13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I would look through the phlox to find where the roots are, and dig away from them. In my experience, the phlox grows outward along the ground so you can just move it aside and plant there, away from the roots. I hope I explained that clearly - I feel like I was as clear as mud!
Dee
Thanks everybody!
Dee, I understood what you meant! That would actually probably be better than what I was thinking. Originally I was going to dig out the middle which would actually probably be the original main root system, like Ken was talking about. If I just put the plant I want to add to the side rather in the middle it will be closer to the plant I want the new plant next to. Wow, now I feel like I am being as clear as mud! Very helpful! Thanks again!
@shadeyplace - I think you misunderstood, there used to be something like 50 boxwood/azaleas/barberis/yews and I took those out and planted the list above. i.e. the list is what is now planted. The Edgeworthia is new and growing fairly well.
When you have to start over because the previous version was too over grown it's only logical to plan it out as best you can (plus what else are you going to do over winter when nothing is growing?. Now I'm probably entering the "buy and stick" phase, and that's probably 95% of the lifespan of plantings.
Someday I may make room for roses again, my mother is quite disappointed we don't have any roses this time, but they were just so much work spraying and cleaning up in the fall.
We started over in 2004 and pulled out every shrub in the backyard. It's still a work in progress, but also understand how much work you've done. We also took out a boxwood hedge in the front yard, not nearly the size of yours and happy to be free of all the shearing on that. Although I still have a few individual boxwood around the yard.
Hope it all works out the way you want it to and will also look forward to seeing more photos!
I hope you have a nice vacation planned this summer near a pool and a hot tub after all that digging! :-)
I sometimes use a little calcium/magnesium salt or sand on the driveway and front walkway, and light use does not seem to have affected the perennials or grass at all.
Also the town put a sidewalk in 5 years ago, and they use quite a bit of salt treating it. The front gardens go right up to the side walk, with hardy rugged type perennials like Irises, daylilies, grasses, chives, daffs. These seem unaffected by the salt, but I did lose a butterfly weed this past winter (Asclepias tuberosa) that was right next to the sidewalk so maybe the salt affected it? I never considered the salt actually.
I'm a long-time fan of this perennial, too. I like to purchase them in bloom, because the flower shape and color varies greatly. Here is a photo of one of mine with a spotted throat. It spreads, but not nearly as aggressively as I would like. I am always digging up small plants and trying to establish them in other areas of the garden. Maybe I should try spreading seeds too, to help them along. :) Hope your seedling continues to come back for you.
I found that mine would walk around the garden in a clump. I mean the clump slowly moved across to a slightly sunnier spot. It didn't send out stolons here and there, but it would do it in an organized manner. It disappeared during the drought. It probably was trying to get back to the shady spot and ran out of water. This traveling behavior was commented on by John Frairy of Peckerwood Gardens, so I am not making it up.
I suspect the tiny bugs you are seeing a Thrips. Some are vectors of plant viruses.
If you had a high powered...at least 10x hand lens you could get a closer look at them.
Here is a link that might be useful: Thrips-UC IPM
For aphids I would only use water so you won't poison the ladybugs when they get there. I see earwigs, too, but they are just part of the garden. I'm surprised yours are so bad they're ruining anything, especially when you're trying to be as organic as possible.
Do you attract birds to your gardens? They eat insects and are part of keeping a healthy balance.
My Shasta Daisies aren't even budding yet, but from one seed packet, I have them all over my yard now. Shasta Daisy Alaska if that sounds good to anyone. They put on a good show!
We get boxelder bugs every year. They usually congregate on the warm side of the house. They're here in spring and then kind of fade away, doing no harm that I can see.
One time one got inside, and my cat ate it before I could stop her. Her mouth foamed up a bit, and it seemed unpleasant. So avoid eating one, lol.
My wintersown plants did well in full sun zone 5b- 6a at my old place. They LOVE consistent moisture and that is the key!! I mulched mine with straw and grass clippings (left to dry first). Can't wait to get more started for the new gardens :O
BTW Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and Joy Pye Weed (Eupatorium spp.) are from different genus/species/families and one has nothing to do with the other :)
Vera
One more follow-up on my Leucosceptrum 'Gold Angel' showing its current color and condition. Without the damage from voles it had during the winter of '12-'13, it is much more vigorous and full this season. The color is quite nice.
From early June 2014
Rouge - How did your Aralia 'Sun King' make it through this difficult winter?
'Gateway' planted in the open ground is always pokey to appear in my cold zone 3, though has been very reliable. I recall one winter with scant snow cover and temps that had plummeted to -40 F and I had thought I had lost good ole Joe, as all eyes near the surface had been killed and the plant had needed to flush out from deeper below. He was slow and not at all vigorous that summer, though was back to his normal self the following year.
I WISH there was a variegated 'Gateway' !!!
Thanks for all of the feedback. The ones I planted were good-sized and weren't end-of-season clearance plants, but were still planted after mid-summer so probably didn't have time to establish well.
I won't give up hope on those that haven't sprouted yet, and for those that have just a couple tiny stems, I'll hope for a better year next year!
good luck
the problem i had ... in crossing things.. not glads in particular...
is the year or 3 for the seed to develop the corm.. to actually end up flowering ... especially if you ant to keep track of your crosses ... [that equates to whether i would have a 2 or 3 year attention span.. lol]
on the other hand.. if you just want to dedicate a small section of garden.. and just throw seeds there... just have fun ...
ken
I've also solarized a large section of my yard that was about 25x25ft. I had just about given up fighting witch grass that had ruined my vegetable garden. We had leftover plastic from a backyard skating rink and we put one huge piece of clear 3ml thick plastic covering the whole area, weighed down with bricks for an entire year. That took care of about 95% of the witch grass and we reclaimed the area. The only thing that survived it was a small fringe of witch grass that was under the drip line of a tree, so I assume the stronger sun in the rest of the area made a big difference.
Thank you so much. I am going to put it down right away. I remember years ago when I noticed my neighbors ground cover came under our fence and took root in our yard. I pulled it out but it just kept coming. After many attempts to eliminate it, I finally put dark plastic, weighted down with brick, over it and left it all summer till the next year. It was gone and never came back.,
Not a weed in everyone's book, but when I was battling Tradescantia seedlings, they absolutely LOVED self-sowing either right next to or right in the middle of Daylily clumps. The foliage blends right in and is easily missed when weeding. Of course when they bloom, the jig is up, but by then they're not all that easy to pull out.
Kevin
I found tradescantia growing near my compost pile yesterday and I don't even grow that plant. Must have been seeds in something I got as a trade or in some shared shredded leaves.
The last photo looks like celandine poppy which some people like. I found it self seeded too much and have been pulling them out before they can set seed.
There is a NOID plant that came along with a trade. Thought it was pretty so kept it. Big mistake as it is seeded into the lawn and amongst the other perennials.