13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I think I can definitely say that my 2 "Spigelia marilandica" will not return for their second season. Even last summer...their first, they flowered well....just beautiful unique flowers. I know they can be iffy for a Canadian zone 5 but I made a conscious effort to plant then early in the season (2012) and put them in a two different sheltered locations. And yet neither show any signs of life as of May 8.
In addition to my hibiscus, I should have also mentioned my leptodermis oblonga. I actually decided to give it away at a swap this year, so I dug it up and potted it up last week, but it still looks dead! That thing better spring to life soon or folks will be wondering why I brought a dead shrub to a swap, lol!
Dee
Thanks for sharing the pictures--what an interesting set up they have. I sometimes imagine I would love to have a small nursery at my home. I enjoy growing large batches if plants although I realize, of course, doing it for profit alters the situation. Still though, I have thought of doing small scale shade natives or some such thing.
Good luck with your peonies. I am looking forward to my herbaceous ones flowering soon.
I grow some Purple Dome, in their second year. They do spread, but at a nice pace, by rhizomes. My dad swears by chopping a piece of perennial out of the established plant, (an wedge-shaped part, cut by spade and then lifted somehow), so the older plant just keeps on. you can fill the gap left by the lifted part with fresh compost, and divide and replant the rest.
Well, good luck with your nice Aster,
bye, Lin
the link ... first one.. says hardy to st louis..
are you north or south of such ..
that may be the defining issue ...
z5 is simply too broad a stroke to guess .. or be definitive ..
zone info is basically JUST minimum winter temp ...
but in my z5 MI .. the ground can freeze over a foot deep .. wherein i will bet.. magical st louis does not have that kind of cold penetration.. though they have the same min temp ... see the difference???
good luck
ken
Here is a link that might be useful: link
We are in SE Iowa. We have had a couple of milder winters with snapdragons and gladiolus overwintering, but we are prone to ridiculously lows any given winter as well.
I hadn't thought of lifting them though. I lift a couple of dahlias and a ton of glads, surely I can make room for some hardy begonias too. :)
Thanks for the replies.
This post was edited by trovesoftrilliums on Tue, May 7, 13 at 15:24
The only reason I keep trying is that a family near here has huge mounds of mums around the house foundation that come back every year and just keep getting bigger. They have had these same mums for many years.
They pinch them back until the end of June and do absolutely nothing else.
Those sound worth taking cuttings, if you are permitted to do so. Sounds like those old plants aren't the prima donnas they sell now, haven't had the toughness bred out of them.
Around the foundation would indicate a possible micro-climate. If they're under an eave, the added dryness may be helpful also.
Well I usually see A syriaca growing in good soil in the wild. And I've got 3 small patches that planted themselves in this yard, and they are all in medium soil. They are drought tolerant once established although I'm not 100% sure of their nutrient requirement.
The potting soil or mix in containers will get depleted of nutrients quickly, so you generally need to fertilize. So I usually use a weak liquid fertilizer in containers (in the ground I use mostly compost, occasionally an organic granule type fert.).
Thanks for the info. They are in a pretty deep pot, well it's a 5 gallon bucket actually... The stems seem much thicker this year. Last year I had 4 stalks and it looks like there are about a dozen this year. I think I'll keep giving it the attention you all recommend and not cut any of the stalks as they seem thicker. It may be that they are in a sunnier spot than last year too.
Fingers crossed, waiting for Monarchs (we have gotten them to stop by before)
Happy Gardening everyone!
I planted an Eryngium 'Big Blue' Sea Holly last year and it did bloom the first year. It was a beauty in the garden all summer. Sadly, Hurricane Sandy did it in. We live along a tidal river and had quite a bit of flooding in the bottom half of the garden. (Glub! Glub!)
We just replaced it today with a new plant from the same local source. This time we'll put it higher up in the yard.
Molie
FYI when this post started GW did not have a Heuchera Forum. There is one now if anyone wants to look at what some are finding now.
They have made so many improvements to make these plants hardy. Unlike the one year expensive annuals they use to be.
Here is a link that might be useful: HEUCHERA FORUM
Yes Sandy it was a plant on the move. I have never had a plant that had such a death wish in my garden. If I put it in the sun it was trying to die at one point it was one leaf. If I put it in my shade garden it did grow two leaves. It seemed to be very particular where it wanted to grow.
Hi, again. Wanted to respond to all of your suggestions.
Really wanted an "all summer" bloomer to contrast with the other colors in this bed, so a spring bloomer like aurinia, even though pretty would not work. We already have a lot of geum in several other beds, and I enjoy its wonderful color, but again it is an early bloomer.
We have about 60 beds all told and my husband is particular about what goes where. He doesn't like most sedum. [Does like a couple of varieties that we have out front].
Gaillardia is out because it gets out of hand too fast.
I am afraid that the potentilla would be too much of a bush type plant for what he wants for these beds.
We have had coreopsis and he really didn't like it [although it is still trying to come up around a lamppost and I think it would be good there so am trying to "encourage" it.âºâº]
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to try to help me out.
I wish the potentilla would work as it looks like a very pretty plant. Although might not be the best anyway as we have very rich soil and it looks like it would do better in a somewhat sandy soil.
The Penstemon looks pretty to me, but might be too airy for my husband - he also seems to like fuller leaves. We did have a reddish pink variety of penstemon once in another bed that did not do well under similar light and soil conditions.
I love the look of the Doronicum orientale Little Leo, but it is only a spring bloomer. Even so, I am going to show it to my husband. It would be a really pretty contrast to the husker red that is in the space near it. Thank you for that idea.
Nice ones Rouge! Those are very pretty and hopefully they will thrive in your shady border. FWIW, the flowers and pretty foliage look nice in a springtime bouquet, mixed with late tulips for example.
I'm looking forward to getting a few more of these for some spots that have turned nicely shady over the past few years. I love their woodland look
What heuchera are you leaning toward? I could see Red Fountain getting along well with some of the burgundy/silvery types.
I took a large, established rectangular perennial garden much like yours, cut it in half diagonally, set a rough-cut granite bench in the middle of the long side and curved the edges of it off to either side of the now triangular bed. The linear edges of the rectangle offended the vision I had for my garden--I was going for a more soothing, relaxed look. It's now got curb appeal and when sitting on the bench, one faces my French curve butterfly bed. Cutting it in half also substantially reduced maintenance, mulching, weeding, etc.
FYI - I drove my truck to a nearby quarry, loaded the patio granite in the truck myself & hauled it home. Migrant workers laid the patio in concrete so the cost was well within my meager budget.
The only thing I would change would be that your garden be right side up. ;)
Karen