Annuals as cut flowers, and update on gardening jobs!

Just a cheery photo whilst the sun is out!
I thought we could appreciate nature as well as our gardens!

Greyduster … So Cosmos seed around the garden do they?
As you say, that's a bonus. I hope they like it here and self seed in the future. Sarah Raven has garden ready plugs of Cosmos at around £15 + p&p for 15 plants!!

I didn't know you could grow Dahlias from seed. I thought they grew from tubers.
How easy is easy though?

I told you I was plant greedy, now I want to grow your Dahlias!

Lisagran ..Thank you, so beautiful!! and they are the colour I most like in crocus. Doesn't the central stamen contrast so beautifully with the purple? I've never put them in a vase, as you have, but the stripy ones look like a painting.

Wwave … I steer clear of slug friendly plants here, as they have always won the war in my garden. Delphiniums (Larkspur) are such striking flowers though. I shall be envious of you when you post your photos of them in the summer.

J52 … Looking forward to the photo.

shysal … I love your naturalised spot. The primroses look happy. I cant keep them for more than a year or two, they seem to disappear.
Glorious pots of polyanthus too.
I don't know if you're venturing out at all, but the last time I was in B&Q they were so overstocked with poly's they were selling them off at below half price! They were all looking really healthy too.
I suppose they aren't getting the footfall they expected.

Thank you for posting everyone, its great to share gardening chatter

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Whitewave and J52, I broadcast some Larkspur seeds last year and ended up with 2 plants! Must have been got by slugs.

Anemone Blanda do well in my tiny north facing front patch and have been joined by primroses which I didn't plant. However, they don't get the sun so don't often open fully.

They’re from S America Whitewavemark, so they like the warmth. I had some one year, but they had a strange smell!

Also I have sown Cleome for the cutting garden but not a sign, I might try again. Has anyone got any tips?

I have a lovely pot of Anemone Blanca. I’ll post a picture later, as it’s dull outside and they’ve closed up. ( still asleep)

Larkspur is a lovely flower, young plants also loved by slugs.
I might see if I can get some, on my last foray out.

Today I’m going to sow some larkspur for my picking garden.

I agree about tulips they never do well after the first year although I did years ago have some red ones that flowered year after year. I have planted some in the ground this year as an experiment to see how they do next year.

Too bloomin’ cold to do much else though. We are on the South Downs and get quite a lot of cold north easterlies.

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Some crocuses for you Namsnanny - taken last week / they’re over now

Canadiangran I made that mistake the first year I grew cosmos, but I fell in love with them and the fact that they come up everywhere now is a bit of a bonus, especially at the back of a bed. They are the plant that keeps on giving! I am growing bedding dahlias this year because they have a long flowering season and are very easy to grow from seed. We don’t have a greenhouse now but a cold conservatory which is ideal.

Yes but crocus are lovely!

Send us a photo CanadianGran, mine are over now and it rained an awful lot when they were, so I didn't get to see much of them.

J52 … my tulips are not even in bud yet, but I did plant them very late. The ones I left in the ground last year are up and in bud but, they have whittled down to about 1/3 of the amount there before.
In my experience they don't do well left in the garden. I usually just put them in pots then throw them away.
Yes it's wasteful but saves from being disappointed by the depleting numbers.

Beautiful photos; i'm envious! Greenery is just poking out of the ground, nothing but crocus here yet.

Lovely cheery photos.
I’ve got narcissus and hyacinths, but my tulips are very much in bud.

wwave your tulips look so perfect! Are you sure you haven't poked some silk ones in the ground ?
The narcissus look so cheerful, are they the variety that has scent?
Good reliable hyacinths mine finished a while ago.

Beautiful photos thank you!

I'm so envious of all you posters. My part of the west country has been so wet, I can't get on with my gardening. BUT (whisper it) the weather looks as though it will be dry for the next few days.....

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Oh blimey j52 I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll have to dig out the fleece. It is somewhere in the shed I think.

Here is some photos of pots

You must live somewhere warm WW . I don’t put them out till after the last chance of frost. Remember the beast from the East.

Yes I planted out my sweet peas to go up an obelisk last weekend. I grew them over the winter.

Thanks for the nemesis tip canadiangran I must have a look at that.

Thank you for starting this post! It's still very early here; we are quite far north. Last year I planted cosmos directly in the garden and was unprepared for the size of the plant! We had to stake them and they overwhelmed the area I had planted them. I had put snapdragon beside them, but the poor dears didn't get much light because of the cosmos.

Whitewave, if you are looking for scent, I always put white nemesia in my mixed pots. They smell divine. Also sweetpeas near the walkway to the door up an obelisk.

I have never thought to grow ammi on purpose! I just see it growing wild. Have never seen the seeds available. For frothy filler in bouquets I use the greenery from astilbe, but the fennel looks lovely.

So many ideas here; thank you all! If i had to post a photo now it wouldn't win any prizes. Bulb leaves are just 4" high, with only 2 little crocuses on display and no muscari or daffodils yet. Looking forward to warm sunshine

I will put on some photos over the weekend when we get home

Yes I had the same. It was like magic. But will be very sensible from now on. The consultant said it was from childhood. We never used sun screen - don’t think it existed.

I have sown night phlox for the first time, hope it is ok.

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1st photo's!!

Not much but tis mine own!!

The first is of the bronze fennel that I was given, bit floppy as they don't like being moved, I think. Also it has green fly on the new growth, would you believe it, at this time of year!
I'll cut it back for now.

The second is the creeping phlox. The bee's love this plant so I gather, so I'm looking forward to seeing it in flower.

0h goodness ww that must have been a shock!
My father had something similar. They gave him some cream which cleared it up (iynwas a slow growing one) which had some similar properties to Ammimajor.

Thank you namsnanny

I actually thought I had psoriasis on my face but it turned out to be cancer - don’t suppose it would be much good for that??

sorry crossed posts ww … well I wouldn't like to offer any advice its probably best you look things up for yourself and then make an informed decision!

But..….I make my own cream for psoriasis, which I have read Ammi is good for, so I'm going to try the seeds, root and or leaves mixed into it.

Please be aware that this plant is related to Giant Hog Weed which is known to have SAP that can IRRITATE some peoples skin, so I would suggest being careful with it!!

At the moment