13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Interesting, Dave.

My involvement with classification and nomenclature (nothing to do with plants) was at a time when numerical taxonomy was becoming recognized. As such, there was quite a debate about the validity of numerical taxonomy versus classical taxonomy, as I'm sure you know. I gather cluster analysis has some of the same philosophical underpinning as numerical taxonomy.

I'd agree, however, that it's to demonstrate that veronica and veronicastrum can produce hybrids, rather than to fall back on any type of classification system that makes it possible to argue that they may be able to or may not.

Love it! You have fertile ground, David! Who's the little Kniphofia budding? I've always wanted the pale yellow 'Little Maid'!

Haha, diggerdee! I run around all the forums, but I agree my pocket is lighter since looking at the alphabet on the hosta forum. I got some gentle giants this year that I hope will give some oophm! to my backyard shaded garden.

Lillies are such a different world and roses, too. So, I run around those forums with no fear (yet). I think before roses, I might wade gently into daylilies, but the sheer choice scares me off. For the roses, the upkeep/growing conditions are a factor as I try to grow plants that don't need any chemical intervention. I have one rose that is impervious to everything....of course I lost the tag (sigh)!

I wish you luck in your search! I also saw a pretty lily called "Marietta" in a few lists. Totally different than mine, but the same color combination and seems popular.

Well, now of course I am going to have to go and look up Marietta, posie! Yes, that hosta library is a very dangerous place! Last year I bought an Empress Wu, Komodo Dragon, and one other "giant" whose name slips my mind at the moment, but I'm hoping to see something spectacular from them soon. I get enough hosta lust -er, inspiration from various posts here and from catalogs. If I went actively searching on the hosta forum or in the hosta library I'd be done for. Same with daylilies. There could be a dozen that look exactly the same and I'd have to have all 12; couldn't just decide on one!

Been there, done that with roses. I still try to avoid Heirloom Roses catalog and the emails they send me (but can't quite bring myself to unsubscribe from them!), and David Austin is the bad boy in my life that every woman tries to avoid. Luckily for me, roses don't do too well for me (probably something to do with the degree of neglect I shower upon them) so I am more realistic with them now. But hostas and daylilies grow well for me and so they remain an active temptation!

I have no time to blog, and I haven't updated my albums for a few years, but here's my albums

http://picasaweb.google.com/108274884195904363782

I used to see a lot of coreopsis for sale in the garden centres in my area but haven't noticed any for quite some time...I don't think they are hardy enough for zone 2. I had "Moonbeam" come back one year for me but it certainly didn't thrive.

Wasn't trying to treat the flower, just wondering if something was munching on them.

The plant itself looks healthy as do surrounding plants and no not spraying down the whole bed. Haven't watered in weeks considering the rain we've had so far this summer.

Looks like the flower bud may have been damaged by rain as it was unfurling. The substance of the flowers themselves is very delicate and can be easily damaged by wind, rain, hail or heavy overhead irrigation.

my C wander about ... with underground stems ... making me think.. they might not be good pot plants ...

mine are also .. in the ground.. sand ... and after the year of planting.. never watered nor fert'd .... and in near full bright shade ...

on some level.. you may be loving it to death ...

no option of planting it in mother earth??? .. though this might not be the best time to do that ..

ken

I'm a renter and can not make changes to the outside landscape, so no Ken, I can not put it outside. I will try re-potting.

Wasn't the Cosmic series introduced by Daryll Probst and supposed to do better in zone 5 than the previous generation of disasters (whose name I forget but many people lost them in a season)

I thought "Ill believe when other people see it"

Interesting that idea of cutting off flower production in September. Can't be any worse than them

not showing up again in May.

Mercury Rising and Star Cluster have returned successfully for me in zone 5 Ontario for the last two (brutal) winters. Just impulsively purchased Heaven's Gate which I'm finding out now might not be as lucky. I'll be sure to follow the tip given above to better its chances.

Size matters, too. Our lawn is only the equivalent of about 250sq' (10' x 25'). It takes about 15 minutes per week for maintenance, including blowing off the patios. There probably would not be a noticeable difference in cost or time if it had other plant material considering how small it is. A large lawn would probably be a different story. This patch must stay lawn to serve its purpose though--fake grass, lawn substitutes or other material really would not do the job. Unfortunately, it is looking pretty brown now due to the water restrictions.

Cost is certainly an issue - filling in a huge area of soil with plants is an expensive business, especially if, like me. the sight of vast areas of inert mulch is anathema. Having a large acreage of woodland to manage, I have been speedily removing the nettles and brambles and quickly oversowing with shady grass seed to provide an area which is accessible, usable and, more to the point, prevents all those other plants (such as yet more brambles) getting too much of a toehold. Eventually, I will remove the grass to plant understorey and native wildflowers but grass provides a chance to sit and ponder...and given any lack of attempts at rolling, fertilising, watering, mowing or the usual twice yearly aerating and scarifying, the grass is considerably easier and cheaper to manage.

