13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
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.
I don't mind the idea of cutting off the mite infested blooms IF I could be sure it was mites. What concerns me is the similarity between mites and early aster yellows. I'm also concerned that by cutting off all the funky looking buds, I won't recognize the signs of aster yellows until much later.
I had written off the odd looking cones on my White Swans as mite damage until one of them began producing the witches broom from one of the cones.
As to what to use in place of coneflowers, that is the million dollar question for me.
TotallyConfused
Whatever people decide to do with their echs with mites, just be sure you don't spray something like Sevin on them, as my understanding is that it is an insecticide, but not a miticide. Actually something in it is a growth hormone for mites. I would think the cutting and destroying of the affected flowers would be a good treatment.
Aster yellows was easy for me to identify since half the plant was stunted.
my fall back is 10% bleach for cleaning ...
i doubt you will discolor it.. but if so... consider it tie dye.. lol ...
i would scrub it out.. then scrub with bleach... and let it dry in sun ...
by fall back to lazy... i would flush it out with the hose.. and leave it be...
really now... why does it need to be sterilized??? ... its an outdoor pot isnt it ...
i think you are in 'overthinkitmode'
ken
-Doug, sure thing. I really wish I would pay more attention to exact bloom times, but always forget/am too busy! I did a quick search of past garden pics from '12 and it looks like it didn't start blooming until late June. Mine bloomed for about 2-3 weeks or so.
It really does add a lovely frothy texture. Somehow the little petals remind me of 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia...
Mine is planted on the east side, where it gets some sun until noon or so, depending on time of the year. It gets a bit more shade than that now I think- since the neighbor's shrubs shade a good deal.
I think it would likely even do better in a bit more sun, as my plant tends to lean toward the sun and needs staking. The thing would probably be bulkier and better able to support itself with more sunlight. It is around three feet or a smidge more.
CMK
I think RF is kind of pinky-purply-reddish. Not really striking. The one that I bought was a non-blooming rosette which I selected on purpose at the greenhouse from among all the ones that already had bloom stalks in the pot. My thought was that if it was biennial, I wanted it to establish in my garden first, and then bloom the next year. I hoped it might be bigger that way.
I did more scrabbling around and found a research paper with a picture of amoenum in its native habitat and it is called "oxtongue" throughout the paper and has a redder color in the photo than that particular common name would suggest. So I don't think amoenum is blue.
Since I have only had my plant for two years, I really don't know if it is biennial or not. I suspect so from what I have read, so I am hoping to collect some seeds, and shake some around where it is growing.
It's probably one of two things -- dried up foliage from the heat and dry weather we had earlier -- or fungus from the wet we've had recently. I've had all sorts of aster in Chicago, and the same ones now in Kansas, and they just don't do as well in Kansas. But they do better if you shear them back two or three times (by about a third) before mid-July. then they don't flop and expose the center and two feet of ugly leafless brown stems.
If you could post a picture, that would help, but there is no point keeping moldy or dried plant parts, so cut them off.
Thanks for the info!
Im newish to lillies but I would have to say they are some of my favorite!
I actual took a horticulture class but I focused more on the floral design aspect. I wish I had payed more attention to the actual growing lol!
I actual got one more I would love the name to, thesr are my favorite, and Im actually wondering how to propagate these if anyone knows =)
That's one of the Asiatic lilies - could be known by any of the common names for the varieties.
Can't advise much on the propagation aside from eventually digging up any clump and separating the bulbs. That one looks to be growing from only one bulb at this point. Each bulb throws up one stem - multiple stems will be your guide.
Aside from eventual bulb separation - and if this type doesn't produce the little bulbils between the stem and leaf axils like the tigers - one of the real experts here would have to weigh in on any other propagation methods.
Gorgeous!
Mine were Joe Pye Weed 'Gateway' and Goat's beard.
That Joe Pye Weed looks nice. I had one before. I might have to get another next Spring.