13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Those are some nice phlox SunnyB, and hmacflower, that yellow peony is great, is it Bartzella? I love peonies, but just don' have enough room to give to them for the other 50 weeks of the year, so I try to hold back.
Unless you garden with small kids, most people dig with dull shovels. I put a nice sharp edge on mine and wow, what a difference. Makes digging up grass and digging in general half the work. Also I like to use a reciprocating saw with a long blade on it to divide the woody part of grasses. Saws through fairly easily, and saves my back.
In defense of grasses, there are many superb ornamental grasses that are a piece of cake to trim in late winter. Steer clear of the Euro and Asian imports that will inevitably die out in the centers and need regular dividing like Miscanthus and Pampas. Opt for the Panicums anywhere in the US or the Sacaton's and Muhly's in the mid to southwest if you need a big grass, the leaves are not sharp edged. Muhly's often stay almost evergreen here.
There are many lovely medium and small ornamental varieties that make for low maintenance choices, far more attractive for a grass effect in my opinion than the lanky, weedy, grass-like foliage which is "not worth the brief period of flowers" of daylilies that tend to look like that patch of messy Johnson Grass up the road in a garden. Since they will grow in poor conditions with no care, people do plant them but there are so many better alternatives. On the other hand, appropriate tussock type grasses look good during all seasons, block weed growth, add great texture, wonderful seed heads and require almost no maintenance.
I imagine the area one lives in determines if a plant looks suitable or not and tastes probably differ in various parts of the country.
One problem with a garden full of plants like garden phlox, rudbeckia, day lilies etc and many other "die to the ground" perennials filling a bed is that there is no interest in winter or early spring. Many have a tendency to flop, therefore requiring staking and future dividing along with the job of deadheading and require too much irrigations. Maybe this is just a factor in more southern parts of the country where we tend to be in the garden for most of the year and lack snow on the ground. There are many varieties of plants to choose from that fit the bill around here for these issues.
Less work would result with well spaced drought hardy shrublike perennials and subshrubs that get woody and have a presence with maturity. I find they are better choices for year round interest & low maintenance, which usually means maintaining overall neatness. These types are attractive both in or out of bloom. It prevents that often overwhelming & overgrown chaotic appearance that often occurs in mid to late summer when choosing various plants based strictly on "showy flowers" especially when the plants are out of their early peak blooming period after which they tend to shut down & burn up in summer and need too much irrigation just to stay alive.
A garden full of blackened to the ground foliage & stems and a boring blank slate in winter is something I find downright depressing. Again this is probably a regional thing. The grasses are quite pretty in winter here.
Thx gardenweed! Had no idea I could grow from seed. I may have saved some. I have many packets I never got around to using when I was gonna give winter sowing a try. Will have to check.
I also loved their freeform look and the bees sure loved them, too. Am so sad I lost that pink one since it looked so pretty falling over the edge of my raised bed.
Thx gardenweed! Had no idea I could grow from seed. I may have saved some. I have many packets I never got around to using when I was gonna give winter sowing a try. Will have to check.
I also loved their freeform look and the bees sure loved them, too. Am so sad I lost that pink one since it looked so pretty falling over the edge of my raised bed.
Well, up til this past year the hydrangea was happy and growing well. It's in decent soil that's a bit acidic. I don't think the soil is the issue.
My concern is that now it has spread and I want to contain it. I can't replace all of the soil on my property. I considered removing the hydrangea, but that's not going to help all of the other plants that have been infected and I'd like to try to save it since it has some sentimental value. To linaria, I've come to conclusion 2.
I need to know if the horticultural oil is going to be effective like I was told at the nursery.
First, it is extremely unusual for the same disease problems to affect a whole range of different plants - they are typically very plant-specific (the exception being powdery mildew). Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the same problem is affecting all your plants and so the same blanket treatment will not help.
It is of primary importance to get an accurate diagnosis of the specific problem for each plant in question and then utilize the appropriate remedy. Hopefully someone on staff at a better garden center can help or check out a Master Gardener clinic or your local extension service.
Often, the incidence of a lot of plant problems is more culturally related than an actual disease issue - fix the growing condition and the problem disappears. Fungal issues like leaf spot are often related to weather, overwatering, watering at the wrong time of day (leaving water on foliage overnight), poor drainage, lack of air circulation or even proper garden clean-up and sanitation. And mulching in winter can help a lot - a good layer of mulch smothers fungal spores that can overwinter on the soil surface and prevent them from splashing up with rains and reinfecting.
Your hydrangea issue is most likely cercospora leaf spot, a very common problem with a number of hydrangea types. If you read the attached info sheet, you'll notice that the condition is primarily due to cultural issues. Correct those and you will correct the problem.
