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Plug-in plants |
Lifestyle
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No
time or facilities for raising summer bedding plants from seed?
No problem! Cash in on a wide range of stocky youngsters from a
brigade of specialists. John Negus scans the catalogues for dazzling
newcomers. |
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My friend Jane absolutely adores gardening. There’s nothing she loves more than to see her beds, borders, hanging baskets and patio tubs aglow with glorious blooms and sculptural foliage. Her job as a computer consultant however, means that she works long hours and there’s very little spare time left for her to sow seeds and tend to seedlings. So she’s had to compromise and now buys large, perky plantlets and puts them into small pots for setting out when the frosts finish. ‘It makes sense,’ reckons Jane. There’s no pricking out seedlings or heating the greenhouse for months before they go into the garden. If you fancy ‘adopting’ plants at the halfway stage, here’s some you’ll be pleased you gave a home to. Below: Fuchsia ‘Firecracker’ |
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Above : Nemesia ‘Sundrops’ Dripping with blossom from summer to autumn, fuchsias are easy to grow. Try Mr Fothergill’s ‘Firecracker’, it’s a gem for tubs and baskets. Ht: 60cm (24in). 6 Jumbo plugs cost £11.50. Last order date: 20 March. Delivery: April-May. Combine it
with trailing, blue-flowered Convolvulus sabatius. A kaleidoscope
of cream, yellow, pink, scarlet and other sunny- hued, flared trumpet
flowers are yours to enjoy when you nestle Unwins’ Nemesia
‘Sundrops’ into humus-rich soil to fringe a bed or border. Ht: 25-30cm
(10-12in). 40 plugs cost £8.95. Delivery: April. |
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Interplant it with the company’s Begonia ‘Queen Mixed’, a sumptuous semperflorens type yielding pink, white and red flowers all summer. 40 plugs cost £8.95, 100 miniplugs £11.95. Delivery: April. Alternatively, opt for semperflorens begonia – Mr Fothergill’s F1 ‘Devil’. The finest bronzy leaved mix you’ll find, its pink, rose, red or white blooms contrast with the foliage. Left: Begonia F1 ‘Devil’ Right: Bacopa ‘Olympic Gold’ |
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Choose from 24, 36 or 48 Fotherplugs priced at £6.99, £8.99 or £10.99, respectively, or 100 Miniplugs for £9.99. Last order: 20 March. Delivery: April/May. Thompson & Morgan have created ‘Creme de Cassis’, a special hollyhock. Bearing single, semi and fully double blooms in juicy blackcurrant hues, fading to paler shades at the edges, it’s a cottage garden classic. 6 plants cost £10 and 12 plants, £16. Right: Impatiens ‘Seashells Yellow’ |
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