Free Lavenders / Free Perennials
Orchid Lady
Posts: 5,800
I know there have been a few threads recently about people being not happy with their free offers or wondering whether to get them / are they worth the postage.
Well today my free lavenders have arrived, 48 little tiny babies, all in good condition and packaged as expected. My 48 free perennials arrived a couple of months ago in exactly the same way, I potted them into a tray of single cells - one in each obviously - and when they had grown enough to fill them I repotted to 10cm pots.
These are my lavenders
And these are my perennials
From left to right I think they are Delphinium, Coreopsis, Geum and Campanila - if that is wrong feel free to correct me 
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Aww they're so cute and tiny!! I'm just hoping I have enough pots. They look in fantastic condition I can't wait for mine to arrive.
I think that's really helpful OL - some people don't know how tiny their little plants are going to be.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I do feel sorry for people who buy them expecting a dedicated lorry to appear with masses of green for less than the cost of a few pints. OL - have they labelled which ones are which? (Not that I imagine even with the most delicate of touches mine will have labels in come the end of the month!)
I hope I've enough pots!
Thanks Dove, that's why I've done it. I must admit to being a tad disappointed when I received my perennials, but now I know what to expect and how quick they grow it's fine.....and I can start planning next summer
Clari......don't be silly, it's Tracey you're talking to
Why do you think I put the comment at the bottom.....I've been googling pictures trying to work out which one is which!!! To be fair, I did label them initially but when they git potted on all the labels seemed to disappear 
Those seed trays with individual modules are ideal for a few weeks Clari, that's what I used and will be using again until they are bigger.
Ha ha. I meant that we were expecting several different coloured lavenders. I just wondered if they had marked them out so you'd know ahead of planting.
Or would that be too easy?
Mine arrived today with a little note to say which were which, but in my hurry to pot on I have not labelled them so will get a surprise I guess. I got 47 cos one of the plugs was empty! Anyway, they are all in pots on the nursery table in the sunshine now, well watered in!!
I've scoured the garden for enough pots, found sons paints and painted 12 each red,green,yellow,blue. (guess that says something about me!).
They are labelled in the packaging so hoping ill know what's what later !
Verdun, I understand you don't like the free offers, but as a full time working mum I don't have the time that you have and also I have never taken cuttings yet, although as I've said on another thread I am going to try. I am at the moment still learning, as are others on here and I've posted this to try and help those that want to take advantage of the free offer so they know what to expect. Each to their own of course and in time I may fully agree with you, but for now we will have to agree to disagree
MrsGarden, great idea, I have some paint that I used to paint the boys monkey puzzle tree pots so will use that. Busy bee, that's usually what I do, but lesson learned
If I take cuttings of my lavenders I'll end up with the same colour throughout, my family all live too far away to comfortably pinch bits out their gardens and my friends are not... well flowers are a bit of a grey (brown, dried, sad looking) area (also they're normally filled with cuttings that came originally from my own garden so we're back to the beginning).
This way I get a few different varieties to add a little more interest into my garden without having to spend too much cash - something that's rather dear to my wallet (well; we are in Yorkshire and I do now have a wedding to save up for!)
Yes it isn't the quickest nor easiest way of achieving the lavender hedge I want along the length of the lawn but I guess that's the fun of gardening we all have different needs and whims.
I'm going to have to try to remember the paint idea - I've been trying really hard to label things PROPERLY this year but I've still managed a few "plantus unidentifidus"
OL - like you I've not ventured into the taking cuttings yet. I really must do something and get my rosemary plant "harvested" so I'll have fresh ones to put out in a few years when it gets all woody.