Glad you were gainfully occupied and not still miffed. You know the weeds were growing while you playing that game....They are worse than trolls and cyclops

I wasn't upset--just confused. Still am. Since I clearly stated I had just returned from a vacation, I cannot figure out what "mistakes" I made, or why I earned points for my "honesty".

Too hot and dry in SoCal for even the weeds to grow. ;) I wasn't heading out much because the temps have been in the 93-98F zone. Today it was overcast, with scattered sprinkles even. So I took a hike in a nearby wilderness park.

Yes, I'm still here but never saw this. It was great to hear from you and sorry for the belated reply. I'm not adding much to my garden these days--it is packed and mostly shady so I am limited in my options. But thanks so much for thinking of me. And hello to all my longtime friends here.

I am glad to see your name again....surely you have something to tell us! A packed garden may still be full of successes or problems you can fill us in on!

Marie (idabean)

Ah right, even more reason to stop watering and actually, I really have to disagree with the fertiliser too - the plant has finished its bloom cycle and really needs to be left alone to re-establish itself in it's own time. Agapanthus enjoy the constraints of a pot (they grow in well-drained and rocky soil). Adding too much water or food will simply encourage lots of leafage and no flowers. I can only speculate that the plant was already in blooming mode when transplanted because it is very common for these to sulk for a season without initiating any new flower scapes. It may even not flower next season whilst it rebuilds a vigorous root mass. Even so, these are surprisingly tough and yours will recover with no intervention from you - they do not appreciate pampering and are much like husbands - treat them mean to keep them keen.

Sun scorch. I live in southern CA, and this happens to some agapanthus species when we get those sudden hot spells. They tend to grow out of the damage ok here.

I live in Wyoming and have just planted my first Penstemon plants in well draining pots, in full sun, by my front door. They were in full bloom when I planted them. The flowers are drooping and the leaves are starting to turn yellow. Help!

Transplant shock and maybe dryness.

Have to try to be firm when faced with "clearance sales".

At least, however, gardeners can recognize and avoid Trojan horses. A couple of year back, I was asked for advice from a person who'd apparently bought out a clearance sale with the intent of establishing a mixed perennial garden. I've never seen such a collection of trouble, the worst single thing being the goutweed for the edging.

Nah, it's all downhill from now on into winter. Once that midsummer peak was passed...It is definitely a descent into chaos at mine, when the obvious rididculousness of 'maintaining' 3 separate gardens, separated by miles, in a state of woeful delusion can no longer be held at bay by means of selective vision or wild optimism. Contemplating the blackcurrants (and feeling despair at the inevitable hours of picking (why did I need 12 bushes and how did I fail to prune them enough to prevent every branch from lying on the ground), the vast swathe of somewhat shrivelled strawberries - I failed to halt the rampaging runners last year and my neat rows are now a tangled mat of millions of (much smaller) strawberries, I had the first horrible premonition that unless the entire summer was spent on my knees furiously hand weeding, I would be wheeling out the first of many excuses for future fails, thereby ensuring I will be in this exact place and state, this time next year.

One thing to consider is what zone you live in. In hot climates, many full sun plants actually require some shade for some part of the day. If you are in a northern zone, I don't know how well they would do, but if you are in the south, 4 hours of sun should be enough. I grew pink coneflowers in nothing more than dappled shade in zone 7 Oklahoma where summers are ridiculously hot and they grew and bloomed fine - that is, until a gopher or mole dug, ate or otherwise destroyed the roots. Never tried hollyhocks.

My coneflowers bloom beautifully with about four hours of sun. Most of the light is more dappled shade to tell the truth. However, as Kez mentioned, that could be due to the hot summers here in the DC area.

I think the 'blue' is a result of a sort of waxy coating on the leaves changing how light is reflected. By mid to late summer it has usually melted/washed off and the hostas are much more of just a dark green. I planted a division of one of my big blue patio hostas at the foot of our driveway, where it gets more sun. That one has not developed the 'blue' color that the original one has. So light (and temperature...?) appears to matter. My big blue ones are supposed to be 'Elegans' and 'Bressingham Blue', although the folk on the hosta forum doubt that 'Elegans' is really 'Elegans'! I find the small hosta 'Halcyon' keep its blue the longest - in both sun and shade.

My bluest, H. sieboldiana 'elegans' 'Sum and Substance' in the background.

Annette