Allotments 4 All

I went to B&Q yesterday and got the floowing:

Gaillardia 'Fanfare' for £1.50 was £5.98
Verbena 'Rigida' for £1 was £4.48
Cranesbill Geranium 'Black Beauty' for £1 was £4.98

As you can guess, they weren't the best of health ;D but i have bought their half dead plants before for 50p-£1 and they are doing fine.

Gaillardia
I've cleaned of all the dead leaves, most of the stalk's look nice and green but the tops and flowers are very droopy.
The soil was very dry so i have left them in a tray of water until tomorrow.

Verbena
Same as above but the tops and flowers were droopy or dead. I cut these down to just above their bottom leaves as there were new leaves/growth at this point.
This was dry also, so went in the tray of water

Cranesbill
It had a couple of long stems but looked half dead but there are a couple of new shoots coming from the bottom, so i cut this down to the base so that only the new shoots remained.
It was in very wet soil, so i have left it out on the side to dry a little before planting out.

Does the above sound ok, or have i made big mistakes and my £3.50 bargains will be £3.50 of wasted money ???

Neil

Sounds alright to me I would have bought them if it had been me.

I'm tempted to go back for some more ;D

Can i divide any of the plants?

Neil

I have bought a hydrangea and a clematis in the same state.  Watered or not as needed and put them in the shed out of the wind and rain.  They are now healthy plants .  Might pop into my B & Q and see if they have some.

Can you imagine the state of our plants after being transported in a lorry in warmish temperatures, stuck in a show garden, watered just enought to look healthy, then dug up again, stuck on another lorry not really packed right as we are usually in a hurry to get home.

I would describe them  as the same as your bargains. We do exactly the same, sometimes even more drastic and cut to the ground to regenerate. They all come back after a while and we have no trouble using them again or selling them.

You have done the right thing, but let them get their strength back for a season before you start dividing them up.

I had a look at the bargain plants in Home Base, (most of them were dead and way past their sell by date, bedding plants etc. etc. tempted with some Lilies but didn't buy anything.  I always head straight for the B & Q reduced plants, and often all they need is water and a bit of loving care.  Was very good today and only came home with what I wanted and it wasn't seeds or plants, but did have a good look.

Thanks all ;)

Ace, i feel a bit more confident after reading that.

So far i have had:
24 'Lorna' strawberry plants for £4 normaly £12 (nicest strawberries i have tasted)
Mini Bagonia 50p
Diascia 50p
15 stonehead cabbages 25p normall about £5(organic range)
5 Brussel sprouts 25p normaly £5 for 6/10(organic range)
+ some other veg from their organic range for 25p
Climantis £1

It's a bit adictive, every time i go past i want to have a look ;D

I got a bit carried away at B&Q yesterday and bought :

2 different Lavenders was £6.98 each
2 different Lavenders was £5.98 each
Choclate Cosmos was £4.98
Verbena was £5.98
Poppy 'garden gnome' was £3.48
unknow herb (smelt like apples) was £3.98
Gaillardia was £5.98

£50.32 and it only cost me £8  approx 88p each ;D

Everything was not to bad and i should be able to get loads of cuttings of the Lavenders.

I must stop buying plants now.....no really ;D


Neil

Let me know how you get on with the Verbena, I seem to be able to kill them with a casual sideways glance.  :(

i'll let you know in a couple of weeks.

Neil

I've had mixed results with bargain plants in the past. I think I'd probably put them in pots and mollycoddle them for a while before I put them out.

Never thought of buying half dead plants before, I'm hooked now, as I won't feel so bad when they die on me as they only cost pennies compared to full price ones which I am quite good at killing off!

It can become quite addictive, some of them all well past their sell buy date, and others just need a bit of loving care.  Woolworth was the worst for not looking after their plants, no water and they all died, I couldn't go in there without a watering can.  Morrisons not too bad but they do sell reduced, dead flowers, asked them who bought them but got no answer.  Homebase had a few tomato plants but even reduced far too expensive.  If you are really mean, or sensible, like me, just ask people for cuttings and they will be pleased to give to you, if you ask nicely.

Got a grape vine from Wilkinsons about 3/4 weeks ago, Boskoop glory, should have been 6quid reduced to £1.50. had no leaves on but the stalk looked green enough although the compost was dry. Purchased, kept well watered and now it is leafing up lovely and should easily survive the winter. very happy with it. I might pop in to B&Q and see what they have on  offer. Cant resist a bargain