13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

And Hi to you, prariemoon
Talk about inspiration! Your use of the pots and saucers is ingenious; I would never have thought of it. With your permission, I'm going to borrow your idea; I have some similar pots (no matching saucers but I'll rig up something).
Birdbaths I've used in the past (which the birds actually used for bathing!) seemed too deep for the little ones. So I cleaned up some rocks and placed them strategically in the birdbath; gave them something to land on without fear of falling in deep water.
i keep the traditional hanging feeders filled with black oil sunflower seed and safflower seed, assuming only the cardinals would be attracted. As a special treat, I'll sometimes add some peanut hearts and shelled sunflowers. The feeders designed for woodpeckers are filled with a mix specifically designed for them. (This is the one premixed product I do buy and the woodpeckers love it.) I usually add some crushed peanuts to it. Of course, the titmice, chickadees, mockingbird and blue jays get their turns at it too. For the sparrows, I put white millet in the platform feeders. Finally, I have a thistle seed sock hanging out for the goldfinches.
Unfortunately, it seems no one has informed the various birds what they 'like' and 'should' be eating. My cardinals often gorge on the millet while the sparrows and goldfinches can be found more often than not at the platform feeders! As imposing as the grackles appear, they're usually well mannered, allowing the smaller birds equal time at the platform feeders. And occasionally, a cute little wren will venture to a feeder, take a few pecks, realize that the millet is not insects and quickly leave.

And then, there are the doves. Ah yes... They will eat anything. As big as they are, a few have impossibly turned into acrobats, hanging nearly upside down to get at one of the hanging feeders. And they're the only bird that has shown any aggression, always at other doves..
The hummers are the true acrobats; have seen three at the same time and assuming that's all there are... hope I'll attract more next year.
Apologies for being long winded ...can't seem to learn any other way.
gary

Hi Gary,
I canâÂÂt take credit for the upturned pot, I canâÂÂt remember where I got the idea, but it wasnâÂÂt my own invention, but feel free to borrow that idea, I think you will enjoy it. The saucer on the top is more shallow and the small birds use it the most.
Rocks work too, good idea.

We use black oil sunflower and safflower too. I put the safflower in the one feeder we have that is not squirrel proof, because they seem to be much less interested in safflower. Once in awhile we will add thistle. Doves are one of our favorites but because of the squirrels I donâÂÂt have a platform feeder. I used to get a lot, when I had corn on the ground, but I stopped doing that, out of caution about bringing rodents into the yard. We still see a pair or two of doves over the seasons and they manage to pick up enough under the feeders.

No hummers here yet, but I will try again in the spring to put out a feeder. Sounds like you have a lot of fun watching all the birds. I wonder if you ever do the bird count that the Audubon Society organizes every year? I would be curious how many birds your Spa attracts.

No apologies needed, I usually have more than enough to say too. (g)

Wait until next spring. These things multiply like crazy. You might be able to at least chop each plant in half.

Kevin

Thanks so much - that is exciting. I think I will order a few more colors for the spring.

As with all other plants it could be a right plant for a right place

When withered foliage of spring bulbs is gone Aurea provide nice ground cover for otherwisw would be bare spot. Of course, area is contained.
Don't have picture handy, but 100% agree that it's a great addition to containers.

I planted creeping jenny - the golden one - with some pavers. 3 years later - it hasn't even filled in at all. and it doesn't look golden either - got more dark greenish.
Not sure what I'm doing wrong - but it is about the same size as when I planted it, about 12 plugs along 15'

I have had L. sprengerii for a number of years, and divided the clump two years ago. The divisions have yet to bloom, but the main clump goes on. This Lycoris is unbelievably spectacular--cobalt blue flowers that slide into pinks and oranges. Gorgeous, gorgeous, but slow to enlarge.

Would anyone be able to tell me how to grow lycoris squamigera (naked ladies) indoors? I have about 8 mature bulbs I'll be planting outside today, and I'd like to see if I could grow one indoors. Any suggestions?

