13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Atomic Blue? it's in the 16-18" range.

Annette

The color is certainly Atomic. I did not realize how many different Veronica plants there were. Thanks for everyones help. Think this one came off a late season sale rack for a buck.

I found them to be relatively short-lived with spring only bloom season. I wonder if they are not fond of acid soil which both gardenweed and I have. None of the varieties I grew exceeded 6" in height, even when in bloom.

Needs lean soil with very good drainage, much like lavender. Doesn't care about acidic soil - I have that, too. It is a front of the border or edging plant......low and spreading, similar to a groundcover but without the vigorous spread. I like it along dry stream beds or in a rock garden/top of a rock wall.

And the red leafed form is a regular here in nurseries as are many other types. But then it is native to this area, which might explain why it does so well :-))

Interestingly, I've been thinking of moving my 20 aruncus from the shade of the back fence to a sunnier property-line border in the front. I really like the flowers and the leaves.

"....20 aruncus...."

I would love to see some pictures of that mass planting.

Looks like temps will be back down to the high 60s & low 70s next weekend. I think I'll wait until then.

You can transplant at any time. But the hotter the weather and the more the plant is growing, the bigger root ball you need to dig up. The idea is that the plant shouldn't really know its been moved. And watering in some low nitrogen high P and K will help (like 2-6-6).

I've moved a lot of plants when I "shouldn't have", and that seems to work best.

more info on eriophyid mites from never

Here is a link that might be useful: more wisdom from never

Sometimes I only learn about diseases or problems with plants by reading posts like this. My coneflowers are nearing 15 years old and have never had any problems. They mostly just keep on keeping on where they are. Some years, I find a volunteer.

But it is good to know of possible problems. Next year could be different.

I wish you the best with yours.

Thanks for all the nice compliments everyone!This is garden #7 I put in over the last 3 yrs and all have some type of hummingbird attracting plants in them.Little buggers are fun to watch.

It looks lovely! But you might want to add some plants to feed your particular butterfly caterpillars. I don't know which butterflies you have but a internet search will tell you what plants your caterpillars need.

Sounds great! Now to find enough sources of cardboard.

Cardboard should be sufficient. Any weeds that grow will have come up between the cardboard edges. I've done that. You could top the cardboard with black plastic to be sure. Weeds are determined, but not unsmotherable.

Try Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia). Mine are about 24" tall and long-lived.

They are initially grown under really strong lights and trimmed for bushiness. And deadheaded if any flower buds appear.

And that's the way to handle them from seeds at home.

Well, never mind. I ended up buying two more Bobo hydrangea to offer more congruity to the area. That Peacock BB is still in the area so I'll get to enjoy those blooms right there by the Lamb's ear :0)

If you have a favorite one, this is the time to take some 6" tip cuttings, use a little root hormone powder and get them started for Fall planting.

My Rodgersia Fireworks is about 8 yrs old and looks like it is going to bloom this year for the first time.

Ruth - the picture in the link you gave looks like the R. podophylla in the Missouri Botanical Garden link below. See the RHS picture of R. aesculifolia at:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/15918/Rodgersia-aesculifolia/Details

to see that it doesn't have those extra lobes at the ends of the leaflets like the R. podophylla does. I like the look of that extra lobe detail, which is why I'm now looking for one! (I see it listed in the catalog of the same nursery that had the huge Astilboides by the irrigation pond - I'll have to go check it out someday soon....!) The R. podophylla is also supposed to be bronze in the spring while R. aesculifolia is green (although, for mine, the initial shoots emerging from the ground are browinsh but they unfurl to green right away). Are the leaves on yours green or bronze in spring?

Here is a link that might be useful: R. podophylla

Can't help but resurrect this thread, as I am passionate about my 'True Blue.' Mine is in the shade except for about 3 hours 11am to 2pm. Seems quite happy. This photo was taken September 9, 2012. This year the plant is healthy, but it's too early for blooms just yet. I highly recommend it.

I also love my true blue. Mine also gets bright shade most of the day but a couple of hours of hot noon sun and blooms heavily and has been returning for several years. I have not tried to divide it but would like more. Does anyone have experience dividing this in the Fall after the long bloom period is over?

My long lived (18 years) phlox garden suffered a massive, fast dye-out two years ago. I did see webbing on the plants but the destruction was unstoppable in spite of religious pesticide spraying. The plants looked exactly like those pictured. Fearing that fungus was introduced by the insects I also sprayed fungicide to no avail. Last year a few sad little plants came up and received both fungicide and pesticide spraying starting very early in the spring. I did not see any webbing. This year is a repeat of last year. A few Phlox in another location are not affected (yet) but they are in too much shade to bloom. I was hoping to find an answer here.

Apparently there are phlox people and nonphlox people and I'm one of the latter. I pulled up my next-to-last David this morning after years of trying all of the remedies listed above. I think I can get the same general effect with white cosmos, at least it will be cheaper.

Out of the 4 I have, the tallest is 3ft. The smallest (near maple)is about 2 inches :/

Seems like a lot of you are having the same issue. Mine look very healthy and are definitely growing, just seem to be short for this time of year. Yea, yea, I shouldn't complain - I'm impatient, what can I say.

Yes, the original pic is Firewitch and that would be yours as well green_go.

What a striking color!

Dee - that reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where somebody BO'd Jerry's car LOL!

I'll have to try some of the other products mention when I go through the Liquid Fence. It does seem to working, though -- haven't noticed any chomped-off coneflowers (the woodchucks LOVE those!) or worse - my beloved Oriental lilies!

Some awesome visuals here! Thanks for giving me a nice laugh