General Chat

Don't they smell lovely? Just been down the garden and the perfume is so strong.

Ann
glos

Mine are just about ready to flower,and I can't wait. My friend says the smell of sweet peas remind him of his Grandmother.

It's a real smell of an English summer, I think.... So lovely.

None of the 'normal ones' quite out yet, where I'm house-sitting, but the everlasting ones, ...Is that the correct term? are flowering well.
I'll pick some later in the week, although I don't think they have the same scent.

Gwyn

Didn't get any in early so are still waiting for ours to grow tall enough to flower lol, they are only about 15" so a way to go yet, but hopefully the sun will help them come on. They are one of my favourite flowers, my Mum brought me a huge bunch in to the hospital from her garden, when I had just given birth to my son, they smelled wonderful.
Mind you, my sister in law the month before got a big fancy bouquet from a florist after she gave birth to my nephew four weeks earlier!

Lizx

The ones that flowered first and smell the strongest are an 'old fashioned' variety with small flowers similar to the perennial sweet pea, burgundy and pink, the lilac and pink and blue larger flowered ones still have a scent but not so strong.

Ann, can one still get the perennial sweet pea? I would love one!!

Mine haven't flowered yet.... they are in a tub with petunia and *proper* nicotiana, so that should be a lovely fragrant spot in a few weeks, too.

Love

Daff xxxx

My OH grows a large row of sweet peas on the allotment every year, and I have two jars of these on the kitchen window sill as we speak. The smell is so gorgeous. Such a simple flower, but one that gives so much.
Julia in Derbyshire

one of my favourite flowers and my mums. Apparently her dad used to grow them as well so must be a gene ive picked up.

When I made SiL wedding cake the flowers I made for tiers were sweet peas and roses and my sisters cake I m made them again.

Also love freesias

Daff I am sure you can still buy the perennial sweet pea.

Hiya Ann.... yes, I've googled it... what do you reckon to letting one or two grow up those Horse chestnuts??? It would seem that some of them are rather vigorous... but no perfume.

Pretty flowers though..... Mmmmm, nice in those two corners.... and maybe the one would also like to trail all over the shed..... I might order them later!! Never bought plants online before... anyone had any experiences, good or bad??

Love

Daff xxx

Daff

I got some bedding plants online and were ok and the tree i got online is still going.

Thanks Dawnie.... I still owe you a pm!! Hope you are feeling better. xxx

Love

Daff xxxx

Yes if they would climb high they would look good on the Horse Chestnuts. We had a couple but not seen them this year, they were old so maybe they outgrew their strength (or got choked out, as you k now it is the survival of the fittest in our garden!)

The smell of Sweet Peas, reminds me of my dear Auntie, who helped bring me up, after the death of my mother. It was her favourite flower, She was a single lady, and only had a little garden, but she looked after it,and was very proud of her sweet peas, lily of the valley and London pride. Also had a small plum rree grown from a stone she had planted.
Sadly, she had asbestosis and died on D-Day,. never living to see me grow up, and when I think what I could have done for her, it makes me very sad. So when I smell them, it is tinged with sadness.

Mo

Aw Teddy, that is sad.

Ann, but it looks so wonderful!! I know mine is different, but yours was my inspiration... I loved yours... and I love that tumble and mass of flowers and green, all jostling for space.... I don't like to see earth between plants, lol Yours is definitely my sort of garden, with little treasures all tucked away ready for you to find them as you wander around!!

Love

Daff xxxx

Just been to look at them on an online *nursery* and it seems thay prefer a spot with full on sun :¬(( I'll have to wander around and find one then...... xxxxx

I am sure you have a spot somewhere in that garden, it seems like a garden for all seasons and aspects Lol!! I meant to have a look at the front to see what the next stage will be.
Yes I like my higgledy piggledy garden with plants in all the places they shouldn't be!!! T''s sweet peas are all in tubs, for some reason they don't grow too well in our soil. they are against the trellis on the lower patio can't be seen from the house but can be smelled when we sit down there in the evening. That reminds me, we've got a white plant flowering, have a vague recollection of planting it last year - bought in a sale at Blooms but can't remember what it is, thought it might be a lavatera but it is not like the pink one we used to have (outgrew its position and got the chop!!!

Ann xx

Lovely gardening thread. Can't join in now as I have to start the tea in a few minutes. I absolutely love gardening, and OH has an allotment. I never seem to go anywhere without I buy at least one plant for the conservatory window sill (older type of conservatory built by my dad and his mate).
Julia in Derbyshire

One of my favourite flowers Ann.......when FiL used to have a nice garden.......MiL would always bring me a bunch when they popped in........shame the garden is all laid to lawn now.....

sally

As I said Sally ours are grown in tubs so you don't really need a garden yo grow them in.

Julia, when you come back, what plants do you put in your conservatory and is it south facing? ours gets so hot that only cactus seem to survive, I would like to try something else in there.

ann
Glos

Good Morning Ann, I think you would describe my conservatory as being more west facing, but not without its problems when it comes to plants. I have a tray of cacti on top of the tumble drier, but on the window sills I have a couple of New Guinea Bizzy Lizzies and a couple of Pot Mums. I also have several pots of 'artificial' Orchids. A couple of years ago, I bought several real Orchids, but found I could not 'keep' them. They had cost me a small fortune, and were absolutely beautiful. Wherever I went I bought another, but I could not make them survive. So, what I did was buy some artifical stems, two of the same type per pot, and pot them up to look like the real thing. And people certainly thing they are the real thing.Of course, you still have them in situ in the winter, when I entersperse them with cyclamens. All very colourful, all year round, and cost effective, because I recently took the cyclamens down into the greenhouse as they were past their best, left them to dry out for a couple of weeks, tidied them up, and they are now in new growth, ready for the winter.
Yesterday, I called in the garden centre, as you do, on my way somewhere, because I wanted a new tub. I thought they were all too expensive, but ended up buying two lovely mimulus plants and a Bergamot. This is about 2 1/2 foot tall, and has beautiful fuschia pink coloured flowers on top abit like thistles. I am told it will die down in the winter, but come back again and spread. A couple of years ago, I created a jungle/tropical border, but got a bit board with just the greenery. So I like to drop in some tall striking pots among the ferns etc., such as lilies, for a bit of colour. The Bergamot is destined for there also, when I have put it into a longtom pot.
Alot of my gardening is trial and error, but eventually I do find what goes best where. I am always on the look out for something new. We have four nice garden centres within about a five mile radius, and as a regular visitor to them all, I have become accustomed to which centre is best for what plant etc. One I am going to on Sunday, for instance, is great for clematis. I have wanted to put somemore of these in, to grow on this side of a trellis, in view from my kitchen window. A small 'water garden' in a large tub, has sadly spring a leek, so I will out the few water plants, and put in a couple of contrasting clematis.
Every year I always say I am not spending as much on my garden, but I just cannot resist, though I do have a policy that a plant has got to be worth its price. At one time, it was nothing over £5, but nowadays it is more like £6.99. But then, what else do I spend my money on.
All winter I am on the lap top, and there again, I am very cautious for what searches I have done, especially when some charge £20 per hour, though I have found the one at Northampton, whilst being very thorough, only give you what you have asked for, that is if you know what you want, rather than point you to something else.
The thing is, everything costs, and if we want it, we have to pay.
Happy gardening
Julia in Derbyshire