Plant Orders

An exciting set of plant orders has been made, ready for the autumn.

Firstly, I've ordered 50kg of mixed daffodils. We planted, at a guess, about 200 last autumn, and now want to extend the planting up the garden, and possibly add some to the verge in front of the house. These are from Fentongollan in Cornwall.

Next, I've got 400 Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica coming from Peter Nyssen. These are little hyacinth-like flowers, only 10cm tall, with a blue stripe on the petals. We put in 100 of these last year, and I rather liked them, so more are on their way.

An offer in a newspaper has led to 48 mixed cottage garden plants (scabiosa, hollyhocks, kniphofia, lupins, achillea, geum, delphinium, lobelia, galliardia, poppies, aquilegia, and aubretia); a further 40 from Van Meuwen will join them (aquilegia, hollyhocks, gypsophilia, Chinese lanterns, lupins, kniphofia, sea holly, delphinium, liatris and echinacea).

From Thompson & Morgan, we've got 10 hellebores, 168 viola 'Amber Kiss', and six honeyberries (a honeysuckle/Lonicera that is, unusually, edible), and a gardenia.

Lastly, a big order from J Parker: 10 cyclamen, 400 Siberian squills (to add to the 100 from last year), some heathers, 200 muscari, 172 candelabra primulas, 100 anemone blanda, 145 miscellaneous narcissi, 60 tulips, 3 blackcurrants and 30 raspberries (to fill the gaps left by those that didn't take last year), 12 monarda, 172 'Cat's Whiskers' pansies, and some centaurea.

Most of the bulbs are headed for the copse; the bedding will go in the front, in hanging baskets, and elsewhere; the fruit, obviously, is going into the fruit beds; the honeyberry will go up trellis at the edge of the fruit beds (demarcating the start of the kitchen garden); the 'cottage garden' plants will go where the cotoneaster currently is. That probably won't be the final spot, but it'll do as a holding ground while they grow, and we clear space.

This will almost certainly mean an epic planting session, in all weather. That will be familiar, as the bulbs last autumn were planted in wet and cold conditions, with latex lab-gloves over the garden gloves, and waterproof trousers...it was surprisingly good fun.