Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at developing a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy and
require little maintenance.

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope)
Thanks in advance.

--

Rhiannon_S
Yes, I am a fluffly bunny, but so was the one in Monty Python!

On 27/5/05 17:31, in article , "Rhiannon Sands"
wrote:

Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at developing a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy and
require little maintenance.

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope)
Thanks in advance.

Daphne for scent, Sarcococca ditto, 'whispery' grasses that rustle in the
wind, thyme, lavender etc. Lippia citrodora (which is hardy here but can be
a bit dodgy elsewhere, I believe) has wonderful, lemon-scented leaves which
make your hands smell gorgeous and can be used to flavour a cake, make a
tisane (too much is bad for the stomach) and an eyewash.
And if she can grow one climbing rose, please make it Mme. Isaac Pereire
because the scent will stop anyone in their tracks.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 27/5/05 17:31, in article , "Rhiannon
Sands"
wrote:

Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at developing
a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy
and
require little maintenance.

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope)
Thanks in advance.

Daphne for scent, Sarcococca ditto, 'whispery' grasses that rustle in the
wind, thyme, lavender etc. Lippia citrodora (which is hardy here but can
be
a bit dodgy elsewhere, I believe) has wonderful, lemon-scented leaves
which
make your hands smell gorgeous and can be used to flavour a cake, make a
tisane (too much is bad for the stomach) and an eyewash.
And if she can grow one climbing rose, please make it Mme. Isaac Pereire
because the scent will stop anyone in their tracks.
--

Stipa tenuissima - nice grass to run fingers through and hardy here in the
SE little/no maintenance, some geraniums .. for scent and their feel.
Artemesia - powis castle ... scent and feel.
If your looking at globe thistle .. why not check out the cardoons ... and
for prickliness the sea hollys.

"p00kie" wrote in message
. uk...

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 27/5/05 17:31, in article , "Rhiannon
Sands"
wrote:

Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at
developing
a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile
that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy
and
require little maintenance.

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope)
Thanks in advance.

Daphne for scent, Sarcococca ditto, 'whispery' grasses that rustle in
the
wind, thyme, lavender etc. Lippia citrodora (which is hardy here but can
be
a bit dodgy elsewhere, I believe) has wonderful, lemon-scented leaves
which
make your hands smell gorgeous and can be used to flavour a cake, make a
tisane (too much is bad for the stomach) and an eyewash.
And if she can grow one climbing rose, please make it Mme. Isaac Pereire
because the scent will stop anyone in their tracks.
--

Stipa tenuissima - nice grass to run fingers through and hardy here in the
SE little/no maintenance, some geraniums .. for scent and their feel.
Artemesia - powis castle ... scent and feel.
If your looking at globe thistle .. why not check out the cardoons ...
and
for prickliness the sea hollys.

Hi thanks for the suggestions, I might skip the couple that aren't certain
hardy, my friend lives in the galloway hills and is in a pretty exposed
position. It's a pretty position as well though)

Thanks both of you.
--

Rhiannon_S
Yes, I am a fluffly bunny, but so was the one in Monty Python!

"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in message
...
Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at developing a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy and
require little maintenance.

curry plant? Lemon balm, mints?
The bronze fennel not only feels nice but smells nice too. I have it here.

"pammyT" fenlandfowl @talktalk.net wrote in message
...

"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in message
...
Hi.
I'm helping a friend plant up her garden and we're looking at developing
a
sensory theme, with a lot of emphasis on touchy feely plants like globe
thistle for it's flower heads, lambs ears, bronze fennel, chamomile that
sort of thing.

But I'm running a little short of inspiration, does anyone have any
suggestions? The main thing should be that the plants are fully hardy
and
require little maintenance.

curry plant? Lemon balm, mints?
The bronze fennel not only feels nice but smells nice too. I have it
here.

I hadn't noticed much of a smell from the bronze fennel myself, but it's
certainly a very, very touchy feely plant. Does the smell develop as the
plant gets older?

