13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

I also like my astilbe very much -- definitely not invasive! In fact one year they made babies and I was thrilled, I re-planted them all and they all survived, but unfortunately that was the only time. They do come in all different colors and sizes so do what Ken says, plant them, note down, and move later. The one thing that isn't great about them is the blooms are not very long-lasting, but the foliage looks very pretty for a long time as long as they don't dry out, and they are very care-free.

The only one I can think of that is a real creeper is Astilbe pumila. In a few years, it can cover a decent amount of territory, but I wouldn't call it invasive - just robust. It actually makes a good groundcover in sun or shade.

Kevin

Quite possibly it has no name. As Linaria suggests it looks like a P elatior/veris/vulgaris mixture. Commonly just called Polyanthus.

Here is a link that might be useful: Something similar

OK, thanks. I kind of thought this was the case.

Kevin

Had two new ones this year, Klehm's Hardy sitting in the pot this cold, cold winter and Chuck Hayes planted in the fall. The Kleim's Hardy made it (it was purchased at 1/3 of the size of the other one) and the Chuck Hayes croaked. Go figure. Apparently, it really is true that if you neglect a gardenia, it's much happier.

I am in Northern VA. Had a 'Chuck Hayes' that is still alive but lost all of its leaves and has not put out any recovery growth. I potted it up for now.

I think Chuck is my favorite of the hardy gardenia cultivars. I also like 'Frost Proof' (smaller leaves than species) and one called 'Summer Snow' ('Chuck Hayes' X 'Kleim's Hardy' hybrid with large double flowers) which is supposed to be hardy to Zone 6.

However, keeping it in a pot (even a large one) rather than in the ground will significantly reduce its hardiness. Zone ratings all operate under the assumption that the plant is in the ground. The ground provides a great deal of warmth during winter. In a pot, the roots will essentially be the same temp as the air. Therefore, I don't think I would try a hardy gardenia cultivar in a pot unless you can move the pot to a protected location during winter (e.g., a garage or basement).

Yes this does look more like a berry now ( sorry for the autocorrect above). Considering that these did not produce well before, would you just dig up and be rid of it or replant elsewhere?

By all means dig it up. I like to get my hand under it and if possible pull up the whole root. Anything left will grow again. Al

Patience, Grasshopper.

Thanks!

So in other words, it is not unreasonable for them to take this long. I have planted other bareroot plants before (not dicentra) but it was later, the soil was undoubtedly warmer, and I recall seeing growth very quickly.

I could tell where last yearâÂÂs cut stem was, so which way was up was not too hard to decide. A few were so long that they did get planted at somewhat of an angle.

Yep, I can do alliums Although obviously the rest of the plot shows the May rush to get the veggies in, only too clearly.

ginnier, thank you very much for that blog link.

pat

I went to the Chelsea Flower Show about 11 years ago as part of an English garden tour, it was my least favorite stop on the tour. But, as Gyr mentioned, I view it more as art I guess. I do have to say, one of my gardens currently was designed based on one of the display gardens there where I had a corner with a picket fence, so I did bring home some ideas from the show.

Went to Floriade 2012 in The Netherlands and that was pretty much Disney for anyone interested in "flowers". I still had a great time because I do love art and there were some pretty cool things there to "look at", but it wasn't like going to RHS Wisley which was probably my favorite place to really explore.

Like.....what does this have to do with gardening?

But still, I had a great time because I just like creativity in general even if it has no real "use" for me in my garden.

Campanula: congratulations, you are gardenweb's Jebidiah Atkinson. And I mean that with the utmost respect.

I suspect the Chelsea Flower Show has always seemed over-the-top to SOMEONE. These days it just has to be even more extreme to compete with everything else that could steal people's attentions. I thought I read years ago there was something like a "Chelsea Fringe" a la the alternative Edinburgh Festival? I think over-the-top spectacles like this are just part of the British national character, at least from my perspective. And someone always finds them revolting. That's fine. If Campanula wasn't disgusted, they wouldn't have done their job. At least they have been since the Great Exhibition, if not before. I quote the wiki:

Six million people "equivalent to a third of the entire population of Britain at the time "visited the Great Exhibition. The average daily attendance was 42,831 with a peak attendance of 109,915 on 7 October.[5] The event made a surplus of £186,000 (£17,240,000 as of 2014),[6], which was used to found the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. They were all built in the area to the south of the exhibition, nicknamed Albertopolis, alongside the Imperial Institute. The remaining surplus was used to set up an educational trust to provide grants and scholarships for industrial research; it continues to do so today.[7]

The Exhibition caused controversy as its opening approached. Some conservatives feared that the mass of visitors might become a revolutionary mob,[8] whilst radicals such as Karl Marx saw the exhibition as an emblem of a capitalist fetishism of commodities. King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover, shortly before his death, wrote to Lord Strangford about it:

The folly and absurdity of the Queen in allowing this trumpery must strike every sensible and well-thinking mind, and I am astonished the ministers themselves do not insist on her at least going to Osborne during the Exhibition, as no human being can possibly answer for what may occur on the occasion. The idea ... must shock every honest and well-meaning Englishman. But it seems everything is conspiring to lower us in the eyes of Europe.[9]

FWIW I don't really like the Philly flower show, even though it's far less ambitious in overall scope than Chelsea. OTOH, for example, I was lucky enough in the 90s to go to an Architecture Association Projects Review Day. (avant-garde school of architecture in London). It was extremely pretentious but I enjoyed it. Likewise, though, some high minded architectural purist might see the event as a crass corruption of what it should be. (the definition of what passes for architecture was absurdly loose. One person's project just seemed to be a room full of male & female models standing around in togas) My point is, if it isn't clear, once you actually have specialized knowledge of a subject, an appeal to a certain interest in that subject may especially not appeal to you.

