Now ‘lost’ can cover a multitude of sins and I freely admit to being a little scatterbrained at times…
Firstly – I have five terracotta pots (two shown) in the courtyard, which are planted up with, in no particular order : Astrantia rubens; Physalis; Dahlia Sweetheart; Dahlia Roxy; Dahlia (unamed).
My problem here is that they were all bare root plants that have yet to show signs of growth. Because I thought I had a memory I failed to put labels on any of them and now have not the slightest idea which pot contains what… (sigh) I really should know better by now. I shall have a few surprises to come.
My other case of lost is that of a plant that had gone missing from last year. Specifically a large clump of blue Agapanthus. This was an old clump that travelled with me from a previous garden (perhaps two moves – not sure now). Last summer it produced one pathetic bloom and few leaves and I wondered if it had perhaps simply run its course. It was that or drought, though little else in that bed had been affected to quite that degree.
This spring I could not recall where it was (or had been). I didn’t remember throwing it out, and it certainly did not appear to be where I last remembered it. Then, seeing some bare root packs in the garden centre as a BOGOF – three roots for the price of six, mixed white and blue, I bought some and put them in a large pot.
They did not do a great deal – and after several weeks only 3 of the 6 so much as waved a leaf above the soil – and those that had appeared were somewhat anaemic.
So last week, when I spotted some pots of white Agapanthus on a market stall, I bought two on the grounds that it won’t matter if they get a tad cramped at least for the first year. On planting my new buys I discovered that the bare root plants yet to surface were indeed sprouting shoots – meaning that if all come up I shall have eight in this planter.
Ho hum. Given how we are always told that Agapanthus flower best when crowded should I hope for a good display? 🙂
But that is not the end of the story … nothing so easy.
Just yesterday when I was weeding – on the opposite side of the garden from where I though the blue Ags had been – what do I spy? New shoots among the violets…
Oops. So not lost after all, merely misplaced.
Fortunately I am very fond of these graceful flowers so having some extras is not a problem…
I could put all of this down to my age but I have always been a little chaotic… though it has me wondering. Should I start marking the perennials in beds as well as pots when they start to die back? Just so that I can keep track?
Jan Edwards 