General Chat

but no room now discovered there is a dwarf variety in three colours does not exceed 3' in height and even grow in a pot. Shall be ringing around our local garden centres tomorrow to see who has it and chasing OH off to get it!

I want the blue variety - it is called 'Blue Chip'. I saw an advert in today's paper and went on line. I do collect blue plants in my garden! Over the years I have amassed a few and in the spring well forgetmenots are everywhere!!!

I usually call it the butterfly bush as it is appropriate!!

We have one in a pot outside the front window, saves people staring in as there is no front garden here so the idiot next door parks his truck outside and stares in. It grows back every year from o.h. cutting it back even tho it's in a small pot it makes 5 ft or so every summer, and is pretty.

I like the really deep purple ones and one day might sneak one in the back garden altho we have other shrubs that attract butterflies too.


Hope you get the one you want, they seem to thrive on any old soil, I have seen them self seeded into walls high above my head.

Lizx

I also love them, but they can be a weed in New Zealand.

Chris, if you like blue flowers, can you get the Chatham Island forget me not in your garden centres? Latin name is Myosotidium hortensia. It has large clusters of blue forget-me-not-like flowers, and large glossy green leaves. Like the Myosotis foget me nots it is a member of the borage family.

Huia who will be visiting the Chatham Islands in late Sept for their forget me not festival.

Good morning to you all.
I had all these plants in my garden in the UK and miss them. Do you know if Budlia and Ceanothis will grow in hot summers with fairly cold winters. I would love to plant them here in Spain.
Thanks

06.52 hrs Spain :-)

I just googled Buddleia and would think they would grow in Spain, they said prune hard after a cold winter or words to that effect.

There is a question and answer site about these plants and ssaid they seed vigorously, also said put some brick dust in with the soil when planting or put round it as 'they like this' So that's why they thrive in nooks and crannies in brick walls and on roofs.

Lizx

Huia - just googled it, such a pretty plant. Weather conditions similar to UK! Must ask around. Thank you

I spent about 5 years trying to destroy a buddlea that had decided to grow in my garden!!!
Finally managed to dig the roots out 5 years ago.
Now I've discovered another one - already about 4ft tall in the border. :-S
The irony is, my ex has desperately tried to grow one, and they've all died!

Beware of 'dwarf' varieties!!
About 15 years ago, I bought a 'dwarf' Ceanothis - maximum height 3ft.
It's now about 12 ft high and 20 ft across.
It was beautiful, and passers by always commented on it.
However, being a shrub (albeit it tree height), it dies. I'm slowly chopping it down, in the hope that the neighbours won't notice :-(

Maggie, I have been caught like that. Why is it always the plants etc you do not particularly like do well and others you nuture for years?

Huia - cannot find a stockist over here for the plant - shame.

http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=2975

for the CI Forget-me-not :-)

Chris...try this...

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/pfregions.asp?id=11285

jude :)

Spanish Eyes ,
My Ceanothis is planted in full sun,on top of a chalk bank - and I never water my plants! It has survived quite a few very cold winters - maybe the odd branch has succumbed - but if it was smaller, it could be covered with a fleece.
Growing nearby (out of the shade of the blithering thng), and on the side of the bank, I have quite a few Cistus' (a type of rock rose) - and they're from a hot climate!!

No mention of Buddleia alternifolia - the weepy willow type of B. Sedum spectabile is also good for butterflies.

Happy days

There was a program on the tv only a few weeks ago discussing 'weeds' and the buddleia along with the rhododendron were both on the list so by that logic it ought to grow anywhere. The one that was shown was growing in the side of a brick wall on the railway embankment.-jl

Thanks Jude and Rose - will have a look

Phoned 4 local garden centres for drawf buddelia - OH has gone to get it only one of the centres had it about a mile from us in the village!

He's back but he bought TWO!!!!

O.M.G dont get a buddelia.they grow massive and take over your garden,very nice to look at and butterflies love them,but they are a menace to get rid of.my son had to dig a 5ft hole around mine to get it out.x :-D

Chris, another blue flower is Scilla peruviana. It has a large cone shaped cluster of flowers. I have some of the bulbs.

Huia.

Thanks Huia - I have some Scilla - they are pretty.