13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I like to use rocks to mark plants I think I might forget, or haven't had long enough to recognize. But basal growth from a perennial usually looks very different from sprouting seeds of almost any weeds, unless there's perennial weeds to consider, it's got to be something I planted.
Maybe it's just me, but putting any kind of marker for plants is usually tantamount to reading it its' last rites. Maybe they die of embarrassment? One of Murphy's Laws?
Oh, don't get me started. The Maryland Home & "Garden" show got so bad in recent years, I left feeling nothing but anger. Lousy, no-imagination displays of over-forced plants do nothing to dispel winter blahs, and for the past several years, there has been only ONE vendor selling plants: a florist selling potted bulbs, primroses and pansies (I have nothing against any of those plants, but supermarkets are full of them after all). I have only attended for the orchid show that coincides with the "flower" show, and skipped that this year due to time constraints.
How the hell cheery is it to see people leaving a flower show carrying mops? Mops! GD MOPS!
I have a Rodgersia species (tag has long been lost) growing near the north wall of my house - no actual shade, but very little direct sun except a bit in June-July. It has expanded to a large clump and flowers nicely. Hostas and Tricyrtis also do well in this bed.
I just ordered Rodgersia Pinnata "Fireworks" from Lazy S's and it arrived today with a few more things I can't seem to find around here! I plan to plant it in partial shade down beside our koi pond where the soil stays moist but not competely wet and boggy. I hope it will be happy there! I don't know why I can't find them locally. They are beautiful and are 'supposed' to do well in our zone. I also bought a bottlebrush buckeye after seeing one on the grounds of the High Hampton Inn last year in Highlands, North Carolina. It was massive and gorgeous! I plan to plant it in partial shade down near our creek.
and junkie.. water is the key ... right ...
that .. IMHO ... is the FIRST thing to figure out.. after that.. the sky is the limit, as to plants ...
the second thing.. under mature trees.. is the soil ... and how 'used up' it is under very mature trees ...
just try things.. water the heck out of them.. and GO FOR IT ...
you have nothing to lose .. except some plants.. and some exercise.
BTW.. if you have lots of mature perennials around the yard.. a FREE way to TRY things.. is to divide what you have .. and just start moving things out there... then you lose just the exercise.. rather than money ...
i can see along string of post on how to divide a given plant ..
good luck
ken
Thanks for all the post, I was born in Bixby hospital in Adrian, lived in Cadmus and Addison. Played ball in the schools of Lenawee county, but left in 1954 to serve in the Army. So it is good to hear all those names again. Hunted and fished many lakes and stream while living there had to garden then but was not really interested back then.. I grew up thinking that asparagus was a cheap vegetable that grew along side the roads.
I have some transplants in pots (6-8")...been sitting there for at least 4 years...hate to admit that!!! (Don't fuss at me....I'm a BAD plant Mom). They've come back every year without ANY maintenance and are still green now, but that's leftover from last year.
Will dig down and check if I see any new growth. And THANK YOU for reminding me to take care of these babies.....BAD MOMMY!!
Mine never did die back much over the winter, and they are all up and putting on new growth. Well, except for the newly planted black mondos that the deer pulled up. By the time I found those lying on the ground, and put them back, they might be dead. Not showing any green to speak of, anyway. Darn woods rats.I should have expected it, and stuck a few skewers around them. That worked before when they pulled up a whole bed of liriope that wasn't rooted in well..
Sandy
I am in southern Iowa. I decided not to buy any new plants until I see what survived last year's drought. Toward the end of the season, I wasn't sure if plants had actually died or just gone dormant. Once things start popping up, I'll have a better idea if there are bare areas where I need to replace plants (either with the same type or something different). Hopefully the recent snows are a good forecast of rains to come and we will have a better growing season this year.
Of course, this decision hasn't stopped me from perusing the catalogs and dreaming about the new plants I would like to order. LOL
I couldn't stay inside yesterday when it got so warm so got many things cut down and this evening it is snowing. Only thing looking green are the Iberis. I am ready to pull away mulch etc. from around mums, trycirtis, etc., but better not. Spring is coming some day, just not yet.
That's intriguing. Why the secret?
BTW it is invasive in France too.
Here is a link that might be useful: Parrot feather in France
I understood what Flora meant when she gave all that info. She thought I seemed interested, therefore she wanted me to understand about the plant's invasive tendancies. She was just sharing her knowledge with others who may want/need to learn what she has already learned.
There are waaayyyy too many invasive species being propogated (if that's the right term) due to people not understanding that they can be harmful to the environment, not to mention it's a nightmare trying to get rid of them once you've figured out you made a terrible mistake. Been there, done THAT....lol.
Bonnie
I plant to get my newly constructed cold frame out in the garden this weekend, but not to put any tender plants/tropicals in it until at least around April 10-15 (three weeks or so before the average last frost).
I suspect it is way too early to put dahlias outdoors in Utah.
Your iris look like Siberians to me. At this time of year, my clumps that had been trimmed back in the fall look exactly like yours.
While Siberians, as well as Japanese Iris can stand to live in wet conditions, they also make fine bedding plants in the perennial garden. I have several Siberians-Steve, Big Blue, Caesar's Brother, Butter and Sugar, Silver Edge, Sparkling Rose and Sky Wings. Mine are mulched and get the same general care as my other perennials. We water all the plants in the summer if we don't get adequate rainfall. Other than that, they don't get any special care. Full sun helps with blooming as well as a feeding with a fertilizer with a high middle number, such as Miracle Grow - 15-30-15, once in a while.
You can divide them and replant after blooming or in the fall.
Linda
I have had many different Siberians , and my observation is: some will just not like you no matter what you do. I got rid of several last year , they were growing well but never bloomed. Generally older varieties have fewer buds per stem(usually only two), and some newer are just better both in bud count(I have 2 with up to 5 buds pr stem), and foliage is standing upright for the whole season. The truth is : the old varieties are passé. The clump turns into a complete mess right after blooming. They cannot compete with modern ones.
Some good doers with me: Mabel Coday, Coronation anthem(3 buds but repeats often), Big Blue, Illini Dame(up to 5 buds), Over to Gloryland, Blaumacher, Viel Schnee, Percheron
Cheery Lynn.
the ones who hated to bloom: Golden Edge, Waterloo, Ewen, Night Breeze, Blue Reverie(pity, extremely beautiful)
One died for no apparent reason: Regency Buck(extremely beautiful)
I haven't had a chance to read this thread in depth, but the general recommendation is not to plant new perennials until after your last frost date. The reasons are: (1) soil is harder to work when it is still cold; (2) potential for freeze damage if you plant too soon; (3) cold temperatures stress a newly planted perennial; it is best to minimize stress on new plantings.
I would be interested to know whether most perennials that die back at the first fall frost experience damage when their new shoots emerge in early Spring and are exposed to a late freeze? In other words, do plants die back in fall because the freezes kill them back or does the freeze simply signal the plant that it is time to shut down for the winter? I know some early-emerging perennials, like Bletilla, are susceptible to Spring freeze damage.
This post was edited by mistascott on Thu, Mar 28, 13 at 16:07
If you're in z5, then the tulips are a no brainer.
1) tend & water them until they die back.
2) remove the bulbs from the pot
3) store in a paper bag (with sterile sawdust or peat if you wish), in a dark, dry place.
4) in late fall, plant them.
Most of them come up as well as any "properly" grown bulb.
to add to the above great directions:
Plant them in fast draining soil and don't water them after the foliage dies back. you don't need to lift them after that unless you are wanting to divide them.