13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Mu 'Summer Sun' had a nasty case of aphids a few years ago, but knock on wood, that was the first and last time. And it doesn't look like the sunflower moth has made its way into my area as of yet.

Does 'Tuscan Sun' appear to be a spreader? 'Summer Sun' has definitely increased in size fairly significantly, plus it's a heavy seeder.

TS is larger than advertised but I for sure would not consider it a "spreader". It is quite "clumpy".

I grow impatiens balsamica every year. It doesn't look exactly like this one, but it is also called "Touch Me Not", because when the seed pods are ripe, they pop open at the slightest touch. I just let them reseed and thin them as they begin to come up. Right now, they are a mass of color around our catchment pond, in full sun, and absolutely gorgeous. I can't grow the shade-loving impatiens because we have no shade, so I was happy to get these seeds several years ago. We have them in white, pink, purple, coral, magenta and purple.

I know it as Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)...my former neighbour grew it...supposed to be invasive but the new neighbours are clueless enough to have killed it off (and every other nice plant in their yard, leaving only weeds to flourish).

I think I'd wonder why they're flopping on the ground. Are they planted where they get all-day full sun? My P. 'David' only gets half-day sun in healthy, organic sandy loam and it's totally upright, as are all my other Phlox paniculata cultivars this rainy season. I've nearly a dozen cultivars planted in various beds and all are performing beautifully this year--none are flopping altho' they have in previous seasons.

It's only a guess but I don't think they'll root if you staple them down but since I've never tried it, I can't speak from experience.

Best of luck!

My Delta Snow has been floppy this year, growing in full sun and sandy loam soil not amended. But the flower heads on it are huge this year compared to previous years (in a previous garden in a different state with different soil and sun exposure), so I think the weight of the flowers plus dew and rain weighing them down, and wind, has caused them to flop and the stems on some to even break.

Karen

Dang. I never ordered "Tubby Andrews" this spring. Now I want it. NOW. BAH!

I bet there is still time for you to get "Tubby".

I have read that Matrona is taller than what I am getting from mine. Do I have Matrona(left) here. I do not pinch it, it stays compact and never flops. I have taken pieces and planted them elsewhere with the same results. It has been a great plant for me.

I saw "Chocolate Drop" at the nursery today, and the leaves were an attractive, glossy deep color. I'm tempted but am going to wait and see if I can work it in when my new patio goes in.

I'm another who thinks "Brilliant" is the best plain green one - very nice flower color.

I have "Matrona" and love it - there's something about the pinkish white flowers against the dusky green/maroon-tinged leaves that is very appealing to me, it's an overall very attractive plant.

In answer to your question, v1rtu0s1ty, plumbago does sucker. In Colorado, it has to be planted in the spring. Otherwise, it won't have enough time to establish adequate roots before winter comes. Also, it's very slow to leaf out in the spring. The first spring after I planted mine, I thought it had died. But a few weeks later, it came up.

2nd the cardboard layer
top with wood chips from arborist or tree trimmer or your own
no weed seeds in that

Great pics guys.

I grew KJ a couple years ago. It started declining rapidly and never recovered even after moving it to a better location (one that didn't get as much water). Never did replace it. Loved the flowers, but the overall plant was rather floppy for me.

I must say Doug, your plants look very nice and compact and not leggy at all. Yes?? May have to give Stokesia another go someday...
CMK

Thanks for that picture a2zmom. I had not heard of "KJ".

These many "Peachie's" were upright. (Now I think I recall that these asters are often floppy?)

I like how compact it is. The flowers appear smaller than Goldsturm too, but there sure are a lot of them.

I seem to be one of those few people who has absolutely no problems with Goldsturm however. It still remains one of my most dependable, end of summer bloomers. Funny how that works.

Kevin

I seem to be one of those few people who has absolutely no problems with Goldsturm however. It still remains one of my most dependable, end of summer bloomers.

I was at a university today and I thought of you Kevin when I saw this stand of "Goldsturm". A mass planting of G is impressive.

Alternatively, if you have a lot of seed pods, you can cut down the entire set of leaves down to the next leaf node. In a few weeks, you will get a whole new flush of blooms.