Oh....now I'm following what you meant by 'surplus'. I have never tried that potting mix for containers, because I was not able to find the ingredients. I decided after awhile, that I would stick to what I normally do for containers, because it was just too much trouble. (g) I guess if I used a lot of containers I'd feel different about it. Sorry I couldn't be more help. :-)

I've heard the turface makes an excellent soil conditioner for all kinds of plants especially bulbs, just work it in. I think it was the Missouri botanical garden that recommended it... Not sure though. I'm trying to find a source but my fall plant budget is already shot and I'll have to wait for next year :(

The only ones I have with browning near the bottom are the ones that weren't getting enough water. I found out that some of my darn rainbirds don't always move back and forth, letting some areas dry out too much. The asters with enough water are all green, but sprawling over walkways like crazy. But the bees are going crazy for them all.

Think renovating beds maintains the wider distribution of locations in which New England asters thrive in gardens.

Example (re above comments): I periodically hack out the nasty (superficial) roots of the neighbouring silver maples that invade our front flower beds. Have lots of healthy 'Alma Pötschke' in the front.

I'd consider adequate watering, when necessary, part of the the general maintenance of mixed perennial beds.

Find I have to stake all of our New England aster, except 'Purple Dome'.

Would be interesting to know what annual maintenance was done to maintain a Michaelmas daisy (fall) "room" in large Sissinghurst type gardens.

This post was edited by SunnyBorders on Sat, Sep 14, 13 at 10:23

As PM2 says:

I went out into our garden and couldn't see any phlox leaves that looked very like this. The brown (necrotic parts: yes), overall no.

There are other fungal diseases of phlox besides powdery mildew.

For a garden centre, take the leaf in a sealed clear plastic bag!

I'm just guessing here --- scale, perhaps?

Good advice to go to a garden center with a large sample in a plastic bag as Pm2 and SB said. That's what I'd do, and have done, whenever I'm not sure. Go to a full service place with a horticultural staff; they'll be able to identify the problem with a quick look.

Molie

Any excess winter sown perennials used to get set down in trenches that I then filled in with garden soil so the plants sort of simulated being planted for the winter. I never lost any that road. Winter sown shrubs/trees just get planted in large containers and spend the winter on my east/west facing breezeway. Most are winter hardy and all have survived since 2010. Heads up--many mail order/nursery-grown plants don't make it, I'm guessing because they're grown in greenhouses. Winter sown plants are much more hardy.

I usually leave plants waiting to be planted along a section of fence that leaves them in shade most of the day and keep them watered until I can get them in the ground. If I still haven't got them in the ground by Fall, I have dug them into the raised vegetable beds, pots and all and covered with chopped leaves for the winter. This has worked surprisingly well. I don't have the room for a bed dedicated to holding plants either, and I'd rather plant them where they are going for the most part and just give them extra care in that placement.

sumner, I think I will have to pass on that ivy. Its already growing right in there amongst the other solid green border of green loveliness and its high on my top 10 list of hated plants. Green on green with green under green. The contrast is just amazing! And, he doesn't have to do a lick of work at all to keep it all going and going and growing strong by just letting nature take its course.

You just need some good invasive volunteer hackberry forest tree roots lining that side where your rudebeckias are. That'll whittle them down to scale. My stuff stays real short, the stuff that will grow at all, thanks to Mr. Green.

This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Fri, Sep 13, 13 at 18:24

echinaceamaniac, Before you throw in the towel on Salvias for having short bloom times, have you tried any of the Salvia greggii bush types? I don't grow the low bedding types but I have lots of these as they will take varying amounts of shade and are not picky about soil and are very drought hardy. With extra water they will bloom throughout summer with very heavy blooming in both spring and fall. They go great with Russian Sage.

