13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

A bag??? I put trimmings in a 32 gal rolling trash can....to transfer them into the 90 gal green waste recycle bin. And we even have a second 90 gal bin for the heavy weeks once or twice/month during the more active growing season (March-November).

...and our yard is Maybe if I borrowed one of wooyoak's bags... lol

We have a couple of those bags, only they are green in colour. I think we got them at Canadian Tire when they had a clearance sale at the store.

I have had two of these plants for 2 years and have seen no seedlings in either year.

The base soil is clay but I have added lots of organic materials.

I am never quite sure of variegation but I am pleased with the many flowers on this plant.

It has definitely gotten bigger. Very pretty plant. Some of the plants I planted last year have tripled in size. What will they look like next year? Kind of scary lol

Catkin, thanks for taking the time to post this. I'll give it a try with lemon and cedarwood since you had luck with those two and I happen to have them both at home. Appreciate it!

Ryse, I remember reading something like that before about the SSS... But I agree, being covered in sweat AND oil doesn't sound appealing.

catkin - True about the eggs hatching so quickly, but if you dump out the water on a daily basis and replace it, the eggs and larva croak on the ground. They never develop into adults.

Also water hyacinth are not going to filter out bacteria and pathogens from bird poop. Birds poop in the water and disease can be spread from bird to bird this way. It is rare, but it does happen.

A few years ago, about 1/2 of the Greenfinch population in Britain was wiped out by a disease and dirty birdfeeders and birdbaths were thought to be a one of the main causes.

For me, emptying the water daily is simply a routine I've accustomed myself to and it gives me a bit of piece of mind knowing I'm at least trying to protect the birds that visit my garden.

Kevin

Thanks for the link, fig. I might have to resort to buying it online.

Floral it just may be who knows. There were signs of an old bed that it looks to have originated from.

I just know anytime I see yarrow I cringe.

well I think he brought it BACK from Japan. for Asiatica.

I've seen it used in very small water gardens (think large flower pots) where it can be controlled and it looks very healthy/attractive in that situation. We call it *Hot Tuna*!

I eradicated it in my flower border years ago--didn't seem to be that difficult--just dug till it didn't come back, but it wasn't given the chance to spread more than three or four feet.

We had crazy weather here last night and DH and I were watching the weather app on Roku. It showed a UV map which made me think of this thread. The sunlight is so much more intense in the southern zones! It literally made a clear picture as to why some of us can get away with pushing the sun/shade boundaries and others cannot.

I also have the opposite problem...

It gets hot and arid here in summer. Full sun is practically synonymous with dry. If a plant is one that requires good or even moisture it can't go in full sun...it turns to toaster strudel otherwise, lol.

Not all coral-bells are created equal. I've noticed that the greens and purples (in my local at least) seem to tolerate sun better than those that are gold. The orange/bronze types seem to vary a lot...
CMK

All my compost and mulch is home made on the property. It is natural color and not intended to be used for its looks. My compost is all made from the normal garden waste, containing generous amounts of green material, and taking several months to complete the compost. This requires numerous turnings and adding moisture, through 3 descending covered piles. Mulch is made from chipped slag from trees used for firewood. It is much more woody and is piled in the open, subject to both rain and sunshine. It is usually about 3 years old before being used and is partially broken down. Used as mulch it is good for about 2 years, before more is needed to be added. Saves both weeding and soil moisture. Al

Mulch is just something that covers the soil surface, not a specific product. Compost can be used for this purpose just as well as shredded bark or pine straw or whatever else is popular in your area. IMO, it is far better looking than any dyed product and offers a much greater nutrient source than does most other common mulching materials.

Compost is my mulch of choice. I like the texture, I like the color, I like its water retention characteristics and I like the fact that if you mulch regularly with compost you may never need to use prepared fertilizers again :-))

In the US, municipal compost made from recycled yard waste is pretty darn safe. Persistent herbicides are no longer available for household use and commercial applications of these products are extremely limited and with very narrow restrictions on how the treated material can be composted and reused. In many areas, municipal compost goes through a testing or certification process as well. Personally, I would rather use compost from large commercial operation before a homemade pile - it offers a much greater range of ingredients and therefore a broader nutrient distribution and because of the scale of the operation, achieves much higher temperatures resulting in far fewer concerns about lingering pathogens, weed seeds or chemical contamination.

Oh, I see. That makes sense then. The plants I have all seem to be doing well so far. I got some in the ground, the others are in pots still soon to be in the ground sometime this week. We'll be a little cooler this week so it'll be a good time to plant.

Karen

Maybe my free plant came to make up for the poor state of the one plant that came almost dead. Despite one plant dying, I am happy with my order, given how nice everything else looks and the low prices.

Achillea *The Pearl*. Looks nothing like most Achilleas but is IMO, lovely! Spreads a bit in my border but not a lot.

My all time fave is Verbena bonariensis. The lacy blue/purple flowers move in the slightest breeze. It reseeds freely for me, but easily removed if it comes up where I don't want it. Bees, butterlies and goldfinches love it. I'm in Atlanta area and mine has been blooming for 6 weeks, still going strong.

Have a large clump just in front of my vitex, which is just starting to bloom. I cut the vitex way back and thought I'd lost it, but it's going to be wonderful. Hooray! It's another favorite.

Jenny, see this thread for more discussion re ES

Here is a link that might be useful: Tired of Mophead's lack of flowers

Both of my Endless Summer plants came through the winter fine. They are growing well and forming blossoms. I surround them with chicken wire and add leaves for the winter. Perhaps yours are just late.

Keep them watered and maybe give them some alfalfa tea or pellets/loose alfalfa.

I am glad you asked this question. Don't believe the advertised height. I have two plants, one is more upright than the other, but they are both about 18".

This is the more upright one.

I was a bit worried because it doesn't look quite right. The petals are sparse and the center doesn't look the way it should for this variety.

Here is the one that has flowers that look more the way I think they should look.

Good thing I took these photos for you, because I looked closer and realized it has asters yellow. Bummer! They will both have to be removed.

Dekeoboe, thanks so much for your info & pictures. Really appreciate it.
18" would certainly be too tall for the front of my flowerbed. This is certainly not what I expected. THANKS, again!

While some might have named it with the proper Scientific Name, I will just say I think it is the Ebony Spleenwort Fern.

To me, it resembles Blechnum spicant--common name *deer fern*.