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| What new perennial(s) that you planted in your garden this spring lived up to or exceeded expectations? Or fell flat?
With the exception of hostas, which are another forum altogether, three or four stand out for me. I love Lespedeza thunbergii "Gibralter", a 4' fountain of blooms in its' first year. Also sedums "Thundercloud" and "Autumn Delight". Not new varieties, but new in the garden this year were cardinal flower, veronica "Sunny Border Blue", catmint and dwarf pink balloon flower, all of which are wonderful even in September after the awful August we had. Mukdenia is coming along nicely, and a real surprise, lewisia, which never did go summer dormant. We'll see how it comes thru the winter, that will be the real test. Three ferns did great, arborvitae, upside-down and Alaska, and still look good even through the heat. Creeping Veronica "Aztec Gold" has tripled in size. Cut-leaved coneflower "Herbstonne" shot up to 6', I didn't expect that! Guess I should have read the tag better! It needs to be moved but is putting on a great new flush of fall leaves, I think this is one vigorous wildflower! Two Rodgersias shot craps, one in June and the other in July. Tiarella "Candy Stripes" never did come along, died shortly after it put on its' first leaves. Cornus canadensis made it halfway thru August before succumbing to triple digit temps. How about your gardens? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by echinaceamaniac 7 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 6, 10 at 18:06
| My favorite new plants this year were: 1.) Echinacea 'Hot Papaya' - Although the color was more red than orange, these really stood out in the garden. 2.) Echinacea 'Flame Thrower' - The blooms seemed to last forever! 3.) Echinacea 'Hot Summer' - Big blooms that changed from yellow to orange and then red. |
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- Posted by coolplantsguy z6 Ontario (My Page) on Mon, Sep 6, 10 at 19:03
| I typically plant in the summer (too busy in the spring), so most observations/opinions are not formed until the following year. Planted last year (survived first winter): Coreopsis 'Full Moon' Planted this year (so far): Hemerocallis 'Just Plum Happy' Still to plant: Sedum 'Chocolate Drop' |
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| Winners: * "Peacock" butterfly bush * Variegated Chasmanthium * "Brandy Punch" hibiscus moscheutos * "Citronelle" Heuchera - planted late last fall, and *OUTSTANDING* this season - by far exceeded my expectations, and I find Heuchera to be finicky but this looks like a good, strong grower thus far with great coloration. * Sage (culinary) On the fence: * "Midnight Rose" Heuchera: For some reason in my garden the coloration of them makes me think they covered with sawdust when I glance at them - truthfully, not lovin' them. * "Peach Flambe" Heuchera: Declining but managing to put up a good fight and hang on in the weather conditions/drought, but only time will tell if they will eventually peter out. Disappointed in the summer coloration, though - very blah, spot would be better filled with something that holds the interesting coloration all season. Losers: * "Eveline" Veronica: Mildewy mess. They've already exited my garden with the aid of my trusty shovel... |
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| Clint..do you keep track of where you order your plants like your coneflowers? Is now a good time to order or spring would be best? |
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| Almost everything was new to my garden this year, and it's a loooong list. :) But off the top of my head, here are the standouts and losers: Standouts: NOID, but my two Tradescantia are STILL blooming. At my other house they always petered out in midsummer. Homestead Verbena has bloomed constantly since spring. However, it grows like it's on steroids! I really want to keep it, but I'm thinking it needs a place all its own. Coreopsis Creme Brulee has bloomed constantly since spring as well, but it's really huge and floppy and I'm not sure what's going on with that. Coreopsis Sienna Sunset looks great, but I'm going to bet it flops next year. Cameron was right about Agastache Salmon and Pink. Still going strong. Of the four I bought, it was actually my least favorite when it first bloomed, but now it's my top pick for performance! Rupestris is pretty great too. One of my favorite plants out there right now is Salvia Lyrata. It was a late acquisition for me - I got it in a