13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Agreed!!
Although the mosquitos are out in full force with all the moisture we've had, but I'll take that over having to run the sprinklers regularly ($$$), especially since I think the plants respond better to rainfall opposed to watering from the tap -- they just seem lusher after a good rain. Plus, the toads are out in good numbers too -- lots of teeny ones this year, hoping they will set up house permanently and grow into big, fat bug eatin' machines next year.
greengo I very much like "Max Frei" also. My 3 plants are winding down in terms of blooms but I do like the tidy habit they exhibit all season and they will give a few more flowers much later in the season. But my plants don't look nearly as good as yours...excellent specimens.
(Btw, how long do yours bloom for...for me it is about...3 weeks or so).
And a thumbs up Hoverfly9 re C.Lutea. I especially like it in deep shade in a more wild area of my garden. Of course it spreads all over but it is trivial to pull them up.
This post was edited by rouge21 on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 9:36
Depends what is meant by long blooming - in my book, I am looking for a good 10-12 weeks, or 2 or 3 good flushes throughout the season (with certain caveats).
Rehmannia alata has been in prolific bloom for 3 months, now, with no signs of slowing down. The shrubby salvias (greggii et al.) can go on for 6 or more months, as can some penstemons, I have a delightful mimulus aurantiacus which will bloom throughout the summer for many weeks, as well as various hardy geraniums, many of which have already been noted. Sterile hybrid digitalis will continue to bloom, as will a sterile polemonium, Lambrooke Mauve. Pelargoniums,, nemesia, diascias and bacopa are long blooming pot/bedding plants,....but I am avoiding getting into either half-hardy perennials (which we regard as annuals) nor do I really want to delve into heavy dead-heading territory. If you are vigilant about this (unlike me), campanulas can be induced to bloom for the entire season, as can some dianthus...in fact, many plants will go on for months if prevented from setting seed. But, for lazy and negligent types who just want a lot of blooming with minimal effort, the amellus asters are easy and failsafe, along with limonium, bupleurum, eryisimum, erodium, callirhoe.
seriously, I broke my dwarf peach off at the graft union - it was hanging together by a tiny sliver of cambium. I jammed a broom stick right through the centre of the rootmass and taped the whole thing with micropore tape (breathable). A year later, the entire break had callused over and the graft was stronger than the rest of the stem. I have fixed many plants using this - at this moment, I can see a rehmannia with tape around the main stem from an enthusiastic shaking out of the laundry. Working in a minuscule garden which is crammed on every surface with plants, accidents are a daily occurrence. Splinting is not always needed but it does help to immobilise the plant as the cambium layer must be in constant unmoving contact until healing takes place - can happen in a few weeks but, in a woody plant, it can take a whole season.
I planted two clematis on my fence a few years ago. They each got dug at by the dogs and cut down by the neighbors. But, today I found them both growing up the fence and blooming! They're not thick with multiple vines yet, but I think we'll get there some day. Mine get mixed morning and early afternoon sun, but are in pretty full sun from 3pm to sunset. Only supplemental water because I was reseeding some lawn this year. We also got generous rains this spring.
Martha
Yes, there is a Clematis forum and it's pretty active :-))
Here's the keys to successful clematis growing:
1) Well draining soil....pH not much of an issue unless out of whack.
2) Large, deep and enriched planting hole. This one of the very few instances where you really want to spend time preparing a deluxe planting hole. The typical recommendation is prepare a 2'x2' planting area (clematis roots can get BIG).
3) Plant deeply -- 2-4 inches deeper than the plant is in the nursery container. This helps to develop additional vines from the root crown with more resistance to clematis wilt (for those varieties susceptible), mechanical damage to the stems and assists with strong root development.
4) Prune back hard in late winter for at least two seasons. This accomplishes similar results to the deep planting. Then prune as suggested for that particular type of clematis.
5) Be patient :-)) Clematis take time to establish well, so allow 3-5 years before you see peak performance. The saying "the first year they sleep. the second year they creep and the third year they leap" was written specifically for this vine!!
Well I see a straggler now, but about 5 days ago there must have been well over 200 in this 9' tree. They were coating the branches. I have one of the old style zapper racquets (without the stupid safety screen) and it was fun to go out and swat at them, but it doesn't really make much of a difference. It's more useful to protect myself from flies.
Japanese beetles are eating alot of my plants lately. We have plum trees and they are all over it and help themselves to all the plants in our yard. I have been drowning them in a cup with water and dishsoap but it's impossible to get them all.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the advice, Karin! I did plant a few Caryopteris 'Snow Fairy' in that size range but i think they die back to the ground in my zone. I also love dwarf conifers and will work on incorporating more of those. Agreed that a thread of these modest sized shrubs would be a great resource.
Woodyoak, I love the idea of using clematis and shrubs together!
Could it be Echinacea purpurea 'Coconut Lime' ?
Here is a link that might be useful: 'Coconut Lime'
I have to confess I'm with Campanulaa on this one. Streaky flowers look sick to me, despite this one being a very well grown specimen. Maybe this type of patterning just doesn't look good under our pale, watery skies. Gaudy colours and patterns which look good in intense sun often look tacky here imo. Like those lovely textiles you bring back from abroad that just look kitschy when you get them home.
That is funny, my sister, who lives in Newmarket, Ontario, just mentioned this week that she has a flower on her Lemon Queen. I am a few miles south of her but no flowers on Lemon Queen yet. Mine usually gets going pretty late. If I recall correctly, it is at full bloom well into September/October.
I think I spied one tiny yellow flower on mine too. If I recall correctly, it did the same thing for me last year. This is one that starts out extremely slowly with a sparse flower here and there until it's gradually builds up to a stunning crescendo before being knocked out by frost. I suspect that it is considered to be a late-blooming plant because by the time it builds up enough flowers to start making an impact, it is usually late summer! :-)