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What can't you grow?

15 replies

aJumpedUpPantryBoy · 30/01/2010 17:00

I can't grow lily of the valley and I love them.
I've tried buying the pips, transplanting them from a friend (with permission) and buying young plants but they always produce a couple of feeble shoots and then die.
I follow all the instructions and plant them in suitable conditions.
Being an optomist I shall try again this year.

I used to be unable to grow lobelia from seed but kept trying and last year ended up with so many plants I had to give them away.

OP posts:
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meltedmarsbars · 31/01/2010 09:45

Carrots.

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taffetacat · 06/02/2010 20:12

We have lots of lily of the valley here as they were a favourite of DH's late grandmother ( who's house this used to be ). I therefore didn't raise them myself but have transplanted some successfully to her grave in the village churchyard. Are you planting in shade?

Ours grow well here in the shade of other plants, esp well under big peonies.

We are on chalk, very well drained and totally south facing so this is prob why they only grow under other plants.

There is masses that doesn't grow well here, my saddest loss a Sidalcea Elsie Heugh which I adored. I don't even look at plants now that can't take our extreme garden conditions as it upsets me too much! Great here for lavender, hollyhocks, peonies, verbascum, linum and all the chalk lovers though. Veg always problematic as need mounds and mounds of manure and truckloads of water.

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PlanetEarth · 06/02/2010 20:44

Dahlias. Snails, snails, snails .

The only dahlia of mine that survived more than a couple of weeks turned out to be really ugly (bright fuschia and yellow). It wouldn't go away, I dug it out twice but it kept coming back. Obviously the snails thought it was ugly too and wouldn't touch it!

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serinBrightside · 07/02/2010 23:09

Pinks.
Not enough sun.

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OverflowingMum · 16/02/2010 15:49

carrots....soil too full of rubbish LOL
and for some strange and inexplicanble reason Delphiniums and lupins. I LOVE delphiniums and lupins...they always start well,but then get only 1 or 2 flowers before they wither away tonothing. And that is just from planting out purchased plants....
Will try again this year...also always hopeful!!(think it could be a snail / slug problem maybe....)

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helenium · 16/02/2010 15:50

tomatoes from seed. always stay green and hard.

But the cherry toms bought in pots and grown on the patio are simple and delicious.

Onions have been a bit of a bastard for me too.

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LaTrucha · 16/02/2010 15:55

Any climbing plants. The sea wind just blasts it all to hell. I did wonder why the former owners had a completely bare pergola.

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WynkenBlynkenandNod · 17/02/2010 14:18

Carrots and chives.

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Greenfingeredsarah · 17/02/2010 15:01

I can't grow Basil! It always dies.....

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ClaireDeLoon · 17/02/2010 15:03

sweet peas, they get so high up and then die

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LynetteScavo · 17/02/2010 15:11

Sunflowers.

Every year I try, and fail.

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FlyMeToDunoon · 17/02/2010 15:14

Sunflowers here too. The snails and slugs just decimate them at whatever stage I plant them out.
My mother and I have tried for several years to grow black hollyhocks too with no success.

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navyeyelasH · 17/02/2010 15:15

thyme!

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Greenfingeredsarah · 17/02/2010 15:46

actually I'll second that! Thyme is an issue for me too!

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TwentiethCenturyHeffa · 17/02/2010 15:52

Basil and coriander. Well, I can grow coriander but it always bolts Have given up now.

I've tried unsuccessfully to grow basil from seed numerous times and it always dies. Last year I bought some supermarket basil in a pot, divided it up into 3 sections, repotted it and it's still going in my kitchen Lots of lovely new shoots at the moment too.

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