# New purchases



## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Just back from one of my favourite garden centres, although it's expensive, but I got three plants I wanted, crocosmia lucifer, chocolate cosmos and a new heuchera which has almost black leaves with pink splashes. Also got a new pot which I thought was a bargain for the size, spent just over £30 in total but really pleased with what I got, the size of the plants meant they were quite expensive as well. 

Anyone else been to a garden centre this weekend? What did you get?


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

I went, the only thing I could find was an unusual Penstenmon which is a low grownig one with deep blue flowers.

Your Heuchera sounds lovely, which one is that.?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Honeys mum said:


> I went, the only thing I could find was an unusual Penstenmon which is a low grownig one with deep blue flowers.
> 
> Your Heuchera sounds lovely, which one is that.?


Will get pics of them and the name of the heuchera when I pop out in a bit.

I love penstemons, they never seem to last in my garden though. I know some are only annuals but some of the biennials never come back either


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

This is the heuchera, Midnight Rose, really love it!



And this is the chocolate cosmos, sat in the pot I got, for those who don't know, called chocolate cosmos as the flowers not only resemble a dark brown chocolatey colour, but they smell of chocolate!


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for that S.L,wow thats really lovely, will have to look out for that one, the chocolate comos are nice too,they really do smell of chocolate don't they.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Forgot to say, if you like Heuchera's Chocolate Ruffles is nice if you haven't already got it.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Honeys mum said:


> Forgot to say, if you like Heuchera's Chocolate Ruffles is nice if you haven't already got it.


I think I've got that one, I've got about 8 or 10 different varieties on the go, but yep, love them as they have great foliage and flowers. Have to pass a big garden centre on the way to work tomorrow, may pop in and see if they've got anything a bit different!


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## crazy curtains (Jul 9, 2011)

3 plants I love! Bought my first chocolate cosmos this year-it really is chocolatey!!
I have that Heuchera too and another tho not sure of the variety. I have a huge fondness for them as they remind me of my dear old dad who used to grow them in his fabulous rockery.

Look forwards to seeing your crocosmia in flower sl


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Got a LOAD more stuff today, a hosta, two blackcurrant bushes, leucanthemum, papaver, tradescantia, grape vine and lupin!


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## crazy curtains (Jul 9, 2011)

Aw I have a couple of hostas in pots (darent grow them in the ground as I get cross when the snails get 'em!) And lupins too, dark puple ones-so pretty 

Next on my shopping list are japanese annenomies (I can never spell that right!), sea thrift and some peonies.
Think ive seen peonies in your garden too sl?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

crazy curtains said:


> Aw I have a couple of hostas in pots (darent grow them in the ground as I get cross when the snails get 'em!) And lupins too, dark puple ones-so pretty
> 
> Next on my shopping list are japanese annenomies (I can never spell that right!), sea thrift and some peonies.
> Think ive seen peonies in your garden too sl?


I've got some white Japanese anemonies, if you want me to post you some just shout, they are very hardy and I keep digging the darn things up as they spread. And yep, I've got peonies, four of them, one got moved and sulked for a bit but is now doing ok


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## crazy curtains (Jul 9, 2011)

Thought I'd seen them. Really do like peonies, especially the really dark pink almost red flowers.
Thank you for the offer, I'd love some white anemones (is that right?), really kind 
If you want t any day lily bulbs, crocosmia montbretia bulbs or seeds from the below (papaver?) Im happy to send some in exchange.


Eta please excuse the messy background im concentrating on the other half of the garden this year :O


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

crazy curtains said:


> Thought I'd seen them. Really do like peonies, especially the really dark pink almost red flowers.
> Thank you for the offer, I'd love some white anemones (is that right?), really kind
> If you want t any day lily bulbs, crocosmia montbretia bulbs or seeds from the below (papaver?) Im happy to send some in exchange.


Will get a pic of the anemones tomorrow for you, and yep, happy to do an exchange


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> Got a LOAD more stuff today, a hosta, two blackcurrant bushes, leucanthemum, papaver, tradescantia, grape vine and lupin!


Sounds like you are going to be busy planting SL.
Tradescantia's are lovely, Ive got three differant varities, poppies are my favourite flowers, I have got plenty of Ladybird poppy seeds if you would like some, I grew them from seed this year, they have been lovely, I'm just collecting the seeds now.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Honeys mum said:


> Sounds like you are going to be busy planting SL.
> Tradescantia's are lovely, Ive got three differant varities, poppies are my favourite flowers, I have got plenty of Ladybird poppy seeds if you would like some, I grew them from seed this year, they have been lovely, I'm just collecting the seeds now.


