Penstemons

[Auricula]

It wouldn't give me the opportunity to put a code in anywhere and I was to be charged the £4.95 postage whatever I did...so I didn't bother.

[Jasmine]

I can fix-it!

[Jasmine]

Apr 28, 2013 9:49:02 GMT Auricula said:

Ooh, thanks for that Jilly It'll make all the difference Wonder why I haven't had it perhaps I don't buy enough

That'll be it for sure!

Mine will stay in their 9cm pots for a while longer Jilly.
My autumn T&M plugs are very small and I haven't many left after the GH disasters.

[Jilly]

I found a quite small Penstamon collection   which had Blueberry Ice in it (looked the same as Blueberry Fudge  ) & I only got the 10 Salvias for £10 collection extra & that's been in my wish list for ages, so a bargain really 

[Jasmine]

Ohh, salvias...off to check!

Bargain Jilly

[Jilly]

It's only a bargain if you need them Jasmine, well that's what OH tells me  . The Salvias I got from Hayloft in the Autumn are rooting like mad from every little bit I pinch out, so I'm thinking they're just as good value as the Penstamons.

[Jasmine]

Do you do them in water or compost Jilly?

[Jilly]

Just in water Jasmine, I've got 2 little mustard pots on the kitchen windowsill, one with Penstamons & one with Salvias, every time I pinch the tops out I just pop them in & pot them up when there's some roots. Haven't a clue what I've got 

[Jasmine]

You've got a lucky dip Jilly!

[Jasmine]

There's a really interesting article on penstemons in Gardening Which this month. Best Buys for both the North and South of the country were Garnet, Hidcote Pink, Port Wine, Rich Ruby and Just Jayne and recommended were Evelyn, Plum Jerkum, Wedding Day, Laura, Czar and Volcano Vesuvius.

[Auricula]

Interesting - all old faves except Port Wine and Wedding Day which I've only come across more recently. A lot of my labels have gone walkabout, so i need to recatalogue mine once they flower

[Jasmine]

I think Just Jayne is one of the bomb proof ones but I have never had much luck with Evelyn.

[Jasmine]

I got my orchestra penstemons yesterday - they are very, very small! Still, they've got the whole summer to get going.

[Auricula]

Don't think I've got mine yet, although I have ordered so many that I honestly can't remember You don't think it's an addiction do you?

[Jasmine]

Not at all - to be an addiction you would have to start ordering before breakfast and order every day!
I can't remember what I'm due either if it makes you feel better!

My babies are all potted up and watered in - now just have to find somewhere suitable to put them.

[Jilly]

I did a bit of an experiment earlier, all of my last Penstamon collection are thriving, apart from Bilberry Ice (one I've not heard of before with dark purple leaves), I'm never sure of the ones with the dark foliage, they look really pretty but I'm not sure they're as strong .
When I dug it up it had hardly any root so I've moved it into a pot of gritty compost & seeing as I had some handy I've added some mycorrhizal fungi as that seems to have done wonders for my Daphne cuttings.

 

[Auricula]

Hope it works Jilly the ones with the dark purple leaves always look a bit droopy to me

[Ladygardener]

It looks like all is not lost with my Penstemons. I've got all this new growth coming up but I'll have to wait until they flower to see what they are, I think Hidcote Pink from Jasmine

[Jasmine]

It looks good and healthy Ladygardener!

[Ladygardener]

Yes, I cut back some straggly bits a while ago and now all these new shoots have come up. Fingers crossed for lots of flowers this year.

[Tig]

I'm still feeling smug that I only lost one penstemon last winter (Light of Life originally donated by Jasmine). I had those diddy little thimbles from T & M and they grew on really strongly, only lost two out of 24 and there were some 'double' seedlings anyway. They are all planted out now and I'm hoping not to have put a purple one in the pink border (sods law I have!)

I've got a 'collection' to come from Haylofts which is a replacement for a bit of an order that got lost, they should be this lot

Amelia Jane, height 90cm (36”)
Appleblossom, height 80cm (32”)
Charlotte Louise, height 80cm (32”)
Czar, height 80cm (32”)
Just Jayne, height 120cm (48”)
Laura, height 70cm (28”)
Plum Jerkum, height 1m (40”)
Raven, height 90cm (36”)
Snowstorm, height 75cm (30”)
Strawberries & Cream, height 45-60cm (18-24”)

Some I've got already, but they were the £10 offer and had free p & p at the time, so it would have been rood not to buy them.

[Jasmine]

Nice collection Tig!

[Tig]

I thought so Jasmine, and was pleased to see several in the 'best buys' list you posted Have to say that nearly all my 'volcano' penstemons have been very good growers, but vesuvius was the weakest!

[Jasmine]

Have you got a Just Jayne already - I find that one of the best penstemons going.

[Tig]

I think Auricula may have sent me a baby Just Jayne several years ago, but it was when we had the really harsh winters and it hadn't established itself and died on me. I have learnt where they are happiest in the garden now, and have high hopes for this lot, apart perhaps from Snowstorm and Strawberries & Cream, they'll probably die over winter here.

[Jasmine]

I can't get those 2 through a bad winter here.
I've got a Light of Life fighting for life under a mystery poppy (mystery as in I don't know where the triffid has come from!) so I will take some cuttings as soon as possible.

[Tig]

Thanks Jasmine.

[Auricula]

Some of my RHS seeds were Penstemon Serrulatea. They are small and shrubby ( apparently) with blue or purple flowers. They have a different habit to the usual hybrids... and...6 of them have germinated and thrived for long enough for me to be able to pot them on into 3"pots I'm so

[Jasmine]

...and you waited long enough for them to germinate Auricula!

[Auricula]

I did indeed
I put them to one side in the greenhouse and made myself leave them alone for 4weeks!!! I just hope they're worth all the angst I'm growing them cos they seem to be a bit different