13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Absolutely, Nina. Not sure which you have, pretty sure ours is A. canadense. It can't grow as fast as we can eat it. Inside the scapes can be flower buds or bulbils (baby bulbs.) Any part that isn't too tough, (like the stalks holding up the blooms and bulbils,) is excellent for eating, including the bulbils, leaves, in-ground bulb parts.
Seriously - I am done with all the big stuff, but like rouge now comes the season for tweaking and routine maintenance. I guess that kind of work never ends, but it I find it much more relaxing and not so chaotic. You know - I don't think about it while trying to go to sleep like the other stuff.
I did move a phlox division today. I planted it a couple of weeks ago, but decided it would look better a couple of feet to the right. Time for a break. I'm exhausted.
Kevin
Hi, campanula. Mine do not have a scent, so you are probably right. I'm going to deadhead them and try!
How low should I trim? Just the tips? Or a bit lower down? I like to do it with large shears because doing it by hand is kind if a pain. Is that ok?
Thanks!!
Several years ago, I planted some perennial dianthus seed (the small, about 1/2" flowers), and bought some annual plants (the "typical" 1-1/2, flat flowers). -- sorry, I can't remember the botanical names anymore.
Most of the annuals I still have, and they bloom on & off all year long. I ruthlessly dig them up to move them around whenever I feel like it. Sometimes I shear them way back, which I'm really NOT supposed to do, according to what I've read, but I find the foliage gets a little sad looking a few times a year. I recently dug up about 8 or 9 of the worse looking plants, and potted them, leaving the two best in my rearranged bed. Most of the ones in pots seem to be very pleased with the move, and are growing like crazy.
None of the "perennial" came back after the first year, during which they never really performed well.
I bought two perennial plants (the scented varieties) a couple months ago, one died after about 3 weeks, the other is not reblooming, even thought it's been cut back.
Thank you all. This really helped. I'm going to watch for sales and see if I can grab a new one. I might move this to a different area and just see how it does. Doesn't cost anything.
Will try to remember to follow up with you.
Thanks again!
Yes, the conditions are identical.
==>> no they are not ... one is in mid-wall ... one is on a corner ...
ponder winter winds.. and try to explain to us... how that might make its winter conditions different ...
if this does in fact matter.. a replacement.. over time... will probably do the same thing ...
perhaps it is time for something different on that corner ...
it would be a MICRO CLIMATE issue ... and 10 feet can be a whole other world ...
ken
ps: if not winter wind.. what about winter sun ... reflected sun on warm winter days[off of one of those divergent walls] .. reeks havoc on plants whose roots are frozen solid.. or completely dormant ... [its a stinky havoc.. lol]
pps: and dont get all wrapped up in this whole notion of needing a grouping of three ... two will be just fine ...
Well, technically, the blooms haven't opened yet, so it is possible that it was mislabeled, but doubtful. There was a lot of them together and they all had the same growth habit, a reputable nursery that I have bought many things from and nothing has ever been mislabeled. I think it is more likely that b/c it is a relatively new hybrid, then there is just disinformation out there and this grower just passed on the disinformation. I did notice online that the estimates were all over the place, but nothing near what mine is growing like. It's funny b/c my clay soil usually affords me smaller plants than the estimate, not the opposite!
I've done this a number of times... and still do... the biggest one lately has been (last fall) putting daffodil bulbs in front of bergenia... When I look at it I just wonder what was I thinking? I also put valerian in front of an echinacea and black eyed susan... ha! In my defense, I figured the valerian wouldn't get as tall as it did. It was about 8" high last year, very low growing, so I figured it wont get past 2 feet this year.... Now at about 5 feet tall, the ech is doing fine but poor susan can't get any sun so she'll get dug up and moved to a container until I can rearrange in the fall
I enjoy a combo of commercial cultivars and seed-grown plants in the gardens.
Been starting plants from seed since 1986, but with the "discovery" of winter-sowing, that has increased exponentially. I do most of it outside now via winter or direct sowing instead of inside under lights. I love to watch seeds germinate and little baby plants grow up, enjoy the genetic diversity of seedlings, and get a little thrill to discover self-sown seedlings in the gardens. I'm also doing a little plant breeding of my own, dreaming about cultivating an interesting, perhaps even commercially viable plant.
I've got a lot of patience for growing from seed, but still get a rush going to the nursery and buying a few plants for instant gratification! However, I am more cautious. After having lost many nursery and mail order perennials over the years, heck some of them didn't even make it ONE YEAR, I prefer cultivars that are more durable.
When I did a lot of seed starting under lights, I did it mainly because I enjoyed the process and the daily work of caring for all the seedlings was kind of a nice distraction from winter. I really didn't do it to save money. Maybe I did, but then electric rates really started to skyrocket and I couldn't stand the monthly bills. I also simply grew tired of it and really have no desire to go back to doing it.
I guess the only exception, like mxk, is growing veggies from seed, but almost everything is direct sown in the garden except for the tomatoes. Those I start inside. Also like mxk, I save my seeds from year to year, so a packet of beans or whatever lasts me for years. It's pretty gratifying knowing that patch of beans which feeds for me most the summer probably cost me 25 cents if that. I get a kick out of that.
I was recently at a garden center where they were selling plastic pots full of green bean plants already in bloom with some sort of trellis to support the growing plants. The whole thing cost an absolute fortune and I kept thinking who in the word would be dumb enough to spend that kind of money on a few bean plants you could grow yourself - from seed - for a couple of pennies? I'm sure someone bought them though.
