Bought Some Alpine Plants For Raised Flower Bed Today
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
December 15, 2012 3:59pm CST
I really love going in Dobbies, the Garden Centre. Surrounded by all those plants is great and it never gets overcrowded with people either, as the place is so big.
Anyway, we bought some alpine plants today, including a couple of heathers. The other plants flower and you can see the one in the middle with a cute pink flower on it. It put a smile on my face when I planted it, and it was the same with the other plants, of course. I love them all!
The reason I picked those particular plants is that conventional flowering plants don't grow very well at that end as the sun doesn't reach them as much (if at all) so I had a fairly big space to put them in. Will they spread out as I don't know much about heathers and how they er..behave. If they don't spread out it gives me an excuse to buy some more as they're only £1.99 each.
I'll be a gardener yet my friends. I wish I could do something about that godawful dawb on the wall (which is on the actual house at the bottom) but at least the plants cheer me up which is their function after all.
The reason I picked those particular plants is that conventional flowering plants don't grow very well at that end as the sun doesn't reach them as much (if at all) so I had a fairly big space to put them in. Will they spread out as I don't know much about heathers and how they er..behave. If they don't spread out it gives me an excuse to buy some more as they're only £1.99 each.
I'll be a gardener yet my friends. I wish I could do something about that godawful dawb on the wall (which is on the actual house at the bottom) but at least the plants cheer me up which is their function after all.3 people like this
8 responses
@wolfie34 (26770)
• United Kingdom
15 Dec 12
When you said Dobbies, I thought you were talking about the house elf on Harry Potter and I was thinking you were in Diagon Alley LOL. What a cute name for a garden centre, I love going to garden centres, I usually take my mum and our 94 year old neighbour to our Garden centre, we have a good look round then afterwards I get taken to the carvery for a meal to thank me for driving them there. I am the gardener in my family, I have a rockery in our back garden which looked superb in the Summer even though I say so myself. I find gardening very therapeutic.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Dec 12
How does heather grow? If you look at the photograph one is higher than the other two, so they obviously grow to some extent but I'm not sure if they spread OUTWARDS as well.
You're right about gardening being therapeutic as well. This is why I actually like Dobbies as it's massive and doesn't stress me out like B&Q!
1 person likes this
@randomarts09 (1405)
• Indonesia
16 Dec 12
I would love to go Dobbies, the Garden Centre someday. I really love plants and I love gardening, the effortless attention of gardening may even help improve depression symptoms. Gardening gets you out in the fresh air and sunshine, and it also gets your blood moving. I feel that surrounded ourselves in around the plants and garden is good for our health for many reasons and nature feels very relaxing and a good way to spend a day.
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Dec 12
We haven't got much of a garden but the raised flower bed (sort of) makes up for it as I can look at it whilst I'm on my computer, as I face the window that overlooks it.
Not much going on with it at the moment, though but it will definitely look more lively in the spring.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Dec 12
I used to love gardening, but it gets harder and harder to find the time and the energy.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
30 Dec 12
Yes, I do know what you mean..and I have the time!!
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
15 Dec 12
Sounds like a good way to spend a day. 
I like to imagine that one day I shall have beautiful plants--ones that actually live. At some point, I really must master the art of not killing plants. I suspect that is going to take a lot of effort on my part, though, since I really do have a bad track record.
I like to imagine that one day I shall have beautiful plants--ones that actually live. At some point, I really must master the art of not killing plants. I suspect that is going to take a lot of effort on my part, though, since I really do have a bad track record.1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
16 Dec 12
You seem to be interested in varieties of plants,especially flowering plants of late.what a pity,The heathers in your photo is too small to see.I search it online.It is very beautiful,belongs to Ericaceae.Some call heathers "mountain mist",because of its numerous pink flowers in wild state.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Dec 12
I take it they will grow a bit bigger then? I'd like them to spread outwards rather than upwards so I have a carpet to stop the neighbouring cats from 'dumping' in the soil.
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
21 Dec 12
If so,it is better that they spread close to the soil.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
16 Dec 12
sounds great.. I plant many veggies here in my garden.. Gives me something to do to gt away from office nad computer. have a great sunday there.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Dec 12
Yes, my FIL grows his own vegetables but not as much as he used to. He has a massive garden so can grow whatever he likes. I've used some rhubarb he donated to us a while back, in a rhubarb crumble. It was as organic as you can get!
@BarBaraPrz (51819)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
16 Dec 12
I don't know much about heather, but I've always seen them planted in sunny areas, so they may not do well where you've planted them. Why don't you use the myLot search to find out more about them? You could be rewarded! 
@natliegleb (5173)
• India
16 Dec 12
good for you and i especially like the fragrance of it and its so crazy because it drives me nuts all the time,The smell and odour which creeps with it is awesome.The price too is normal but the fact of the matter is i am not getting more here nowadays and the ratio is decreasing and i am longing for it each day.Hope they grow in large ratio here soon,waiting for it all the way@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
16 Dec 12
I wonder if the lavender plant is from the same family as I'd love to grow some of that as well but I didn't see any in Dobbies yesterday.