Ryse, if the Monarch was a female, there is a good chance she was laying eggs if she was "fluttering" around the milkweed plants, especially if she seemed more interested in the foliage than the flowers. If you observe closely you can actually see her deposit eggs (oviposit) on the underside of the leaves. You can then check the leaves for eggs - tiny white dots that resemble an oval pearl.

I haven't seen any Monarchs yet, but when I do see a female ovipositing I try to collect the eggs as soon as possible, because chances are the numerous predators in the garden will make a meal of them - they might not last a day.

If the egg survives and hatches, the caterpillars are tiny at first and not always easy to find. They are also susceptible to predation and may not make it to the larger caterpillar stages. Because of the predators, I take many eggs and a few caterpillars inside to raise.

You can cut down your milkweed if there are no eggs or caterpillars on them. About a month ago, I cut back (by half or so) a lot of my the common milkweed and pinched the tropical, so they will send up fresh shoots. These shoots are very desirable to the Monarch females, because the foliage quality is superior and they're easier for small caterpillars to eat.

If you decide to let some pods go to seed, you could collect some and scatter the seed yourself in your pasture before they reseed in your garden. Win-win. (I do this a lot in wild areas.)

fivefootmenace - Leucanthemum superbum/Shasta daisy is generally a hardy perennial that consistently blooms in July and the species doesn't grow more than 3 ft. tall. Like most perennials, they rarely need fertilizer, either organic or chemical, so it's possible you over-fertilizing them may have contributed to their excessive height, altho' I've never seen or heard any references to it from other gardeners. In general, a perennial garden shouldn't need extra help to flourish. In healthy, organic soil, it should maintain itself without the help of fertilizer.

Shasta daisies flourish in full sun so in my opinion moving them to a more shady location isn't the answer to your specific question. Planting them in full sun & organically-balanced sandy loam should be all they require to thrive & perform since, in my experience, those are the conditions in which they thrive & perform as expected.

I'm sorry you've had a negative experience with them but wish you the best of luck resolving it. My best guess would be a soil issue rather than a plant issue. Feel free to ask additional questions.

fivefoot, you can try cutting back the plant by half in early June next year. That should help with the height.

I've never tried doing that with Shastas, but it works for many different species.

I would be a day lily, loyal and dependable, but with faults. Criticize me too far, though, and I may only live at your friends house (remember when we were divided?) Or, I may cause you a lot of hassle by getting in your way and having my offspring and their offspring etc. come to live with us and you'd have a difficult time getting rid of us. Got it?

Thanks for the post, Karin

...I'd be a Hellebore/Lenten rose, just beginning to bloom as the winter snows began melting and Spring was a much-anticipated bright hope. Not too showy but impressive for being the first thing to bloom when the rest of the garden had yet to awaken. Elegant, tidy & carefree, enjoying both the lingering cold of late winter and the gradual warming of longer hours of sun + warming temperatures. A sturdy, hardy feature in the perennial bed, taking center stage when most of the garden is still sleeping. A source of elation that once again the winter season was giving way to the joy & anticipation of spring.

That picture is a riot.

It's a mud puppy!

delete post

This post was edited by GreatPlains1 on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 2:13

There you have it, advice straight from England!
You could cheat a bit and put in a few dahlias. I think they would fit well into an English style border.

Hmmm...

Zinnia, even though they're annuals they tend to self seed.

Butterfly Bushes, mine are all calling hummers and butterflies by the hordes.

Agastache as well as bee balm (at least my red ones) are both flowering.

Phlox.

Rose Of Sharon if you want a shrub.

Hibiscus are just starting for me.

Yarrow.

Russian Sage, my Little Spires are full of happy bees right now.

Heleopsis.

Blanket flower.

Rudbeckia, like Cherry Brandy or Cherokee Sunset rather than the "black eye susans".

I don't know which fit your idea of "cottage garden" plants, but I've got them all in what I condsider my cottage style garden.

I'm also getting a few second flushes of Lavender, not sure if they will do that every year or not.