companion planting.

[Lesley Jay]

Nicos I am not a flower person at all.I was trawling through some American sites and they are attracted to some type of nectar that these plants give out. Anyway (good job I wrote them down when I read it) as well as Impatiens they are attracted to Passion Flower (which I have in our garden but it hasn't flowered), Morning Glory and Hibiscus. I wouldn't know a perennial if it came up and bit me so Nicos go on explain the different types to me.

[Nicos]

Neither am I which is why I prefer to grow perennials ....they come up year after year and just need a bit of attention in the autumn ! I do like to plant a few annuals in the borders and in tubs to give instant colour..they grow from seed,flower and die all in the same year, and just need chucking out either when the frost gets them or when they have finished flowering.(The only seeds I collect tend to be from perennials and I shake these onto the soil (survival of the fittest and all!) I buy ready grown annuals as I have no greenhouse and actually prefer to enjoy looking at the flowers than nurturing them from seed as I've killed off so many seedlings in the past.(somehow this doesn't seem to happen with veg seedlings!!) Bi-ennials are grown one year and flower the next. Maybe because I have spent the last 25 years living like my hair's on fire , I enjoy my flower garden to look after itself. Shrubs,perennials,bulbs and annuals make up my garden aswell as lawn and patio areas,and I can potter(great word!) as I wish. The allotment is the place I go to work hard and enjoy with my OH. Even there I have bulbs and some perennials,which is why I fancy getting a bit more into fruit and companion planting of both herbs and flowers.
Maybe someone else with more understanding of flowers can give a more clear answer LJ??

[sewer rat]

Clear as Mud

Basically it goes like this
Annuals - grow from seed, flower and set seed in one season. Can be further divided into ;
Hardy Annual (HA) - these can withstand frost so seed can be sown outside whenever ground conditions allow
Half Hardy Annual (HHA) - cannot withstand frost so are generally raised in greenhouses before planting out after danger of frosts has gone

Bi-ennials - grow stems and leaves from seed in Year One, flowers and set seed in Year Two

Perrenials - Hardy plant. Leaves and stems tend to dissapear with the onset of Winter, re-emerging with new growth in the Spring.The term perrennial is slightly misleading as most will lose their full impact after four or five years, which is why a lot of them will require lifting and dividing every two or three years as this rejuvenates the plant. Plants that cannot withstand frost but can be stored over winter, eg Dahlia tubers, can be classed as Tender Perrenials.

There are other little sub-groups floating about but the above are the principal ones for flowers

[Nicos]

You obviously have clearer mud up there Rat!!

[nick the grief]

You ought to do gardening for a living Rat, I believed you

[jaybex]

geordie, that is fantastic, thank-you. really got to work on my plan now...thats incredible.

thank you to all of you that have given some advice, it's quite daunting as a newbie to be faced with a 30x70 ft plot and no idea what i'm doing! you've all been really helpful. have recommended this site to anyone i know with even a vague interest in gardening.

[nick the grief]

We've all been there Jaybex, the most improtant bit is to keep the weeds down on the peices you're not using. Black plastic might not look nice but it is effective - you could always do some tubs of bedding & stand them on the plastic to keep it held down

[Jaxom]

You could always do some tubs of bedding & stand them on the plastic to keep it held down

Nick, what a good idea. In fact I would go as far as saying fantastic. Top tip. Send it in to the magazine you may win star letter or whatever they call it these days.

[nick the grief]

I have these moments of sanity, usually involves lots of cups of tea

[Jaxom]

Caffeine is a wonderful thing. Perhaps someone should market it. Opps a few hundred years out of date!
Jax

[bramble]

Nick, Do you drink alchaol at all?

[nick the grief]

yeshh btu nto vry otfn Hic!

Yes I do Bramble, on an average 2-3 time a month! I was born in a pub so I have seen more pints than most folks will ever drink So it doen't bother me too much, plus the pub that's about 100yds from my front door is crap!! I wouldn't use their beer for slug traps! the nearest decent pub to me is about 5 mins drive in either direction & so I don't drink if Im driving & would you want to drink coke all night whilst someone else was saying how good the beer is

[bramble]

gottcha,Have the same peoblem ourselves. No decent pubs within walking distance. Can,t drive, can,t smoke, and off the booze for lent, so nearly an expert on tea at the moment. Roll on easter.

[nick the grief]

I've packed in smoking as well, so it gives me somthing to do with my hands

[Green Great]

You already made a worthwhile companion already as I grew Parsnips and Carrots in the same barrel along with Parsley and Celeriac it worked a treat, certainly not one carrot fly. It certainly work's in my neck of the woods.