Right , I know nothing about gardening , and nor to be honest , do I want to
.. ( well , not too much anyway !!! )

I have a medium sized garden that is just grass in the middle , and a 2
foot wide border of soil all around the outside .

All I want to do is chuck in some bulbs at about a foot apart all the way
around the outside so I have flowers and a nice bit of colour there coming
around June time and will last all summer .

I dont really want to be bothered actually buying ready grown plants and
re - planting them . if I can help it , so are there any cheap , quick
growing bulbs that I should plant now that will do my job .

A simple ,
" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about Z
distance apart and will give you Red flowers , in about xx months time .

" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about Z
distance apart and will give you Blue flowers"

" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about Z
distance apart and will give you Yellow flowers"

ect , ect

Thanks in advance .

Rob

Rob wrote:
Right , I know nothing about gardening , and nor to be honest , do I want to
. ( well , not too much anyway !!! )

snip

I am only a little more experienced - though a great deal more
interested - than you... and I have just done a raid to purchase some
spring planteables for summer colour.
This time of year, you can get oodles of summer/autumn flowering plants
as bulbs or bareroot plants. All you need to do to work out what
colour, what distance and where in the bed is to read the label -
shorter plants to the front of the border, taller ones to the back. If
you plant densely (but within reason), you'll have less room for
weeds...
Last year, I planted dahlias around this time. I picked a pink/purple
colour scheme, including both cactus (spiky petals) varieties and
pompon ones. And from July to December, we had non-stop flowers,
enough to cut and bring indoors every few days while still having a fab
display outside. Gladioli are good too, especially those that are a
little more refined than the big tall bold coloured ones (own tastes
here). Montbretia are also great, because when not in flower
(Jul/Aug/Sept), they keep a good clump of lush green leaves.
And then, you can always just scatter seeds of annuals around the
place. One of my fav for value for money and minimum maintenance are
nasturtiums (good only in a orange/yellow/red colour scheme - although
they looked very cool against my purple verbena). And the flowers are
edible in al fresco summer salads...
You probably need to think of putting more than just perennial or
annual flowers in your borders, though, otherwise you will have a very
boring garden for 8 or 9 months of the year. Next Autumn, go mad on
spring flowering bulbs - they too are a fab good value investment.
Plant once and forget - hey presto, display each spring.
You should also put in a few ever green small shrubs, adn a few winter
flowering ones, like some viburnums, mahonia, witch hazel, etc. Anyway,
you get the idea. Also, in Autumn/Winter, you could include a few
pansies and primulae for winter and early spring colour.
If you want cheap anything, make friends with the neighbours, and
exchange cuttings and saved seeds. Or try Lidl and Aldi this time of
year. Or check out the sales in your garden centre - regrettably
passed now.
Good luck! Be careful, you could soon be bitten by the gardening bug.

Cat(h)

Rob wrote:
Right , I know nothing about gardening , and nor to be honest , do I
want to . ( well , not too much anyway !!! )

I have a medium sized garden that is just grass in the middle , and
a 2 foot wide border of soil all around the outside .

All I want to do is chuck in some bulbs at about a foot apart all
the way around the outside so I have flowers and a nice bit of colour
there coming around June time and will last all summer .

I dont really want to be bothered actually buying ready grown plants
and
re - planting them . if I can help it , so are there any cheap ,
quick growing bulbs that I should plant now that will do my job .

A simple ,
" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant
about Z distance apart and will give you Red flowers , in about xx
months time .

" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant
about Z distance apart and will give you Blue flowers"

" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant
about Z distance apart and will give you Yellow flowers"

Aha! The garden for the non-gardener! Nice challenge. Most bulbs are
one-trick ponies, so succession has to be considered. But, as Cath says,
you need only read the labels in the shop: it really is that simple, so
don't be anxious. On the whole, you have to plant bulbs a lot closer
than a foot apart, I'm afraid. This means that the initial outlay may be
greater than you hoped, but it's a lifetime investment, as Cath also
says. Best to plant in roughly-spaced natural-looking groups of the same
variety. One of this and one of that looks piddling. Your borders, at
two feet, are a bit narrow for my taste: not the easiest design to get
right. But don't worry: just do it, and tinker in a couple of years if
you feel like it. Don't even think about roses; and you haven't got room
for any kind of bluebell.

