Farmer Gracy

The Geum we planted last year is double the size this year! Geum ‘Pretticoats Peach’ produced several flowers last year, it even still has a couple of flowers in autumn! This year it has masses of blooms. Geums typically flower around May, but this variety is extra generous because it repeat flowers through the season. It’s available in our sale if you fancy growing one! 🌸 . . . #geum #flowers #perennials #easytogrow #floweroftheday

When they have shoots already! 🌱 Just plant at the usual depth, the bulb can be on its side if the shoot is growing at an angle. The tops of the shoots can be left exposed, or covered with soil if they’re not yet long enough. The shoots will continue to grow straight upwards and green up soon after planting. Lilies are brilliant for quick results, these should be flowering in just a couple of months time! There are some lovely lilies available in our sale, all half price! It’s not too late to plant them 🌱 . . . #plantingtips #gardeningadvice #lilies #lilybulbs #weekendgardening

You don’t have to do this, dahlias grow beautifully without being ‘pinched out’. But if you do, it will result in a bushier plant with more stems/branches and this usually means more flowers. Pinch or cut off the main shoot just above the third set of leaves. Two branches will begin to form from this branching point. They might not grow to full height if they’re pinched out. Do you pinch out your dahlias or just let them grow however they like? 🌸 . . . #dahliacare #dahlialovers #dahliatips #howtogrowdahlias #gardeningtips

You can plant a combination of perennials with a dahlia in a large pot. Bare root perennials tend to stay quite compact in their first year, but dahlias are high impact even in year one and can be the centrepiece in a large pot with the additional foliage and flowers from the perennials to add interest and variety around it. It’s good way to grow-on perennials in their first year and makes more of a feature out of them while they’re small. In autumn/winter, we can transfer the perennials into the garden and store the dahlia for next year. If you like this combination, you can give it a try. These plants are available half price in our sale! Dahlia ‘Senior’s Hope’ Lythrum ‘Swirl’ Eryngium ‘Victory Blue’ Pennisetum ‘Black Beauty’ Aster ‘Herbstgruss vom Bresserhof’ Salvia ‘Crystal Blue’ . . . #containergardening #plantcombinations #gardeningtips #patiogardens #terracegardens

Brighten up a dull corner with perennials which will return every year. This combination is gorgeous in borders as well as pots 🌿 We planted: Astrantia ‘Pink Pride’ Aquilegia ‘Nora Barlow’ Athyrium ‘Metallicum’ You can get these plants and more at bargain prices in our end of season sale! . . . #plantsforshade #shadetolerantplants #plantsforpots #containergardening #shadegarden

Tidy up time for hellebores. Collect any seeds from the flowers and scatter them directly into your borders. Cut off the faded flower stems and remove any yellow or blotchy leaves. And that’s the only maintenance hellebores require in the whole year! . . . #hellebore #gardenmaintenance #gardening #gardeningtips #plantcare

Low maintenance and drought tolerant! Succulents are perfect for a sunny, dry area, either in pots, borders or gravel gardens. We combined Mangave ‘Pineapple Express’ and Sedum ‘For Your Eyes Only’ for a display with varied texture and colour through summer. These plants need very free-draining soil, add some grit to your compost and only water when the soil feels very dry. This a a pair you won’t have to worry about getting parched if you’re going on a summer holiday!☀️ Find these and other succulents in our sale. Save up to 50% across the range! . . . #succulents #sunnygarden #coastalgarden #drygarden #droughttolerantplants

Potting dahlias vs planting directly into borders👇 It’s quick and easy to plant dahlia tubers directly into a border, skipping the potting part. But it can result in slow growth, or sometimes no growth at all. Dormant tubers can struggle to sprout in heavier soil types. The soil in borders is also cool which means slow progress. When they do sprout, there is quite a high chance that slugs will repeatedly nibble the shoots as they emerge. When potted, dahlia tubers have soft compost which is easy for their initial roots. Water drains freely and the compost warms up quickly in the sun which encourages growth. You can also position pots on a raised surface to help keep the slugs off. When planting dahlias in May, you will get quicker results if you pot up your dahlias. Water them whenever the soil feels dry when temperatures are warm, they usually make very speedy progress when planted in May and often will be ready to transfer to borders within around a month 🌸 There’s still plenty of time to plant dahlias, get them potted by early June and enjoy blooms from them this summer. You’ll find some gorgeous varieties in our sale right now! . . . #plantingdahlias #howtogrowdahlias #gardeningtips #planttips #dahlia

A prairie garden in a pot! Bare root perennials stay fairly compact in their first year so it’s a nice idea to plant a combination a large container where they can make more of an impact and shine this season! In autumn, when they’re more established, we can transfer them into borders or pots of their own. We planted: Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ Monarda ‘Bee Happy’ Echinacea ‘Magnus’ Salvia ‘Caradonna’ Aster ‘Prof. Anton Kippenberg’ Liatris ‘Kobold’ All of these are available in our sale, you’ll also get free shipping this weekend when you enter code FRSH at checkout 🌱 . . . #patiogarden #coutyardgarden #prairieplants #prairiegarden #smallgarden

Deadheading the Darwin tulips 🌷 Darwin tulips are perennial and can grow back and flower every year. Snap off the seed pods and energy goes back to the bulb for next year’s flowers rather than being wasted on forming seeds. Allow the stem and leaves to turn yellow before you cut them back 🌱 . . . #tulips #tuliplove #darwintulips #perennialtulips #planttips

Tips for growing dahlias in pots!🌸 . . . #dahlias #containergardening #patiogarden #dahlialove #gardeningtips

Plan ahead! The best plants don’t usually make an instant impact, they need time to grow. There are some lovely peonies our sale, plant them now and they’ll soon produce leaves. The best thing about peonies is they grow back bigger and more prolific every year. They’ll need this year to settle in, then usually start flowering from the second year. Not only will you save 40% in our sale, but you’ll also get free shipping this weekend when you enter code FRSH at checkout 🌸 . . . #peony #planting #peonylove #planningahead #weekendgardening