I've never been too sure about mints, I've heard they're horribly invasive,
then again maybe we need to bung something like that in what I call the
dandelion bed) Can I just ask, is curry plant hardy? I mean will it
survive in cold winds in an exposed garden that is prone to severe frosts?
It looks nice and smells and feels nice, but it doesn't seem to be hardy at
all.
--

Rhiannon_S
Yes, I am a fluffly bunny, but so was the one in Monty Python!

"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in message
...
curry plant? Lemon balm, mints?
The bronze fennel not only feels nice but smells nice too. I have it
here.

I hadn't noticed much of a smell from the bronze fennel myself, but it's
certainly a very, very touchy feely plant. Does the smell develop as the
plant gets older?
Dunno. Mine has a very strong smell. You only have to brush against it to
smell it. Perhaps some are more pungent than others? Mine is approximately 4
years old now and I find baby ones sprouting all over the place. It dies
back and returns every year.

I've never been too sure about mints, I've heard they're horribly
invasive,
then again maybe we need to bung something like that in what I call the
dandelion bed)
plant them in a pot pr bucket. I planted several varieties, (pineapple,
chocolate,ginger) right next to a footpath so that it gets walked on as it
spreads, this tends to keep it tamed .

Can I just ask, is curry plant hardy? I mean will it
survive in cold winds in an exposed garden that is prone to severe frosts?
It survives my neglect here in the fens where our winds are legendary coming
straight off the Wash and cutting right through you.

It looks nice and smells and feels nice, but it doesn't seem to be hardy
at
all.
mine is.

"pammyT" fenlandfowl @talktalk.net wrote in message
...


"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in message
...
curry plant? Lemon balm, mints?
The bronze fennel not only feels nice but smells nice too. I have it
here.

I hadn't noticed much of a smell from the bronze fennel myself, but it's
certainly a very, very touchy feely plant. Does the smell develop as
the
plant gets older?
Dunno. Mine has a very strong smell. You only have to brush against it to
smell it. Perhaps some are more pungent than others? Mine is approximately
4
years old now and I find baby ones sprouting all over the place. It dies
back and returns every year.

I've never been too sure about mints, I've heard they're horribly
invasive,
then again maybe we need to bung something like that in what I call the
dandelion bed)
plant them in a pot pr bucket. I planted several varieties, (pineapple,
chocolate,ginger) right next to a footpath so that it gets walked on as it
spreads, this tends to keep it tamed .

Can I just ask, is curry plant hardy? I mean will it
survive in cold winds in an exposed garden that is prone to severe
frosts?
It survives my neglect here in the fens where our winds are legendary
coming
straight off the Wash and cutting right through you.

It looks nice and smells and feels nice, but it doesn't seem to be
hardy
at
all.
mine is.

Thanks for the advice, I'll give them a try now. Does anyone else find that
there is a lot of contradictory information about plant hardiness around?
--

Rhiannon_S
Yes, I am a fluffly bunny, but so was the one in Monty Python!

"Rhiannon Sands" wrote in
:

Thanks for the advice, I'll give them a try now. Does anyone else
find that there is a lot of contradictory information about plant
hardiness around?


I do find there can be a world of difference between an established plant
that has been growing outside for some time, or which germinated from seed
in its final location, and a plant of the same variety that has been grown
on quickly from seed or cutting with heat and not been really properly
hardened off.

(Even if the plants are sitting outside at a garden centre, you often can't
be sure that they haven't just been stuck outside for the first time that
morning. I have definitely bought some in the past that weren't, even
though they told me they would be fine. :-( )

Even if a plant doesn't actually keel over with cold, if it's feeling a bit
sensitive it seems to be a lot more vulnerable to predation. The pumpkins
I planted out a bit too early last year didn't die, but they got slugged
and really didn't do well. I quickly planted some more seeds and planted
out more seedlings a few weeks later, and those were totally untouched by
the slugs and grew like mad.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--