Empty space in between groups won't look too bad if the flowers look
happy, but you can fill with nepeta, thymus serpyllum (tiny, pink,
useful for cooking), geranium endressii (pink, self-seeds when happy),
pinks (smell and look good in summer, but have to be replaced every few
years. Wild primrose on shady side, cowslips on sunny side: will
eventually surprise you with very nice hybrid seedlings. Thrift (compact
cushiony plant; pink or white).

Stick some Michaelmas daisies at the back (red, white, mauve flowers in
autumn), maybe a clump of red-hot pokers (aka kniphofia: summer to
autumn, depending on variety. Read instructions.) at a corner. Group of
lavenders somewhere, ditto rosemary.

The following are the first plant-and-forget bulbs to come to mind:
..
Springish-flowering (you say you want summer only, but you may change
your mind on that next year, as a bare garden in spring is seriously
depressing): start off with snowdrops (can be fussy: put on the shady
side), crocus (I'd plant the colours separately for best effect, but
mixed are cheaper), daffodils (dirt cheap in bulk bags: big ones at back
with something in front, as they look sad in early summer. For those
narrow borders I'd actually spend more and get the little species ones:
mucho classy, and less summer scruff), chionodoxa (pale blue or dullish
pink), anemones (different kinds: read packets. Look for "blanda", as
the flower shape is non-bulb-like -- more like a daisy), scilla sibirica
(beautiful bright blue), dwarf iris, grape hyacinth (aka muscari: nice
blue).

Summer and later flowering: nerine (a bit pricey, but impressive, and
will multiply when happy; pink), tiger-lily and martagon lily
(tallish;orangey, white, crocosmia (aka montbretia: choose red or yellow
varieties if ordinary orange ones bore you), schizostylis ("Kaffir
lily", pink, red, late-flowering), iris (lots of colours; cheaper ones
likely to be hardier), camassia (may be a bit pricey; but tall; blue,
white), allium (yellow, white, purpley shades; some low, some tall),
kitchen chives (little balls of dusky purpley flowers, but you don't get
so many leaves for the kitchen if you leave them on).

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the above, but gardens do
differ. Of course there are plenty of other things, but I'm trying to be
soldier-proof.

--
Mike.

"Rob" wrote in message
...
Right , I know nothing about gardening , and nor to be honest , do I want
to
. ( well , not too much anyway !!! )

I have a medium sized garden that is just grass in the middle , and a 2
foot wide border of soil all around the outside .

All I want to do is chuck in some bulbs at about a foot apart all the way
around the outside so I have flowers and a nice bit of colour there coming
around June time and will last all summer .

I dont really want to be bothered actually buying ready grown plants and
re - planting them . if I can help it , so are there any cheap , quick
growing bulbs that I should plant now that will do my job .

A simple ,
" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about
Z
distance apart and will give you Red flowers , in about xx months time .


You want to get 2 Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var nymphoplatypus.
These are all in stock in good garden centres this tine of year but do not
be fobbed off with anything else. There are lots of cheap impitations. They
are red, flower constantly from June to the first frosts in November;
actively repel slugs, require no maintenance and will slowly talk over about
2-3 square yeards each. All you do is throw them out the window of your car
as you drive past, vaguely in the direction of your garden and they will do
te rest. Expect to pay about 5 quid each for good ones.


" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about
Z
distance apart and will give you Blue flowers"

Blue is harder; I would recommend a few hundred Algerian Bluebells
(Geosphincter hybrids). Plant these 3 feet deep (they will be killed by teh
first frosts otherwise) about 3 inches apart.


