13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I think it might be mugwort... not delphinium :(
If you rub the leaves and it has a spicy smell its probably a definite on mugwort. Rip it out if possible, brush on that stuff if you want, but cutting it off at the bottom won't be enough since it's an aggressive spreader by root.
Thanks so much, Katob. I think you have it nailed. I looked up mugwort and your hunch seems sound. I just now read that even the smallest bit of root will be enough for a plant to come forth. Tomorrow I will take a spade and lift up the entire plant combination. I'll try to separate out the good, remove it from the soil, wash and replant it. Then I' toss the mugwort and soil into the trash bin. I don't need another pesky invasive weed in my gardens.
Katob, I'm sorry, I meant to mention that I put ONE stake near a clump and tied the biggest stem to it. Then I tied other stems from the clump to the big stem, etc.....so within one delphinium clump stalks are tied to each other using either one bamboo stake or one spiral stake. Even the stalks tied further away still held up ok in heavy rains.
Thyme- do you ever thin the clumps? I suppose I could justify staking if there were fewer bloom stalks to stake.
I came across this photo from last year. There are so many great garden photos on gardenweb I sometimes feel like I should stand up for the brown thumbs out there!
It looks like a fungal infection. I had one much the same attack my mini rose. I had some sulpher based fungicide and sprinkled it with that and it did the trick. I'd take as much of the infected leaves off as you can. Do not leave them laying on the ground. Put them in the garbage. When you water don't wet the plant. Water the ground around it. A plant fungus will spread with water carrying the spores from leaf to leaf
Thanks for the ID on the grass. I've only seen it in pots at the nursery, where its potential obviously does not show. I like the arcing form.
I've only been to England once but that was in March. I knew I had missed a lot but this confirms it. I need to go back. I will have to see if I can find a garden tour.
linnea... that will be something for you to look forward to... I do hope you manage the trip at some point..
Campanula... I have the 'Tatra Gold' Deschampsia, and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it... but I find it has a fault which spoils it somewhat.... it gets flattened in rain and takes time to recover... it's not a pretty sight at such times...
Festuca's and Stipa's seem more resilient and quickly spring back...
Rereading your first post, een13. Under the eaves isn't the best place for them unless you are watering as you are doing. I only recently learned that astilbe are sun tolerant if adequately watered. But there's full sun in New England and full sun i n Arizona!
If your Amethyst seem to be shrinking or are smaller next spring that would suggest to me they are not happy under the eaves.
Another plus of several varieties is the repetition of the form through out the garden but with variation in the color and texture of the leaves.
Thanks, Marie! I'm happy to put in the effort of dividing them... once I learn how, that is!
I realize the placement isn't ideal. Unfortunately, we have a long walkway under that 10' eave I mentioned where we just need some green. We've tried garden ornaments and even fake flowers (gasp!), but nothing compares to real living plants. So I'm willing to water them regularly for the joy of seeing something growing there. The leaves are thriving... if those keep up and the blooms don't, I'll still be a happy camper!
Looks like lemon balm to me. My advice - pull it out immedately and deposit in the garbage. It will re-seed like crazy and spread all over your garden - in dry soil, wet soil, sunny spots, shady spots - EVERYWHERE. And it puts down deep roots so it is not easy to pull up. I am still struggling to eradicate this pest after 10 years!
I've had a clump of it for years by the garage door. It does reseed everywhere, but not overwhelmingly so and I pull up the babies where I don't want them. I like the smell and rub the leaves on my arms and legs to discourage mosquitoes (it does seem to work). So it's worth keeping for me, but to each their own.
I have tried several times with the more exotic cultivars. Whether the doubles or the orangey colors, never has a single one made it through the winter. My standard, old style pink one is over 15 years old. It must depend on your zone. If I buy any more, they must be cheap and I will call them annuals.
It's in the 90's here too!
Anyway, I'm still a little confused about spacing plants to achieve the cottage garden look. I've read that you should space plants close together. If I do that, how do I handle the mulching? Carefully? LOL
When you plant things, they aren't full size. Look up what width they can get to and plan your spacing from that. As I mentioned above, if you plant too closely with your humidity, you may have disease issues, especially on plants with delicate leaves like coleus, so you will have to decide if you want to chance that or not. Regardless, since the plants aren't full sized when you plant, mulch well right after planting, and then the plants will grow to mostly or entirely cover the mulch. Avoid colored mulch since you don't want it as the feature but to disappear into the background.