What's going on in your garden (2018-2022)?

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Gardener is coming today and I went to the plant nursery this morning to buy some bedding plants for the window boxes. It was very safe: trolleys are sanitised between uses. Its all in the open plus large greenhouses and everything is signposted one way only with 2 metre markers on the ground. There were only a few other customers.

The trouble is, they had next to no bedding plants. There were lots of begonias which I've never liked and not a lot else. I was looking for petunias (as TastyReuben has in his planter) mainly, because they last all summer - but there were none at all. In the end I bought marigolds and a few trays of a plant I'd never heard of (Portulaca) which looked pretty on the label (they aren't in flower yet).

This was my first trip out to anywhere for several months. It felt weird driving the car.
 
Morning Glory said:
Gardener is coming today and I went to the plant nursery this morning to buy some bedding plants for the window boxes. It was very safe: trolleys are sanitised between uses. Its all in the open plus large greenhouses and everything is signposted one way only with 2 metre markers on the ground. There were only a few other customers.

The trouble is, they had next to no bedding plants. There were lots of begonias which I've never liked and not a lot else. I was looking for petunias (as TastyReuben has in his planter) mainly, because they last all summer - but there were none at all. In the end I bought marigolds and a few trays of a plant I'd never heard of (Portulaca) which looked pretty on the label (they aren't in flower yet).

This was my first trip out to anywhere for several months. It felt weird driving the car.
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Congrats on getting out and about a bit! :)

I don't know about there, but here, the Spring planting season is swiftly winding down. That first planter I posted here, the soft yellow one, there were rows upon rows of annuals to choose from when I got the flowers for that one, a mere two weeks ago.

I was back yesterday to get flowers for the fifth planter, and they just had one little section, about 8' x 16', and that was it. In just two weeks time. Before, it was 10 times that amount of space.

That's why my planters always look like they do; two fantastic ones, three ok ones, and two crappy ones. My wife won't authorize the funds to buy them all outright (about $500US), and I'm too lazy to plant seven planters all in one go. :laugh:
 
Morning Glory said:
The trouble is, they had next to no bedding plants. There were lots of begonias which I've never liked and not a lot else. I was looking for petunias (as TastyReuben has in his planter) mainly, because they last all summer - but there were none at all. In the end I bought marigolds and a few trays of a plant I'd never heard of (Portulaca) which looked pretty on the label (they aren't in flower yet).
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Our local garden centre had posters last month explaining that there was/is a national shortage of bedding plants because lockdown happened just at the time when nurseries would have been planting and caring for seedlings. Without knowing how long lockdown was going to last the nurseries couldn't take the financial risk that they'd be left with lots of garden-ready plants with no way to sell them on. I think a lot of gardens are pretty bare this year :(

We were very lucky that we got a pot luck delivery of bedding plants back in April from a different local garden centre. We probably wouldn't have chosen most of the things we got, but at least we got something.

I also really like petunias - we grew some from seed this year. They take a while to get to what I'd call garden-ready size, but they're pretty easy to grow so I think we'll be doing the same next year.
 
caseydog said:
I don't plant flowers that are only good for a few months, if the summer heat and drought don't kill them.

I have some Lantana and Mexican Heather plants in the front garden. They are perennials. They grow all summer, no matter how hot or dry. I cut them down to the ground in October, and they come back the following June. They have not come back this year. I don't know why. Hopefully, they are just late.

My whole front yard is native plants. They are drought tolerant, and fairly low maintenance. My trees are also native. They can go months without rain. My neighbors ask me all the time why my yard looks so good in the worst conditions, and I tell Tham the trick is to grow things that grow here in nature -- with no help from humans.

Now, to be honest, some of my neighbors did not like my yard when I first planted it, and complained to the HOA, but I told them to give it some time. They did, and now they love it.

CD
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I only grow carnations, my fave flower. She buys others from the garden centres and plants them out. My carnations are still flowering.....just. That's 5 months!

Russ
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Our local garden centre had posters last month explaining that there was/is a national shortage of bedding plants because lockdown happened just at the time when nurseries would have been planting and caring for seedlings. Without knowing how long lockdown was going to last the nurseries couldn't take the financial risk that they'd be left with lots of garden-ready plants with no way to sell them on. I think a lot of gardens are pretty bare this year :(

We were very lucky that we got a pot luck delivery of bedding plants back in April from a different local garden centre. We probably wouldn't have chosen most of the things we got, but at least we got something.

I also really like petunias - we grew some from seed this year. They take a while to get to what I'd call garden-ready size, but they're pretty easy to grow so I think we'll be doing the same next year.
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Our local village shop has been a great source of bedding plants this year. Usually, their plants are rubbish, but I think they have had access to good quality plants from wholesalers that would usually have supplied the garden centres.
 
Wife bought shallots, red onions and garlic. Think they are being planted tomorrow. I told her I want plenty for my curries. My friend who gives me 2 or 3 garlic plaits every year, has not materialised with any now for two years. Hmm , something going on there??

Russ
 
My wife's cutting the grass again.

Impossible to follow a fillum with all the noise!
 
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epicuric said:
Beautiful garden. And nice toes! Like me, you are one of the rare people whose second toe is as long, or longer that their big toe. Supposed to be a sign of good genes!
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Thank you! I noticed the toes after I posted the pic ... Lol. I like your explanation of longer second toe 🙃.
 
epicuric said:
Beautiful garden. And nice toes! Like me, you are one of the rare people whose second toe is as long, or longer that their big toe. Supposed to be a sign of good genes!
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One of my second toes is longer, the other isn't - only half my family handed down the good genes!
 
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