13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

I have a huge nursery close by where they do have most of the plants suggested in this thread! We went over the weekend and bought some for the front garden but going back next weekend for these two shade gardens!

Through more observations, I noted that bed #1 gets a little bit of sun in AM. Maybe an hour. But not sure if this will continue to be the case when all the tall trees leaf out.

I noted that the bed #2 starts getting sun around 1:30-2pm till about 4:30-5pm. There are no trees around that bed, so that should be pretty accurate. Winter Gem Boxwood that I planted there is doing great, so it must get enough sun to get by? Maybe I get more of those since I already know that it is doing well?

Polemonium is one more (Jacob's Ladder). In bloom now and loves shade.

Freki, what is a no-maintenance perennial bed? I don't have any of those.

LOL!! I was about to say the same. No such thing as a no-maintenance perennial. - low maybe: no-maintenance, no way! The only no-maintenance plants of any type I am aware of are those made of plastic :-)

Thanks, everyone! I actually love the idea of a butterfly and hummingbird garden!! Why didn't I think if that? We're in the country surrounded by a 600 acre cornfield. Our birds tend to be what I would call "farm" birds: blue birds, swallows, finches, etc. Oddly, we don't get any cardinals, robins or blue jays.

If we plant it will they come? Even thought we are more farmy and have no surrounding gardens? Thoughts?

Favorite hummingbird or butterfly plants other than those Martha suggested?

Thanks!!

I've ordered special perennials from Bluestone for years. It's the vigorous crowns and root systems that matter....I've always been very satisfied.

Their half-price sale has started!

"I think a lot of folks would disagree with that:-) "

They may disagree as much as they want. It will not help them. They can be lucky in 1 or 2 winters, but that's probably all . At least with no protection.

Why the heck are you so adamant about everything?? Do you garden worldwide that you are such an authority on what will grow where?

If this bulb is not hardy in zone 7, why do all manner of bulb specialty nurseries advertise it as such, hmmmmm??

Ho yes indeed - so very, very familiar.
Gardening on a public allotment (there are 300,000 such plots in the UK), this sort of behaviour is dreadfully common....which is why our site has forgone any association membership, leadership (presidential or otherwise) but just pays rent to the local council which has zero interest in allotment spats and disagreements . Afraid there have been a couple of Ms Ward's (we all know the type - those who crave power are the ones who should not be allowed to have it!) but they have been rudely ousted by a general air of anarchy. We do our own thing here (although other sites in the city have far different methods of interacting). Gardening raises high passions in the UK - we have had murders over hedges, giant vegetables, compost defilement, clematis wars, pumpkin stealing....but mostly, interlopers who start throwing their weight around. I expect Ms Ward will have a brief tenure since gardeners are nothing if not patient, cunning and tenacious.

This is really scary....I was considering joining a local garden club, but now i'm not so sure :( Although, I doubt anything this severe happens, since they just manage about 10 acres and no one in particular owns any of it.

Well here it is 10 days later, and I'm STILL working on garden cleanup. It's mixed with pruning shrubbery and some transplanting, but still going slow. Got the front yard gardens done, now I'm working on the back. Try to go out for at least an hour or two a day and prune, chop, rake, pull, and pick up. Drag another tarp of leaves and garden debris, or drag another pile of brush. It's great exercise but the body's getting older, gotta take it slower than when I was younger.

Sorry to hear about those who still have snow. Ugh. Woodyoak, hope your leg heals soon. Bluebird, I like your peony picture. PM2, that is funny that the teenagers moved your rocks, usually it's the snow plow that has moved stuff around!

Docmom, I had tons of Vinca on this lot and have gotten rid of a lot of it every which way. Smothering works very well and is the easiest way, but if you have plants you want to save amongst the Vinca you would have to dig them out first, because smothering will kill everything.

Smothering might work on that white snow in the summer. Or you could offer it free on Craigslist and people will come dig it up for you!

Yup 10 days later and I still have snow covering most of my beds. At least today we're getting peeks of sun and for now no snow, sleet, or freezing rain is falling from the sky so that's a good thing. Our high temp today hit 40. At least we didn't get the 18" they got in the Fargo, ND area.

Yes, these are seeds from mums grown in this area. I am hoping for the best.

After blooming, I cut them back to about 5" and mulched them.

I am sure your "mums" will return but it is my understanding that one does not cut them back in the fall as this now dead growth provides additional protection. (Although I do now read that you did mulch).

One of my favorites is written by a professional who is based in Detroit, Deborah Silver. Her window boxes and planters see wonderful and she covers a range of design topics.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dirt Simple

I like/visit the first two as well ispahan ;-)

I'm not really a daily blog reader. I'll forget about them for awhile and then play catch-up when I make the time and read all previous entries.

But here are a few I like:

Linda Cochran's Garden blog- from Bainbridge IS WA- I think this is probably the most brilliant garden I have seen at combining unique plants and collections and making them look cohesive!

John Jerrard's Herbal- a plant collector in the UK with humorous posts and great pics. I envy some of his collections.

TezaâÂÂs Hortus Magnificum - features lots of cool shade plants.

You Grow Girl! - like the unusual veggie and edibles posts

Barry's Blog, A Sense of Place- more unique plants

Graham RiceâÂÂs Blog- gives updates on new plants. I know not all will be available in the states, but it is fun to look anyway.

Hummm...thought I had a few more, but can't find them now ((naturally)).
CMK

Each fertile plant will selfseed if allowed and the conditions are right. It is the purpose of blooming. It is something you just have to acknowledge. It is as simple as this: do not want seed - cut the spent flowers down. No reason to invent " evil plants".

This post was edited by wieslaw59 on Sat, Apr 13, 13 at 17:22

I do do a lot of deadheading, Wieslaw, in part for the reason you say.

At the same time, I'd count sterility (not seeding around) as a big plus for many horticulturally produced hybrid cultivars.

I'm happy to report that High Country Gardens is back in business and shipping beautiful, drought tolerant plants and perennials. You can read about the transition by visiting the blog on our home page (entry posted March 1).

Here is a link that might be useful: High Country Gardens website

Glad they are back in business!!

Yesterday there was almost no snow, or ice, on the flower beds.

Today, below:
I think those early crocuses are 'Vanguard'.

Another three inches of concrete to move this morning and if "they" are correct we should expect more Sat. night into Sunday.

If it is the flower heads that are dry and crumbly, you should crush them and sprinkle them around - there are most likely some seed pods in there. That is how I get mine to spread.

Thanks for the tip ramazz! I was just going to toss the clippings in my compost pile.

Never happened for me

Ok, thanks. I'll just look ahead to next year with that plant.