Plantaholic problems

It sounds feasible. You limit your flower colours to nice, tasteful schemes and plant in coherent groups - threes and fives, perhaps - thinking about form and the overall picture. But then ... you get to the garden centre. I just can't resist plants and so I buy bits and bobs all over the place which are always going to look, well, a bit of a jumble - especially in a small space. I think plant collectors often make rather poor designers. Perhaps that's why cottage gardens are still so popular. You can always say: 'well, it's not supposed to look designed ... it's an authentic cottage garden!

 

yes - i concur

i am trying blue and white but then i keep adding more colours - cos i just love that plant and got to have one

loopy

 

I have a slightly different, yet similar, problem. Our previous house had no front garden to speak of - unless 4' of old bricks counts - but it did overlook the village green upon which was 'the village flower bed'', planned, planted and fiercely protected by a team of dedicated and authoritarian ladies of a certain age. Meetings would be held to decide what should be planted in this hallowed piece of ground and all suggestions were welcomed (but promptly rejected), in favour of regimented rows of alyssum and lobelia, all the same height, all equidistant. I recall one year someone must have had one ginger wine too many, because some red salvias appeared, but I guess this was considered a bit too risqué because it was only allowed to happened the once! So for 6 years we looked out on nothing but blue and white.

Having moved, and knowing nothing about gardening at the time, we sought out as many different colours as we could. Now, as the garden matures I rather like it's clashing colours, tiny things jostling for space between the tall plants and I tell myself it gives the garden an 'unexpected' quality - which is really just a euphemism for 'I don't care what it is, I like it and I want it ... now!'

 

You should see my borders, everything crammed in, different colours, foliage and heights. I love the cottage garden look, which is actually really difficult to get right.

Yes, I too am a sucker for buying plants when ever I visit a garden centre. And looking at the garden this week, I have an area I am going to throw some money at as it's a mess - time for another trip to get more plants!

 

Yes, I know what you mean, Fidgetsmum. There's something about a lot of formal municipal bedding which makes me want to sneak in the odd dandelion ...

 

Why, when I see a 6" x 6" bit of bare earth, do I not only give in to the overwhelming need to visit a garden centre .... but come back with at least 4 or 5 things, all of which are too big to go in that particular spot, thus necessitating another trip?

 

I've mentioned this before. I've never got out of Bent's Garden Centre spending less than £100.
It all starts with my wife saying "Let's have lunch there first."
And I mean lunch, no starter, no sweet and just a beer and an orange juice.

No change out of £25.

 

I have rapidly become even more of a plantaholic these past few months. It really started when I decided I wanted more life around me and wanted to see if I could grow tomatoes from seed. Now I have tomatoes, chives, onions, garlic, basil, thyme, parsley, peppers, passion flowers, a pumpkin, coleus, night scented phlox, assorted wildflowers, a ginger plant and a goji plant, all growing near windows and on the floor in my house. I've got a load of other seeds too, and I'm currently plantsitting a peace lily. Some of these, I know, do not make good indoor plants!

I need my own garden, stat.

 

I am worried I'm becoming obessed. I only get the chance to garden while my toddler's asleep, or being watched by Daddy. Or in the evenings, but then I'm shattered.

But I have put so much thought into planning the garden this year, and I have grown a lot from seed too. I've also done an awful lot of hard landscaping. When I go to bed I dream about the garden almost every night! Sad eh?!

I love taking my little one to the nursery or garden centre, and I've realised that if I buy something that is not in flower OH doesn't notice it :thumb: very sneaky!

I have been three times this week!

A problem I am having is planting these small plants, trying to work out what it's final height is going to be,and working out where to put it... sort of imagining the full summer look while their just little mounds of green.

And my impatience for them to grow? It's unbearable!

 

There are worse obsessions to have and if you have the money to buy plants, why not?

I recognise your 'issues' though in myself - I prefer to buy smaller plants as well, as being cheaper, you can get more for the same amount of money...but then the impatience and imagination kicks in. I am constantly replanning the borders - it's fun and keeps me occupied!

 

I must admit I do think there is something in that Aaron, about having worse obsessions.

We hardly ever go out in the evenings, don't drink, don't smoke... we put the kids first, and on our budget that means going without ourselves. But hey, don't they call that parenthood?!

We are lucky enough to have a big enough front garden for the kids to have a goal and play football. So the back garden is our sacred place. Beats sitting in any pub garden!!

 

My name is Blueroses......... and Im a plant-o-holic :flag:

There is nothing nicer for a trip out for me than to a garden centre. It's like being a kiddie in a sweetie shop though. My imagination runs wild ! I love it!
I always make a purchase, and never achieve the 'just going for a look round' no matter how hard I try. This year I have concentrated on more vegetables and fruit too. Ive bought a strawberry planter which holds 30 plants , a blueberry, a patio apricot, rhubarb, and the list of veg Im growing from seed is enormous considering they are almost all in containers, pots and troughs :hehe: Dwarf broad beans, dwarf green beans, lettuce of many kinds, red onions, peas including mangetout, garlic, radish, rocket, carrots of 2 types, runner beans, spring onions ,herbs of many kinds....... and then there's the greenhouse ! Toms, peppers, chillis, cucumber, courgettes, and all the various cuttings and flower seedlings. First thing I do in the morning is straight off into the garden and closely inspect for progress. Oh yes, and overnight there are always changes, always another little head popped up Then there are the frequent daytime inspections, it's like a drug...... it makes me feel better. And if the birds are singing and the sun is out ....... Im in my own little piece of heaven in my garden. Now, what shall I do today ? Ah yes, the garden centre !

 

That pretty much sums it up for me!! :D

 

Raining buckets here so a GC visit is out...but off on Tuesday and have a few things I want to get...

 

I saw some Cleome yesterday, 3 for 10 quid. They were lovely big bushy plants.

But I didn't get them as I'm sure I read that they are huge.