Doh!

It's "Let's all laugh at the newbie" time!

Like I said in my intro, we're starting a garden from scratch in a new build, on a budget of...well, nothing. First project, a wee raised bed in a corner, quarter circle shape. Nothing too taxing (or expensive) to start with.

I've even managed to ****** that up! :rolleyes: I had some bulbs I've been gathering over the last couple of months so I thought I'd stick them in and find one cheap plant rather than it lying bare from the next few months. I was after a varigated phormium but I couldn't find any. So I picked up a green spikey thing, but the tag had fallen out so I found a guy to ask about it.

He said it'd grow to about 4 feet. Smashin I thought, that'll do. Got it home, fired it in the bed and planted the bulbs. Mulched. Sat back, admired my work and patted myself on the back as I thought of seeing some flowers in spring.

Then I spotted a sticker on the bottom of the pot. Cordyline. Looked it up on net. Found this...

...and this...

:eek:

So..er...what now?

 

OMG! :eek:

 

lol, don't worry too much. I have one that i planted about 4 years since and it's still not very tall and wide. You can always do what i plan to do (without telling my hubby!!)erm dig it up when it gets too big and pretend it died. Or when it gets too big, pot it up and donate it to a plant fare.
Joi

 

:D

I doubt it'll see the spring anyway. We live on top of a hill in a wee village in rural Scotland. No conservatory or greenhouse so it'll probably have frozen to death by next week.

 

Raven I tie mine up with a dressing gown belt.. ive two.. red one and a green one.. no bother..just tie the spikey leaves together because it doesn,t like snow going down the middle.. i wait untill first frost u see im from newcastle and its cold here same ive kept it simple for you but no doubt someone will correct me hehe..it works for me

 

couple of pics...

 

The green ones growing like a tree now. about 10 year old.. the red ones about 3 years old..DEE

 

Not a bad idea Joi and at least it will last a few years longer than any annual plus you can pick them up for a couple of quid so not a huge lost there!

Raven you could always try covering your cordy with fleece or something anything is well worth having a go at and you never know it might just save you plant through winter.
Helen.xxx.

 

Ooooh so there's a chance it might make it then. Yours are lovely. Is your big one in the garden or a pot? Mine is about the size of your wee red one. It hasn't got a trunk. I do love foliage based junglish type plants like ferns and fatsia, hostas and phormiums but I am a novice so it would've helped if I'd picked something simple to start with. Trust me to inadvertantly pick something that requires specialist care for my first plant. :rolleyes:

So, a fleece then. Bog standard garden centre have them? Do they come in funky patterns? :D It's the only plant oot there and now I'm going to be looking at a bloody pillowcase all winter. Hehe.

If it makes it through the winter I'll lift it and stick it in a pot instead, it's not right for that bit, knowing what it'll grow into.

Thanks!

 

Nice contemporary garden Daisy.

Ravenmad were you on big brother recently?
Actualy I saw her(Tracy)at a petrol station last week and I said Hi......Claim to fame :D

 

Raven the big one started out in a pot but now in the ground ..hub built the decking round it but i cut the bottom off a large pot and threaded it through then filled the pot with pebbles, so its taller than it looks. and like you i love jungly foliagy plants.. DEE

 

A better view Raven..

 

Hello again Ravenmad, I just spotted this thread so thought I'd stick my oar in. Helen is quite right. Don't panic everybody! I assume this is a green cordy and if so it is quite hardy.

I don't know what part of Scotland you are in but if you live at the top of Ben Nevis, then now is the time to panic, otherwise, you have every chance of keeping it alive. Just feed it loads of cullen skink - no sorry, that's for flu. First, it will grow very slowly so the main thing is to keep it alive. As Helen says you could cover it with fleece or actually anything else warm and light. I'm a bit further south than you, and on the coast but my cordies get a bit of sacking thrown over them for their first few winters. Once they're a bit bigger there is no problem. The older they get, the harder they get. (Unlike me, the older I get the dafter I get). but if you can get some straw or even hay, then, tie the leaves together with some hay/straw in the middle, throw some hay/straw over them (preferably making sure it stays on them) and then tie some sacking round loosely. If you can't get sacking then any coarse material that will let air in. If you have to, then use bubble wrap but make sure that plenty of air can circulate BUT NOT FROM THE TOP - that is where the frost comes from. I suggest you leave them wrapped whilst there is a danger of heavy frost but they will survive a light chilling.

If it's a red or variegated cordy, then the same thing, but pray a lot as well. :D

 

By the way Helen, you know darn well that if you are a scavenger like me, you can pick them up for a quid. :D

 

A quid john!!! I wish, i think the red was about �£7.99. .. ooo just noticed your from scarborough, coming in march on a trip.. about 40 of us. MOVE.DEE