I made a resolution this year

[hamsterqueen]

not to buy plants unless I am going to go straight back and plant them.

So far I have succeeded, I have wasted far too many plants in the past by just buying what caught my fancy and then not planting it in time.

[taff]

Sometimes you'd be amazed how they come back. Last year I bought some perpetual spinach plug plants beginning of March I think, they stayed in those little polystyrene containers outside for about 3 weeks,then I stuck them in the ground, absolutely nothing happened with them for about 2 months, then they went mad, and kept me in spinach till last month.
Course, having read a lot of books and played a lot in the meantime, I know better now,,,but hell, mistakes are there to teach you stuff

[BFG]

lol. I could do with doing the same!

Still, you get some pleasant surprises! I got a pack of 10 bare rooted hawthorns that were reduced from LIDL/ALDI in the autumn and never just got round to planting them at the time. They were in a dim porch for a while and then dum.. placed outside and abandoned/forgotten. The snow came and went and I finally planted them a couple of months ago and everyone of them took no problem.

I think most plants are tougher and keener to survive than we give them credit for!

[julesapple]

Free Rose.....wasted!

I sent for a free David Austin rose from my CL magazine. It arrived end of last November/ beginning of December time. I left it in it's bag in the garage over winter as I thought it was the wrong time to plant out.

I've planted it out, but I think it's dead. It's got plenty of drainage, proper rose compost and a nice big container. It's a 'James Galway' fragranced climber, and I could kick myself for not getting it planted out sooner than April as I've now wasted the opportunity to have a beautiful rose for free.

I think I might follow Hamsterqueen's lead and make a similar resolution!

Jules