13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I planted two dwarf Kniphofia primarily because the plants were listed as deer resistant. Well, like so many other favorites, the deer don't eat the foilage, but nip off the blooms just as they begin to look good. waahh!
I still enjoy their foilage, and low maintenance in a well drained spot.
Which Dicentra alba? Dicentra spectabilis alba is the larger one and will die back in late summer, so you might want something next to it that will fill in around it or plan to plop down a pot of something if you want a full look. Dicentra eximia alba is shorter and has fernier leaves and won't die back.
Oh darn. I thought it was Dicentra eximia alba but it is Dicentra spectabilis alba. I'm going to take it back to the garden center. Ugh. Can you recommend a place I can order Dicentra eximia alba. And again, any help you can give on spacing is much appreciated.
Well twrosz let me know if you find a Canadian supplier of "Delavayi Decorum" that ships across country!
FWIW here is a picture of my 2 year old 'ES'. I had quickly placed it in the totally wrong location a couple of years back as it is at the very back of a deep bed and so is totally hidden from anyone strolling by the front edge of the garden. With its delicate features it must be positioned so that it is extra easily seen.
Yes, Kevin - that is exactly what they are - a piece of land we can either rent from the municiple council or a private landowner. Allotments have a long tradition in the UK - at one time there were over 1000,000 plots in use but this has dwindled (due to selling off for development and such) to about a third of this total. If you have no garden or a tiny one, renting an allotment (not easy since there are currently long, long waiting lists) an allotment is a great way of growing vegetables (what they were mainly designed for) or flowers or , depending on the rules of your allotments, anything from keeping hens to growing roses. Mostly, they are a regulated size (measured in arcane ancient terms such as rods, poles or perches) and are usually about 300 square metres (10 rods). I have had mine for 10 years now so it is getting to be a nice mature space (or it would be if I didn't muck about so much).
One year I planted Burpee Purple Prince and they were beautiful large rounded PURPLE Zinnias. The second year I again planted Burpee Purple Prince and they were large flat RED zinnias with a large brown center. This year I again planted Burpee Purple Prince and they are large flat PURPLE zinnias with a large brown center. What is going on? Is it something in my soil or the heat? Or is it the seed company? Awaiting your reply.
PS I didn't know where to submit my question.
Hi Halina! Thank you very much for your kind comment. I actually made each month from August till December last year, and May and July this year.
Here are some links:
July
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg0722031824359.html?41
September:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg0906435119598.html?15
October
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/peren/msg1017533514185.html?12
Here is a link that might be useful: August
Hi Joe and welcome to the gardenweb. I note you are a brand new member. To respond to your post it would help to know where you are gardening, Here in hot and dry northern California, Lantana are one of the most dependable plants. I do plan on replacing both Lantana and Lavender about every five years. The plants get too woody and lack the vitality of younger plants. I have never had a white fly problem in the garden, too hot and dry, I think, as I do occasionally have them in the greenhouse. Al
@calastoga....thank you for the welcome and for your response. I am located in Gilbert, AZ which is just a few miles SE of Phoenix. All the Lantana are going on 12 years old, both the purple flower and the yellow. every couple years I cut back all the branches to within inches of the ground due to frost damage. In the past both yellow and purple responded with beautiful new growth and more blossoms than years I don't prune them back so heavy. I have just noticed that I am able to post pictures here as well. I will try to get a couple pictures to post to show more clearly what I am dealing with.
any ideas would be appreciated!
All depends on your soil. If you can cut it with your shovel in the way that it does not fall apart after being lifted, then you can move it whenever you want, as long as the plant does not notice it. Just dig the 'destination-hole' first, then cut 'the cubic with the plant from all 4 sides' and relocate it.
No real mentor at all. In fact did not really care that much about gardening having grown up having to dig up bermuda grass out of the backyard, again and again. No fun when you rather be playing!!
But maybe my interest was stimulated by visits to local garden shops looking for landscaping plants for my parents yard and seeing all the potted plants.
This eventually lead to trying to grow various native coastal dune plants and seeds I had collected, back in the early 1960s, as potted plants. Maybe it was the success of getting seed of Convolvulus soldanella (now called Calystegia soldanella to germinate and grow.
What is weird to me is now the area that I visited as a child and young adult has become commercialized as a nature preserve and the nearby local community is betting on its exploitation for financial gain! Sadly in seeing the video in the link below I can recall lots and lots of shore birds compared to the single one shown!!!
I guess I could say it was Mother Nature that was my mentor.
Here is a link that might be useful: The dunes complex at the mouth of the Santa Maria River
Wow! Is that your 'Peppermint Twist'? I love it! It did grow up to be quite a robust beauty in your garden. Mine is so petite in comparison.
As for the kniphofia, I say go ahead and plant it as soon as you can. It will probably enjoy the extra shade from surrounding plants while it settles in and begins to send out new roots.
I usually have had excellent luck with fall planting. I planted a lot of perennials through November last year and all of them survived, although it was a warm fall. Still, I say go for it! If the kniphofia lives it will be much larger and more floriferous than a spring planted specimen.
cut them down.. when bloom is spent ... i surely wouldnt waste that show ... unless only to start cutting them to bring them in the house ... a few fronds at a time ...
if you want to avoid worrying about late plantings.. just add some loose mulch around the plantings.. at the last possible minute.. before your mulch freezes solid.. been there.. lol ..
i used to chop all the fallen leaves into fingernail size pieces ... and leave a big pile until around thxgvg ... and then apply it 4 to 6 inches deep on my soil. in my zone.. by spring it will settle to 3 to 4 inches.. and by june/july.. be nearly gone ....
its a blanket in cold zones.. so that once the soil freezes.. or nearly ... that sun doesnt hit it directly ...
my old fall back.. is GET IT DORMANT ... KEEP IT DORMANT ...
and by maintaining a dormant soil ... the plants will remain dormant ...
and the mulch will diffuse winter sun hitting the black soil.. and letting the soil thaw and freeze.. over and over .... thats where heave happens ....
do not cover the plant itself.. as you might suffocate it ... and that is the real key to small particle pieces on the mulch .. it allows water and air to move freely ... unlike intact maple leaves.. which can cause an anaerobic conditions.. where no air gets to the soil.. and you can suffocate roots ... [dont that too..lol]
then come spring.. the mulch ... slows soil thaw.. so the plants stay dormant a bit longer.. sometimes missing some of those frost/freezes and killing the plants ... and in doing such.. avoids the potential for the plants heaving out of the soil ...
ken
Thank you both! I have seen the lillies with peonies many times and apparently doing well but I wasn't aware that peonies needed more alkaline soil. I think i will give it a try and hope for the best! But thanks for the warning! :)
I plan on having two different bloom times for the peonies to extend it a little, eventhough it is still not a lot. I am hoping for constant bloom and the colors are the ones you mentioned. I definitely prefer the cottage garden look.
As for the space... The bed is approx. 26 feet long but only like 4 feet wide. So, once i put the big shrubs there might not be a lot of room. But i can still change the amount of plants. I have never seen Thalictrum personally. I just saw a close-up of peonies with it and fell in love. I researched it and thought the Hewitt's Double was lo prettiest. I love the contrast.
But since i have never seen it, i don't know how it looks better. Also, i read somewhere that it spreads a lot. Is it true?
And about the columbine, i just didn't know if it would go well having the Thalictrum too. I would prefer to have them all because of the different colors and blooming seasons.
Stargazer is not an Orienpet, it is a pure Oriental= acidic. Orienpets can grow anywhere, and will most probably push the orientals out of existence really soon. They already come in many colours which were reserved for pure Orientals until recently.