I've got some ladybird poppy seeds! I need to get going on my greenhouse/growing cage creation, so I can get seedlings going next year. And yep, tradescantia's are beautiful, this is the first one in this garden but I hope to add more, blue and gold this time


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Love the plants SL. I had a heuchera similar to that one, but it just did nothing in my garden. Tried it in various positions and also in a pot, but it just wouldn't get going.

Have recently bought a couple of new ones, one has a silvery pattern on the leaf and the other is a strange "ginger" colour.

Also bought crocosmia Lucifer, a hebe with variegated leaf, 2 erysimum Bowles Mauve, Verbascum, Knautia, a yellow daisy like plant which I think was a Helenium and a purple Gazania to fill a gap in a container.

I planted a white Japanese anemone this year which I'm hoping will brighten up a dark, shady spot.

My cardoom has flowered - massive thistle like flower heads on a seven foot plant (must take photo).

TIP: You probably know that the chocolate cosmos is tender, but if not, make sure you protect it through winter otherwise you may lose it. I lost mine a few years ago :frown:

Oh dear, just read back through my post and I think I need to go to Gardeners' Anonymous! :lol:


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Lurcherlad said:


> Love the plants SL. I had a heuchera similar to that one, but it just did nothing in my garden. Tried it in various positions and also in a pot, but it just wouldn't get going.
> 
> Have recently bought a couple of new ones, one has a silvery pattern on the leaf and the other is a strange "ginger" colour.
> 
> ...


Haha, lol, yes, I know re chocolate cosmos, am hoping to have a *temporary* green house and will bubble wrap it over winter 

Will get a pic of the heuchera's I've got, I think I'm gonna be busy this weekend planting everything up!


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## delca1 (Oct 29, 2011)

I'm not a brilliant gardener but I do try!
A few days ago I bought a couple of phlox (I love them and they remind me so much of my Gran), some penstemon with pink and white flowers, a hebe and a couple of yellow daisy type plants.

All planted and still alive 

Oh, the downside of this is I only popped into the garden centre to get a hanging basket gadget to lower it for watering, got a bit carried away with the plant buying, oops!


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

delca1 said:


> I'm not a brilliant gardener but I do try!
> A few days ago I bought a couple of phlox (I love them and they remind me so much of my Gran), some penstemon with pink and white flowers, a hebe and a couple of yellow daisy type plants.
> 
> All planted and still alive
> ...


Sounds familiar! 

Still, I neither drink nor smoke, so plants are my "drug" of choice 

I've never mastered the art of buying things in threes - I'm so greedy for plants that I want one of everything!


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

delca1 said:


> I'm not a brilliant gardener but I do try!
> A few days ago I bought a couple of phlox (I love them and they remind me so much of my Gran), some penstemon with pink and white flowers, a hebe and a couple of yellow daisy type plants.
> 
> All planted and still alive
> ...


I always get carried away, and I LOVE phlox!!



Lurcherlad said:


> Sounds familiar!
> 
> Still, I neither drink nor smoke, so plants are my "drug" of choice
> 
> I've never mastered the art of buying things in threes - I'm so greedy for plants that I want one of everything!


I'm exactly the same, my patch of hostas and heucheras is all different varieties, I just love seeing all the different contrasting foliage and flowers


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## delca1 (Oct 29, 2011)

Lurcherlad said:


> Sounds familiar!
> 
> Still, I neither drink nor smoke, so plants are my "drug" of choice
> 
> *I've never mastered the art of buying things in threes - I'm so greedy for plants that I want one of everything!*


I often buy more than one as I can never decide which colour to get!



Sleeping_Lion said:


> I'm exactly the same, my patch of hostas and heucheras is all different varieties, I just love seeing all the different contrasting foliage and flowers


Having just looked up heucheras on the web, I have tried to grow the tapestry one a couple of times as I love the colours but they didn't last long


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

delca1 said:


> Having just looked up heucheras on the web, I have tried to grow the tapestry one a couple of times as I love the colours but they didn't last long


I've got a few of them, from plain lime green leaves, to almost black leaves (my most recent purchase), I love them, lovely foliage and flowers


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

I have one called Chocolate Ruffles - I mean, really, how could i resist? Had it about ten years and it is impeccably behaved.


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## Honeys mum (Jan 11, 2013)

Jonescat said:


> I have one called Chocolate Ruffles - I mean, really, how could i resist? Had it about ten years and it is impeccably behaved.


Chocolate ruffles is one of my favourite heucrehas, there are lots of lovely ones with the really dark leaves.
They brighten up any flower bed and I find them very easy to grow, look very nice in the front of a border.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Well, I wouldn't have, but husband made me..............

4 trays of purple/yellow violas - for the window boxes either side of the front door

and a very large Pieris which was £10 in the bargain corner


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