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Monday, 15 April 2013

Summer-flowering perennials

I made another trip to the Garden Centre at the weekend, this time in search of some plants to fill those lovely big terracotta pots recently released by the re-potting of the Bay trees. I decided to get some perennials with bright, hot-coloured flowers, to liven-up the garden in the Summertime. There were lots of different plants on display, but of course at this time of year the plants themselves are little more than a few green shoots peeking up above the soil, so I was really glad that they had labels with good illustrations on them to help me choose. This is what I came away with:


1 x Rudbeckia Fulgida "Goldsturm"
1 x Gaillardia "Arizona Sun"
1 x Gaillardia "Burgunder"

These are not plants that I know much about. I chose them purely on the strength of the pictures on their labels!

You can see the prices on the pots. I think £1.99 for a well-established plant like these - which are obviously at least a year old - is good value for money.

The Gaillardia "Bugunder" and the Rudbeckia will both be quite tall plants (the labels say 75cm), so I think they will be ideal for the big terracotta pots. At present of course they are hardly visible above ground, though they certainly had strong root systems.


The "Arizona Sun" Gaillardia is a much smaller type and allegedly grows to about 30cm tall, so I have put it in a smaller pot.


That pot is one I have had for many years, so it is well weathered. It is made of reconstituted stone, moulded into the shape of a half-barrel.

So there we are: let it never be said that Mark's Veg Plot is only a veg plot. Flowers are on the way...

13 comments:

  1. I've never grown Gaillardia, but they look very cheerful. The perennial rudbeckias, now, I can wholeheartedly recommend - we have some species ones as well as Goldsturm, and they are beautiful in the late summer. Great additions to your patch!

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  2. What's this, flowers in the veg patch? Great choices, I like rudbeckias and gaillardias, the veg patch will be a riot of colour in summer.

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  3. I love flowers mixed in with veggies! Why not? One should always have a bit of color, although the veg patch can be quite colorful on its own, as well. Good luck with your new flowers.

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  4. I grow Gaillardias and they are really great choice. Small ones will look beautiful in a pot. You could have problems with Burgunder type in pots...yes they are tall but they also have big heads and wind breaks them. Try tying them around or stick them next to other bushy plant and they will be beautiful whole summer :)

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  5. I like your collection of pots. The half-barrel is special!! I grow gaillardias too. They light up my front-yard like no other blooms!

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  6. I'm sure you will have a lovely display come summer. I like mixing flowers & veg with fruit of course.

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  7. I think in the USA we call Gaillardias "indian blanket flower." They are very drought tolerant and reseed easily, as in everywhere. But they are lovely to look at and attract lots of insect attention.

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  8. Beautiful choices!
    Happy Gardening!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  9. Flowers wow. We have that rudbeckia in our front garden.

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  10. I'm surprised to see you buying flowers! Those are three plants I don't have but I've had my eye on rudbeckia for quite awhile as it is really lovely in Summer. £1.99 is a great price. I think they would cost quite a bit more in ireland.

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  11. Bravo! Love the rudbeckia - be aware it'll self propagate quite readily if you allow. Excellent late summer color.

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  12. I've had goldstrum in the garden before. I love its flowers, but it does self seed everywhere.

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  13. Rudbeckia - one of my favourites flowering over a long period and great for cut flowers too. Well done Mark, about time you branched out a bit.

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