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Old 03-06-2016, 12:07 AM   #11
Ozric Jonathan
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I agree Naturescape is very good. I haven't visited but have used the mail order often with good results. Little plants packed carefully and arrive in good condition in Scotland.

They have many small plants that are suitable and typically cost £1 each. As ever with these things it's cheaper to buy more, so the price drops to 40p or less for larger amounts and of course your postage costs go down in proportion.

One of my favourites from them has been Nettle Leaved Bellflower. It's a tasty wild campanula that grows well in my garden, doesn't need a lot of sun or even any, the flowers are really lovely. I started with 3 and now have many more due to seeding around the garden. This plant can never be a pest and torts love it.

Another good one they sell is red valerian. They also have 8 kinds of violets that are really nice little plants, don't need sun and will seed around.

What I do is to buy 5 or 10 of something, plant them together and keep an eye on them for the first year.

I highly recommend Cat's Ear. Buy 5 of those and within a few years you will have dozens and not regret it. No oxalate issues! A brilliant cut-and-come-again tortoise food plant that will tolerate a wide range of conditions.

Come on CB (and others) you might be missing out on loads of fun by growing many kinds of wildflowers which your tortoises will love and are also great for wildlife.

(I'm not on commission by Naturescape. Other wild plant selling companies are available etc.)
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Old 03-06-2016, 09:50 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan View Post
I agree Naturescape is very good. I haven't visited but have used the mail order often with good results. Little plants packed carefully and arrive in good condition in Scotland.

They have many small plants that are suitable and typically cost £1 each. As ever with these things it's cheaper to buy more, so the price drops to 40p or less for larger amounts and of course your postage costs go down in proportion.

One of my favourites from them has been Nettle Leaved Bellflower. It's a tasty wild campanula that grows well in my garden, doesn't need a lot of sun or even any, the flowers are really lovely. I started with 3 and now have many more due to seeding around the garden. This plant can never be a pest and torts love it.

Another good one they sell is red valerian. They also have 8 kinds of violets that are really nice little plants, don't need sun and will seed around.

What I do is to buy 5 or 10 of something, plant them together and keep an eye on them for the first year.

I highly recommend Cat's Ear. Buy 5 of those and within a few years you will have dozens and not regret it. No oxalate issues! A brilliant cut-and-come-again tortoise food plant that will tolerate a wide range of conditions.

Come on CB (and others) you might be missing out on loads of fun by growing many kinds of wildflowers which your tortoises will love and are also great for wildlife.

(I'm not on commission by Naturescape. Other wild plant selling companies are available etc.)
I love the disclaimer at the end!!
I agree Cat's Ear is so easy to grow and a great favourite of all my torts.
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Old 03-06-2016, 05:11 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozric Jonathan View Post
I agree Naturescape is very good. I haven't visited but have used the mail order often with good results. Little plants packed carefully and arrive in good condition in Scotland.

They have many small plants that are suitable and typically cost £1 each. As ever with these things it's cheaper to buy more, so the price drops to 40p or less for larger amounts and of course your postage costs go down in proportion.

One of my favourites from them has been Nettle Leaved Bellflower. It's a tasty wild campanula that grows well in my garden, doesn't need a lot of sun or even any, the flowers are really lovely. I started with 3 and now have many more due to seeding around the garden. This plant can never be a pest and torts love it.

Another good one they sell is red valerian. They also have 8 kinds of violets that are really nice little plants, don't need sun and will seed around.

What I do is to buy 5 or 10 of something, plant them together and keep an eye on them for the first year.

I highly recommend Cat's Ear. Buy 5 of those and within a few years you will have dozens and not regret it. No oxalate issues! A brilliant cut-and-come-again tortoise food plant that will tolerate a wide range of conditions.

Come on CB (and others) you might be missing out on loads of fun by growing many kinds of wildflowers which your tortoises will love and are also great for wildlife.

(I'm not on commission by Naturescape. Other wild plant selling companies are available etc.)
I am definitely going to check it out. I could be in the rainforest in parts of my garden though....see below...can you spot the 3 little margies??





I am joking !!!
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Old 03-06-2016, 05:31 PM   #14
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Just to repeat I am joking !
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Old 03-06-2016, 05:57 PM   #15
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Do any of yours eat Herb Robert, CB? Mine have never touched it.
Great camouflage for your babies!
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Old 04-06-2016, 11:17 AM   #16
Ozric Jonathan
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Jumping in here - sorry - mine don't eat herb Robert and are not keen on geranium species generally.
Also they don't eat hostas so planting them was a waste of time. The snails like the hostas though, so they do get eaten.
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Old 04-06-2016, 12:58 PM   #17
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Jumping in here - sorry - mine don't eat herb Robert and are not keen on geranium species generally.
Also they don't eat hostas so planting them was a waste of time. The snails like the hostas though, so they do get eaten.
Mine don't eat herb Robert either. Typically it seems to grow well in my garden!
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Budgies: Jasper, Ivo, Otis, Henry, Louie and Luca
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Old 04-06-2016, 09:35 PM   #18
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My Horsfields do eat it but then they tend to eat anything. They also eat the wild geraniums which is lucky as they grow everywhere. The others don't eat HR but they do eat hosta's which is why I put them in pots now , apart from in the Horsfields pen and then that's collateral damage for Hosta's. Then they eat the snails !
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Old 04-06-2016, 11:00 PM   #19
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Ha ha!

Yes it was suggested to me that I get some box turtles who would eat the slugs and snails and maybe one day I will. But there are lots of frogs in the garden and they are supposed to eat the molluscs yet I still have thousands of the horrible things.
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Old 05-06-2016, 10:12 AM   #20
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Ha ha!

Yes it was suggested to me that I get some box turtles who would eat the slugs and snails and maybe one day I will. But there are lots of frogs in the garden and they are supposed to eat the molluscs yet I still have thousands of the horrible things.
I keep box turtles and slugs and snails are hard to find now:0)
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