Bit of colour?

[WiZeR]

On the way home I was looking at the Daffs pushing up through the grass and thought it might be nice to have a bit of early colour on the lottie. I have never grown flowers (or fruit n veg either), could someone pls recommend some flowers that I can plant now for some early colour. I believe it is bulbs which are now shooting up? Or am I too late now?

[Nicos]

It may be a bit late for daffs to flower this year if you can find any bulbs left over for sale, but if they didn't flower that would be ok as they would just be making more food for flowering next year. See if you can track down some unsold bargains! if they did flower, they just wouldn't last in bloom very long if the weather turns hot (one day eh?)
One year I got a bootload of primulas from the council gardeners when they were pulling them up in spring, ready for the summer flowers.Pleased to get rid of them for free!! (such a waste). The following year we had loads in the garden and it looked great.

[Lesley Jay]

Nicos last year the garden centre was selling off big bags of daffodil bulbs but my Husband wouldn't let me buy them because it was the wrong time of the year. If they do the same this year I will buy them but do I store the bulbs or plant them straight away?

[Nicos]

Plant straight away- you never know what will grow, but I have had fantastic results the following year. Usually they send up leaves and maybe one flower , but the following year ..fantastic!! I think people are scared of planting out of season. I wish I had this confidence with fruit!!! So cheap too - stoc kists just want to get rid of daff bulbs now...post sales even!!

[Alice]

Hello Wizer, hope your seeds are doing well. Think you will be too late for dafs this year as mine are flowering now, but do plant for next year. They always bring cheer and will give you cut flowers to take home. They open from the tightest buds once taken indoors. too late for this year but tou might like to plant some Helleborus Viridus (green hellebore). It makes yellow green flowers (bracts actually) from November to May.Well worth their place and very easy from seed. If scent in the garden is important to you plant some night scented stock. Not great flowers but perfume the whole area in the evening. Easy from seed so plant in any ground not doing anything else like around the shed or behind other plants. Enjoyed your web site. Thanks for that.

[nick the grief]

If you hunt around wizer you may be able to track some pots of daffs down & plant these for "instant" colour. Our local GC used to sell them for 50p when they'd gone over, the new lot still try and charge £4 !!!

Like Nico, I went to our local council one year to buy some of the bedding they were ripping out but was told they couldn't sell it as it may make a profit and they would be capped the following year !! So the chap said " I'm off for a tea break now so I won't know whats gone " and with that I loaded my boot with about 20 Geraniums!! So you could try it with the Polyanthus when they take them out - you've got now't to loose

[Jaxom]

WiZer, I do what a few of the others do, Buy Daff bulbs at the end of the sowing season. Some plants like Lilies are so cheep in supermarkets and GC after they have gone over. You can't buy the bulbs for that price normally.
The advantage of buying bulbs in the green is that you know they are viable. The only bulbs I would advise not buying are Tulips.
Jax

[nick the grief]

Wizer, Our local asda had pots of crocus in today - didn't look at the price- that would give you some instant colour.

[sandersj89]

One of the reasons I took on a couple of allotments was to supply cut flowers for the house and I have had some great success.

You can see some of the stuff here:

http://sandersj89allotment.blogspot....t_archive.html

My cutting season starts with various tulips and then move on to pinks, sunflowers, cornflowers, asters, dahlia, sweet william, rudbeckia, statice, sweet peas and chrysanthemums.

I was able to keep the house supplied right through the summer and it made the wife very happy indeed and save a good few pennies!

HTH

Jerry

[nick the grief]

You are a rair man Jerry,
I tried growing Chrysanths & dahlia's to keep my wife happy .... didn't work shae says I spend all my time either in the greenhouse or on the plot .... Mind you, I think she's probably right

Gonna try strawbs this year instead cos I know she likes them!!!

[Shortie]

Might not sound very exciting but pansy's and cyclamen are in bloom and on sale this time of year... oh and dianthus....

[sandersj89]

[QUOTE=nick the grief]You are a rair man Jerry,
QUOTE]

I seem to have a bit of a reputation on our site now as I must grow the most flowers there compared to other plot holders. Though there are a couple of serious chrysanthemum growers who look down on my efforts!!

Still it makes the plave look nice!

Jerry

[pigletwillie]

My Jerry, you do get around

[nick the grief]

Certainly does Jerry. I've got 3 beds of Dahlia's & 1 of Spray chrysanth's this year.
I know what you mean about these serious show folks - They tell me I don't take it serious enough, but they look just as good on my sideboard as they do on the showbench.