Just purchased a few plants

Lyn Plant-Wells

I have just impulse-purchased some plants for my newly made-over fairly sparse back garden. (see pic - taken just after recent hailstorm!)  The plants were quite cheap/small specimens. Clematis Montana, Cistus, Ceanothus, rose New Dawn. The instructions are to plant out asap (not in frosty weather) but, although I live in the Deep South - it's pretty chilly at the moment and the plants were in a heated shop.  I am wondering what to do with them so they don't die of shock/hypothermia!  I don't have a greenhouse but do have a brick shed with large windows that I use for potting etc. The proposed site for the plants is my back garden - sunny in summer but the sun is only reaching about half of it at this time of year (front garden south facing)  Soil is quite sandy. Incidentally, the rose is to train around a wooden arch yet to be put up near the top of the garden. Not sure why pic is sideways!

Judith 5

Lovely structure to your garden. When you place the clematis bear in mind you have bought a vigorous variety.

Fairygirl

Small plants need protection as Verd says. Give them time to grow on before planting out - they'll never do well if planted now. If you can rig up a temporary cold frame to get them hardened off  later that would help too, depending on your own weather. Even hardy specimens will suffer if stuck outside in the elements at that stage. 

Redwing

I agree, they are too small for planting out now.

Lyn Plant-Wells

 

Thanks everyone! Much as I suspected. I put them outside today as it was quite warm and sunny here in the South - I brought them in at night. I will see if I can find something amongst my garage junk to make a cold frame!

By the way - the rose is bare rooted and coated with a waxy substance. It has quite a few tiny buds forming. I understand roses are tougher than most other plants so maybe it can go out in a week or so?

Judith - I am not planning to put the Montana round the arch (that is for climbing roses.) I have grown them before, in my previous garden. I want it to cover an ugly wall and then grow along the adjoining fence/hedge. There is plenty of room for it to do it's thing!

Thanks for the kind comments re garden structure - it was previously the ugliest garden I have ever seen - all concrete and red paint. See 'before' photos. (I have painted the red wall to look like old bricks.)

 

Fairygirl

The rose might be ok Lyn - although if it's small, I'd still be inclined to pot it up for now, and plant it in a month or so once it's used to the temps etc. When plants have been in supermarkets or undercover at GCs etc, it's always best to be cautious. 

We should really have asked you exactly what size the plants are. 

Lyn Plant-Wells

I should have given sizes!    Here is a photo of the plants. 6 pint milk container as size reference!

There are quite a few buds on the Ceanothus (Repens)  Not sure if it's an evergreen/decid or what shade the flowers are. I planted a lovely dark blue one in my previous garden. It grew quite fast in 3 years to approx 6'. 

Lyn Plant-Wells

It might help if I included the photo! 

 

Fairygirl

Ceanothus are evergreen Lyn, but they need good sunny site and well drained soil. Powdery blue flowers. They are quite small, but all look healthy. I'd certainly get the rose in a pot and let it grow on a little. The clematis is a montana and will need a little extra time too and then it'll romp away. 

Your own conditions will dictate how quickly they all grow too.

Lyn Plant-Wells

Thanks to everyone. I have discovered that the Ceanothus Repens is a small, low growing one - which I can find a home for. Can anyone suggest a dark blue Ceanothus with an upright habit?  I can't remember the tall variety I left behind in my previous garden and would like a similar one.