13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Eight year old Sunrise, Harvest Moon, Summer Sky, and Sun Down are still here and have not reverted. Milk Shake -5 years, Green Envy -2 years old, a 4 year old Colorburst Orange, and a 3 year old Pink Double Delight are all in full bloom and look exactly as they should. I was happy to see them this spring since we had such an awful winter.
I would never not believe someone who did have plants that reverted. It took 3 years but my Gaillardia Arizona Apricot now looks exactly like a Gaillardia Goblin, just slightly taller. Love the color of AA so I may have to repurchase it and just plan on replacing it after 2 years.
Linda
I too have never had anything revert in my collection over the years. Talking to one of the original ech breeders, he noted that they can't actually genetically revert. Don't know the science behind that.
Many times, the hybrid plant doesn't overwinter and then the common ones you have take over... or the offspring of one the hybrid plants seed down at the crown of the hybrid... making it look like your plant has reverted the following year... when the original plant dies.
There is a field near the parking area for the Konza Prairie in Kansas that has sweeps of big bluestem and Indian grass running through it. I saw it in August last year, loved the blue & gold of the Indian grass in the sunlight against the darker gallery forest behind it. Wow.
I actually ordered a couple of Indian Steel plants last year in the fall sales from SRG, but never got them in the ground and they didn't survive in the containers I left them in. I guess I got a little carried away with that sale.
Thin Man looks pretty great, though I imagine it wouldn't be so stiff in my soil. I'll be interested to hear how it works for you.
The Prairie Butte made up for the LowGro Sumac that is now unavailable due to me waffling on it. I figure it'll do sort of the same thing with the red leaves. Cost me only about $2 with that coupon.
I bought three Indian Steel last year too. I need to find a better spot with searing sun, dry and cruel. Maybe I should add some bad dirt? One looks a bit better but the other two really splay out, especially the stems they are putting up which is leaving the middle bare with everything is growing outward at a sharp angle. The ones I see on the side of the road are lighter blue than the bluestem and very vertical.
There are some especially pretty Indian Grass plants growing out a sandstone outcropping where they cut out the rock for the road. The better one I have is in deep sand and its growing great guns but its not light blue like that and its not stiff by any definition. I think deep sand is too moist for the roots and its not going to have that look unless its growing in suitably cruddy dirt (as opposed to soil).
I'll definitely let you know how these new ones do. I'm moving Indian Steel, just need to figure out where they might do better. How about I plant them on that sandstone outcrop?
Incredible twrosz!
my vote would be for filipendula camtschatica
Take a look at this link:
I had no idea filipendula could grow so massive.
For how long has it been in bloom? Did it go in the ground last season?
(Any chance you might post a picture of your property from further up those steps? I love seeing the bigger picture)
If you look on the internet you find heights for Filipendula camtschatica ranging from 4 feet to up to 10 feet tall (this height is possible according to Ornamental Plants From Russia by efloras.org). Most nurseries that sell this plant give a height between 5 and 8 feet (1.50--2.40 meters).
On the NE side of the Avalon Peninsula, you are Canadian zone 5a or 5b which is a bit different from the same numbered zones in the US. Perhaps one of the other Canadians on the forum will do a rough translation of those into US zones so the rest of us can make some additional recommendations. All the ones I am suggesting are hardy to at least -20 F.
Some of the wetland irises may work for you such as Iris versicolor (blue flag iris). Siberian iris, though not native, won't spread wildly in my experience, so it should be OK. If you like a grassy look, there are a large number of wetland sedges (Carex spp.) and the spiral rush Texas Ranger suggested should be fine, (Juncus effusus spiralis), but I am not sure that the others will be. There are probably some local rushes that will also work for you. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) should be hardy enough for you. It has cheerful yellow early spring flowers. If you have any shady areas Osmunda regalis (royal fern) likes wet feet. Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) and Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia) should both be fine. Joe-Pye weed (might be called Eutrochium spp. or Eupatorium spp.), Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and Rosa palustris (swamp rose) are happy with wet feet. Any of the common types of Chelone (turtlehead), Cornus sericea (red-twigged shrub dogwoods), and Helenium (Helen's flower) grow in damp areas in the wild, so will be fine. All of the ironweeds (Veronia spp.) that I am familiar with like damp feet.
One of my favorite wetland shrubs is Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly) which is deciduous and needs both male and female plants for berry production. Ilex glabra (inkberry) is evergreen, but the berries are dark and so not too ornamental IMO. Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea) and R. canadense (rhodora) are two rhododendrons that prefer wet feet, though most like it much drier. Both of them are deciduous. Rhododendron groenlandicum also likes wet feet and is quite short and evergreen. Most (maybe all?) willows, including some low-growing ones, are happy growing in damp to wet areas.
