Show us your gardening purchases 2025

Hello @Bluejayway, it's been about 10 days now and the water in the birdbath is still clear. I haven't noticed any birds bathing though so I'm wondering whether they don't like the shiny disc or have found a better spa elsewhere .

 

That's good to see @Plantminded , I expect the shininess may put some birds off as you say. No doubt they'll get used to it in time after they've thought about it a bit . Thanks for the update!

 

I endured the Christmas music in B&Q last night and found this rather nice looking Monarda for half price (£4.50). They had a whole shelf of them reduced.

Also picked up a couple of tiny Calamagrostis Karl Foerster for £2 each.

 

what variety of monarda have you got @Escarpment ? They can be a bit temperament

 

It says nothing more informative than "Pink" on the label! I bought two last year and only one reappeared this year. Paid full price for those. I'm going to try this one in a sunnier spot than the first two.

 

I suppose this could count loosely as a gardening purchase. Bought a honeybee pendant from Lucy Stopes Roe. Small and perfect in every detail.

 

I went to B&Q yesterday to spend my birthday gift voucher [ who likes manure and grit for their birthday!] and also picked up 3 little pots of yellow violas for half price - £3 in total. I was just thinking yesterday when deadheading, that I could do with something to fill a pot I have that has dark gold crocus in it, but had marigolds over summer, and it's more or less finished. They'll do very nicely - as long as the slugs don't find them...

 

Put a rock in it that pokes out of the water, which helps insects to drink from it.

After this years 4£ per punnet price of redcurrants pushed me off buying any, i went and got a deal from J Parkers of a mixed set of 9 bare root currants for 29£ that ill plant around, 3 white red and black. I saw in the council orchard nearby they were mowing around a random elder bush so im sure with obvious markings theyll avoid these. Ill keep 2 for myself.
I also got a 3 set of different blueberries for 10£ ill put in a big pot together.

 

You remind me a lot of my mum; I once bought her a bottle of Nitromors paint stripper for her birthday.

 

One of my favourite Christmas presents I've ever gotten as an adult, has been a fancy garden hose & reel

 

Yesterday I received a pyracantha ("Golden Charmer") that I had ordered last week, from Hillier. I planted it this morning, before work.



There's another one, on the other end of this fence, and I thought it would be nice for symmetry (in between them there is a weeping silver birch in front of the middle of the fence, and a giant hosta on each side of the silver birch).

 

Great plants @CostasK . Many people don't like them, but they're so useful in so many ways.

Re the presents - my girls know to get me vouchers or bits and pieces for the garden. If in doubt - more string is their 'go to'
I once got a kettle for my birthday, from my future hubby. He understood the reality. I needed one, and didn't have a lot of spare cash, so why get me shoes or a dress or a load of crap I don't care about- when what I need is tea- regularly!

Joking apart - it's also far more thoughtful to get someone a present they really want, instead of what you think they'd like. That's always a mistake.

 

I love them @fairygirl

I have noticed that some people don't like them. I think because often they are planted and left on their own, then several years later someone tries to cut them down. Cutting down a big shrub with spikes can't be fun. The growing habit in my opinion has a place in the garden, especially next to fences or walls, not everything needs to be small, rounded & bushy.

They aren't many evergreens that I don't find boring so I really appreciate pyracanthas. I think part of it is that I am Mediterranean and there is something very familiar with the look of pyracantha (though I don't remember actual pyracanthas in my childhood). I also adore the berries, especially the golden ones. They really lift the garden at a time when the weather is getting gloomier and other plants are losing their leaves. Last but not least, they're great for wildlife.

 

I had a pyracantha like that. It was a good 50 years old and in the years that I neglected my garden it leant over and sprawled across the width of 3 fence panels. But cutting it all back wasn't an issue with a decent pair of gloves. The original didn't really recover - there's a bit of growth at the bottom of the main stump, which I left as a bird perch. But there are two of its children growing elsewhere in the garden, one with a good show of berries at the moment, the other not old enough yet but managing to grow vigorously in an awkward spot right under the neighbour's huge laurels. I will always have a place for a pyracantha.

 

Just been down to Morrisons, and thought this little Venus Fly Trap was worth a shot at £1. I thoroughly enjoyed the section on GW the other week with the couple who had a huge carnivorous plant collection, and remembered them saying that people throw away Venus Fly Traps in the winter because they think they are dead.