13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Yes it looks like ligularia dentata. Gorgeous colored leaves!

This post was edited by pam_whitbyon on Tue, Jul 2, 13 at 12:30

The fringed edge makes it look like Ligularia to me. A plant that enjoys moisture.

I don't know what the sedum-like yellow blooms are, but I have a very similar volunteer all over my dry, shady, sandy front yard. I think they are quite beautiful , but they don't fit in with my pink-purple-white themed bed. I guess I'll change the theme. LOL

Martha

The St John's Wort is one of many St Johns Worts ie Hypericum. There are a lot ranging from tiny alpines to large shrubs.

Neither of the succulents is a Euphorbia. They are both Sedums. The white looks like Sedum album.

It will also self-seed, at least mine has, and it grows very well.
Also, it is pretty late to come out of the ground in spring. Mine is currently covered with honey bees.

In my experience the tuberous rooted, perennial species of milkweeds are slow growing for the first few years. Your plant probably won't be a large bushy plant for about 2-3 seasons. Although it's hard, you'll need to have patience for this one.

In all honesty, 15 years is the longest I have had a garden in any one place, so I can't be totally sure that any plant will be OK for 20 years. I'll assume that you will choose plants appropriate for soil and temperature conditions since I am not familiar with what grows in NC.

Hellebore was my first thought as well. Can you use groundcovers that might need cutting back, but would not need dividing per se? Can you use short woody plants? Are any of the evergreen daylilies slow enough to spread to make them work here?

If you can use groundcovers, some of the thymes might work well to weave in and out of other plants.

If you can use woodies, some of the small conifers derived from witch's brooms might well work or some of the really small rhododendrons. I've had a Rhododendron 'Checkmate' for somewhere close to 10 years and it is still under 3 feet and is as easy as all the other PJM family plants. Would any of the easy care roses work for you here?

For deciduous plants, peonies are the classic plant that never needs dividing. Baptisia is another one that is happiest left in one spot. There are some fairly short clematis with long bloom periods that might suit the situation as well.

Yours is an interesting question! I'm curious about the size and topography of this garden and also about the plants you're already considering for your zone. Posting a photo or two of the plot could help us visualize your workspace.

You asked for perennials that won't need dividing for about 20 years. In my years of gardening (two homes), I've found that when planted in optimal conditions of great soil, sun and watering, many perennials will go nuts! For example, I have several Pine Knot hellebores. After 7 years these have formed huge clumps that do not die back in the winter. And yes, the leaves do get ratty as Gardenweed said. The clumps are now 3' by 2'6", and I've had to remove many things near them.

I wonder if this garden will have some of the "woodies" that nhbabs suggested? If not, I'd suggest plants with interesting foliage -- like variegated Liriope, Sedum ('Vera Jameson', etc.), Artemisia, Agastache or Sage. Except for the Agastache, which I've only had for one year, I've found most of these to be well behaved.

Another vote for 'Zagreb'--I have two patches of it that enlarge in size each year. I wouldn't call it invasive but it definitely expands each growing season.

'Moonbeam' has much lighter, paler blooms but hasn't been particularly robust where I am. Since most everything else thrives in my soil conditions, I prefer to blame it on the cultivar rather than where I plant it.

Unlike 'Moonbeam,' 'Zagreb' is reliable, needs little in the way of supplemental moisture or attention from me other than to enjoy it & the pollinators love it.

I agree ---- Zagreb. Enjoy!

This is an interesting thread for me. Many of you have helped me throughout the years and I appreciate it. I'm interested in hearing from Wieslaw and all you others!

Thanks

Thanks to all with input. Interesting to say the least. It's a far cry from the eight geraniums and fourteen marigolds that most of us grew up with. I've found that size and sight lines come into play.. Then there is the size of the garden as well.

A small garden needs harmony and a setting - to create an ambience. A larger area can have various focal points but also needs a flow.

Endless possibilities, limited resources.

We've had an absence of sun and 12 inches of rain in June and even my tomato and pepper plants are stalled and not growing much at all. So it would not surprise me that Dahlias are behind because they like similar conditions I thought.

Mmmm, dahlias - nothing much doing here, but to be expected, especially after this cool delayed spring. Tbf, one of them does have a puny bud, but I am going to whip that off because the plant still needs to bulk up. I lost half a dozen but, those which have come through (I leave them in the ground over winter) have enormous tubers with many growth buds. They vary between30-50cm high but would expect them to double that and flower some time in early August. Tomatos (yep, they seem to run in tandem) are fattening up and a few of them even have tiny little green tomatoes on the lowest tress (especially the cherry types). The earliest tomato in the UK is ready by the 2nd week in July (although that would be a potato leaf early)along with a couple of waterlily dahlias (Arabian Knight. various 'Bishops'). We are between 3-4 weeks behind.
I wouldn't be worried by yours Bluebird - they are the sort of plants which grow in 'surges' (sweet peas are another). Yours look healthy and ready to take off - plenty of time yet. Don't be stingy with the fertilizer. For me, August is a blur of feeding, watering, deadheading and tying in, trudging remorselessly between the tomatoes, dahlias and beans and sweet peas - I am usually quite OK with the first killer frosts because I am knackered.

another pic of my athyrium

marquest, those are wonderful pictures and as you have written they for sure complement your garden decor.

I think the reason that ferns may be underused or under appreciated it that too often they are planted at the very back of a garden. I am guilty of this practice. Here are some just fine Japanese Painted ferns of some type that soon will be 'unseeable' from the front of the garden as other plants in front of them will be too large and so block one's view.