Here is a link that might be useful: Cercospora leaf spot.
Thanks for your response, grandmamaloy. I'm happy to hear there is some hope for these plants. I really like them, and I want to see them fill in during their second season.
Hopefully, by May, I can post a picture of the recovered euphorbias thriving in the garden (fingers crossed).
Thanks again.
Personally, I would be a bit skeptical about their survival.....these are both evergreen species/hybrids and should hold foliage throughout the winter in areas where they are hardy. In my climate, both are beginning to set flower buds at this time of year.
Given the severity of the winter across much of the eastern half of the country, I'm not at all surprised that some of these kinds of plants - evergreen, xeric, requiring very sharp drainage - have not overwintered well in some areas. Excessively cold temperatures, loads of snow and consistently wet soils are just not at all to their liking.
wantanamara, how lucky you are to live close to the LBJ Research Center, must be the Mother Lode for finding great native plants. I'd empty the bank account if I lived that close. I'm further north, slimmer pickings. My soil is a bit friendlier but its hot and dry here too.
I'm growing:
P. pseudospectabilis
P. palmeri, gets huge & armed with sharp edges on blue leaves
P. eatonii, pretty sure, seed came in desert mix from Az, might be another red
P. ambiguus
I sowed P. barbatus, cyananthus & more ambiguus, I'm still waiting to see results.
The only one that hasn't done well was P. pinifolius. The inferno summers of 2011 & 2012 did it in both years.
You mentioned drainage. Agree. Its a classic xeric plant, to my mind the SW native types are the prettiest. All are low maintenance and good re-seeders.
I'm wanting to order P. virgatus, it doesn't need cold strat. so I may order some seed on a short list from PoSW.
campanula, I believe the P. ambiguus would work well there if you have a sandy spot. Its a very long blooming 2ft bush rounded type native to the US central plains. Smells great, surprisingly bright flowers.
Yes,Texas Ranger, I am looking to pick up a couple of Penstemon laxiflorus. Mine died in the big drought and had not had a chance to make a lot of seed. Nor has it been rainy enough for the seed to sprout Lately.
This post was edited by wantonamara on Sat, Mar 15, 14 at 23:13
A previous post says bulb does not tolerate temps lower than 28F and if they need to be planted in Fall, and growing in January, I probably can't grow it in USDA zone 7, in Maryland? Could over-wintering in a pot in an unheated garage, and then bringing the pot out in March work? Today our temperature is 17 degree F. Is this cold enough to kill potted tubers?
Yes, you can do that and the anemones will flower later but will possibly not come back so reliably the following year. I keep a few of mine outside in pots all winter but in truth, I doubt they would survive extended freeziness in anything but the most free draining and friable of soils.
F. ulmaria has been an aggressive spreader/reseeder in my garden since the evil day I planted it years ago. I've dug out most of the plants, but have to battle the remainder in damp sections of the garden every year.
Attractive only for a short period, plagued by Japanese beetles, invasive...what's not to like?
Babs, that outfit sounds very exotic. [g] But knowing how those black fly bites hurt, I would do the same thing. I didn't realize you had to deal with them the whole month of May. May is such a lovely month, it's too bad. Do you have a screened space to eat outdoors? And does that outfit keep you bug free?
We have a van and normally don't have a problem fitting in all the garden plants and supplies we need, but like you and Thyme2, when I've been in our two seater, I've stopped at the nursery for 'just a couple of six packs' and then 'had to have' that standard Hibiscus that was just the color I was looking for. What else is a convertible for, any way? [g]
Gry, that was the craziest thing! Who would have expected rats to pop out of a birdhouse, but SIX of them, leaping out at you? I can't help thinking of phone booth contests during spring break. ;-)
I have to say that my garden seems pretty boring in comparison to all of yours but I'll take boring, thank you. lol
Beautiful pics, Gardenweed. Would enjoy seeing a pic, Bugbite/Bob, tho I know yours are still young and just starting to bloom. Exciting that you got so many from seed.
My neighbor has a large, old one near the property line with me. I never knew that it came from a native plant originally - thank you, Bob!
Interesting entry on Guara lindheimeri at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center - looks like the native plant grows as far south as the TX/Mex border. For info on Lindheimer himself see last para. above pics âÂÂFrom the Image Gallery."
Here is a link that might be useful: Lady Bird Johnson Ctr, Guara lindheimeri
Gardenweed, Great pictures..beautiful! Thanks
River_C, Thanks for the link. I found a similar link that is for Florida plants; it lists the guara all the way down to Zone 10. I read the history of Lindheimeri before, very interesting.
I will post pictures of these Sparkle plants when they bloom, but I have others that I am really excited about..
