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Few flowers in new garden

allymountain13allymountain13 Posts: 68
in Problem solving
I planted up my garden with shop bought young perennials. I put FBB in compost as a planting mixture. Am feeding every 2-3 wks with liquid seaweed. My Veronica's Royal Blue and Gentianoides had only 3 racemes of flowers each but with lots of foliage. My Papaver is a huge clump of gorgeous foliage but their is no sign of anything that could produce a flower. Huge white mallow but no flowers as yet. Is this a 1st year problem or something else? I live in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,086
    It sound to me as if your plants are putting on herbaceous growth rather than blooms because of a high level of nitrogen. I'd stop the seaweed for the time being and replace it with tomato fertiliser which is formulated to encourage flowering. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,253
    If you mixed FBB in when planting, that will normally do for the season. Most of my perennials  are lucky if I remember to feed them once a year.  Things like dahlias like more feed, but they get FBB on planting, then maybe a liquid feed of Phostrogen when they start flowering.  Overfeeding results in sappy growth that is prone to slugs, snails, and diseases.  First year perennials are settling in. Don't worry too much about them this year. If you want instant colour, fill the gaps in with some annual bedding plants. The garden centres are full of them at the moment.
  • allymountain13allymountain13 Posts: 68
    Thanks for the advice. I have been sorely tempted to grab some Phostregen for the flowers but am trying to be organic. I only have a tiny garden so can't make my own feed. I have hostas, ferns and grasses so not much room left for flowers. Hopefully, next year, the ones I have will start doing their work. All the plants are healthy so I'll drop the seaweed for a few weeks. 
  • allymountain13allymountain13 Posts: 68
    Just checked my poppy (orientalis allegro)  Saw a flash of orange. Gently pulled back the foliage and, right in the centre at ground level, is a flower with no stem. Will this right itself next year when the plant is established? Or is it just not suited for my garden?
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