13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Just threw the last nursery bought perennial into the ground: "Bronze Peacock" Rodgersia.

Well, being that I'm in zone 8, I'm still sowing seeds! Does 're-potting' count? In that case, because the usually rather dry September & October has turned into heavy downpours.... I potted up the newer 'Hidcote' Lavender, in lean well drained pot. Hoping it is as intense violet as one I had in the past which drowned/rotted in the typical ground up pine bark, that most perennials seem to be sold in, these days.
I'm figuring out, that must be what kills off my Oriental Poppiy cultivars & by the time they ship them, it seems late & they don't like being transplanred bareroot, nor peat mix when potted & don't like disturbance after leafing out. So that's always a problem. Besides, I'm just finishing uo, with mail ordering!
I'm almost ready to plant some Scabiosa caucasica 'Fama Deep Blue' sown about a month ago & some 'bearded' Dianthus thay has some extra long fringed petals, even more so than 'Spooky'. Seems fortunate that I got some free seeds, from a nearby local planting, as I can't locate a source- just a few photos on the 'net!
I bought some 'Coral Reef' Oriental Poppies from High Country Gardens & hope they are as pink as shown in the catalog. Bluestone, has gone to single coco peat & no longer offers three packs AFAIK & besides, when it did finally bloom, it was half pale orange & they explained it away, as "that's why they call it coral"- huh? I said pink coral is just that- pink! But they replaced it with an Eryngium, that didn't seem to be the 'Sapphire Blue' that others seemed to grow...
But maybe the Eryngium alpinum roots I ordered will be more satisfactory, next year. Thompson & Morgan , since being overtaken & bought out, still doesn't have seeds in stock, of the one I really want; 'Blue Lace'.
Meanwhile, Van Bourgondiens moved out of State & sold off & at least I don't have to pay sales tax anymore, but maybe I'll wait until next month for something from there.
I'd have planted some New Zealand hybrid Delphiniums by now, but the price per plant, really gets to me & I sowed seeds from Jung anyway. Maybe spring is better for ordering & planting potted ones...
I do have Fiona Coghill Daisy on the way, so that will go in the ground upon arrival, as will Hot Papaya' coneflower & a newer(?) phlox 'Tiara' that's a double white. 'Blue Paradise' & 'Nicky/Dusterlohe' would have been bought but I need to move them from the previous residence & are fabulous in flower.
I don't know if Dicentra ' Burning Heart'(?) made it through the summer, but I'll have to see about that, later.
I'm going to plant Peony 'Duchess de Nemours, as soon as it arives. I've a tree type(suffruticosa) 'Hanakisoi, that definitely needs planting. I'm surprised it stayed in leaf, this long.
Well, I've still got Colorado Columbines I need to sow, for transplanting when it gets cold, cold. The McKanas just came up & aren't ready yet.
Snapdragons are perennial here & I go for the All American Selection tall ones ( forgot the cv. name, but Park seed has them... & try sowing some Tetra mix tomorrow, which are tall also.
Just got around to sowing the, Forget-me-nots in with Angelique Tulips (#1 Planted!),'Excelsior' or 'Shirley' Foxgloves & 'Cup & Saucer' Canterbury Bells, even if they aren't really perennials.
Not sure what to mix with 'Blue Parrot' Tulips (#2 planted!), as they're actually more deep lilac. Any suggestions? Maybe I should have interplanted using the Papaver alpinum, from Ed Hume seeds...
I have no idea what to coordinate with the Sweet Sultan, (Bavicchi seeds, from Italian Tool website.) Maybe the Lavandula 'Hidcote Superior', though if I'd bought yellow Centaurea moschata 'Dairy Maid' instead. Darn it...
Well, the Moon flower (Ipomea) just grew roots through the bottom of the pot & don't want to disturb it, just to plant it. Do the roots get stored? I dunno, do they just get planted dormant & sorta comeback, like Jalapa 'Four O'clocks',maybe?
If I could locate some Anchusa 'Loddon Royalist' I'd plant that, as regular azurea species gets so tall. Most people are planting Pansies around here & so I'm behind, as I sowed 'Chalon Supreme' & some 'Pettycoat'. I could have covered the dormant Anchusa, with these.
I guess I could plant (finally, here it is, #3!) 'Nelly Moser' Clematis I got on sale for 3 or $4 from Lowe's, tomorrow, but I've also got to put in an old 'Harry Lauders' Wlaking stick or Corylus contorta, that someone discarded, simply because it had suckered after some years. Why not save about $40. on a free one. Could you resist it? lol
Happy growing to all.

I'd like to grow perennials in grow boxes next year. If the soil and moisture is ideal how close can I space the seedlings if I remove them early the following summer? Most of the perennials that I'm planning on growing will be six to twelve inches tall after one year of growth. Can I crowd them and plant at 8" apart knowing that they are coming out within one year? What recommendations do you have for easy to grow, popular perennials? Gary

I'd like to grow perennials in grow boxes next year. If the soil and moisture is ideal how close can I space the seedlings if I remove them early the following summer? Most of the perennials that I'm planning on growing will be six to twelve inches tall after one year of growth. Can I crowd them and plant at 8" apart knowing that they are coming out within one year? What recommendations do you have for easy to grow, popular perennials? Gary

Another thing to note is that Gaillardia cultivars do not always come true from seed. So if you have seeds, you have no guarantee you will get the same plant. Therefore, I do like to preserve the parent plant.

