Problem with a Lavatera Barnsley, please help!

[theinsidegardener]

I bought a Lavatera Barnsley last year and this will be its first time to flower. It has lots of buds and is a good shape, but it's been a pot with spring bulbs and the many many leaves of the tulips and daffs likely swamped it a bit. It's got a strange brown on its main trunk and I was wondering what it is and whether I need to do something with it. If I hadn't spotted it I would have thought it was a very healthy plant. Any suggestions??

[Tig]

That just looks like normal woody growth to me theinsidegardener, Lavatera is a shrubby grower

[Ladygardener]

theinsidegardener I agree with Tig, it's just the normal way shrubs behave. As the stems get older, they turn woody. It's grand, don't be worrying.

[Geranium]

Is it a 'Baby Barnsley', or the potentially large one, theinsidegardener? If it's the large one, it'll need planting out in your garden in the autumn, and a hard prune come the spring. They get really big!  I think 'Baby B' should be fine in a pot, though.

[Jasmine]

It looked like normal woody growth to me too but I was worried I'd missed something!
I remember reading about Lavatera Barnsley and it being described as having a blob of strawberry jam colour in the centre of each flower - it's so pretty - enjoy theinsidegardener!

[theinsidegardener]

Oh Happy days, thanks Tig Ladygardener Geranium Jasmine! I am so looking forward to seeing what it's like in flower - I like the sound of the strawberry blob! mmm, it doesn't say "Baby" on the tag, but now that I know it's ok I'll move it to beside the shed after it flowers - thanks for the advice Geranium!

[Geranium]

You're welcome, theinsidegardener - prune it half-back in the autumn to avoid wind-rock, then when you see new growth in the spring, cut it back to healthy buds - hard!  You'll be surprised how fast it grows.