13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
So many people do not understand the concept of restricted gifts whereby the seller can include provisions in the gift-that must be followed. Just like this case, a good lawyer should have advised them re development issues, changes to the buildings or the land, and the restrictions wording that needed to be included in the deed and sale.
But the gift probably was made a long time ago, before the
knowledge that exists now.
The property was donated in 1971 to be used as an art gallery and public garden. As the house (built in the 1920s) has aged, the cost of keeping the internal environment suitable for art works has increased substantially. What to do about that, and the cost of it, is the core of the problem.
eric, you mention the JB population plummeting. The result of a county hort. program ?or unknown reason? (like Macbeth, we never say the word around here.)
Much to my surprise, there was a very-close-to-blue variety in our local nursery 2 yrs ago. I bought 3 and put them all in diff spots. They all seem very happy, but the happiest is the one that gets the most sun. I have it next to one of our MANY golden conifers, and a zebra grass. YAY! I do have a question about it, as many of you are experts w/ them and i certainly am not. Mine is pretty tall (5-6') and i was wondering-- can i keep it cut down a bit, and will that cause heavier flowering? Anyone tried this? Mine is narrow and tall and i would like it lower and bushier-like the one in the linked video. when should i do this and/or prune it ? thx for the inspiration, all of you! I am amazed and perplexed that with a plant that has such a rep for being a JB magnet, i see NO damage on any of your plants!? (Btw, there were almost no JB here the last 2 yrs.)
uh oh i think i just realized that i am not posting about a red plant. sorry. If rudbeckia Cherry Brandy is hardy for you, that would make an interesting partner for your wonderful red ROS, because of its 3 colors, all in the same family. and maybe Gaillardia? My Bluebird was blooming the last 2 months , along w/ daylilies. you might consider some true red d.l. like Chicago Apache or, better yet, a yellow and red bi-color d.l. (I often go to Oakes DL to look through their photos.) Also- Crocosmia Lucifer.
How about some contrast, w/ blue foliage (Blue Shadow fothergilla) or ppl foliage (berberis or cotinus or sambucus [there's a new narrow vertical one at Broken Arrow called Black Tower! ])
Here is a link that might be useful: blue bird rose of sharon
p.s. you mention mulching many times as a problem. would you let yourself see what a few beds look like w/ NO mulch, and a few w/ mulch just along the front of them? (I am assuming here that the mulch blends in w/ your dirt color.)
to repeat another poster: are there beds by entrances or spaces that you rarely use or see? those are the ones that are expendable of course. how long have you lived in your new place?
are you near some urban center? so often non-profit organizations look for plant donations for their properties. here in boston there is even a group of garden designers who gather donated plants to install for free for some of them. maybe you could enlist a local older scout troop or wrestling team to dig or divide some grasses and perennials for you to donate.....
BBP, many have already offered suggestions. I have one more to add. Does your city or county do green recycling? In my county, they pick up green waste and make compost and mulch. They sell this for very little. We got 10 cu yds. Total cost, including delivery was under $200, most of that the cost of the truck and delivery.
The mulch isn't fancy but we don't need fancy, just something that worked. If you lay down cardboard in areas needing mulch, topped with a few inches of mulch it would last 2 years, perhaps more if you have a few layers of cardboard.
Cheryl
Sorry! I had a really busy week! I got my mums from tons of places (food city-walmart-lows-the nursery) I know they are spaced super close together and I will space them out next spring. The size of them is probably about the size of a medium dinner plate. They are now racked with buds btw...did I miss any questions?
You think yours are close together, come check out mine! I planted probably 10 different mums together in a circle. I thought I'd left enough space in between them and now I've learned to space them alot more next time. They grew huge! I had no idea.
Yours look great!
You can also bundle up the seed heads and tie them under a bird feeder. Goldfinches love them.
Now that is an excellent idea! I'm always torn between my urge to tidy up and wanting to leave the seed heads there for the birds. Now I can do both!
Hi all, newbie poster here (so I should probably stay out of this, but won't). I just wanted to chime in with my support for GW and the Perennials forum specifically. In my limited time here, I've really come to value this site so much as an authoritative informational resource. It seems that half of my garden related Google searches land me in a GW thread of some kind. This is so much more than just some internet forum! The reason is due to all of you knowledgeable, smart, experienced (and very polite!) gardeners willing to participate out of the goodness of your hearts. I hope that all of those who have contributions to make will continue to do so.