gw mail trade this summer. It's so unique-looking. Great color. Zinnia "Envy." I had this last year too. Love it. They got rather huge this year, though, and I planted too many in with the perennials. They have swallowed the entire garden at this point. But, kind of a blessing, because they are still looking fantastic and most things are starting to bite the dust. Beautyberry Early Amethyst. They are in full berry right now, and they are SHOWSTOPPERS! Oh! And I almost forgot my favorite plant! Green Jewel Echinacea. I cannot say enough good about it. Losers: Sad to say, Agastache Summer Glow, my favorite, has been less than stellar in its performance. It's dying back already, and stopped blooming weeks ago. Gaura Corrie's Gold. Not a loser really, but I think I just must not like Gaura. Maybe I have too many of them, but it just looks...messy. It has a very undefined silhouette. Echinacea White Swan. Mine looked very yucky early-on. Very so-so performance. Virgin was better. Rozanne Geranium. Probably not their fault. I planted them in full sun, and they've looked very crispy around the edges most of the summer. Lost a few. I'm moving them to partial shade this fall. Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. This wins my "ugliest plant in the garden" award for 2010. They were so horrible, in fact, that I dug them up when they were in full bloom and set them by the trash can. To be fair, they would have looked better planted behind something tall that hid their beanstalk-like foilage. I did cut off all the blooms and brought them inside for a vase. They lasted a very long time, but when they started going down they made a HUGE mess! |
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| Agastache Blue Fortune - Great. Goes with everything and is still blooming strong since June. Goes great with red brick which is a blessing. Geranium Elke - Ditto. Not a muted color. Persicari Polymorpha - Is going to be a monster. Again is still blooming. |
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- Posted by spazzycat_1 z7 NC (My Page) on Tue, Sep 7, 10 at 10:26
| Winners: ---------- - Achillea 'Terra Cotta' - Agastache 'Black Adder' (from an ornamental perspective, I'm still not in love with the bottlebrush types of Agastache, but this plant is a verifiable butterfly airport) - Allium 'Millenium' (Fantastic drought-tolerant edger that blooms July-August. Also a great butterfly attractant.) - Buddeia davidii 'Miss Ruby' - Carex morrowii 'Silver Sceptre' - Heuchera 'Pistache' and 'Southern Comfort' (heat-tolerant and vigorous edging plants) - Sedum makinoi 'Ogon' (chartruese small-scale groundcover for shade) - Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Lisaura' - Chrysanthemum 'Snow Dome' (Outstanding drought-tolerant silver foliage and mounding form) Losers (too strong of a word...underperformers may be better): - Campanula 'Summertime Blues' (gasped a last breath after blooming) - Coreopsis auriculata 'Nana' - Dianthus barbatus 'Heart Attack' (lovely spring bloomer and looked good through June, but now in Sept, after a very hard summer, the foliage looks the cat chewed it) - Lychnis coronata 'Orange Sherbet' (great plant until the heat beat it into submission. I have it planted in 4 hours of morning sun. I think it may benefit from even more afternoon shade.) |
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| Winners - Coreopsis Sienna Sunset - survived it's first winter and bloomed all summer. Cut the flowers off last weekend to encourage vegatative growth. I love the color. - Nepeta 'Meow' again long bloom time and nice low mounding habit. Sterile so no pesky re-seeding. Sedum 'Autumn Charm' - wonderful cream & green foliage. Low compact growth. Losers: - Nepeta 'Kit Kat' - planted one small plant last fall and seedlings came up everywhere this spring. Quickly shovel pruned and composted. - Shasta Daisy 'Banana Cream' - new intro advertized as emerging banana yellow that would not fade to white. Not true, it faded to an ugly, dingy white. Will give it one more growing season. If there is a repeat performance to the compost pile it goes. |
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- Posted by buyorsell888 Zone 8 Portland OR (My Page) on Tue, Sep 7, 10 at 14:07
| Winners: Caryopteris 'First Choice' Hemerocallis 'Planet Max' Lilium 'Black Beauty' Canna 'Ermine' Can't really think of any losers right now. |
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- Posted by coolplantsguy z6 Ontario (My Page) on Tue, Sep 7, 10 at 14:38
