What are you going to grow "New to you" for 2014

Good luck longk, I've only managed to get this to flower a couple of times and that was long ago, I gave up trying again as the seed I was getting was not true to type.

Have you tried grafting?
Never managed it myself but they say you stand a better chance.
It is a tricky one in our climate.

 

Interested by the Hardenbergia - have you grown it outdoors before?

 

I flowered it rather well a few years ago. I reckoin last year would have been a good year for it, but once again I bought old seed.

How so?

No. It is either Chilterns or Plant World who sell it as a grafting kit (seed for the Swainsona and seed for the root stock plant). I was tempted, but decided to go down the fresh seed route instead. At this rate I'll have plenty of plants to mess about with!

 

Last seed I bought was of some thing that looked very similar until it flowered.
At that point it was obvious that it was something similar foliage wise but not flower wise.

 

Frustrating! Mind you, there are about 80 species of Swainsona, so plenty of opportunity to have someone over!

 

I havent grown it myself, but did bit of research before buying.... Hardenbergia violacea "Purple Coral Pea, Native Wisteria" is a vigorous, evergreen, flowering climber/ trailing vine native to eastern Australia with beautiful, racemes of rich violet-purple pea-like flowers during late winter to late spring.
Ideal for arches and pergolas, loves sun facing walls/fences, can be grown in a pot or containers.
It grows vigorously in warmer climates but here in the Uk it is better behaved.... I bought it for its fast growing habit as have to cover fences at the back of the garden, I bought a 12 inch plant and its been growing well since september. Very Hardy as it has survived few hard frosts of this season...


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That's interesting! Maybe I've underestimated it.

 

Definitely shouldnt be underestimated, I planted my Camilia, buddleja and Hardenbergia at the same time.... Hardenbergia is growing neck to neck with the other two


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Lovely pictures... I love the way you have decorated it right now... If I can get half of that this year I will be more than happy :P


Begonias will look great there too... since the gate pillars are bit smaller, How about some phlox, you can match the color scheme with your begonias...

 

For me:

Salad leaves
Houseplants (need these IDing actually)
Strawberries in a container
Climbing beans
More wildflowers
More nasturtiums

I also need to learn how to fill a border, I just can't figure it.

 

Yes, I know what you mean. I keep stuffing more in, and still have bare patches.

I think first up is soil nourishment - so that everything grows well. Lots of manure / compost / whatever. And irrigation. And fertiliser - I've only recently tried Chicken Manure Pellets, but I'm a convert It has worked FAR better for me than anything else I have tried. A reasonable amount when planting out (large pinch under plants from, say, 9cm plants and a handful under 2L plants), and then a similar amount around the plant and mixed in. Maybe a second dose around the plant later in the season.

Shelter is important too, so the plants are not struggling to get established.

I have been particularly pleased with how well Persicaria has established, and the decent sized "Mound" it creates in a year (dies down like other perennials in the winter). Red Dragon is the most well know, but lots of other interesting cultivars with intriguing markings.

Heuchra might give you good cover too, although here it doesn't do that well in my heavy soil. Heucheraholics (what a brilliant company name!!) recommended to me to stick with the largest leaf varieties, and I have had good success with seed-sown - the colours are not as spectacular as the named varieties, but the varieties are a bit of a Fashion Bling Statement IMO, and I'm not sure whether, like any such, they aren't a bit over-rated: more fussy to get well established and to then look after.

Euphorbia is a good fill-in around plants more towards the back of the border. Takes a few years (or lots of plants!) but makes a dense patch thereafter. Watch out for the sap as it irritated the skin of many/most people.

Other than that raise plenty of Annuals from seed and stuff them in, whilst waiting for perennials to bulk up, or for your personal ideas to evolve as to what you want, and what ELSE you want to cram in

 

Always remember big uns at the back , little uns at the front . If you are growing annual bedding plants from seed for the first time , I would suggest Marigolds many many types ( try tenuifolia Starfire , a very short bushy type flowers from June to November ) Salvia , again lots of variety , are quite easy and long flowering as well . If you want some petunias or lobelia in there I would buy these from the garden centres.
FC's photo a couple of post up is a lovely border . What have you got in there FC ?