Self care by growing a garden

[Former-Member]

@outlander
I am a lazy gardener and could not be bothered moving pots. For a front porch I would get some nice matching pots, but not plant direct into them, rather use them as a "vase" for plants in plastic pots that are just a little smaller in size. That way you can change the flowering plants easily with the seasons.

[outlander]

Lol @Former-Member
Thats a good idea!

[Catcakes]

When I was looking for a few new plants at Bunnings yesterday @enigma, I noticed a whole section suitable for sandy soil/seaside.

[Adge]

That's a good idea @Catcakes Because many plants don't like or don't tolerate sandy soils.

It's all sand here, throughout most of Perth (except the Hills).

It's also alkaline soil (sand), & most plants don't like that either.

Most plants prefer slightly acidic soils, so lots of compost & much with the sand here helps.

My Grevilleas, Banksia, & Mellaleucas are local types - because they're used to alkaline sandy soil. Many of the eastern plant species don't like it at all...

Adge

[outlander]

ok @Smc@Catcakes@Former-Member and everyone- these are the flowers i like the most so far- would any of these suit? i like lots of colour

[Smc]

@Adge, and meanwhile us Eastern states gardeners look longingly at the WA plants that are virtually impossible to grow here.

My parents went on a WA wildflowers bus tour years ago. Pretty special.

[Adge]

Yes that's true @Smc Many WA plants can be tricky to grow on the east coast, largely because of the different soils (not so much the temperature).

I have a Red-Flowering Gum out the front, grown from a tiny tubestock seedling.

It's doing well, flowers beautifully - even though a species from further south, that does not like sandy soil (it's in sand).

Apparently they are very hard to grow on the east coast. My Mum had a few, & they all died.

Many eastern plants do very well in WA though. All the Bottlebrush (Callistemon) shrubs around here (lots) are eastern species.

My Mum loves the WA wildflowers too, she's in NSW.

Adge

[Smc]

@outlander They would all suit pots well enough. Were you thinking about growing from seed? For starting off, buying seedlings would be a better idea, but they cost more. Seeds can be "fussy". If the pot dries out just as they're starting to put their root out, that's it, they're dead. And if you get them too wet they can rot. With a bit of experience, seeds are great fun and will give a lot of variety for a small price, but it's a bit of a "learning curve".

Out of all of those, violas are probably the easiest, but more an autumn/springtime flower than midsummer. Dahlias are springtime, I think gerberas and chrysanthemums are more heat tolerant.

I'm thinking at this time of the year, portulacas might be good for colour. They're a type of succulent that's often available as seedling plants. Each plant has one colour of flowers, so if you plant a few close together you can get this kind of look.

[Former-Member]

@outlander
I have not grown dahlias in pots, only in ground, they would need a good size pot. They can be grown from seed but are generally grown from a tuber (similar but different to bulbs). They grow in spring, flower in summer and die back in winter, shooting again in spring. You can buy them as tubers in spring in the bulb section or a miniature mix in punnets.

Gerberas will grow well a pot. They are usually sold as single plants. They are summer flowering.

Chrysanthemums are usually sold as single plants around mother's day when they are at peak flowering. After they flower, give them a good hair cut, can be trimmed up until November, otherwise they get a bit leggy.

I have not grown violas from seed, they can be bought in seedling punnets or as single plants usually sold as potted colour (4 for $10 price range). I think they are mainly spring flowering. These are annual plants - they last a year and then die.

You could use any of these as a temporary display while they are flowering and pop them out the back to look after them when they are not at their showiest.

[outlander]

im not sure if i want to start from a seed or get some that are already starting to grow.... big w near me has a garden section too that i could take a look at @Former-Member@Smc 

hmm im liking the sound of gerbas..... i like them all!
theres so much to learn! 

is it better to buy those plants that have already been sewn and they come in those little pots? then i can transfer them - maybe 2 of them into a larger pot?