| An addendum to my list above... A couple of winners would be Penstemon 'Sweet Joanne' which hasn't stopped blooming since late May. Also, Heuchera 'Beaujolais' for great vigour, an intermediate colour, and relative sun tolerance. One I was disappointed in was Hemerocallis 'Fooled Me' as the colour was almost gaudy. It is very prolific however. Coreopsis 'Full Moon' was also very late to emerge -- I thought it was dead. It also is much later to start blooming compared to 'Red Shift' and other Coreopsis. Campanula 'Summertime Blues' (not in my original list) was also disappointing. It barely survived the winter, and kinda just petered out by mid-summer. I'm sorry to hear about one poster's disappointment with Banana Cream Shasta Daisy -- I had such high hopes for this one. I will probably still give it a try. ;) Here's to dirt under your nails. |
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| Agastache Cotton Candy: Incredibly vigorous. Planted in early summer and just won't stop blooming even after I moved it in August. However its listed only as zone 6 so we will see if it comes back. Sedum purple emperor: New for me. Shot up to over two feet tall and looks awkward but is starting to topple over. However can't beat the color. Perhaps need to cut back next year. Two plants side by side, one dried out completely, other is just fine.......... Rudbeckia Early Bird Gold: Planted in early summer and did bloom all summer. Will see when it starts next year. Supposed to start blooming in June. Gentiana True Blue: Supposed to be 4 feet tall and easy to grow unlike other Gentiana. This one was a joke. Didn't get over foot tall, bloomed purple and was buried under a new layer of mulch. Lobelia Scarlet Fan: New for me, what a stunning red color. However got over two feet tall as well and had to be staked. Long bloom time. |
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- Posted by hostaholic2 MN 4 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 7, 10 at 22:22
| Well my favorite this summer has been Angelica gigas. Actually planted last season as it's a biennial. I loved this one and will be looking for seedlings next spring. |
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- Posted by squirejohn 4 VT (My Page) on Thu, Sep 9, 10 at 6:45
| Except for the 18 hostas, the only other perennials purchased this year were Heuchera (silver scrolls, harvest lemon chiffon, and palace purple)which are doing fine, and two red poppies (P. bracteatum) which croaked. PS I haven't been able to access this web site for the last four days until this AM. Anyone else have this problem? |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Thu, Sep 9, 10 at 7:54
| I tried another Shasta Daisy this year, ‘Snow Mound’ but it performed about the same as previous cultivars I’ve tried. Yes it stayed compact, but the bloom period was brief and the center turns brownish/black very quickly looking ugly. Deadheading did not produce rebloom and later in the summer the foliage started looking ratty and blotchy. That’s my last Shasta daisy. Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ LOVE it! I am trying to propagate it to get a couple more. The blooms are amazingly large and pretty. The foliage looks good with a few that some caterpillar made a meal of. I had a lot of caterpillars on a variety of plants this year. I’m waiting now for the fall foliage which should be pretty oranges. Drought tolerant and remained upright without flopping. Tried ‘Echinacea ‘Fragrant Angel’ but too soon to say how it will perform. It was small when I bought it. Lovely flowers though! Agastache ‘Ava’ from High Country Gardens really filled in for one season of growth. Nice. Not new to me, but Veronica ‘Crater Lake Blue’ is getting shovel pruned this year. Nothing to recommend it. I bought it for reported long bloom period but it was faster to go by than any other plant and looked ugly the rest of the season. Third year I’ve had it, should have done something by now. |
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| "Snow Angel" Heuchera: Man are these things puny, they just don't want to put on any growth." I've had Heuchera 'Snow Storm' for... years, and its still the size of my fist. No vigor at all. It seems like any heuchera with the word 'snow' in it, isn't very robust then. Maybe it's the white variegation. |
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- Posted by buyorsell888 Zone 8 Portland OR (My Page) on Fri, Sep 10, 10 at 13:05
| I agree about the "Snow" Heucheras, I've had both and they sure are puny. I just moved one, hoping for better results. The other is "missing,presumed dead" |
