Green Girl Gardener

It’s high time I told you about my slight obsession with poorly plants. I mentioned my bargain Gazania to you the other day. I’m going to show you it again just because it’s so beautiful.

This was from Notcutts and despite being resigned to the sale table because it had a couple of brown leaves, it’s now thriving in my little bistro area. All its original sunflower-like blooms have faded but it’s a determined little life, it demands very little in the way of attention other than being deadheaded as each flower wilts, it doesn’t even like to be watered too often being from the hot climes of Southern Africa, yet it sends up new buds full of promise and life which quickly open out into more beautiful flowers. Gazanias are light sensitive and the petals close up tight at night or in low light. Very sensible the Gazania! If I could curl up and refuse to play when there’s not enough sunshine I would too!

Anyhoo, I digress slightly! I wanted to tell you about poorly plants. I have discovered that most, if not all, garden centres have a sale section where all the slightly poorly plants are to be found. Notcutts has an excellent sale table.

This is where you’ll find me most lunchtimes, scouring the table for plants to save. You see, I’m a sucker for the underdog and the next stop for these plants is surely (don’t say it to loud in case they hear) the dustbin and I can’t bear the thought of them not fulfilling their planty, floral dreams of growing in someone’s garden or on a patio or balcony. Look how green they are. Sure, some of them, even I have to admit, are beyond redemption, but most just need a bit of TLC.

I couldn’t wait to get in there today having not been in all last week because of not being at work. I could’ve trotted over straight away at noon, but I extended the anticipation and stayed at my desk for another half an hour before giving in to the temptation.

I drooled over the houseplants first. There was a minuscule succulent on sale but I dragged myself away from that. Six succulents is probably enough for our house (although I now realise I could’ve got it for my desk at work – hmmmmmm!)

Then I hurried off to the sale table wondering what joys I’d find after a week, and look ………

I’m drawn to grasses or grass-like plants. This one (on the left) is a Hemerocallis and it’ll have big pink flowers. Ooh ooh ooh and another Hebe! This is my fifth one now and all but one have come from the sale table. This one was very apt given the events of last week because it’s called Celebration. That’s what swung it for me. It’s not perfect, but that’s actually perfectly apt given that my Dad gave this reading as part of the wedding ceremony. I’ll give it a little bit of a tidy up and a drink and it’ll be good as new.

My first Hebe is called Purple Pixie and it was in a bit of a sorry state when I saved it but it’s now planted in our border and it’s growing well, looking very healthy and attracting pollinators. I wish I had a before photo, but here it is now in all its purple pixieness.

I just love it, and just think, if I hadn’t rescued it, that could’ve been the end of its story, but now it’ll hopefully have many years of fulfilling its destiny and bringing a smile to my face.

I’m going to love you and leave you today with two images of an Aster that I rescued for 75p from B&M Bargains (even they have a sale section). The first is as it was when I brought it home and the second is after I’d tidied it up. Hopefully I’ll be able to show you photos of it thriving in the future. Fingers and toes crossed!