Another salvia with an unbelievably long period of bloom is Salvia penstemenoides which is also called 'Big Red Texas Sage'. Its a native once thought extinct in the wild until rediscovered a few years back growing in a small area. Seed is commercially available and germinates easily. This salvia attracts more hummingbirds and hawkmoths than any other plant in my entire garden and blooms heavily on tall stems, each tall stem having endless deep reddish/purple flowers for weeks and weeks. It makes my courtyard very active and it smells good too, sort of like an antique cabinet. The leaves are very interesting and pretty too. Unlike any other salvia I have ever grown.

Here is a photo of one growing in the wild from the Ladybird Johnson Wildlife Center website.

This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Sat, Sep 14, 13 at 1:42

Here is a link to the previous post about this plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous post

I have no help with identification. I have the plant. It appears at the edge of my pond in early September. It grows at the North end where it faces south and has full sun in its face. It grows at the South end where it is in almost full shade. It does not grow on the east or west side of the pond. I look for it but don't even see it until it blooms. Probably because of all the Iris pseudorochis (sp?) foliage in the way.

I have trouble thinking of it as a helianthus because it is so much smaller in scale. Lovely, isn't it.

Aseedisapromise,
You probably took that picture with your phone or I-Pad or something and had the device turned in some direction other than the "traditional" way the device thinks pictures should be taken. The device then orients the picture the way it thinks it should be and that gets translated here. So, the only way to guarantee that your pictures show up with the correct orientation is to find out how your device is designed to be held while taking a picture, and always hold it that way. Some devices can correct for that shift in orientation. Your picture looks fine to me. It's just one of those technology things.

Martha

For tallest I second the rudbeckia and miscanthus. Widest for me would be an enormous bleeding heart in spring.

Hi there,
I think the foliage looks wrong for a garden variety sunflower, aka Helianthus annuus). Goin by the small lanceolate foliage I would guess it is some perennial Helianthus (no clue, are there native annual sunflowers over there?...). That it grows at the water's edge is somewhat unusual. Is it a creek or rather pond? Sometimes Jerusalem Artichokes get washed downstream, or rather bits of their rhizomes.

Well, curious, let's see what pops up,

Bye, Lin

Maybe it's a Swamp Sunflower (Angustifolius).
They are native to Georgia. The leaves look similar and yours is by a pond.
It's pretty and probably good forage.

Gee, daniel26july, get them out somehow would be my advice! I'm attaching a link to the Ornamental Grass Forum where some folks suggested solutions to removing huge grasses.

Getting rid of such large grasses is backbreaking work so if you can afford it, maybe you could hire someone to dig up the plants PLUS all of their roots. I don't know if the other suggestions (round up/advertising free dig-your-own grasses) would work for you.

We have a Miscanthus sinensis 'Caberet' that is magnificent but getting too big. Every year my DH spends a day hacking part of it out. His comment last year was --- "I'm getting too old for this!" --- and he's in his early 60s.

Good luck!
Molie

Here is a link that might be useful: Removing Ornamental Grass

Some types of panicum are prone to flopping. You didn't mention what type you have? 'Dallas Blues' and 'Cloud Nine' are two I know of. I have read about this a lot online as well.

If you want a very nice upright type, I suggest Panicum 'Northwind'. It looks like its been spray starched and it is the most well behaved. The growth is very stiff and vertical. I hate cutting it down each spring because it still looks so ornamental. This is one of the prettiest grasses I grow and I wouldn't be without it.

Too much water and/or soil that is too rich will definitely cause flopping. Staking would look awful in my opinion, it would be better to find a replacement that works for the spot.

I have dug out many clumps. Its hard work but if a 'girl' can do it........ Shrubs are much much worse to dig out. Most clumping grasses will start to die out in the center. If left long enough they will form a donut. If a clump is doing this, it is definitely time to dig it out and divide it. Or, you can take a saws-all to the center during your spring cutting back, cut it out dirt and all, like an apple core and replace the soil with some good soil. The grass with then be able to fill in.

This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Fri, Sep 13, 13 at 15:19