I'll add that Chelone obliqua not only tolerates wet feet, but can tolerate some dryness too. Hardy hibiscus (hibiscus moscheutos) is another possibility, and great for late-season color. (Chelone is even later, at least here.) I'd love to see a picture taken from further away, as it's a little hard for me to get a feel for the whole setting.
As always I love everything about your garden!!! So many beauties! I too have always admired Galega and have never seen it offered. I will keep on the lookout for Lady Wilson.
The Pearl is a favorite that I have grown for years. Just a wonderful plant!
rouge - you can message me if you like , I would be happy to share it with you.
That's OK, I've probably done the same thing a lot lately. The date info is in miniscule writing, and there's no "first unread" or similar feature. Since the forums don't change color to visited anymore, (and seems like they will never have an indication of whether or not there's something new,) I made bookmarks on the ones I visit daily & just gave up on the others. Clicking the bookmarked ones just to see if there's something new is where I've draw the line. It's frustrating when such simple tools aren't available.
Since you're also in Z5, if you have a spot against the south or west side of your house, you could get a perennial patch going. I didn't even know about piling up leaves over marginally hardy stuff back then.
If 4'o's get into a shadow late-afternoon, the flowers will open sooner, as long as there's plenty of sun for the earlier part of the day. The opposite but same strategy of putting morning glories where they will be in shadow in the morning, so the flowers stay open longer.
The longer I garden, the more fun I think part-day bloomers are fun, and good for me. Reason to go out a few times a day & look around, see the diff performances.
Worth repeating.
Trifluralin (Preen) is toxic to fish and aquatic life, as well as to earthworms and other garden helpers. According to information found on Cornell University's website "It is recommended that applicators wear full protective clothing when spraying trifluralin. This gear should include neoprene gloves, rubber workshoes, rubber apron, goggles to protect the eyes and a respirator to prevent inhalation of fumes or mists." No, thank you. Preen is also now owned by Dow Chemical, the same people that brought you Agent Orange and other killer chemical preparations.
In even more general terms: Having more than a rudimentary knowledge of Chemistry, a wider understanding of biological research methods and some knowledge of how such results can be used at the commercial level, I don't for one minute think "you can research trifluralin's toxicity rather easily ---".
In addition, the current use of trifluralin with crops, including food crops, doesn't mean such a use won't, in the future, be taken to be hazardous to human health as well as hazardous to the natural environment.
Thanks, Huckdog.
You'd be welcome to visit. I don't always feel comfortable posting pictures because they tend to emphasize what happens to be working in particular parts of the garden at a particular time. Assume we all have problem areas in our perennial gardens and we don't tend to advertise those with pictures!
Regarding possible roundup resistance, the plant with the resistance is horsetail or mares tail, ie Equisetum hyemale, not horse weed, Conyza canadensis. In fact Equisetum is resistant to pretty much any herbicide simply due to its structure. Common name confusion strikes again.
Thanks for the clarification. This is why I normally use Latin when talking plants. Too many similar common names.
Floral_UK, I was under the impression that some other weed strains have developed a resistance to round-up since GMO seeds are marketed as Roundup resistant themselves, there by encouraging farmers to use much heavier concentrations of this pesticide than they normally would.
I've never moved an entire plant, but I've divided several of mine many times and always do it in the spring. No problem. I know the earlier the better, but I have always divided mine after they show some new growth and it doesn't even faze them. I just take a spade and cut out the size plant that I want. They keep right on growing and bloom the same year.
I just realized that Blue River II is nit the shrub (which is Rose of Sharon), but is the perennial. Based on my experience, move it any time, they can't be killed!!!
A frield gave me a division a few years ago. I expected a small start, Instead he gave me a plastic shopping bag with a humongous root, with a huge plant attached and some dirt. I left it there for weeks, occasionally throwing water on it. I eventually got around to planting it, after I first hacked it into several smaller pieces (I just didn't have room for the monstrosity he gave me.)
It started blooming yesterday, as it so happens.
A long shot:
Close up:
That sounds like a nice surprise. Are there enough that you could try moving a couple now? They might grow a little better with some space. Just give them a bit of shade for two or so days after moving.
that reminds me, I have a bunch of biennial and perennial seeds I should be starting now.
Ironically I was just searching the forum to find methods of getting rid of that @#$%!!@#$ Bermuda grass in my perennials. Going to go look for Ortho Grass-B-Gone or Ornamec.
Hi, Deb! By the time you drive to the store & back, you could have probably just pulled it out. Does your bed need a border? Mowing with the chute shooting away from beds can help prevent slinging seeds into them. Good luck!