1. I have 2 Buddleia Honeycombs. I thought it was suppose to grow very fast but mine hasnt grown at all. It is that normal or is 3 weeks just not long enought?

2. I have 6 Sedum Brilliant and they are all growing but the bottom leaves are turning brown on a couple. Is that a sign of tooo much water?

3. My son broke the stem from a Sedum Brilliant. I cut the leaves off on one side of the stem and stuck them in the grown. Will new flowers emerge? If so, how long should it take? I then toke the stem and laid it on the ground with the cut edges in contact with the soil. Will it grow?

4. The website I purchased the items from said not to overwater but it also said that regular watering was important the first year for most of the plants in the collection. How do you know if you are watering too much?

Lastly
5. How much would you expect a preplanned garden to grow during the first summer?

Thanks for any and all input!

BTW...I have one bloom. Its on Phlox Sherwood Purple

There is a saying that goes something like "first year it sleeps, second year it creeps, third year it leaps"

I would agree that three seasons is probably the amount of time you'll have to wait to see your new garden at its best.
Be patient - there is no perennial insta-garden. You can plant some annuals to get splashes of colour while your perennials settle in.

Sedums do NOT need a lot of water.
That said, the instructions to make sure to water new plants is precisely because they don't have established root systems (sedums do not have large roots).

Bottom leaves will always turn brown as a plant grows. Some plants more than others. Worry only if there are a lot, or if there is a white dusting on them.

Laying broken leaves on the ground to regrow is iffy. Depending on conditions it may rot before taking root, or animals or insects will move it around. I would try to root those in a sheltered pot that you can monitor.

Hope this helps :)

Established butterfly bushes do grow fast--I cut mine back to about 8" every year in March and by July they have grown as tall as I am, set flower buds and started blooming.

Last year we had a terrible drought with not a single drop of rain falling where I live from June to October. I watered things every day that need lots of water using recycled milk jugs with a pinhole poked an inch from the bottom. I did not water my sedum, gaura, Echinacea, gloriosa daisy and other drought-tolerant perennials at all and they not only just kept blooming as if there'd been regular rainfall, they all came back this year as if there'd never been a drought.

in my z5 ... i would have planted this in early may .... so.. timing is very important ... the reason we do this.. is so the new plants can grow enough roots in their new home ... for as long as possible.. before the high heat of summer... and to get over shipping and transplant shock ....

so if you get excited enough about gardening... and want to try again next year.. start much earlier ...

lower browning is the shock of it all .... so ignore that ...

drought resistant plants.. are such.. WHEN FULLY ESTABLISHED [like next year] ... not at transplant ... so keep watering properly .. and deeply ... the website info is probably tuned to PROPER PLANTING TIME ... not late planting ...

you dont mention soil type.. but the only way to know if you are watering deeply.. is to stick your finger in about 2 inches.. and feel cool damp soil .... no guessing.. this is how you starting turning your thumb or index finger green .. lol ...

the broken sedum can be rooted in a glass of water ... and when you see very small roots.. pot it up and put it in the shade... i doubt it will root in the ground.. in july ... it will just shrivel up from lack of water.. long before it will generate roots ... the potted one can be planted in fall for next year ...

and finally .. personally.. i simply expect the plants to live the first year.. if they bloom so be it.. its a bonus .. but if they dont .. i expect such ....

to repeat.. your brand new transplants are NOT drought proof.. do not let them dry out in july and august.. but dont drown them ... again.. what is your soil type ... i want to know if you are in clay ....

good luck

ken

The link is a similar B x weyeriana to Honeycomb.

I have never bought a preplanned garden, but my experience with mailorder companies is that most of the time the plants are on the small size. With that in mind, I usually don't allow them to flower and will actually pick off flower buds, to allow more growth at the root level. The idea being 'the stronger the roots the better the plant'.

If you are able to tell us what type of soil you have, as Ken has asked or even post a pic or two, that will help with your question about watering as it really depends. The general for my area is an inch a week, but that may not be feasible where you are.

Congratulations and remember your patience will be rewarded.
Flora

Sedum "Brilliant" isn't the easiest sedum to root from cutting, but it's close. Just don't drown it, I doubt you will kill it from lack or water.

On perennials: First year sleep, second year creep, third year leap.

I know your phlox is beautiful. It's a must have plant for me.

mao

Yes, first yr will be very small, but you will be rewarded.

RE: watering, basically think deep roots. You are training your plants. If you water frequently but just on the surface, then you are training your plants to not have deep roots and depend on this type of watering. However, if you water very deeply (I just water right into the roots-- not sure is it's right but it works for me) and for a long time . . .but less frequently, they will be better equipped to depend on less water next yr.

How frequently you need to water depends on many things, inc how hot it is, if they are in the sun/part shade/etc. Just keep an eye on them, think deep, and you will be fine.

This is coming from a newbie gardener, too!

When I purchased house, it had HUGE hostas EVERYWHERE. I dug up two of them and divded them to make four. Then I replanted. Those are on their last legs. The person who told me what to do said that hostas were virtually imposible to kill.......that was before I decided to take up gardening...

I am finding my new found hobby to be quite relaxing and addictive. I love reading about all the plants on the web. I just discovered what a bog was after going thru the list of forums on gardenweb ;)

Sounds like you're enjoying it which is the most important thing!