" yes you want X amount of this Y type of bulb and plant about
Z
distance apart and will give you Yellow flowers"

ect , ect

Thanks in advance .

Rob

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Des Higgins" contains these words:

You want to get 2 Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var nymphoplatypus.
These are all in stock in good garden centres this tine of year but do
not
be fobbed off with anything else. There are lots of cheap impitations.

Ve hav vays of dealing vith yew, too.

That will taxus to think of a better pun than that.


Janet.

On 27/2/06 13:20, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:

Right , I know nothing about gardening , and nor to be honest , do I want to
. ( well , not too much anyway !!! )

I have a medium sized garden that is just grass in the middle , and a 2
foot wide border of soil all around the outside .

All I want to do is chuck in some bulbs at about a foot apart all the way
around the outside so I have flowers and a nice bit of colour there coming
around June time and will last all summer .

Buy tubs. Go to your local garden centre and buy whatever they tell you are
summer flowering bulbs. Buy the compost to put them in, take it all home,
fill the tubs with compost and plant the bulbs. Do the same next autumn for
the spring flowering, etc. etc. etc.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)

"Rob" wrote

Thanks in advance .

Rob



Many thanks for all your advice .

Will try all your tips , thanks . ( Well , all apart from Des Higgins !!!
..

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:


"Rob" wrote

Thanks in advance .

Rob



Many thanks for all your advice .

Will try all your tips , thanks . ( Well , all apart from Des Higgins !!!
.

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))
While planting up tubs - if you do - why not buy some shrubs which will give
you scent and colour all year? I suggest you find a nursery or garden
centre where you will get advice, as opposed to a hand stuck out at the till
for your credit card! The Daphne I mention blooms very early in the year
and has a penetratingly sweet scent as does Sarcococca and Hamamelis. Some
of the winter flowering shrubs have more perfume than some of the summer
ones. But the summer ones can give you colour right into autumn and if you
plant e.g. Cornus (dogwood) some of the stem colours will shine through
winter's darkest days. Then, plant bulbs for spring in front and between
them and put summer flowering ones into these tubs and move them around or
group them to get the effect you want.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)

On 28/2/06 11:16, in article , "Janet Tweedy"
wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes

Then, plant bulbs for spring in front and between
them and put summer flowering ones into these tubs and move them around or
group them to get the effect you want.


Also bulbs will be a sorry sight for about 6 weeks after flowering so
you might want to think about disguising them somehow, you HAVE to let
them fade in their own time to give goodness to the bulbs.

Quite right, Janet. And that's the good thing about tubs. It means an
initial investment but when flowers have died off and you have to leave the
foliage on them to feed the bulbs for next year, you can move the whole
thing out of sight, replacing it with "here's one I made earlier"! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)

"Sacha" wrote in message
id...
On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:


"Rob" wrote

Thanks in advance .

Rob



Many thanks for all your advice .

Will try all your tips , thanks . ( Well , all apart from Des Higgins
!!!
.

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))

I did try to choose names that were very silly but I apologise for making
you google them.
You did say you did not like gardening or want to know any so I assumed you
were taking the Microcarpus.
The Algerian bluebells are also ficticious before you start hiring a digger.
Good luck with yer bulbs.

The message
from Sacha contains these words:
On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))
While planting up tubs - if you do - why not buy some shrubs which will give
you scent and colour all year? I suggest you find a nursery or garden
centre where you will get advice, as opposed to a hand stuck out at the till
for your credit card! The Daphne I mention blooms very early in the year
and has a penetratingly sweet scent as does Sarcococca and Hamamelis. Some
of the winter flowering shrubs have more perfume than some of the summer
ones. But the summer ones can give you colour right into autumn and if you
plant e.g. Cornus (dogwood) some of the stem colours will shine through
winter's darkest days. Then, plant bulbs for spring in front and between
them and put summer flowering ones into these tubs and move them around or
group them to get the effect you want.

