The Ten Plants I Couldn’t Resist Buying This Week

There’s something quite thrilling about the arrival of new plants. Each pot represents pure promise: future flowers, colour, texture, movement and life. The excitement of the new, or the return of the once planted but now vanished and much missed is probably the reason we’ve all done it, isn’t it – ordered plants without a clue where they’ll actually go, simply because we couldn’t resist their appeal?

If you’ve been gardening for any length of time, you’ll know the familiar scenario. Despite our best planning, borders rarely perform exactly as we think they will (part of the thrill of it all!). You collect your favourites over time, plant these treasures meticulously, look forward to their arrival each year – and then the weather throws you and your plants a curveball. After a long winter all you want to do is to relish the joy that the approaching summer season promises, and so of course, that often means new plant purchases!

I was prepared for the particular challenge of squeezing them into already brimming borders – as any plant enthusiast knows, where there’s a will (and perhaps a sliver of bare soil), there’s always a way!

What I wasn’t quite prepared for was putting my back out last Friday. I’ve been rather sulky these past few days after injuring myself during a frantic pre-photoshoot deadheading dash – still in my dressing gown, before I’d even had time to properly greet the day! With the arrival of a palette of new plants, it’s been utterly frustrating being ‘grounded’ looking at them just willing me to plant them. I feel a bit like a kid with my nose pressed against the sweet shop window.

So, I thought the next best thing I could do as we start the Easter bank holiday weekend is write about them so you can enjoy them from afar with me too. These ten plant varieties are those I’ve missed, those the winter wet of the past couple of years has claimed, and those that will add proper OOMPH to my garden this year right when I need it most.

---

Before I share my latest plant purchases, with all their whys, wheres and what fors, I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to all my paid subscribers who make My Real Gardens possible. Your support means the world to me, especially during weeks like this when my back decides to have other ideas!

If you’re enjoying the free peeks over my garden fence, I’m thrilled you’re here! But I must confess, that my full newsletters offer so much more exclusively for my paid subscribers – including audio versions of all my articles (perfect for listening to while seed sowing), live gardening sessions, community chats where we can share our garden triumphs and disasters, and of course, my complete back catalogue of gardening articles drawn from three decades of professional garden design experience.

If you’ve been hovering on the fence about becoming a paid subscriber, perhaps Spring is the perfect time. The borders are calling for attention, I’ve been on quite the plant-buying spree and each newsletter is packed with links, seasonal tips and personal advice from me.

In this week’s complete newsletter, I’m covering:

· Ten plants I simply couldn’t resist (and where on earth I’ll squeeze them in!)

· When a garden designer breaks her own rules – guilty as charged!

· Gardening through a dodgy back and life’s other curveballs

· My nose pressed against the sweet shop window – plants I can see but can’t plant!

· Keeping the borders singing through those tricky in-between moments

· My no-nonsense planting advice that give new plants their best chance

· Five garden finds I’ve spotted this week that made me smile

· How my garden and I are adapting to each other as life changes

It would make my day if you chose to upgrade – all for less than a bag of compost a month (and even less with an annual subscription). Your support doesn’t just keep this newsletter growing; it genuinely helps me stay connected to the gardening community during the trickier patches of life.

Meanwhile, thank you for being here – whether you’re reading the highlights or fully engaged with the My Real Gardens community.

Now, about those plants I simply couldn’t resist...