This Saturday morning the Daisy! duo set off down to Boscowen Park in Truro for the annual Parks and Gardens plant sale. I wasn't sure what to expect having never been before and the first lesson we learnt was to go early as most of the good stuff had gone. The sale is usually around the first weekend of October from 8.30am - 10.30am - we got there at about 9.45.
Basically, the idea is that you go down to the park, find a jolly park keeper and point out the bits in the park beds that you would like and he digs them up for you (unless of course you choose bits that aren't for sale like we did. In fact we got as far as digging some things up that weren't for sale and the jolly park keeper had to replant them - sorry about that, got a bit overexcited!).
These are still planted up in the road outside my house and the bright green leaves you can see are the variegated Abutilon that I was after too - we were too late for those.
I have been advised to leave my Cannas in the bag, bare rooted, until they die right back, cut them right back and plant them in a pot, keeping them frost free. When they start shooting I need to start watering and they will be fabulous! I'll let you know how I get on.
Truro Parks and Gardens are very active in Britain in Bloom and regularly win prizes. They do amazing displays all over the city, put up countless hanging baskets and have just started doing wild flower patches in central reservations. They vary their seed mixes and the wild flowers are still just about flowering even now!
This is a picture of some of the gorgeous wild flowers earlier in the year - lovely.
Basically, the idea is that you go down to the park, find a jolly park keeper and point out the bits in the park beds that you would like and he digs them up for you (unless of course you choose bits that aren't for sale like we did. In fact we got as far as digging some things up that weren't for sale and the jolly park keeper had to replant them - sorry about that, got a bit overexcited!).
It was like a sweetie shop!!
A park keepers barrow full of Cannas, Salvias and Begonias for one lucky shopper
Jayne choosing Cannas
One of the beds that the Parkies had started to dismantle
This is one of the things we tried to steal - I liked it's silvery fluffiness, I just wasn't quick enough!
It has to be said that you would have been happiest if you were after perennial Begonias (which I most certainly wasn't) but there were lots of other things and all very cheap - a large sack of bedding plants was just £2.50!
I got 2 huge Cannas for £5 plus lots of advice on how to grow them. I am hoping that they will look something like this -
I have been advised to leave my Cannas in the bag, bare rooted, until they die right back, cut them right back and plant them in a pot, keeping them frost free. When they start shooting I need to start watering and they will be fabulous! I'll let you know how I get on.
Truro Parks and Gardens are very active in Britain in Bloom and regularly win prizes. They do amazing displays all over the city, put up countless hanging baskets and have just started doing wild flower patches in central reservations. They vary their seed mixes and the wild flowers are still just about flowering even now!
This is a picture of some of the gorgeous wild flowers earlier in the year - lovely.
Chief Parkie told us that they have planted out 83,000 plants so far this year, most grown from seed in their own greenhouses, and some from plug plants bought in.
That makes my garden planting seem really quite manageable!
And not satisfied with plant raising, planting and maintaining (and a huge amount of watering this summer), the Parkies are now turning their hand to willow sculpture. This is one of their pieces lurking in the plant yard - definitely not for sale!
A willow reindeer waiting for the festive winter display in the park.
Christmas is coming - aaarrghhh!
I've always noticed the planting when driving through Truro, it's all so colourful. Love the reindeer!
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