I am going to document my gardening-related questions, so I remember them and the answers.
What seeds have I had failures with that I want to try again.
Verbascum olympicum
I have / had a lot of pots to plant out. I have done a number so far this spring and still have 17 more:
1. this one has a lot of Verbena hastata seedlings
2.
3. doesn't look like there's much in this; there was an asphodel in it and not sure there's any remnant left
4. self-seeded hibiscus syriacus
5. and 6. Verbascum blattaria and others, these will be challenging as they're larger pots so larger holes will be required to be dug to be accommodate them
7. there's a walll lettuce in this pot; not sure where to plant it out
8 and 9 small pots of Cota tinctoria and more Verbena hastata to be planted into this pot where they are sitting
10.
11.
12. small teasel seedlings and others
13. some grass and other seedlings to review
14. self-seeders around amaryllis bulb
15. Verbena hastata and ?
16 and 17 small pot with water figwort on the left, on the right not sure much to save but I'll have a closer look
I decided to leave that Cota tinctoria in the pot its in in situ and it's doing ok. I have room in that large pot to plant out the prickly sow thistle and the seedlings at its base. I'm not really sure what they are but am wondering Korean thistle (Cirsium setidens) which I did buy seeds for but I did not make a note of where and when I sowed the seeds. For all my note-taking sometimes I miss things! but I aspire to do better.
I have a lot of forget-me-nots including some in the wrong place. I wonder if they cope with being moved? I have removed some from the Chinese lanterns and repotted some so will see how they do. They're in the small pots at the bottom. The pot above with forget-me-nots shows how they self-seed everywhere.
I'm pretty sure now these are common hogweed seedlings. I am going to let a few grow to confirm.
the seedling above in situ
the seedling above in situ in this pot
I want to properly identify my willowherbs this year. I noticed this robust seedling/small plant recently and realised it must be a perennial. I think of willowherbs as annuals but I guess that's because they get pulled up. In this corner of the garden I'd just let them grow last year. When it flowers I will attempt identification.
Some had self-seeded in a pot so I decided to pull those up as I had larger ones in the garden. I was shocked when I pulled this, what I thought was a small seedling, up and found that enormous root.
Are these long-headed poppies? The 3rd one looks a bit different. The first two have brownish reddish stems, the third has green stems.
March 2026
March 2026
January 2026
3-3-2026
Can dandelions be moved? Is it better to let them grow and bloom in a crack on my patio or is it worth trying to move them into the garden? Some on my patio are getting quite mature and have buds. My instinct is to let those bloom where they are. The ones without buds I think might be worth moving. Those in pots I think are fine to plant out as the roots are contained in the pot (mostly) and won't be so disturbed by planting out with as little root disturbance as possible.
These are the six I have growing in cracks in my patio - in addition to the ones still in pots and the ones that were in pots that I planted out.
There are 4 similar Erigerons: Canadian fleabane (Erigeron canadensis), most common; Guensey fleabane (Erigeron sumatrensis), 2nd most common; Bilbao fleabane (Erigeron floribundus); Argentine fleabane (Erigeron bonariensis). This self-seeder in my garden is one of them but not sure which of the 4. As it's in my garden I can more easily measure it, photograph it, examine it, etc. which I hope to do this wee
How can I get this eryngium bourgatii to grow? I got it last year and I just found it in the garden, thought it had died. I think the slugs have gotten to it at some point. Can I ever get it to grow and bloom one day?
From what I can find online about sowing seeds that have a pappus, eg thistles, it's best to leave the pappus. I am collecting thistle seeds and will sow them and see how they do.
How am I going to keep slugs off my cabbage thistle plant? So far it's been eaten badly but I've only stopped that by repotting and keeping off the patio and hopefully away from slugs.
I seem to have miniature plants and flowers? Is this because of the difficult weather? For example, this datura is blooming while still in its small pot it was sown in.
my hibiscus syriacus seems to have 2 different colours, this beatiful purple
and pink, is this normal?
is this a seedling from my Hibiscus syriacus? how long would this take to bloom?
why did my Crepis rubra and Echium Blue Bedder do so badly? I've grown them before and got normal plants
Crepis rubra seedlings
echium Blue Bedder seedlings
how am I ever going to grow asphodel from seed? I know it needs to be dry but just how dry? doesn't it need some water at some point?
what is this green stuff in the mini pond?
Why are thistles so difficult to grow? Why do slugs devour them? Don't they find them difficult to eat?
my one and only nodding thistle plant with a bud, I had at least 3 plants not that long ago but this is the only one I can now find
I also grew cotton thistle but only ended up with one plant after the slugs devoured the rest but that one is completely overwhelmed with other plants and not sure it's even survived.
What are these hairy seedlings? leaves ovate, fox-and-cubs seedlings I had before were round, is there just natural variation?
dandelions or chicory?
I have a lot of plants that superficially look like dandelions but wonder if they are (or some are) chicory. I just had a chicory appear from nowhere so wondering if others have appeared. Regardless of what it is, must remove it from that pot and repot it in its own pot - not sure it will survive but I'm going to try because it can't live there.
I don't think I'd have any hope of this surviving if I tried to remove it and pot it up.
Verbascum virgatum (or something else?)
5-9-2025 rosette developing but doesn't look like it will bloom this year but well-established for next year
uncertain tree, manna ash (Fraxinus ornus) ?
So many Verbena hastata self-seeding seedlings, I've potted them up, how long would they take to flower? (- not long - lots have bloomed) I think they'd look good in the ground with my other tall flowers but the ground is rock-hard after drought and heatwave so I will have to keep them in pots until we get some rain and the ground softens up enough for me to plant them.
this is my pot of Verbena hastata, bought as small plants last year, all the self-seeders were from these flowers
13-9-2025 a few weeks later, masses of Verbena hastata flowers, must try to plant them all out not that we've had some rain and hopefully the ground is easier to dig
also lots of houndstongue which I must plant out, first I need to decide where to plant them
AND purple loosestrife, where to put them??
I had so many Iris foetidssima in my last garden and so many self-seeding I was surprsed I didn't have any seedlings appearing in the pots in my new garden. I finally had 1 but it appeared to die. Then I noticed this largish one in this pot with a large green alkanet. I wonder if it is foetidissima but definitely looks like an Iris. Will see what happens. When the ground is softer I am going to try to plant this pot in the ground.
