My plant hospital patients (with photos)

[PlantsOfPerspective]

I'm a terrible gardener, but I try.

Are any of these plants saveable?

A bay, an acer, and a ?.

Why is the bay growing from the bottom? Should I cut it right back?

Should I throw them all away and start again?

Okay, I'm struggling with the photos!

Bay

Bay looks fine. Good sign it's growing from the bottom. Probably needs to be in a larger pot.

Can't see the photos, but if you cut a bay back, it will probably grow back. Acers are not expensive to replace. If they are in pots, plant them in the ground. I have no idea how robust a ? plant is. I'll wait for the photo.

Bay is fine. You can cut off the dry brown twiggy dead bits.

Acer

Thanks for the replies so far!

Weeds and the ? plant

The acer stands a good chance of surviving. I would repot it or put it in the ground.
The ? plant looks like it might be a help. The light green things look like weeks. Repot.
You can probably reuse the pots but need soil or compost.
Thanks for the photos.

All the plants would be happier planted.

Try taking them out of their pots and putting In Some fresh compost. . The Acer needs ericaesious compost and a slightly bigger pot. The bay looks ok and the shrubs just needs fresh compost and throwing away the weeds. Keep watered but don’t feed them until the Autumn.

Last one looks like it could be Thyme

I thought it was thyme too or maybe winter savory. Thyme more likely.
All are great plants and fairly indestructible.

Thyme has a distinctive smell OP. rub the leaves and smell it then next time you are in the supermarket, sniff the thyme in their herb section.

that compost is out of nutrients. Replenish, trim the dead bits of each plant off and they should perk up. Or as mentioned, put them in the ground.

Hmm, I like plants in pots 😄.

Right, I have new multi-purpose compost, and I'll get some new special compost for the acres.

My other acer is really happy, but it feels like that is despite me, rather than because of me 🙂.

Thanks for all of the advice.

Could the last one be a bush Potentilla?
I agree with pps they all need a little TLC and repotting with fresh compost and feeding. Ericaceous for the Acer.

Probably a silly question, but can you re-pot with fresh compost but back into the same pot? Or do you need to keep moving up the pot sizes?

What kind of things are particularly well suited to being in pots? I love the random plants / pots look.

I have another question if no one minds - my bay tree was a standard bay tree, which I think just means it had a bare trunk, then some round-ish foliage. But it won't be like that now it's growing from the bottom. I suppose my question is - what shape is an untrained bay tree? I feel like it's feral now!

Yes you can use the same pots but take the plant out of the pot, put a bit of compost in the pot then put the plant back in. Top up the compost so that the sides of the pot aren't empty and put just a little on top.
Bay trees look like bushes and they can get quite big.

Herbs can be quite happy in pots but will need drainage and watering.
Rosemary, mint and sage are all quite reliable and have pretty flowers.
And you can eat them.

Thanks for the ideas. I got a lovely purple sage recently.

I love purple sage. Chives are ok in pots, as are tarragon and parsley.

To be honest I'd prune the bay at the bottom and the top snd shape it back into a standard which should grow quite happily

Ime, acers prefer a damper environment than a pot. I planted my wife's favourite back in the garden after it lost condition in a larger pot than that in your picture. It's revived beautifully.