Hi folks!

Right.... our new house is getting to the stage where the garden needs
to be filled :-)

As I've got rather a large area to cover and the overall scale is a bit
on the 'big' side, I'm going to be ordering some seeds this weekend to
initially fill these areas, so I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Anyone care to suggest any?

--
__________________________________________
Gareth Jones

"Reality sucks - go watch a Star Trek"

To email, remove the '_ns_' from

__________________________________________

"Gareth Jones" wrote in message
...
Hi folks!

Right.... our new house is getting to the stage where the garden
needs
to be filled :-)

As I've got rather a large area to cover and the overall scale is a
bit
on the 'big' side, I'm going to be ordering some seeds this weekend
to
initially fill these areas, so I'm looking for perennials that look
good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and
statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Anyone care to suggest any?


Gareth,

Salvia forskaohlei is tall, has lovely flowers and huge furry leaves.
Easy to grow from seed and is very hardy.

Picture he

http://homepage2.nifty.com/~yoji/sal...skaohlei_2.jpg

Regards
Iris McCanna

in article , Gareth Jones at
wrote on 25/5/03 3:11 pm:

Hi folks!

Right.... our new house is getting to the stage where the garden needs
to be filled :-)

As I've got rather a large area to cover and the overall scale is a bit
on the 'big' side, I'm going to be ordering some seeds this weekend to
initially fill these areas, so I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Anyone care to suggest any?

Cynara, definitely and the large one at that - C.cardunculus, I think. It's
a cardoon - huge silvery grey sharply toothed leaves, big purtoo, ple flower
head on top. It's a real 'wow factor' plant. Geranium palmatum, if you can
grow that.
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

In article , Gareth Jones
writes
As I've got rather a large area to cover and the overall scale is a bit
on the 'big' side, I'm going to be ordering some seeds this weekend to
initially fill these areas, so I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Anyone care to suggest any?


herbaceous Lavateras (i.e. Lavatera thuringiaca); they're not as easy to
germinate as the usual hardy annuals, but they're not too bad.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.meden.demon.co.uk/Malvaceae/Malvaceae.html

"Gareth Jones" wrote in message
...
Hi folks!

Right.... our new house is getting to the stage where the garden needs
to be filled :-)

As I've got rather a large area to cover and the overall scale is a bit
on the 'big' side, I'm going to be ordering some seeds this weekend to
initially fill these areas, so I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Why do they have to be from seed?

The cheapest and quickest way is find people to give you rooted cuttings.
Going to the local National Garden Scheme open gardens are also a good and
economical way of purchasing plants.

Another large leaved plant that hasn't already been mentioned is Acanthus
Mollis.

Natalie

In article , Natalie
writes
I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up on
trying these!)

Why do they have to be from seed?

The cheapest and quickest way is find people to give you rooted cuttings.

Agreed, but most friends tend to have one or two plants that they can
spare you. I'm looking to cover most of the ground as soon as possible
so that means having tens (if not hundreds!) of plants.

Some shrubs like hebe that I propagated from the odd plant here or there
in our old house before we sold up three years ago were put into a quiet
corner of our new plot and are now at the stage where I'll be able to
take dozens of cuttings from this year. But this is a much longer
process and so I'm going to have to use the seed method to initially
cover the space. I can always clear areas from these mass plantings
later on if needed.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions so far..... keep going... going to
order soon :-)


--
__________________________________________
Gareth Jones

"Reality sucks - go watch a Star Trek"

To email, remove the '_ns_' from

__________________________________________

Majestic Perennials:

Oriental poppies
Rheum Palmatum
Acanthus mollis
Hollyhocks
Delphiniums

Hope this is of some help,
Helen

"Gareth Jones" wrote in message
...
In article , Natalie
writes
I'm looking for perennials that look good
massed and are 'big and clumpy' like geraniums or large and
statuesque
like a gunnera (I do have a passion for large leaves!)
They need to be fairly fast growing and preferably not that picky
on
germination (so that rules out the gunnera - I have just given up
on
trying these!)

Why do they have to be from seed?

The cheapest and quickest way is find people to give you rooted
cuttings.

Agreed, but most friends tend to have one or two plants that they can
spare you. I'm looking to cover most of the ground as soon as possible
so that means having tens (if not hundreds!) of plants.

Some shrubs like hebe that I propagated from the odd plant here or
there
in our old house before we sold up three years ago were put into a
quiet
corner of our new plot and are now at the stage where I'll be able to
take dozens of cuttings from this year. But this is a much longer
process and so I'm going to have to use the seed method to initially
cover the space. I can always clear areas from these mass plantings
later on if needed.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions so far..... keep going... going
to
order soon :-)


I know that you want perennials but the fastest way to cover a new
garden is to use annuals to these are added the perennials. Suitable
self seeding annuals will ensure less gaps in future years.

Bel