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- Posted by coolplantsguy z6 Ontario (My Page) on Fri, Sep 10, 10 at 13:20
| For a frosty-white-leaved Heuchera, try the newer 'Hercules' as it seems to have greater vigour compared to the older types such as 'Snow Angel' and 'Snow Storm', etc. |
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| New in my garden this season are: Veronica spicata 'Romiley Purple': healthy plants,great growth Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles': nice plants,nice blooms Nepeta subsessilis: good growth,big flowers Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Giant': good,healthy plants,deeply colored,ruby-magenta flowers All these plants were quart size and packaged well from LazyS'S Farm |
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| Not a single new plant this season. I was deprived. (sniff, sniff) Kevin |
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- Posted by hostaholic2 MN 4 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 10, 10 at 20:09
| Kevin, there's always next year. |
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| I would have to say a hardy glad that a neighbor gave me as a house warming gift. I have seen the small red hardy glads but I have never seen a hardy glad that was as large as the tender glads that I use in pots in the summer.
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| beautiful! |
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| New this year: Campanula Pearl White and Bliss Blue-- disappointing. They started to bloom and then petered out mid summer. Maybe chipmunks or voles though, I'll have to see if they come back at all Georgia Peach heuchera-- nice and can't wait to see the colorations in spring Bertie Ferris daylily--bought 2 more because I have one and they are blooming machines and are gorgeous and petite. :) Rising Sun Coreopsis--bloom machine, but now it's starting to look ugly-legged. Next year will be nice though. May Night Salvia (bought 4 of them)-- wow! Bigger than I expected and bloomed all summer. Geum Fireball--growing well but I won't see any blooms I guess till next year :( Olive Bailey Langdon, Great Expectations, and Frances Williams hostas--Doing their thing, but can't wait to see how they do next year. OBL, hopefully will make it through winter, because it's been in a wine barrel planter, which isn't moving anywhere anytime soon lol Dream Blue daylilies (2)-- bloomed about two weeks after I planted them and looked great right away. Can't wait to see them next year. Pretty Jessica rose (Austin rose)--looks good, disease free for me, blooms well for first season in a pot. Will be going in shed over winter. Twister mini roses (3)-- two did great but one just started out balling all over the place. Ugly rose, though, and I gave them to a coworker whom thinks their gorgeous lol! Sleeping Beauty mini roses (2)--Blooming machines, still going on now! I haven't noticed any fragrance yet though. Did excellent for me. Just another note: I planted Tiki Torch echinacea 2 years ago and never saw a bloom. This year it has amazed me with tons of blooms all summer long! |
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| Marquest, that gladiolus is called Priscilla, I have it in my yard too, and it is a true perennial for me, really wild. Every year in spring when clumps of weedy looking leaves emerge I promise to rip them all out, but come summer those flowers are something else... thought you might like to know the name. |
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| Thank you cindy. It looks identical to the tender Glads that I grow in pots. When it matures are you saying the leaves do not look like a glad? The flowers are big and look like a regular glad now. Should I expect a different look? |
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- Posted by michelle_zone4 zone 4 NW IA (My Page) on Wed, Sep 29, 10 at 23:01
| I just have to throw my 2 cents worth in on heuchera 'Snow Angel' From my original plant purchased 5 years ago, I have numerous divisions and have even given some away. Interesting how plants will perform so differently in different gardens. |
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| kentstar wrote: Rising Sun Coreopsis--bloom machine, but now it's starting to look ugly-legged. Next year will be nice though. So kent how did 'rising sun' do in the summer of 2011? |
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