Yet more plants going in

We got our fourth lot of plants from Dunbar Garden Centre today and I can't recommend them enough.  There have been a couple of minor issues with orders - one my fault entirely and one sort of theirs and both were sorted instantly and brilliantly, so their customer service is excellent.  The plants are as fresh as a daisy (😂) and prices are fair.

This is a collection for the two patio box planters that I thought I might leave as their winter planting is still looking OK.  A day later I realised that I wouldn't be happy with that in the summer and it would be too late then to get basket plants.

We have also picked up bird food from Dunbar so we topped up again today with some half coconuts as they get stripped in an day or two.

properly cleaned out

The plants that went in a week ago are doing well.

The dwarf runner beans don't look all that bonny but it is entirely my fault.  When we picked them up they really should have been given a week outside to harden off instead of which I wrenched them out of their cells and separated them from each other and stuffed them in a larger box just in time for a couple of very cool days and nights.  All in all it was a bit of a shock to the system.  That said I can see that they will toughen up and recover OK.

On one of the previous purchases I bought a box of purple sprouting broccoli for my new veg troughs and then found out they need a pretty big space to grow.  I gave them away but decided to grow two (one in each box) for curiosity value if nothing else.

All the border perennials transplanted well and are looking just fine - this is a couple of delphiniums

The lettuce has grown quite a lot in a week

....... and so has the rocket.

two rows of seeds are germinating OK.  This the land cress at the front of the box - they will need a huge amount of thinning out

The radishes are doing OK but are also a bit overcrowded



I made quite a few mistakes/miscalculations with this year's buying all I can claim is that it has been a bit of an issue (understatement) shopping around here there and everywhere and nowhere actually being touchy feely.  I did 'decide' in March that I would just give this year a miss but, once agardener always a gardener, the call to plant is irresistable.  

A previous order contained six lots of gypsophila - a regular favourite border fluffer upper.  When it arrived I realised that it was the small trailing variety for hanging baskets.  By then my baskets and pots were planted so now I have a pair of hanging baskets containing just gypsophila.   Mmmmmm, time will tell

One pretty big mistake was jumping on an offer of two jasmine for twenty pounds.  Long story follows.... when we moved in I planted two trachelospermum jasminoides for the trellis on the sheds, having intended to plant common jasmine bought I bought the wrong variety.  I realised when planting that the water table there was about six inches below the surface and they would pretty much have their feet in water and probably not thrive.  As predicted they just got sicker and sicker.  Out they came last summer and I planted another climber (forget what) in boxes and stood those on the spot.  They also hated it and were as dead as a dodo in March.  I went back to my first intention which was to plant a thug of a jasmine that can cope with most things -Jasminume officinale - common jasmine and then I did exactly as I had done before and bought the wrong one - how can you do this twice you might ask - easy - excited by a bargain online at ten o' clock at night both times!

So, like a twerp here they are again in a place which I know killed the last pair.  basically I don't have anywhere else to put them.  Will wear thinking cap for a week or two and see if I can come up with inspiration.  What I really need is ken to make me a raised bed there for them to go in.

Last, but not least, this is a bit of a sweetie -  a pre-planted basket for £8.99 from Dunbar which should look great in a couple of weeks.