Plant ID

Weedit

Morning fellow planters, I have been trying to find the name of a plant that I used to have in the garden. After searching the books I couldn't trace it........until I watched last weeks Gardeners World.

The lady in Abergavenny who grew fantastic sweet pea's had it in her garden.

Its about 24 -30 inches tall, grey stems, and small vivid red flowers, about an inch diameter.

Can anyone help with the name of this plant, I would be eternally plantable

Fairygirl

I can only think of Lychnis but it's usually a deep pink/magenta flower. Google that anyway and see 

should have said it's L. coronaria you need to look at not chalcedonia

Last edited: 13 August 2016 09:13:21

Weedit

Well well well, Fairygirl, I am impressed, thanks very much, if it wasn't raining, I'd go and do some gardening

Fairygirl

Ah the rain Weedit - it's gone off  now but it's been pretty dire for the last week here. 

Hoping to get something done out there today too - not been very suitable for anything outdoors at all! 

Weedit

Considering all the rain, I had chance to do some work yesterday but my clay soil was still hard to work!!!!

Fairygirl

It's a great medium for growing though isn't it? Worth spending a bit of time getting some organic matter and grit into it to make future planting easier. I've done that in every garden I've had and it really pays off.

Easier than using a pickaxe when it's all dried out - done that a few times too! 

Weedit

Yes, any digging is accompanied by compost and sharp sand, you've got me on to another subject now,

Last years compost was really compacted in the bag, this year its loose, less for more again. The sharp sand is less gritty than last year as well 

Fairygirl

I tend to use pea gravel more than sand now as the sand often isn't right and it can be hard to tell when you're looking at it through a much bag. The name varies depending on where you buy it too - the stuff for making mortar does more harm than good so it has to be grit sand or  similar. I've used the stuff for laying paving onto directly. It's quite rough and seems fine - so far!  Proper horti grit can be very expensive so I generally only use it for dressing the tops of pots. Plenty of well rotted manure and compost  to open up the soil too.

Never easy eh?  

Weedit

 The usual supplier has obviously changed me thinks, I'll have to have a re think......oops suns out must go thanks again