Okay, what do I need?

[fox919]

New to growing/caring for plants as it’s the first time I’ve ever had a garden!

I’ve currently got - a camellia (it’s in ericaceous soil), a star jasmine, a rose, lavender and sweet pea (sweet pea is the only one so far I’ve grown from seed). All in pots, I don’t have a flowerbed. I haven’t potted the rose yet because the person at the Plantery said I needed top soil which I don’t yet have.

I’ve been watering regularly, but do I need to give some/all of them plant food?? Any tips would be really appreciated 😊 thank you

If the rose is going into a pot you can pot it into any multipurpose compost, but if you are buying specially for the rose then something with some John Innes would be good (soil based so has more heft).

Have they all gone into their pots this year? Do you plan for them to go into the ground? Do you have anywhere you could put a waterbutt - they can harvest rainwater from a down pipe?

The camellia will need feeding but not for a while - get camellia food, instructions on the pack. Camellia will prefer to be watered in rainwater if you have a waterbutt, but tap is better than none. For next year’s flowers it absolutely must not dry out over the late summer.

Rose wont need feeding for a while if it’s freshly potted but will appreciate a general purpose feed in the autumn and spring.

Star jasmine in a pot long term - not sure, but will appreciate a feed eventually.

Well done on the sweet peas. They won’t need feeding, the trick is to pick all the flowers regularly, then they grow more. They’ll be finished by midsummer so have a plan for replacement.

Thanks so much @olderbutwiser with the sweet peas, is there a particular time I should pick the flowers after they’ve bloomed?