[crowndale]

Today I have bought some perrenials for my borders, will probably fill the rest in with vege as I have so many seeds left over!

Anyway, there are no planting instructions with the lupins and cordyline australis.  I have loads of manure and b&q organic soil improver, which would be best for these?  I know nothing about plants at all, even less than I do about veges and that's precious little!  I know the C.A. will grow to about 2 metres tall and am assuming like fruit bushes etc that stay in the ground for years that they need a substantial amount of good stuff in the ground before planting.

Anyone?

[Aunt Sally]

Cordyline Australis will grow to about 2 metres tall and am assuming like fruit bushes etc that stay in the ground for years that they need a substantial amount of good stuff in the ground before planting.

Mine are about 10-12 feet tall at present.  I have never fed them, they might scrape the sky if I did  

[WG.]

Would that be cardoon in centre picture?  I have cardoon seeds if anyone wants some.

[Trillium]

Lupins aren't overly fussy on soil, just put the seeds in now, water and mark where you've put them so not to dig there later and they'll be up soon enough. A bit of old manure wouldn't hurt, but not too much. Notice that they grow wild in fields and ditches where they get nothing at all so don't fuss with them too much. And remember that once they've flowered, that they'll die back for the season so keep the marker in place.

[Aunt Sally]

Would that be cardoon in centre picture?  I have cardoon seeds if anyone wants some.

Yes it is.  It grew to about 8 feet tall last year as you can see.  The bees love it  

[WG.]

Would that be cardoon in centre picture?  I have cardoon seeds if anyone wants some.

Yes it is.  It grew to about 8 feet tall last year as you can see.  The bees love it  

... and would the lovely creature in the red top be your grand-daughter?  [What the heck, I'm on the naughty step tonight anyway]

[Aunt Sally]

Oh...  You can come off the naughty step now WG     Would you like a piece of cake and some tea  

[crowndale]

Thanks people, I'll treat them all with utter disrespect and add nothing to the soil!  The lupins are small plants rather than seed.  The last time I had lupins they self seeded all over the place which is what I am hoping these will do, fill up those borders.  I'm useless with flowering plants and just want things in now that more or less look after themsleves.  

I inherited a garden with enormous empty borders when I bought this house 4 years ago, it's taking a long time to sort it out, partly because I prefer vege planting to flowers and partly because of my lack of knowledge of flowering plants.  But I know that i like lupins and the cordyline looked pretty on the photo on the pot!  Up until now I have just put in bedding but that is short lived and expensive in the long run.

Do you have to cut the cordyline back ever or just leave it alone to grow on old growth?

[agapanthus]

Lupins are very beautiful plants......but beware SLUGS love 'em!!

[crowndale]

Thats ok, they are on the other side of the garden to my veges!  still I might blast the area with nematodes to be on the safe side!

[WG.]

 partly because I prefer vege planting to flowers

Bear in mind that some edibles can look great in a border ... thyme, sage, chard, chives, rosemary, dill, cardoon, dwarf bean (purple or yellow beans), scorzonera, asparagus, lolla rossa lettuce, even parsley.

[Aunt Sally]

Do you have to cut the cordyline back ever or just leave it alone to grow on old growth?

No, just leave it to grow I remove deadbrown leaves from the bottom which leaves the stem to become a trunk.

[WG.]

Oh...  You can come off the naughty step now WG     Would you like a piece of cake and some tea  

 :?  :? Er, yes, thank you.  Lapsang Souchong if you have it since I can't taste any other teas after my daily ration of smoked garlic.  Makes me think - I haven't seen Gunpowder Green tea around for ages.

[Aunt Sally]

Lapsang Souchong if you have it since I can't taste any other teas after my daily ration of smoked garlic.

I prefer Earl Grey myself but Worzel likes it strong  

[Trillium]

I'll come if it's Darjeeling