Here in NH we've had quite a mild summer. I was so hopeful for some wonderful phlox, echinacea, lush hosta, etc, etc......but......although the weather more than cooperated, the woodchucks did not! Bad, BAD woodchucks! LOL! They systematically made their way around the garden mowing down all sorts of goodies. Our neighbor caught one of them and he was forty pounds! Surely from the five or so years he has been enjoying the smorgasbord that is my garden.
Good thing we gardeners rebound so well from so many different surprises from weather to animals or anything else that "derails" the garden. If I had a nickel for every time I said "well, there's always next year"...........somehow we persevere and remain hopeful for that next surprise in the garden.
Here's to a glorious fall for everyone!!
Lol, it's a bouncing bet aka soapwort. Saponaria officinalis...looks like a double form, so definitely from someone's garden.
The old saying: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade...well you should make soap, I suppose.
This post was edited by dbarron on Thu, Aug 28, 14 at 18:57
Thank you guys so much for your advice and encouragement, I really appreciate it! That other thread was very helpful too and I will have to check out some of the plants and books that were recommended there. I also love that Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve' and it's definitely going on the list for the front. I agree that with our water situation we don't want a lot of grass here and that's also a good point about the mowing.
The little bed in question is about 10x3. I'm attaching a picture. It faces southwest and gets lots of sun. I'm not sure about the soil--that is something I will have to find out. 
From 2014-08-28
I'm starting here because I'm quite intimidated at the thought of planning the side and front yards: 
From 2014-08-28
From 2014-08-28
But I think I will just have to dive in and try some things and not worry too much about getting it all perfect right from the get-go... We are getting pretty tired of the mulch look and need something alive here!
Many small nurseries offer free or low price landscape design planning. You could visit a couple of nurseries and have them draw up plans for you then think it over and research the plants they recommend. You have a lovely home (love the stone porch) in a climate ideal for gardening: you really can't go wrong.
Some Hostas are fine in sun. Do a search in the form at the bottom of the Hosta forum for sun Hostas. There are other large leafed plants. You can do a search in this forum for that since I know there have been threads on large foliage recently.
Look at reticulated iris which bloom here at the same time as species crocuses.
The link below takes you to the New Hampshire Hosta web page listing sun-tolerant hostas. There are nearly 200 cultivars listed, giving you a reasonably broad selection.
My own variegated hakone grass is growing in a mostly shade bed surrounded by hosta, columbine, heuchera/coral bells, variegated Solomon's seal & lady's mantle.
Here is a link that might be useful: Sun tolerant hostas
I have two places I look for plants, Daves Garden PlantScout, and The U of MN's Plant Info Online. Neither listed it, so it may not be currently available in the US, though both listed several other selections of this plant. Perhaps one of the other selections is similar.
I did notice that this plant was listed as suitable for zones 3-9, and though I know nothing about gardening in your neck of the woods, that may be the reason that no one carries it locally.
Here is a link that might be useful: UMN Plant Info Online
IME x biokovo thrive in warm, rather dry and well draining soil.
I watched batches of them thriving in a neglected planting, using mineral soil like for green roof. They grew compact and tidy.
some in my own garden sometimes lose leaves in a dry period.
The stem turning black sounds not so good though.
Where did you place yours, what was the potting medium like?
good luck, bye, Lin
Re G. 'Rozanne'. People would be a lot happier with this plant if they understood that it's a twiner, and in fact looks its best twining into neighbors. I can't think of another plant that behaves that way without overwhelming neighbors, and seeing the blue flowers apparently coming from a shrub or another type of perennial is part of the charm.
Bougainvilleas can definitely be grown in pots with good results. If they are overwintering indoors, don't expect blossoms, but otherwise, as long as you are pinching to encourage branching and giving them at least 5 hours of sun a day, they should be fine. Potted plants also need regular feeding, much more so than plants planted in the ground. They also have to have really good drainage. The problem could also be in the source for your Bougies. There is truth to the fact that some plants are better than others. How they are started can be just as important as how they are cared for once you get the home. I hope this helps.
Here is a link that might be useful: How to Grow Bougainvillea
In a pot a plant can only grow as much as the space provided for roots in the pot. The general rule of thumb is to pot up an inch or two every few years, if your goal is to increase the overall size of the plant. If bougies are fast enough (like wisteria), then you can pot up at larger increments. I plopped a wistera from a 1gal to a 5 gal and filled it in one season.
Decreased growth, or vigor, is typically a sign of root congestion. If you take a look at the root ball, and roots are circling everywhere and lifting all dirt....it's time for some root maintenance. I don't know when it's best to root prune bougie's though.
Perfect! Glad your plant lived after all!
Just wondering nirenjoshi how tall has it grown?