Plants dying - help!!

Hi,
I am a completely new gardener but done lots of research and have started a rockery on this (odd) but of soil in our new build garden. It was full of weeds/roots etc and we’ve removed those and turned it all. I’ve laid compost and topsoil and started to plant plants (last week) but they’re all dying!! I’ve got lots of plants being delivered from local garden centres and I’m worried they’ll die too. I am planting as advised on labels (full sun etc), and watering liberally in the evenings. The soil is very sandy but is full of stones and clay chunks. What am I doing wrong? Even my front pot has died after two days!

 

Hi @Slouise and welcome to GC! You've done a lot of work there - so well done! I think the problem with the third plant is that it looks to me to be a New Guinea impatiens - it's a bit chill at night to put that out - it's really a summer bedding plant. The first one looks as if it's an azalea - ie the Rhododendron family. That doesn't yet look as though it's dying, but may suffer if your soil is alkaline - you could check what grows for other people near you. I can't quite see what the second plant is - if it is another bedding plant it might also be suffering from the cold nights that go with the clear skies we are having.

 

Hi Slousie welcome to the forum .

Regarding the New guinea Busy lizzie in the pot , did it freeze last night ? These plants are not hardy and tend to die / sulk if it freezes or cold, the garden centre should of warned you but some aren't bothered because you've have to go back and buy more , bedding plants like petunias - busy lizzie - marigolds - begonias etc shouldn't be planted outside until at least Mid / late May when the last frost has passed.

How often are you watering the plants in the garden ? everyday ? And what are they ? one looks like a lavender and the other an rhododendron / azalea .

 

Hi both and thank you!

yes, it’s a New Guinea, middle is a lavender and potted one azalea.

I’ve been watering each evening for a minute or so. Using the hose on jet setting (so it reaches up there). I’ve planted some urchins too but they’re tiny and not sure how they’re doing.

 

I feared it were a lavender , you are over watering unfortunately . Do you still have the label for the lavender ? is it a french one which are useless in the British climate be lucky to keep them over winter outside, you want a English lavender like munstead or hidcote , Lavenders orginate from the Mediterranean / middle east it hot and dry. It may of died but don't water it again and see if it perks up , it would of been better to water once a week for a while and then not at all when established.

Same with the rhododendron dont water everyday but it will require more watering than a lavender for example, maybe 2-3 times week but it depends on where you are in the country ? . Do any of your neighbours have Azalea / rhododendron like Caroline mentioned ?

 

Hi again,

Yes - french lavender. I bought in March time and put in a pot at the front of the house. It lasted well until about 2 weeks ago (no watering) but then seemed to die overnight. I thought the pot was too small so moved to garden and then it’s got worse.
Neighbours don’t really have any plants yet as new estate - my spring bulbs have done really well and that’s what all neighbours have too.

Thanks again

 

Hi @Slouise as @Perki said, French lavender don't like UK weather, and I think that with all the recent sunshine we have also had some wicked winds and cold nights. The best way to get success with gardening is to grow things that are suited to your site. So one thing worth doing is finding out whether the soil is acid or alkaline - if you order a cheap pH test kit online, you'll find out. Then the friends at GC can help you get the right plants.

 

I'm just wondering if you are watering enough, I know you say every day, but when you put a plant out it only has roots in the rootball.
Its been pretty warm here for the last week and dry for a few weeks, just wonder if you soaked the rootball before planting, and when you water do you add enough around the neck of the plant to saturate the root ball.

They would have probably have been in peat or coir based compost, which once dry is not easy to rewet.
I go along with the fact it might have been a bit cold for the impatiens but I'm just wondering if that might be the same problem.

 

Siousie I agree with the advice you've had from Perki and Caroline but just wanted to say - don't be discouraged! Gardening is a steep learning curve in the beginning and most of us have killed our share of plants while getting the hang of planting for our soil and climate.

One thing that I found helpful was connecting with other gardeners locally. Gardeners are often giving away excess plants and divisions and these local plants are almost guaranteed to thrive. If you have any problems or questions, the person who gave them to you is usually happy to advise. And if some of those free plants don't make it, it's no big loss. After a while you will build up a collection of plants that love your conditions.

You have a lovely big space there - looking forward to see more photos as it develops

 

Thank you all again, how helpful!
@CarolineL do I need a soil specific ph test kit?

I’m waiting on orders of magnolia, aubrieta, astrilbe, aquilegia, geranium, euonymus, hebe and eucalyptus. How do you think they might do?

thanks all

 

To check whether @pete is right, dig up the lavender and look at the rootball. If you stick your finger in it, and it's dry, you'll know that he's right. When you plant something out, not only should you soak the rootball, but it is worth trying to spread the roots out a bit so they don't just stay in the same shape. And as @Cassie said - yes, plants often die (I won't tell you how many I've killed!) so don't worry - just try to work out why and learn from it (I haven't )