2021 will be the year I plant....

[didireallysaythat]

Half a dozen tomato seeds and not the entire packet

A variety of squash and more interesting courgettes

An entire packet of melon seeds

Lots of annual flowers (cosmos, sweet peas) as well as lupins and fox gloves.

Give me something to look forward to and take my mind off our current predicament, please tell me what are you dreaming of for your gardens in 2021???

@Poppins2016 before I forget as I have the memory of a goldfish.

EBay seller:davidclyde I've bought verbena, salvia, penstemon, primrose and foxgloves from him which have all done well (potted on when they arrived).

I had a fewer bigger plants from the same seller which didn't fair very well (quite possibly my fault).

I was giving tomato plants away to anyone that came to my door in lockdown :). Just sat with my Sutton's seed catalogue now :)

Anyone recommend some evergreen structural plants? I dug a new border in lockdown and grew veg but it's too dry really for them and I was watering too much!

@hedgehogger1 I collected lots of tomato plants during my daily walks during lockdown. Mine were all pathetic in comparison - I never seem to get the timing right. I used to set them off too early and they get leggy so last year I set them off late (had trouble getting seed like the rest of the world) and they were midget plants.

Hedgehogger my favourites for evergreen border structure are:

Shade:
Rhododendron pachysanthum (it has stunning leaves)
Sarcococca
Viburnum tinus’Eve Price’
Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’
Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’

Sun:
Acacia pravissima
Loropetalum chinense
Purple sage
Convolvulus cneorum

@didireallysaythat when i plant mine out I plant them really deep so the soil is right over the lower branches.. they zoom up fast and seem to be a lot sturdier

@VenusClapTrap thanks it's a hot dry border so I'll have a look at those :)

I got £30 of gardening vouchers for Christmas. Might buy a DA rose for the south facing fence. Quite fancy "A Shropshire Lad".

Thinking instead of having my multiple dahlias together, that I might spread them out more. They really don't fit the kinda prairie style of the garden in some ways but I blooming love them.

I like this thread! I am a newish gardener as until 3y ago we just had a balcony. This year I’ll be on mat leave some of the time so want to spend time in the garden.

• get pampas grass taken out and a pergola or gazebo put up instead
• any suggestions what to grow up it? I was thinking maybe a grape vine with nice autumn colour. And what about a fast growing climbing annual to give some cover in the first year, any suggestions?
• possibly sweetcorn, will it be ok to bake in sunny clay though?

Other than that I want to keep last year’s plants alive, lovely climbing honeysuckles roses and jasmines!

@GuyFawkesDay I saw a 10% DA roses code on Facebook - let me know if you're interested/can't find it and I'll search it out

I've got a few ambitions for this year. I sowed two mini wildflower meadows last year so hoping they will start off well, and have planted a couple of roses and some allium bulbs for the first time.

I'm going to try courgettes in big pots and also perpetual spinach this year for the first time too.

I've never grown my own annuals from seed, but im going to try some cosmos this year.

@Haggertyjane

I desperately want an Amalanchier tree but can't find anywhere that wouldn't disrupt DHs immaculate (if tiny) lawn

Can you kindly buy him one for his birthday? I am sure he would find space for his very own amalanchier......

@Stompythedinosaur

I've got a few ambitions for this year. I sowed two mini wildflower meadows last year so hoping they will start off well, and have planted a couple of roses and some allium bulbs for the first time.

I'm going to try courgettes in big pots and also perpetual spinach this year for the first time too.

I've never grown my own annuals from seed, but im going to try some cosmos this year.

Cosmos are so easy to grow from seed and dahlias :)

@hedgehogger1 @Stompythedinosaur

I agree cosmos are dead easy to grow from seed and they flowered until November here - I'm definitely growing them again.

But I've never tried dahlia from seed - does it take several years before they flower? I guess I assumed they have to be quite old to get a decent tuber.

No they flower first year, the plants are just a bit smaller :)

@didireallysaythat

@hedgehogger1 - I've never seen a wide range of dahlia seeds but maybe I haven't been looking in the right place. I feel.duty bound to spend another hour or two looking at seed catalogues. It's a hard life but someone's gotta do it!

@didireallysaythat I may have to help...

search.thompson-morgan.com/search?w=dahlia%20seeds

www.suttons.co.uk/search/go?w=Dahlia%20seeds

Some to start you off :)

@hedgehogger1 I was trying to hold off but after tonight's announcement I think I'll buy the seeds now!

I was going to get a heated propagator for this year but now I'm wondering if I'd be better off using that cash for buying spring and summer perennial and bedding plants.
I've already got plenty of seeds saved from last year and new ones to try.
My problem is I always start seeds too early and miss the right moment. I'm going to try and avoid that this yearz

@Poppins2016 have you considered Munstead wood for a dark red rose? It has won loads of awards and smells great.
I think I will be planting more dahlias this year too, i always mean to when I see them still flowering away in autumn. Also the Lady of Shallot rose. I planted a lot last year as we were in a new house, so probably need to take stock of how everything is doing.

@Didiusfalco Munstead Wood looks gorgeous! Sadly out of stock on the D.A. website at the moment (as was Falstaff, another contender...). I'm going to have to be patient...

@didireallysaythat thanks for the eBay info!

@Poppins2016 oh that’s annoying. I wonder if they will have more when the potted stock comes back. I bought one for my mum in November so hopefully it’s just temporary. With any luck David Austin will reopen this summer, it’s really worth a visit if you haven’t been.