Which compost should I buy?

This subject is a  highly contentious one. Which? Gardening carries out surveys and publishes its findings, resulting in much debate.


My advice (for most plants) is use any compost that has a mix of:


1. loam (soil)
2. organic matter (peat or something else)
3. sand (or grit)
4. fertilizer (a mix of nitrogen, phosphates, potash and trace elements) 


This type of compost is usually called a soil-based compost - expensive does not always mean better.


I make my own mixes, roughly following the John Innes' (see picture) mixing ratios and using:


- bags of topsoil (and/ or soil from the garden)
- bags of peat free compost
- bags of horticultural grade sand and/ or grit
- general purpose fertliser granules


If in doubt or a hurry, just ask for and buy a soil-based compost and your plants will usually thank you for it.

Good plant #153 - Hosta 'Empress Wu'

This is an absolutely enormous hosta if you let it reach its full potential.  The leaves can grow to well over a foot long.  The plant itself can grow to 5ft tall and wide in five years or so.

As well as being huge, its leathery leaves are less prone to slug damage. I reckon it would make a mighty specimen in very big pot. It looks great mixed in with yellowy foliage like Milium Effusum 'Aureum'.

This hosta will do best in a shady-ish and sheltered site and must have moist, fertile and well-drained soil to reach its full potential.

You can divide this plant in spring when the shoots just appear through the spoil.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #152 - Elaeagnus x Ebbingei

This is a big evergreen shrub with densely packed silvery leaves. A few plants can be shaped to form a low maintenance hedge, provide screening.  One plant could even be used for large topiary.

It's grown for its leaves but will flower if left to do so. However, I always trim this to shape (using secateurs) in late spring and late summer to maintain a very compact shape; this results in no flowers. You can prune once only if you like.

This variety prefers full sun and fertile soil.

Cuttings can be taken in autumn.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #151 - Phlomis Fruticosa

This evergreen, silvery-green leafed and compact Jerusalem Sage is perfect for a dry sunny spot. It's drought resistant too.

It prefers well-drained and fertile soil and needs full sun.

You can propagate this in many ways, including division in Spring.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #150 - Photinia x Fraseri 'Red Robin'

This is a very popular evergreen shrub because the new leaf buds and leaves are such a bright red colour and the older leaves are very dark glossy green.

You should only trim lightly in autumn as required. It can be used as a hedge that should be trimmed once per year in autumn.

It thrives best in fertile soil and sunny spots.

You can take cuttings in late summer.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #149 - Ipheion 'Alberto Castillo'

This is a tremendous early spring flowering bulb and seems to be rare in cultivation.

I came across a massive swathe of it following the edge of a 20ft path to the mother-in-law's front door a few years ago. Masses of flowers and grass-like leaves. It survived even the very cold winters of 2010/2011.

The bulbs need to be planted quite deeply; 3 to 4 inches. It lends itself to pots. However, the pots should be moved indoors in very severe and persistent winter conditions.

It likes sunny spots and must have free draining soil.

Clumps can be lifted and divided in summer.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #148 - Heucherella 'Golden Zebra'

What an incredible evergreen perennial!  It's picture speaks volumes.  You'll not be surprised that this plant is not usually grown for its flowers ; )

It prefers part-shady sites and fertile, moist and well-drained soil.

You can divide in spring.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #147 - Myosotis Sylvatica 'Blue Sylva'

This is a classic forget-me-not.  It's biennial and seeds prolifically if you let it. A perfect plant for the Spring garden.

After flowering I pull most of them up leaving a few to self seed.  In Autumn, I move plants that will flower the next year to where I want them to flower.

It will try to grow anywhere in almost any light, soil or exposure.

You propagate this from seed.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #146 - Euonymus Japonicus 'Extase'

Almost every garden has a variety this reliable evergreen and variegated plant. I like this one because it is compact and has very good variegation.  You could even use it as a low growing hedge. You can even grow this variety in a pot.

It will grow pretty much anywhere except for the shadiest of places and in any soil so long as it's fairly well-drained.

Cuttings can be taken in late summer.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #145 - Diascia 'Little Tango'

This is a very hardy and truly perennial diascia.  Many diascia die over winter. This one will not normally do so.  It might look dead after a frost but it is almost certainly not.  In my opinion, this is the perfect patio pot plant.  It is compact, flowers profusely and flows gently over the sides. Some say, slugs are not partial to this variety but I am not so sure because I use slug deterrents and hunt them down.

If you grow this in a pot, each spring you should replace the soil.

Diascia like free draining soils and a sunny or sunny-ish position.

You can take cuttings in late summer.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #144 - Kolkwitzia Amabilis 'Pink Cloud'

This is just about the most floriferous flowering shrub I have ever come across - no wonder it's called the Beauty Bush. Each arching (almost weeping) stem is festooned with groups of pink flowers which cover virtually the whole shrub.  The only downside is that if it is left unpruned it can become huge - up to 10ft tall and almost as wide. My advice is to cut it back straight after flowering each year.  Weak, old, unwanted and dead shoots should be removed to their origins.  You should keep wanted strong shoots and remove about a third of the growth from them.

This shrub will grow in almost any soil but thrives in a sunny site.

You can take cutting in early autumn.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #143 - Rhododendron Luteum

I am not a big fan of large rhododendrons because they take up so much space. But I'm happy to make an exception for this one. I like it for a few of reasons.  It is more like an open tree when mature, so other plants can be grown and seen at its feet. It's got a lovely fragrance. It's a slow grower.

It prefers a sunny site and must have acidic fertile soil (use ericaceous compost in the planting hole).

There are many ways to propagate this plant, including taking cuttings in late summer.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #142 - Buphthalmum Salicifolium 'Dora'

This seems to be an uncommon type of perennial ox-eye daisy. It produces masses of yellow flowers and looks good planted in swathes and dotted through prairie borders.

This plant likes full sun and prefers well-drained non-acidic soils. In exposed sites, it may need staking.

You can divide this in spring or sow its seeds.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #141 - Rosa 'American Pillar'

This is an incredibly vigorous rambling rose.  You can easily make a decent size arch with a pair of these rose plants in two seasons.


This rose likes full sun and will go bonkers in fertile, well-drained soil.

You can take cuttings in autumn.


To ensure success follow the golden rules here:
http://greenshootsgardeningandhorticulture.blogspot.com/2011/03/roses-golden-rules.html

Good plant #140 - Tulipa Greigii 'Red Riding Hood'

This is a fairly popular tulip and is grown for its classic-shaped tulip flower and striking variegated foliage.  I think tulips are best grown in tightly bunched groups - much closer than recommended. Use as many slug deterrents as you dare as soon as the fresh foliage appears. (See article on this blog).

Tulips like fertile but very well-drained soil and sunny spots.  You can help ensure abundant blooms year after year by applying a liquid general purpose fertilizer after flowering when the foliage is still green. All the foliage should be cut off and removed as soon as it has tuned yellow.


To propagate you just lift the bulbs and replant the small bulbs attached to the main bulb. The new bulbs take at least a couple of seasons to flower.


For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #139 - Ajuga Incisa 'Frosted Jade'

Ajuga are tough spreading perennials for shady positions.  This variety has unusual variegated and holly-like leaves.

It will tolerate almost any soil but prefers moister conditions. It must have a fair degree of shade.

You can divide this plant pretty much when you please. Early spring or after flowering are good times to do this.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:
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and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.