Kevin
When I think of big plant I think of Ligularia Marie Britt or Hosta Sum and Substance, or a big Yucca. I do not understand big plants as a perennial that has a lot of one single stem plant. If that is what is needed for the area I guess you need tall plants for the back of a garden.
Really Big plant is a statement plant in my mind.
I really haven't had any problems with overwintering Heucheras, but this spring the majority of them looked like absolute crap. I thought maybe this was the winter that did them in, but I was amazed at how fast and lush they grow and fill in once the weather warms up.
I did have 2 casualties however. 2 green leaved, no name varieties I've had for years. Both were seed raised from a T&M seed packet mix.
Kevin
I planted it 5-6 years and at that time I did not pay attention to the tag. Later on after googling, Fire witch is the closest match I can find. Even though some on line picture shows taller spikes.
Bewitched has different color shade.
If anybody can help ID, that would be great.
Thank you.
Vivian
Full sun should not cause rose foliage to burn, even in very hot climates. Would assume some sort of other issues at play here......watering, spraying while sun is up, fertilizer burn, etc.
btw, the USDA zones have nothing to do heat - they are a measure only of average minimum winter temperatures. For example, I live in a 8b/9 hardiness zone but it seldom gets much above 80F in summer.
Love that one! It does look fantastic to me too, that's a great flush of blooms. Same color as the last one I got for out front, matches the house. The one crispy tip I can see could be the result of a passing nibble.
Is the purple flower Clematis? Never sure when I can't see the foliage too.
KO's are fine in full sun here too, the more, the better, evergreen this past winter. The heat is late in arriving this year, but the past few weeks are near 90, and days in a row of much hotter temps are common, expected later in the summer.
When it comes to roses, I pay no attention to the leaves except to cut the ugly ones off if they're bothering me. When they look as nice as your plant, I do admire them though. After finally getting some long overdue rain and just having trimmed off a flush of finished blooms, I'm expecting a flush of new red foliage to admire, then more flowers.
On any rose, my policy is pretty simple and easy, either there are pretty flowers often enough to be pleasing, or there's a shovel pruning. What disease they may or may not have is irrelevant, because I wouldn't buy a substance for a disease and many roses seem to always have some imperfect leaves but bloom just fine anyway. I wouldn't buy one that had foliage maladies, but don't stress if some leaves aren't perfect later on.
Seems like the more fancy the name and price tag, the more diseased it will be. When healthy roses are really planted in full sun, not just some possibly incorrect idea of how much sun is good enough, they are nearly indestructible. Roses in shade part or most of the day are those that get to looking so bad they make you wonder how they are still alive, especially in the colder zones.
Another vote that it looks fine!
If there are roses bred to grow better in the north, less than full sun, or that are known to be overwhelmed by heat or sun in lower latitudes, I'm uninformed about that, and of course these comments would not apply. Hopefully someone who does know would make that clear for everyone.
absolutely - you can stool cotinus right back to a stump.....and many do for those really extra large leaves.
although they are shrubs, berberis and physocarpus have good deep tones, as does the delightful cercis 'Forest Pansy - which can also be kept small(ish).
OK, now THAT is intriguing. You never know what plants/shrubs will take hard pruning like that until you are told! So, I could basically "sculpt" it, like I do my elderberry to keep the general shape and size that I want. I'm sure these guys grows faster than an elderberry, but it sounds like it will respond to that to keep it in check. Now to decide on variety. I want the darkest red possible, as close to the color in the pic as possible. I am going to do some research and I'm sure I'll have more questions after I dig a little! Thanks so much!
Grab that compost and mulch! You can never have too much of that stuff. Leaves, especially aged and crushed, are great, and grass clippings, so long as there aren't tons of weed seeds and it isn't super-fresh, is also good.
I also love swaps. I've gotten some of my favorite plants at them -- and also some things I'm still pulling out :). And I've met a lot of wonderful gardeners.
I worry about the weeds and am thinking about putting cardboard down and then mulch on top.
You go with that idea but expect to replace it a year or two down the road. It's worked for me for the most part but it isn't the be-all and end-all of gardening--there are some weeds that will grow right up through the cardboard and mulch (ask me how I know this to be true). Still, it's been effective more than it hasn't in several of my garden beds.
I understand putting the taller ones in back and making sure that everything is spaced properly.
Don't lose sight of the truth that whatever you're going for is right for you but may not be right for another gardener (or what you're planting). I like the look of space between my perennials because that's the look that pleases my eye. What pleases your eye is what pleases your eye & you get to decide that on your own but the plants themselves will ultimately determine the look of your garden.
Generally speaking, garden designs adhere to certain standard designs or patterns but they're not guidelines that are carved in stone. I took a huge, rectangular garden that existed before I moved here, divided it in half diagonally, stuck a granite garden bench in the center, curved the edges and laid a granite patio in front of the bench. Not the look the bed had prior to me having my way with it but to my eye it looks a lot more appealing than it did before.
Did I buy a garden design book? Yep--bought several and while they gave me ideas, none of the formal gardens worked for my property. I ended up with what worked for me so I'll suggest you sit down with a drawing pad & sketch what you see in your mind. I don't regret doing that and am vastly satisfied with what I've achieved.
Don't forget you'll have failures along with the successes. It's been the lesson I've had the most difficulty learning but the successes have mitigated the failures. There's SO much enjoyment when things return reliably year after year I'm reassured the plants I've worked to set in the ground truly are perennials and those that have disappeared are few and far between.