Buddleia Tower

lisab279

Hi, I am a complete gardening novice so please forgive me.
I have recently had my front garden landscaped and in the process had to remove a beautiful escallonia bush which my kids loving called bee bush. I have replaced it in the new garden but my kids are now interested in attracting more pollinators. So I purchased 2 buddleia towers online, they have just been delivered and they are very small so I am wondering what I should do with them over winter? There was been some frost here already and I don’t want them to die. Ideally they are for very large tubs (steel 90l bins) at either side of my front porch. What should I do?

Fairygirl

I don't know what a buddleia tower is. Have you got a photo?

Buddleias are totally hardy, so they won't be affected by any weather you get. 

lisab279

lisab279

There is what they should look like and here is actual about the size of my hand so will look fairly ridiculous in a steel bin.

Brexiteer

Just leave them outside in a sheltered place just remember to water them occasionally as there is not a lot of compost 

JennyJ

They'll be fine in a sheltered spot outside. There looks to be quite a lot of new young growth on them, so they've probably been in a glasshouse so don't put them straight into a cold exposed spot. Probably best left in their current pots until spring though. Sitting in a large container of wet compost over winter when they're not growing wouldn't be good for them.

Brexiteer

I bought 6 buddleia of different varieties and colour. 3 went in the ground and have lovely green leaves and look great the other 3 went in pots and the leaves went yellow and didn't do as good. Just a thought mate

Fairygirl

I did a google on those @lisab279, and I see they are a different 'type' to the bog standard davidiis which get pruned hard in late winter/spring, and can have a few feettaken off  them at this time of year too. 
As @JennyJ says, they do need to be outdoors, but keep them sheltered a wee bit for now as they've probably been undercover.
I'm afraid you'll have to let them grow on for a while until they're ready for your big containers, but they look healthy enough, so don't worry.
Was there any cultural instructions with them? I'm assuming they could be slightly different from the aforementioned davidii. They probably don't get pruned much at all. 

lisab279

I have plenty space in my back garden for them so do you think it would be better to put them there and think of an alternative for the bins?

Fairygirl

I would keep them in the pots they're in just now @lisab279, and in spring, move them into slightly bigger ones. Perhaps it's worth getting a couple of ornamental pots to put them in for next year, if you dont have anytihng suitable. Even just a couple of inexpensive terracotta ones or similar. 
If they're quite pot bound - ie the roots are filling those pots, you could move them into slightly bigger ones, but nothing too big, for the reasons @JennyJ mentions. If they're in 3 inch pots, move them into 4 or 5 inch ones.
They're not likely to  put on too  much growth now before winter anyway 

Unfortunately, photos of mature plants tend to give the impression that that's what you're getting. I'd expect them to grow fairly rapidly, but they're unlikely to be huge too quickly.
Perhaps it's worth contacting the seller and asking what sort of time frame you can expect until they're at maximum height, and also what the recommended care is. Good luck with them. I hope they grow well for you 

lisab279

Thank you all for the advice I am going to put them outside in a sheltered spot and see what happens. Hopefully I don’t kill them and we have lots of bees and butterflies next year.