Non flowering Canterbury Bells

[Marb67]

I have a few of these plants grown from seed last year and seem to be thriving but absolutely no flowers, just these bland things that have been like this for weeks. Any idea what has happened (or not as the case may be) ?

Thanks.

[Containergardener]

Give them time . Mine are not flowering yet.

[Marb67]

Ok, I thought they should have opened by now.

[Containergardener]

Blame the weather

[Nicos]

Mine look much the same as yours too Marb.

[Snoop Puss]

No flowers as yet, Marb, but that's a very pretty spot in your garden even so. Looks lovely.

[Marb67]

No flowers as yet, Marb, but that's a very pretty spot in your garden even so. Looks lovely.

Thanks. I do my best

[Snoop Puss]

Oh my goodness, Marb. Absolutely beautiful.

I hope you won't mind me saying this, but sometimes from your posts I think everything is a disaster in your garden. But far from it, seeing those photos. You've got proper green fingers. Gorgeous plants.

[Marb67]

Oh my goodness, Marb. Absolutely beautiful.

I hope you won't mind me saying this, but sometimes from your posts I think everything is a disaster in your garden. But far from it, seeing those photos. You've got proper green fingers. Gorgeous plants.

Thanks, that's very kind. I try to make the best of limited space. Friends and family comment all the time but I have to say I get my fair share of disasters as you may know. I'm a bit of a perfectionist but lacking in knowledge.

[Andraste]

That really is a beautiful spot

Your outdoor mirror (which I love - we had one but the frame rotted & haven't got around to refitting it) is cleaner than my indoor ones

No one knows it all Marb67 - I'm sure there are many, many things you know that I certainly wouldn't & I always think we learn more from failure than success.

[Marb67]

Thanks very much. Makes me feel better with all the things that go wrong. A lot of seeds sown this year have failed to come up, many from newer packets that were OK last year.

[Andraste]

Sorry to hear that about your germination *hugs* - it's the best feeling when stuff grows but such a disappointment when they don't.

I do wonder how much peat-free compost is to blame as lots of people (including me but also many more experienced growers than I) seem to have had an unusual lack of success where they had no issue in previous years. I've found that even in the blowaway I have to keep seed trays/modules in a plastic bag to get successful germination otherwise the peat-free does funky things like dry on the top but stay soggy underneath and vice versa. That made me overwater/underwater last year with disasterous results.

It really makes me doubt myself when things that have always worked before start to fail but I'm very slowly learning that sometimes it's things outside my control like weather/temp/cr*ppy compost.

Even cr*appy seed is at fault sometimes as I found out with a new pack of parsnip seed last year that did virtually nothing - all the same methods by me & even the same compost for sowing etc. had no issues when I bought another packet. Only trouble was that the birds & slugs then ate my successful parsnip seedlings, leaving us with only 3 out of about 30 or more plants that had popped up! We satisfied ourselves that at least we had enough for Xmas lunch & made sure to put up a bird defence & use organic pellets this year.

[Marb67]

Looks like they are starting to flower now

[Containergardener]

Still waiting for mine

[Nicos]

Mine are now in full flower.