13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Miclino, don't get upset! I really don't think it's aster yellows. Google "pictures of aster yellows" and you'll see. I believe it's mites.
Read the message from me that's right above your own post. Nevermore44 has treated her or his cone flowers this way and has had good results, so cheer up and don't panic. Folks posting here pass on lots of good experience. Just read what they suggest and Google pictures of aster yellows. It's appearance is not at all like your flowers.
My problem has always been that it looks empty forever until one day I see, overnight, it's TOO full, then I make 'new' spots for the extras and go back to lamenting how empty it all looks. If I ever stay in one place long enough, there would eventually be no grass at all.
They always say a great garden is constantly about change, it's the only art form that's never finished.... Too bad mine looks more like a child's fingerpainting!
I'm always seeing new things and getting new ideas. Plus all that stuff grows, so unless you go with plastic plants you'll need to adapt at some point anyway.
Campanula, for some reason the majority of the tall heleniums is yellow or orange , and the red ones are medium tall. I have one red that is taller than the others, unfortunately NOID. Of the red ones whose names are known the tallest with me is Indianersommer, and it is only slightly above 1 m with me. I like that one. I started with Moerheim Beauty, which had very beautiful flowers, unfortunately the stems are very thin and can't take our wind+rain combination
In the link below you can see Dauerbrenner, which is listed as more than 1.5 m tall, but I do not know its sturdiness.
You may also see the catalogues on this address:
http://www.zur-linden-stauden.de/shop/index.html
The catalogues are old but as far as I understand they are still valid(but in German). This nursery produces a lot of their own Heleniums and Phloxes.
Here is a link that might be useful: All Heleniums
I've noticed when I use clay pots in my pond for whatever reason, after one season they definitely look aged. When you take them out, they're usually covered in algae which dies out of water, but the pots certainly don't look new anymore.
Kevin
I moved my whole garden when I moved to a new house. It was a lot of work. I agree with above tips.
For the mojo renewal, I think that once your patio renovation is done, you will be newly inspired to plant stuff to finish it off. Right now you are stressed to the max and don't want to think about it.
Just bag with a lot of attached soil, water and shade your plants. Love them and they will be fine. If not, then you can enjoy shopping for new ones next spring!
I dug out the last of my Lady Fern this year, but yes, they always did that for me come late summer. However, it also could have been due to lack of water since mine never got watered by me. You could also try removing the old foliage - the stuff that flops. Don't these continue to grow through the season? The new stuff should be upright.
Kevin
Yes, that happens to mine every year. I solved the problem by shoring them up with half-hoops on the outside edge of the bed when the new growth is just starting, and that supports them through the season (the plants support each other on the other side of the bed and 'round the sides of the drift of ladies). I prefer to set the plant supports out early because that way the fronds nicely hide them, plus when I've put the hoops out after the fronds are fully out I've damaged them (they're quite delicate and break/mash easily).
I like your idea of just digging up some of the suckers, which likely you can plant elsewhere. Overall, is this plant just simply too big for its spot? If so, dividing it will only be a short term solution. So for now I think you can just deal with the suckers but in time the plant might need to move somewhere or have some neighboring plants moved. Plants always do best when they have enough room to reach their mature size.
Yours looks wonderful! But the grass-like plant on the right side could perhaps get relocated so that both plants have more room.
That's certainly a nice-looking specimen you have there! I like the silver and blue colors of Russian Sage and its bloom time but they have become a problem here - the big ones seed around and the dwarf one spreads underground. I have been removing most of them but still have a couple for the late-season color. I think they would be best as background plants in a large, dry space with other tough companions. They can be just a bit too assertive with smaller, better-behaved companions :-)
Don't remember seeing climbing milkweed in South Dakota when growing up on the farm. We would pick the pods and rub the silky strands between our fingers and blow the seeds into the air. Mostly they grew in ditches, soil banks, tree claims and along the dirt roads between fields. We cultivated between rows of corn which reduced the mw in the fields. Now they spray for weeds.
I planted some common milkweed in my garden many years ago as was concerned when stands of mw and thistle became scarce as land around us was developed. Rarely see any in the area now. There have been monarch caterpillars munching on the leaves. It may not make a big difference in the long run but it does help keep butterflies coming to my gardens.
Common milk weed in the garden isn't for everyone as it needs to be controlled. Left on it's own it will spread by the roots and self seed. I keep the flowers deadheaded to prevent seed blowing into my neighbors' gardens and yards.
I also grow fennel for swallowtail caterpillars and other plants as well as assorted nectar plants for a variety of insects.
There may be fewer butterflies today due to weather last year. This doesn't mean we need less milk weed next year as when the butterflies numbers increase they will need more milk weed than that which can support those we have today. Plan for the future.
Thanks 'prairie'. It was just a fluke that this heucherella got planted amongst the "vinca". And I think it looks much better "popped" in amongst the surrounding ground cover than for example this one; kind of on its own, found in another bed of ours.
My liatris looks better with the more-than-average precipitation that we are having here this year. Often I forget to water it (It is alone in an area where we are in the process of removing a fountain) so the added moisture is a help for it. We do have really light soil, though. Maybe that makes a difference. Or maybe yours just needs divided?
According to my book 'Perennials for Every Purpose,' "Gayfeathers will grow in full sun or light shade, in just about any kind of soil, as long as it's not soaking wet in the spring." My plants are all at least four years old and over that span of time I wouldn't say they've done as well as other perennials planted around them. Two years ago we had a drought; this year has been abnormally wet. The liatris hasn't performed better or worse in either situation. Since I grow them more for the butterflies than for my own pleasure, it doesn't bother me but I have made a note of it.
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this is one that is brown but some green inside, thinking i should cut off the brown, correct?
this one is nearby, but seems completely dead as it is all brown. any chance its not?
thanks
any ideas?