My Wonderland Flower Hunt Begins
Honestly, seeing Alice in Wonderland decorations everywhere last year sparked something. I wanted that weird, magical feel right outside my back door. So I figured, why not try growing actual flowers that look like they tumbled out of that storybook? Seemed way more fun than plain old petunias.
Digging Deep & Making Mistakes
First thing? Hit the books… well, okay, mostly websites and a couple dog-eared gardening magazines I found. Aimed for flowers that looked a bit bonkers – unusual shapes, crazy bright colours, maybe a funky name. Went straight to the garden centre buzzing with ideas.
Big mistake number one: Got dazzled by the pictures on the seed packets. Grabbed whatever screamed “weird and wonderful” without thinking if my patch of dirt was right. Just shoveled them in, gave ’em water, crossed fingers.
Result? Total flop. Half barely poked their heads up. The others looked sad and spindly. Like a * version of Wonderland. Disappointing doesn’t cover it.
Trying Again (Slightly Smarter)
Took a deep breath, kicked the dirt. Time for Plan B. Looked harder this time at what likes sunshine and doesn’t mind my kinda meh soil. Focused on tougher flowers. Bought actual plants instead of seeds, felt more solid.
Here’s the ones that actually worked for me:
- Snapdragons: Seriously cool. Pinched the sides of the flowers – snap! They look like tiny dragon mouths. Easy to grow from plants, bloomed for ages. Kids loved ’em.
- Foxgloves: Tall, spiky towers covered in spotted bells. Felt properly Wonderland. Planted them at the back, behind the others. Stunners. (Word of caution: gloves on, they’re poisonous!)
- Cosmos: Light, feathery leaves and bright daisy flowers dancing on thin stems. So delicate! Scattered seeds like confetti, and most came up looking charming and slightly wild.
- Bells of Ireland: These are the real “wow” factor. Green spires covered in bright green, bell-shaped leaves (not actual flowers). Needed full sun but looked incredible and lasted ages.
- Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella): Ended up being a favourite. Lacy, ferny stuff around these neat blue or white flowers. Let some go to seed – got these weird, striped puffy pods! Looks like Dr. Seuss designed it.
What Actually Worked
Trial and error, people! Learned my lesson: Ditch the pretty packet dream. Pick tough plants that suit your spot. My winners? Plants or good-quality seeds for nigella. Plenty of sunshine and not drowning them. Pinching back the snaps and cosmos made them bushier. And letting some nigella self-seed – free plants next year!
Honestly, How It Turned Out
It ain’t the Chelsea Flower Show. But this summer? Sitting outside with a cuppa, looking at those snaps, the towering foxgloves, the bonkers nigella pods… Yeah, it finally feels like a little bit of Wonderland fell into my garden. Messy, colourful magic. Worth the hassle.