If there's no chance of having to leave everything for a coule of weeks
in hot dry weather, I'd think about having a bay tree in a tub, and
maybe mint, thyme and sage.

You can make your tubs useful as well as decorative.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

On 28/2/06 12:23, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
id...
On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:


"Rob" wrote

Thanks in advance .

Rob



Many thanks for all your advice .

Will try all your tips , thanks . ( Well , all apart from Des Higgins
!!!
.

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))

I did try to choose names that were very silly but I apologise for making
you google them.
You did say you did not like gardening or want to know any so I assumed you
were taking the Microcarpus.
The Algerian bluebells are also ficticious before you start hiring a digger.
Good luck with yer bulbs.


I always liked that one "nasti creecha crawlyuppya". I don't remember now
if it came from a gardening book or was one of Cormaic's inventions but it's
lovely!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)

"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...
The message
from Sacha contains these words:
On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))
While planting up tubs - if you do - why not buy some shrubs which will
give
you scent and colour all year? I suggest you find a nursery or garden
centre where you will get advice, as opposed to a hand stuck out at the
till
for your credit card! The Daphne I mention blooms very early in the year
and has a penetratingly sweet scent as does Sarcococca and Hamamelis.
Some
of the winter flowering shrubs have more perfume than some of the summer
ones. But the summer ones can give you colour right into autumn and if
you
plant e.g. Cornus (dogwood) some of the stem colours will shine through
winter's darkest days. Then, plant bulbs for spring in front and between
them and put summer flowering ones into these tubs and move them around
or
group them to get the effect you want.

If there's no chance of having to leave everything for a coule of weeks
in hot dry weather, I'd think about having a bay tree in a tub, and
maybe mint, thyme and sage.

You can make your tubs useful as well as decorative.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Why can't he just water it--if there's *no* chance of him being away.

On 28/2/06 12:27, in article ,
"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote:

The message
from Sacha contains these words:
On 28/2/06 1:59, in article
, "Rob"
wrote:

I cant believe I searched Google for "Chaenomorphys digitorryhnchus var
nymphoplatypus" !!!! )

Somebody once asked me the name of a shrub and I said "It's Daphne odora
aureomarginata" and he just stared at me and said "You made that up". I
hadn't but you can see why your gullibility can be excused. ;-))
While planting up tubs - if you do - why not buy some shrubs which will give
you scent and colour all year? I suggest you find a nursery or garden
centre where you will get advice, as opposed to a hand stuck out at the till
for your credit card! The Daphne I mention blooms very early in the year
and has a penetratingly sweet scent as does Sarcococca and Hamamelis. Some
of the winter flowering shrubs have more perfume than some of the summer
ones. But the summer ones can give you colour right into autumn and if you
plant e.g. Cornus (dogwood) some of the stem colours will shine through
winter's darkest days. Then, plant bulbs for spring in front and between
them and put summer flowering ones into these tubs and move them around or
group them to get the effect you want.

If there's no chance of having to leave everything for a coule of weeks
in hot dry weather, I'd think about having a bay tree in a tub, and
maybe mint, thyme and sage.

You can make your tubs useful as well as decorative.

I agree with you entirely and we have a bay tree in a tub outside the back
door, as well as a rosemary and some other herbs in a large, round bowl
ditto. The latter are showing signs of life again and to my surprise, the
flat leaf parsley never went away. But the OP did ask for summer bulb
colour, IIRC.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)

The message
from "Rupert" contains these words:

If there's no chance of having to leave everything for a coule of weeks
in hot dry weather, I'd think about having a bay tree in a tub, and
maybe mint, thyme and sage.

You can make your tubs useful as well as decorative.


Why can't he just water it--if there's *no* chance of him being away.


He can, if there's no chance of leaving it/them - which was what I said...

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig