Hampshire_HogHampshire Coast 100m from the seaPosts: 1,089
They should of gone out in to the garden in early September to flower next year I grow them from seed each February gradually potting them on then plant out in September protect them with a couple of layers of fleece at night until about March they then romp away reaching 4 or 5 meters and flower for weeks the bees love them.
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
They need to be this size before they flower, they probably won’t achieve that in pots, they don’t like being moved so get them out as soon as you can, you’ll have to take a chance on a cold winter killing them, pile loads of mulch around them, next Spring, they may look dead but will probably shoot out again. It’s a chance we take in this country. You can’t expect a plant that grows to 20’ tall to survive long in a pot. (I did lose this particular one in the winter😢)
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Tried them here and they were cracking plants the first year but despite protection they did not make it through a Scottish winter to flower the next summer!! Another lesson learned.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Nor here in Devon, surprisingly. Although some do survive, luck of the draw, I’ve had some beauties. Still got seedlings coming up for flowering in 3 years time. It’s a waiting game with those and they are very big and untidy, I wouldn’t have grown them again but as they’re there I will leave them. I think it’s the absolute best for bees, millions of flowers and bees to match.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I grew them a couple of years back ( seeds from @Lyn ) but I'd not bother again. If they self seed and grow , so be it. but they get so huge they topple over in the wind and aren't very manageable. The bees will have to make do with other stuff.
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I grow them from seed each February gradually potting them on then plant out in September protect them with a couple of layers of fleece at night until about March they then romp away reaching 4 or 5 meters and flower for weeks the bees love them.
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
I think it’s the absolute best for bees, millions of flowers and bees to match.
If they self seed and grow , so be it. but they get so huge they topple over in the wind and aren't very manageable.
The bees will have to make do with other stuff.