Devon Daisies

[willowjay]

I have tried to grow these delightful daisies wherever I've lived. At the moment in West Sussex they are established in many parts of the garden. They seed enthusiastically, and potted-up seedlings seem easy to grow on and plant out.

I have recently returned from a west country trip, where they festoon every wall.

My problem is with another plant that I really want - and can't establish. It's Corydalis lutea - a beautiful yellow corydalis that grows in much the same sites as the daisy - gaps in walls, often in poor soil. I've been green with envy staring at little cottages surrounded by banks of this lovely flower - but everything I've tried fails. Seeds don't germinate, small transferred plants from friends gardens fail (brittle roots I think) so I'm stumped. Any suggestions gratefully received

[nightshade]

I noticed Corydalis lutea many years ago and tried very hard to grow it, I noticed it grew particularly well against a path edge just up the road.
The growing medium was dust and grit that the breezes deposited there so
waited till it disappeared and swept up the grit, mixed it with some very fine bird-sand and replaced half the mixture. The other half I took home and seeded in an almost identical spot in my garden, it took up in a gap between bricks that I used to pave an area in front of my small greenhouse.
I now have Corydalis lutea in the garden and the original patch is just fine.
I notice that it grows even more prolifically in the alley by my back gate, now how did it get there?

[Tiggrx]

A friend of mine has Yellow Corydalis all over his garden and spends much time pulling it up. He originally introduced it many years and it is now in most gardens in his street.

I found this quote in a old book [The Wild Garden by W. Robinson 1883] "...and Corydalis lutea thrives in every position from the top of an old castle to the bottom of a well shaft."

I planted it several times into my old garden but it never survived. I've never tried it here.

[IanS]

Originally Posted by Tiggrx

A friend of mine has Yellow Corydalis all over his garden and spends much time pulling it up. He originally introduced it many years and it is now in most gardens in his street.

I found this quote in a old book [The Wild Garden by W. Robinson 1883] "...and Corydalis lutea thrives in every position from the top of an old castle to the bottom of a well shaft."

I planted it several times into my old garden but it never survived. I've never tried it here.

That plant grows like mad around here! It particularly likes growing next to the walls of my house. It's pretty but spreads like mad and it gets pulled up!