not seen it yet, and mine are all biennial. I did try the perrenial one - odd shaped flowers, but it didn't survive a very dry spell during the summer. :(

 

fair point steveW,

years away from any green on my fingures. quite happy that some of the bulbs (tulips et al) i planted last year are sprouting!

got some foxglove seeds so will attempt to grow from seed - guess if i have to waite a year for the flowering so be it. Its my understanding that Japanese Painted Fern will need a year before it showes any of its colour.

Its that whole thinking seasons ahead thats quite challanging for the new gardener. Its also makes it interesting.

thanks again.

 

do be careful - remember they're poisonous!

 

I bought a small japanese painted fern last year (Athyrium niponicum) and you are right, they do look really good when they have all the colours as a mature plant, but it does still look good small too with some of the silver and red tints

 

"do be careful - remember they're poisonous!"

yup - quite fortunate in that not many kids will be arround so its not too dangerous.

SteveW - tell me about your painted fern - has it grown much this year? Got quite alot of hope for this fern and want to make sure that I get their requirements as exact as possible. Basically, a good ammount of fertiliser and moisture if what they like?

 

Foxgloves are great - and the bees love em. Yes their toxic if eaten - but not one of the really bad guys.

 

Its very hardy but deciduous so nothing to see in winter, mines planted out in an area near a pond that has other ferns and hostas, hebes planted around, my particular soil is on clay so it tends to retain water well

It was part of a five fern package on offer from garden news, they are more available from garden centres now but I have still yet to see one that looks as colourful as in the catalogues...hoping for more fronds and better colour this year

 

Trying to grow them from seed as per
http://www.thebotanicnursery.com/foxFromSeed.htm

guess it means that they wont flower this year. Not ideal but it saves money to spend on other areas.