13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Last winter I placed an order with Bluestone that I picked up at the nursery and learned that plants purchased at the nursery are discounted from the catalog price. So if you know what you want and are within driving distance to Bluestone it might be worth the trip. Their greenhouses are always neat and orderly and the staff is friendly and helpful. They do a great job.
Its a bad sign that in Texas Vitex agnus-castus is called 'Texas Lilac'. The sort of sends up a few red flags...
Here is an old thread about peony's.
Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peony/msg0315295822899.html?5
keep in mind.. zone info.. is basically .. the lowest cold temp ...
that does not really address how long its cold.. as when i spoke of cold dormancy ...
one trick... come spring .... drive around.. and see if you see lilacs around ... if you do.. one might suspect.. they will work ...
on GW ... you can come back to your own post ... to thk peeps ... no need for private email ... but you are welcome ...
you might also join a local garden club ... not only to learn what can and cant be grown ... but you might get a lot of free plants .... from new garden friends ....
ken
campanula-thanks for the advice. i have a small aesthetically not very pleasing cold frame. original thought was to replace with concrete blocks and sash. but so many windows. . . . . . .and pix of handsome sash window greenhouses on the internet. . . .sigh. but, yes the gh would have to be large enough to move around in COMFORTABLY.
If you are handy, then a half glazed GH is good, if not better than a complete glassed in one. You could have a 3 - 3.5 feet high block wall all round (at a nice height for a bench) and have the sash windows sitting on top, then roof it with corrugated polycarbonate. If you have some hard standing, you can possibly lay the blocks on top without requiring foundations (I use those concrete 18inx9inx4in blocks). For an 8x10 feet GH, the glazed area only needs to be around 10square metres of wall...and it looks as though there are probably enough windows to do this.Rather than freestanding, you could do something using an exterior wall, maybe. I do think it is an opportunity worth investigating.
zackey, did you dodge the bullet on that weird snow event last year then? My brother is a teacher in Canton GA which is close to Atlanta and they got hit with that snow mess last winter, he had to spend the night at the school with some stranded kids but it wasn't as bad as those people stuck in cars for hours on end.
Wayside gardens used to be really great. But they were bought by Park Seed and that was the end of customer service and quality for Wayside. They ship plants haphazardly and tiny plants in big quarts size pots and charge for quart size root balls. You can't get any one from customer service on the phone nor do they answer emails and the order takers can't help you solve a problem.
Read the many negative reviews Wayside has now over in Garden watchdog. Out of 805 reviews, they have 372 negative, 125 neutral and 308 positive. I'd bet most of those positives are pretty old. What really cracks me up is that Wayside always answers every negative review with a "we couldn't find your order from this information, so please contact us with your order number, and we'll make this right." When they posted that on my two negative reviews, I pointed out that I had included my order number and email in the review because I had read their previous responses, so why were they still having trouble contacting me.
Way, way on the other end of the spectrum, Santa Rosa, Annies Annuals, and Lazy S'S Farm, Plant Delight all provide great customer service, knowledgeable people if you call with questions, super well packed plants, and wide variety of plants that you won't find anywhere else. And Geraniaceae.com is the most incredible specialty nursery for hardy geraniums, erodiums and pelargonium.
Calistoga, you are correct. The grade of sand also relates to what you've said though. I can't find a literature citation for this, but I'd bet the finer the particles of sand, the higher the proportion required. Until you reach the point that you might as well just put down a layer of several inches of the sand. Which is still how golf courses are made in certain areas. That is why the current commercial practice for permanent structural enhancement has become to use very large particle additives, like pumice, turface, permatill, or the Japanese product called Isolite. (Which was used years ago by Davisson Golf on the National Mall in DC, to manage pedestrian traffic over grass fields. Now no longer imported) Any admixture of those is safe, without worrying about making matters worse. (BUT...my current theory is that in certain rare situations, if misapplied, even those could make matters worse for another reason. I'll get to that one of these days haha. Suffice it to say, it's not common but could happen) I do think they are a good idea for what _I_ am trying to do; and will continue to use them in certain areas.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is roto tilling brings up seeds that have lain long dormant to the surface where they germinate with gusto. It can also break up certain types roots into small sections, each section being able to grow new plants. It usually takes a few tilling sessions prudently followed with either manual or chemical weed eradication to clear the soil of undesirables. People who naturalize large areas such as a prairie or meadow restorations are advised against tilling for this reason. If tilled, its best to wait a season or two until the area is clear of weeds/grasses before planting.
Mexican Heather / Cuphea hyssopifolia is perennial here in 8b & warmer. Annual for you, Rouge. Picture taken this week - note leaves that have fallen as winter approaches - has been blooming since early summer. Attracts pollinators. Good, tough plant that blooms continuously all summer.
The butterfly bush and the caryopteris will be at greatest risk. If you sink the pots in the ground I would suggest in addition to mulching that you cover each plant with a large pot (don't forget to weigh it down with rocks or bricks). For the others, sinking the pots in the ground and heavily mulching should be sufficient. Keeping all the plants in an unheated garage will also work. I routinely overwinter butterfly bushes in my basement emergency exit window well which is similar to your unheated garage. However, the plants will need to be sparingly watered from time to time so you need to check them every 2-3 weeks. Good luck!
Wish to H*** I could get Corydalis to even live in my garden. For some reason, I have never been able to get any of them to survive through even one year. I have tried at least a dozen times in different places and different depths of shade but no luck.
Hellebore, Pulmonaria, Epimedium, Brunnera, Asarum and Begonia grandis go wild But I just can't seem to get corydalis to live.
BingBingBing!!Rouge et al, youse is de WINNAH!! Corydalis lutea it is. In fact, I challenge ANYone in a z.5 garden to show me a true shade tolerant perennial with a longer bloom. Dicentra luxuriant made me pause for a minute, but I still think it loses to old CL. Wow, such a workhorse (a dainty workhorse-- is that an oxymoron or not!). And are we LUCKY or what? that it has a lovely lemon yellow flower and not taxi yellow!
geoforce, you ARE including corydalis LUTEA in your mention of corydalis failures? I have certainly lost the blue ones, but lutea is a whole different thing.
best,
mindy
Just a couple of my faves...
Clematis viticella 'Purpurea Plena Elegans' (she's a beauty, too)!
Filipendula rubra 'Venusta'!
When I began gardening I learned the botanical names because it was the sure fire way to find the plants I wanted.
I find the less time I spend in the garden with the plants the more I have to pick my brain to remember some of their names--trying to remedy this!
I tell you, when (and if) you get into Plant Etymology - the origin of names, you can be fascinated from here til eternity! I actually own a book of this, and some winter i'm going to pour over it. But meanwhile, I have looked up many many many name origins over the years. Some I see over and over: wilsonii, davidii, kirilowii, all named for explorers and collectors.If you're a "history fan", you can't help but get pulled in. There are web sites for it too.
I love reading all of the posts here. What fun!
best,
mindy
Nice.
But are there any displays showing these varieties growing in semi-natural garden settings (and do any of them in fact make good garden plants)?
â¢Posted by eric_oh 6a (My Page) on Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 10:27
I think Mums naturally bloom once a year before frost in fall. Dahlia bloom over summer and is used in gardens. Mums are WalMart October-November type of plants :-)