The gaillardia cultivars I have are: Gallo Red, Arizona Sun, Mesa Yellow & Lemons & Oranges - the later is still in full bloom, as gorgeous as it has been all summer long. The others are looking tired... I will be trying to preserve the parent plant as long as I can, but I am sprinkling seeds around fromn the plant also. Hopefully, I will have plants coming up in the spring! Thanks again for all the good info.

I use the half bricks when my beds have a curved edge. Since the bricks never break exactly straight, I put the widest part on the outside of the curve.

Personally, if I had them, I would do as you mentioned and use in them a rock garden of sorts. Dump them out, throw some soil on them and water it in to fill cracks and crevices, repeat as needed. I think it would be lovely in a sunny corner planted with a patchwork of tiny groundcover sedums.

Huh, and I thought you people were talking about me again.

I feel ya, Jayco. I read "moist, fertile, well drained soil" and, whether full/part sun/shade, I laugh... and cry... at the same time. Whenever I stick a shovel in the ground here its hit or miss... will I be able to dig a deep hole as far as my arms will allow me? Or will I be stopped 6 inches down by what looks like clay but feels like cement. I have to admit... I ignore a lot of what soil types it says to plant things in. Otherwise... I'd have nothing in 75% of my yard...

I would pick a couple favorites to take with you and leave the rest behind. Doing more than that is just creating headaches for yourself. There is nothing more exciting than starting a perennial garden anew -- and you will get blooms the first year. The only way I would attempt a large scale transplant is if you are facing budget constraints.

Certainly did a large scale transplant of perennials myself, when moved. Had to rent a small truck to do it. Did leave the (spring) bulbs. But all the potting up, moving and replanting was done within one growing season.

On the other hand, at least here, it seems pretty easy to keep potted up perennials over winter. I do it yearly with dozens of perennials. Most are potted up by fall, using garden soil, labelled, watered on an ongoing basis, cut back before winter and kept in a place where the pots stay frozen until spring. Perhaps the success depends (as suggested above) on the fact that keeping things frozen, all winter, is easy here.

I also have subsessilis. Love it, as do the hummingbirds and bees. Goldfinches swarm over it for the seeds. It reblooms sporadically if deadheaded. It is tall, about 4 ft. Sturdy, does not flop.

Here is a pic for you taken this summer. It has been with me for 5 years. 3 plants in this spot.

N.sibirica has a running habit. N.clarkei lacks vigour. N. subsessilis is a clumper,has to be watched carefully for selfseeding, the foliage smells unpleasantly for my nose. It is robust for me. Ornamental value is average to below average , the flowers should be bluer in my opinion, and there should be more of them.

The term thistle applies to so many different genera, it's hard to be very precise :-) Common thistles, Cirsium species, are perennials and biennials. Relying only on winter cold to kill off the plant is risky and unreliable. And most species are tap rooted as well, so digging out is a challenge.

The biennial ones spread by seed.
Assuming the frost/winter won't kill that.

Hi Karolina,
my gravel garden is actually just a rectangle about 6m x 8m. I have a few more solid shrubs such as cytisus and cistus, burnet roses and philadelphus, which form a rough outline while the general layout tends to have no real back or front as it is accessible from all sides. So, I just intersperse things such as alchemilla, dianthus, geum chiloense somewhat randomly while the taller perennials are planted in a very haphazard manner - easy to get away with because the overall effect is very light, fluid and transparent. Annual cosmos can work very well in this sort of planting, along with alliums and species tulips earlier in the year.
Mind, my garden has none of the formal harmony of WW's garden but tends to a rather jumbled mingling of flower and foliage which definately benefits from the added backlit sunlight.

Gardenweed has a couple of photos of gaura on this thread. Perhaps she also has some from farther away.

Here is a link that might be useful: full sun combos

YES! That's it! Thank you!!

In my garden it seeds around fairly prolifically, both in the lawn and in the garden, so if you don't want lots more, you might want to carefully clip off the seed heads and dispose of (not in the compost.)

I'm in zone 5b and my lindheimeri "Siskiyou pink" overwinter pretty well. I've lost a few, but any that die can easily be replaced with seedlings. But these should be transplanted young, before the taproot is too large, and you should take a good chunk of ground with them for best success.

This year is the first I've grown the white lindheimeri and I think there are already seedlings coming up.

Mine are grown at the top of and among boulders that form a low retaining wall. The setting is perfect for them, as the flower stalks lean out over the lower garden.

one might call it a scraggly plant that should be replaced by something with more umph ... for a spot that looks like it might be near your front door ... [the lack of rain under the eave???]

throw it out back in some other flower bed.. and make a statement there ...

start a new post.. pull back the pic.. and ask what plant might make a better statement there... IMHO ...

ken

ps: maybe a clematis up that post.. and another plant a foot or two out ....

Description of ranunculus asiaticus (as Aviv mixed appears to be) from Missouri Botanical Gardens, others, suggests these are not winter hardy in your zone. You'd want to wait until Spring to plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: ranunculus asiaticus

Thank You. I will wait till spring. I'm glad I didn't plant them over the weekend.