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Wed, May 21, 14 at 6:50

Phlox paniculata, pink echinacea (standard strain, not a new hybrid), joepye weed (if pinched in early June), helenium, New England aster ( pinched in June), rudbeckia laciniata hortensia (pinched in June).

UPDATE

Because of gazania's posts in this thread I did plant a Nepeta subsissilis in late July last year. It did survive the winter and is growing vigorously this season.

Here it is as of today:

Yep, it will keep its basal rosette through the winter (although it looks pretty tatty). Do be aware that this one is a slow spreader - nothing like the rampant rapunculoides and not a seed shedder...but it does have a rhizome which has a slightly wandering tendency(but nothing a sharp spade cannot deal with).

Thanks so much for your help, it was very informative. I can't wait to see how these turn out!

Thanks 'mnwsgal'.

It easily survived this past winter. Due to the garden's location both plants were under almost 4 feet of protective snow from about January 1 till March 1! (Kind of like being in a comfy cosy igloo ;))

I will shear them back significantly once flowering is done.

I want to try IIberis Absolutely Amethyst. Any experience out there?

you have been pulling my leg with your novice type questions..

then showing us a master level garden ..

crikey peony.. brilliant ...

why have you been holding out on us ... show us more ..

ken

Ha! Ken! Remember I bought this house from a landscape architect! I can't take credit for his brilliant designs. Frankly it's just about a full time job trying to maintain it all.

This is my third spring in the house and I am just finally starting to be confident enough to yank things. It's taken me 2 years of observing to learn what I like and what I don't. Then I forget what things are each spring and learn all over again. I've got to start keeping a journal. I'll attach some more from last summer in a minute.

got it from campy??? .. and bobs your uncle .. lol ...

i like the idea ... of chopping them in descending order from the center .... it would be cool to give it a layer cake form ...

they should probably be divided in early spring.. or later fall .. if you do it now... they might take some hard stress... but probably make it ... TAKE A SHOVEL FULL OFF THE BACK SIDE ... AND EXPERIMENT ... the more soil.. the less stresses.. for sure its not a bare root project ... just throw a shovel full of soil from elsewhere back into the hole you leave ...

i would do that.. and then chop them so the disturbed roots dont have too much foliage to sustain.. while they get pumping again ...

this really is great plant.. in sufficient volume.. for you to try all kinds of things with ... it will help you get over your fear of doing things ...

and it makes great sense about the chelsea flower show.. but i am still thinking lamb chops... see link ..

try cutting a piece.. putting it in a small pot with damp media.. and putting a baggie over it.. in full shade.. or in the house .... and see if you can get it to root.. not that you need more.. lol .. but just for the sake of trying it ... or google for how to do it ....

ken

ps: i have actually.. never tasted a lamb chop ....

Here is a link that might be useful: now this is from the way back machine ... lol

You can chop all those, Bluebird. Essentially, any tall, late flowering dicot (it does not work with monocots) since the flowering buds will respond to the chop as if munched by a passing herbivore or careless strimmer - it is sometimes called pinching back and, in chrysanthemum culture, 'stopping'. Yes, the flower buds will definitely initiate....the key to doing any chopping back is to do it before seeds have set. Once that happens, the plant considers it's job done and will quickly fade away to conserve energy for future root growth. Although we so it in our short, cool summers, the longer, hotter summers of the US are an even better bet. Bear in mind that the resulting flowers will be smaller (but often appear much more floriferous) and the flowering will be a couple of weeks later than usual.
Yes, Bluebird and Ken, you can do this piecemeal - shaping the plant so that some stems are left on while others are cut to varying shorter heights. This will actually lengthen the bloom time as flowers will be opening in stages.
You can be fairly brutal and cut the plants back by as much as half (especially phlox and asters) but a third is usually the amount removed. As always, when pruning (which is all this is) bump up the water and even a top dressing of balanced fertiliser (but maybe a tad heavier on the potassium ratio).
I have been out with my shears chopping back the asters and achillea, along with some eryngoes which tend to flop over.

Yep. Well, at least you'll never have to buy another one :0p.

this is one of my nightmares. The tap root is so deep I can't just pull it out. Even spraying does not seem to get rid of it very well. another one I thought I would love is Eupatorium 'chocolate' dark leaves and white flowers in September. Then it reseeds green all over the landscape.