13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

I love this plant!! I know it can be a problem but I find it behaves rather more nicely if you stress it a bit. More sun, less water and spreading growth slows dramatically. it doesn't try to take over the world.

No reason why it shouldn't respond to RoundUp or any other broadleaf herbicide if you are in a position to use such.

A non-chemical alternative to Roundup might be vinegar. I use regular white vinegar as a weed killer in my garden because I don't like using harsh chemicals. Vinegar kills whatever it touches so I'm careful to pour it slowly on the weeds--briars, crabgrass, dandelions, poison ivy--and avoid getting any on my plants. I pour it on both the foliage and close to the stems at ground level.

I planted a couple of Branford Beauty a year or two ago. They are very small still; at this point they have more of the low/wide look of a JPF, so I'm not sure yet hom they'll look longterm.

hey.. the wall.. did you go with a mason.. or a landscaper.. that was the pressing issue...

ken

Bringing this back up because I have really impressive blooms this year.

They don't ask, they just eat. LOL!

I have never seen this plant showing any blackened leaves. I have it in my very dark shade hosta garden. It actually reseeds and I have had to remove the babies to other areas. In 5 years I have 5 new huge plants.

@katusha, yes, I do this with several plants and it works very well...Brunnera, Pulmonaria, Lady's Mantle, Bachelor's Buttons, Husker's Red Penstemon, variegated Symphytum, to name only a few off the top of my head. Keeps things fresh-looking and healthy, as many spring flowering plants can look ratty after bloom. Sometimes I wait until the plant splays, showing the basal growth coming up and sometimes I just shear it right to the ground. I have never lost a plant this way.

^Just make sure you aren't bringing in bugs as well...

I keep many pots of perennials outside till they are a good flowering size - I make a long windbreak using poles and green shade netting and line the pots (at least 5inches, 1litre size) along the length of it. I can keep a few hundred pots going as long as they are both out of strong winds and direct sun. I water by hand, just running along the rows a few times with a 10litre can.

Yeah my other geraniums are like that.... I'm hoping it will seed itself as I've left all the seed pods on.

If you are short on time, use good hand sized hunks with roots. Throw them on the ground you want covered. Put some dirt over them. Water regularly. They'll grow well with this abusive treatment.

laceyvail, I have a Baptisia australis planted too close to the house foundation and I tried digging into it a couple of years ago to move it and gave up. I'd love to know what tools you used to get yours out? Did the roots you left in the ground sprout new growth and how long do the divisions take to bloom?

I grew my first one from seed (years ago) and the other one I bought in a one gallon pot - it was on sale in July, so if you can get it cheap, that's the way to go. It flowered the following year if I recall correctly.

Is your anemic astilbe going to flower? It looks like it's got some stunted bloom stalk kind of thing going on... I would actually consider tossing it, the other one looks so mch better and will spread out soon enough. Why waste your time on the other? Also it might have something that could spread to the good one....

The bloom stalks *do* appear to be stunted. They are formed, but they aren't tall, and don't seem to be in the process of actually blooming. I suppose I can give it until the weekend, when I'll have the time to go out and dig around.

asiatic beetles are a pain, sorry to hear you have them.
I didn't want to spray anything so I ended up going out there with a pail of soapy water, picking them off and dropping them in the water to drown. It's a bit on the strange side to be out there in the dark going over your plants with a flashlight, but..... the neighbors will talk and there's always that awkward run in with an evening dog walker, but it seemed to control them enough.
I heard someone suggest Surround, which is a clay based spray that's supposed to work... there are plenty of other sprays with chemicals that should work too but I've never gotten that serious about control. Maybe someone else has better ideas.

asiatic beetles are a pain, sorry to hear you have them.
I didn't want to spray anything so I ended up going out there with a pail of soapy water, picking them off and dropping them in the water to drown. It's a bit on the strange side to be out there in the dark going over your plants with a flashlight, but..... the neighbors will talk and there's always that awkward run in with an evening dog walker, but it seemed to control them enough.
I heard someone suggest Surround, which is a clay based spray that's supposed to work... there are plenty of other sprays with chemicals that should work too but I've never gotten that serious about control. Maybe someone else has better ideas.

Thanks 'gardenweed'. I am glad you like them. I do hope you will post some of your garden this season.

#6 is a Thalictrum aquilegiifolium known as "Sparkler" (from Terra Nova)

Great close ups. My DH has an expensive camera (our son's reject when he upgraded to an even fancier and more expensive one) with several lens and other doodads. He hasn't learned to use all the extras and finds close ups are easier than ones of the whole plant or area. Since he has that good camera I haven't replaced my broken point and shoot.