Have you ever bought, planted, and dug up something in one day?

[chrisdb]

I was at a local nursery (one of my favourites) that specialises in herbaceous perennials today. I wanted some Geranium Macrorrhizum to use as a ground cover under some shrubs next to the drive, but in the shade corner they also had Persicaria Campanulata. I liked the look of the leaves and the label said max height 60cm, max spread 90 cm, pink flowers, good ground cover, ... so I thought why not.

Having planted it, I then googled it and saw max heights >1m so I wandered out and dug the thing up again. Not only would it potentially swamp the shrub it's supposed to be growing under, but if it starts competing with the half height fence between our drive and the neighbours' then I don't know what they'd think. They already think I'm a bit crazy for wandering home with new and interesting plants most weekends, and if something that looks like (and is) a knotweed enters their field of view I'm sure they'll think I've gone off the deep end and planted the Japanese variety.

I guess I'll have to find another spot for it...

[veggiechicken]

I bought some Dracunculus vulgaris - Dragon lilies last year - thinking they sounded interesting. After goggling them I found they're known as Stink lilies. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ily_92612.html

After a lot of thought they were "planted" in the green waste bin.

[chrisdb]

I bought some Dracunculus vulgaris - Dragon lilies last year - thinking they sounded interesting. After goggling them I found they're known as Stink lilies. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ily_92612.html

After a lot of thought they were "planted" in the green waste bin.

Never heard of them... but they look really pretty. Shame about the smell. Mind you, having a not quite pleasant, fetid smell to attract flies isn't uncommon. I believe hawthorn is fly pollinated, and many people find the scent of its flowers unpleasant up close. Similarly for meadowsweet, which has that same sweaty-sweet kind of smell.

Speaking of objectionable scent, I grew wild garlic in a pot a few years ago. I was debating whether to plant it and risk upsetting the neighbours or not, but the decision was taken out of my hands since it self-seeded quite enthusiastically. I now have a young patch even though the originals never left their pot...

[veggiechicken]

I bought some box plants once, brought them home in the car. By the time I reached home, the stink of them had filled the car. They went out too.

Also, a flowering currant (the one with pink flowers) -

[chrisdb]

I bought some box plants once, brought them home in the car. By the time I reached home, the stink of them had filled the car. They went out too.

Also, a flowering currant (the one with pink flowers) -

I've never noticed a smell from box, but apparently only some people can smell it - there are plenty of results on Google suggesting it smells of cat urine. Scent is very personal. My sense of smell isn't great, but I can smell the sweet violets from some distance on a good day, whereas my wife, who normally has a super nose for scent, swears they don't smell of anything.

[Ocelot]

I love flowering currants (and their smell - like blackcurrants).

A good ground cover plant for shade (very low growing) is Sweet Woodruff.

[chrisdb]

I love flowering currants (and their smell - like blackcurrants).

A good ground cover plant for shade (very low growing) is Sweet Woodruff.

I have some sweet woodruff in the back garden. I tried to grow it from seed a couple of times but never had any success, so in the end I bought a couple of plants. I've now got an expanding clump growing under the jostaberry.

I could perhaps transplant some. I've already dug up and transplanted some sweet violets and bugle.

[Ocelot]

Sweet violets and bugle also good for shade, as you know. Primrose and Lamium are also good.