Not sure what to do next...any thoughts?

Hello guys,

Had an attempt at tidying up an horrendous patch of old tree roots and tried to make it into some sort of flower bed just to tidy it up (and so our house doesnt look so horrendous compared to our neighbours with beautifully manicured lawns!!! He he). I did get on cheeky comment of "you'll be at Chelsea next year"....

Anyway, its looking a bit shabby now and slug attacked. Planning on putting some bulbs in and maybe some cyclamen for now....any ideas on what else i could do? Not sure what to do with the Ornithogalum now? Do i chop it all down and wait for it to come back next year?..and the lillies...will they come back or should i just dig it out??

Sorry I'm clueless....learning all the time!

 

A first and second pic thats not blurry!

 

I can see Agapanthus and Ornithogallum (thyrsoides?). They're dying back for the year so they look normal. The Agapanthus should be ok as long as the soil is well drained. As for the Ornithogalum you will need to dig them up. Chances are that a] the bulbs are rotting already (they're totally intolerant of wet conditions) or b] that even if they're ok you will pot them up, store them frost free and that they will do naff all next year.
The four grasses - I pray to god that they're not Pampas Grass. If they are get them out now and bin them. They will get huge and are impossible to get rid of once established.

 

Thanks for the reply

Will dig up the ornithogallums then (yup thyrsorides)! The soils well drained at the front (unlike the back garden that floods for other reasons-not the soil). The grasses are Carex and shouldnt get much bigger (max 30cms apparently. Was going to put some bulbs i. Ready for spring and maybe plant a few cyclamen in for a bit of colour for now. What do u think?

 

White ones would like nice. What about some winter pansies or primroses?

 

Got excited and went to garden centre earlier...got some white cyclamen and deep pink ones...and went a bit mad on bulbs...got some white january flowering daffs, some snakeshead fritilaries and some big alliums.

Was going to make a couple of pots up with winter pansies, currently got some african begonias in pots but think theyre annuals so will have to chuck them soon(?!) got a greenhouse i could overwinter them in but not sure if u can?!

Now just got a bare space in the middle with no bulbs, to plant something. Would like something with a little bit of colour for winter but is more like greenery in summer, that will look good with the grasses and alliums/agapanthus in summer.

 

They're toast as soon as the frosts arrive.

They rapidly become an invasive weed.

..............or December, February or March depending on the winter.

Fine choice! If the bed is in full sun then maybe Iris reticulata or Hermodactylus tuberosus............


If it's in part shade then you can't beat Erythronium...................


All are fairly low growing spring bulbs/tubers.

What are they?

Most winter colour tends to be bushes or shrubs - the space is too small. Anyway, it's too soddin' cold in the winter to go out

 

I thought winter pansies were ok in a light frost? I read you can water them in mornings to help them survive. I've just bought 72 so I hope they aren't all going to die come the first frost.
I love my primroses, not a weed for me at all, I just split them when they get too big. Their flowers are so cheerful.

 

I would have thought that keeping them damp/wet would hasten the inevitable?

Hey, each to their own. I just see them as space that could be put to far better use. And once they start self seeding and producing offspring in all manner of nondescript colours they have become a total plague. There are garden worthy Primula in my opinion though - Primula vialii...................

 

Apparently they die of thirst when the ground is frozen and roots can't take up water, it's not the cold that does it. So watering them early in the day keeps them hydrated until the ground thaws.
My primroses don't self seed because I deadhead them. I've got plenty of other weeds to make up for it though!

 

I hope my primroses will spread in the back garden! My back garden is a hopeless dump-i have one border that doesnt get too flooded and i use it to put any old plants in from old pots just to see if they'll survive. The primroses have done well so far! As have some old cyclamen!

I've finished the "patch" in the front "garden" lol. My grandma had planted me up a cutting from a christmas box in 2009 which had been in a pot. I thought id put that in the middle!

 

That looks lovely. The box would nice in a sphere shape, or maybe a pyramid?
I found a link to the pansies I have, and they are supposed to survive any weather and not get too leggy.
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-plants/pansy-plants/pansy-matrix-mixed/p85592TM

 

Also I spy blue pellets, slugs had a munch of a few of mine and they have grown back amazingly well from the base.

 

Errr.........that is a link to T&M!

 

Yes those horrible little slugs-i put them down last night...there were loads of them! I've used nematodes before but didnt find them that effective unfortunately. I might try them again and give them another chance. Also got a few with salt this morning.

Not sure how big that box will grow-i think it might stay tiny but i do like the pyramid idea-if it grows bigger i'll be attempting that!

Will be getting some winter pansies...not really had any probs with them?!