1. About 8 guara plants for cuttings I took from an 8 footer I had last year, all looking good.
2. Three really amazing new ones that volunteered this year. They are the biggest, most full guara plants I have ever seen. They are spectacular young plants. Can't wait to see how they turn out.
Bob
If you have a lawn of some size, this could get very expensive! Mondo grass is very popular here, and you could plant tiny spring bulbs in it. Glechoma is taking over my yard, as is lamiastrum and vinca major. Sedums would be nice, but all but the mondo look bad in winter. Weed control could be a headache. Check out the Stepables website. Nothing will be drought tolerant while getting established. I can't grow thyme or lavender to save my soul.
Hi,
Ageratum might be a good fit for you, especially the dwarf varieties. It flowers, is a perennial in zones 3 through 11 (most of them), never grows taller than 12", is very adaptable to various soils; it has average water needs and enjoys full sun. You can mix these too to have various foliage and blossom colors.
Most people grow this as an annual and as a filler in pots, but I think you'll find it will work for you as a perennial.
Here is a link that might be useful: Ageratum
It varies with them. I am within easy driving distance of Plant Delights, they are one of my fav perennial sources b/c of the uniqueness of plants that you find there and their quality is superb. Last year I got a Amarcrinum from them in a 3.5 inch pot. It was defin ready to come out of that pot, but not unhealthy by any stretch. I prefer for them to be this way, so that I don't have to pay a 2 gal price for a 1 gal plant (so to speak). Rather it be ready to come out when I get it, but still healthy.
I also got two different lycoris from them last year. Those had plenty of room still when I got them in the spring. It's not unusual to see both ways there with their 3.5 inch pots. Some are bursting their pots (but still very healthy plants) and others have some room to grow still. Either way, I've never had any complaint with anything from them. Just my experience.
This post was edited by funnthsun on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 8:47
I haven't stopped by here in a while. I just can't put to words my impatience (did someone say impatiens?) waiting on spring to come. I feel this urge to post things here - I miss it - but I have nothing to say... at least I don't think I do. The only thing I know I have to say is complaints towards this never ending winter we're having, the subzero temps, my concern for what plants may be dying out there (hard to voice that concern when people have water manes breaking but...). They just said on the news we're warming up for the weekend: above freezing!
Do I sound like I'm complaining? This is why I haven't posted anything. I'm such a Debbie Downer right now. I just want to go outside and grow grow grow. But for now I'll oogle at everyone's pictures :)
Oh good! More posts & pics ;-)
-hoovb, O.M.G. That is an absolutely amazing transformation. I'm in love with your front design. So many textures. I'm surprised your garden isn't on the cover of a magazine ;-) Ps. much improved taking those bulky blue shutters off your house!
-kato, I think the color of the Picea might be difficult. I've long debated whether a blue (even a "mild" blue) might end up looking odd because I tend to go more for gold or green evergreens. Although I have decided to take a 'Gold Coast' Juniper out in that area (you can kinda see it in the Main Garden 2008 pic). It is old and getting too big. Plus it makes me itch whenever I brush up against it, lol.
I tend to really like the look of weeping evergreens and trees in general. I thought it would look pretty good there, but am open to suggestions if you have any. ;-)
Ha ha. Funny your SO doesn't like the weeping look. Until I started working at the nursery I didn't realized how polarized opinions of weepers are. People either love or hate them. One customer even said they were "depressing" looking. LOL.
Ps. is that an Arundo donax at the end of your bed?? What did you end up ripping out in that area and what annuals do you plan as replacements?
CMK
I'm just thankful now that most of the major snow piles here have melted. Hopefully the puddling water gets absorbed soon. Mud on the carpeting in the back room the dogs come in is a pain to clean but its an ugly, old, dark blue-green-sort of color (its awful) so I'm not stressing much on making it perfect... I'll be ripping it out soon enough anyway. And frankly, I gave up on mopping the kitchen floor after they'd come in each time. Its too much - I just do it at the end of the day if its muddy. I'll be so happy when all of this is gone and we can go out there again!
David, I am not sure where you are, but I really wouldn't consider your butterfly bush half-hardy where you are unless it's one of the ones that is only hardy to zone 6 or you had no snow along with subzero temperatures. I had one for several years here (until I moved, so it may well still be where I planted it.) It died down to the snow line, I pruned it in spring when it started pushing buds so that I knew what was still living, and it grew back to 6 feet every year. An easy plant to care for.
IME if there is good snow cover, most things will survive below the snow line since it doesn't get much below freezing. It's only above the snowline or if there are a lot of freeze-thaw cycles in spring that cause heaving that you need to worry about survival.