As usual, at this time of year, the gardening magazines are full of=20
plant catalogues. Like everybody, I tend to look through them with a=20
little interest at what is on the market and what I can usually expect=20
to see in the nurseries in a couple of months.

We move into this house 3 years ago and after getting rid of the=20
leylandii, I was left with a lawn and a Kerria Japonica. Down the west=20
side of the south facing garden, I put a raised bed in and it was=20
fantastic the first year. I plotted out and started out a couple of=20
shrubs and perennials for the east, but was distracted by the dog and=20
then the arrival of our daughter in July 2003.

I'd intended to build up a wide cottage garden type bed of mostly=20
perennials and some shrubs down that side. As things stand I have grass,=20
weeds, runaway strawberries and a bay that's a couple of feet high.

I'm not looking to do instant glamour, but an improvement on last year's=20
mess of Dahlias, weeds, sunflowers and more weeds would be nice.=20

Back to the point, a couple of the catalogues have pre-planned,=20
perennial collections of 70-80 plants for about =A330. The plant=20
selections, while a bit basic, look to be fairly bullet proof good=20
performers. I'm considering the offering from Van Meuwen at =A332.97 for=20
81 plants (presumably at plug stage). I appreciate that it'll still be a=20
bit gappy for the next couple of years and I'll lose some stock that=20
won't get on with the soil/position/dog/slugs/toddler, but it does seem=20
a fairly good deal for getting the bed properly started.

Has anyone tried these deals?

Warwick

In article MPG.1c6651b8c2e3677698990c@dalai, Warwick
writes
Has anyone tried these deals?

Warwick

I can send some cuttings if you'd like. Ask Kay or Jill Bell, they'll
confirm it

I have spare ones that can do with a new home.


Janet
--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants

Warwick wrote:
[...]
I'm considering the offering from Van Meuwen at £32.97 for
81 plants (presumably at plug stage).[...]

That reminds me: Van Meuwen sent me narcissus when I ordered a basket
of growing lily of the valley for my mother at Christmas. I don't
know if they're prone to this kind of error, but I'd watch them when
it comes to package deals.

Mike.

In article ,
says...
In article MPG.1c6651b8c2e3677698990c@dalai, Warwick
writes
Has anyone tried these deals?

Warwick

I can send some cuttings if you'd like. Ask Kay or Jill Bell, they'll
confirm it

I have spare ones that can do with a new home.

I *know* that with a bit of work and a lot of charitable help from you
lot, I could get it all done for free and probably get nicer varieties
and some interesting plants, but the postage alone for all of those
cuttings would be more than the price of the catalogue deal. I *will*
be adding to it myself from cuttings, packets and plants bought
elsewhere, so as it matures it'll gain character properly.

Problem is that with 20 square metres of new bed to get stuff going on,
with cuttings and the generosity of friends, it'd be full of gaps for a
couple of years.

I'd really prefer to do everything from seed where possible, the Dahlias
in the other bed are all seed and this year should be truly spectacular
in the late summer, but I don't have the room or time to nurture that
many seedlings of that many plants in one year.

SWMBO wants a lavendar hedge along the driveway no way am I going to
fork out the cash for 60 feet of plants to do that, I have 3 varieties
of lavendar, lots of 3" pots and am air layering them so I'm not
unwilling to do the work, but this once I'd like to take a shortcut.

Warwick

In article ,
says...
In article MPG.1c6651b8c2e3677698990c@dalai, Warwick
writes
Has anyone tried these deals?

Warwick

I can send some cuttings if you'd like. Ask Kay or Jill Bell, they'll
confirm it

I have spare ones that can do with a new home.

My conscience kicked in and pointed out that 70 odd plants of unknown
size and health of fairly easy to grow plants was probably not the best
deal in the world and that it would take a few years for it to fill out
anyway.

This evening, I sat down with my plant books, a pen, paper and a couple
of seed catalogues and worked out a border that is all mine and uses
some of the things I have in the other border for some extra boost this
year.

Free cuttings would help too though. Anything hardy and perennial. If
anyone fancies gettign a smoke bush cutting to me too...

I have a long list and shouldn't be too late to get much of it started
for a reasonable show this year.

Add into that, that when I buy seeds, I'll get 30-150 of each, I'd need
really bad germination rates to not triple the initial stock going in.

I'll get the bulk of what I want online and get myself round to the
local stables with lots of big bags.

For anyone in Leicester, the stables next door to the Blaby Manor have a
particularly well rotted heap that they let you take away for free.

Warwick

Warwick wrote:

I have a long list and shouldn't be too late to get much of it started
for a reasonable show this year.

It could be worth you finding a local nursery (not garden centre) and asking
if they'll give you a discount on that number of plants.

When I moved into my brand-new house it had a small, empty back garden. A
local nursery sold me a whole garden-full of plants at wholesale prices, so
I ended up paying about 1/4 what the local garden centres were asking for
the very same plants.

More expensive than seeds, but bigger plants faster...

If anyone fancies gettign a smoke bush cutting to me too...

I'm thinking of taking mine out. If you want to come and collect it, it's
yours!

--
Sally Holmes
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

In article MPG.1c70bccc88fd3a2e989915@dalai, Warwick
writes

My conscience kicked in and pointed out that 70 odd plants of unknown
size and health of fairly easy to grow plants was probably not the best
deal in the world and that it would take a few years for it to fill out
anyway.

Free cuttings would help too though. Anything hardy and perennial. If
anyone fancies gettign a smoke bush cutting to me too...


Shame about that, I did have a cutting of a Cotinus but gave it to
someone else on Friday along with several grasses, a Chaenemole,
Sarcococca etc.....................


Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk