13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

It is my understanding that this is the first season for (widespread) availability of the "Sombrero" coneflowers.

First season...but I can tell already they have lots of branches at the crown which means better survival over winters. The blooms are not distorted or randomly quilled like some other varieties. These are tough just like the Pow Wow plants. I'll update my comments next spring, but I am already impressed with them.

Phlox is really tough as long as you get good roots...easy to do since they have thick, but shallow roots.

That sounds good! I think I'll just do it. Most of the seedlings are magenta but there are several that are really pink and so pretty.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!

campanula - thanks for the explanation. I really appreciate it. I read somewhere that it's nice to have some foliage of other plants around when the hellebores are blooming (and all their foliage is removed). Any thoughts on this?

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. You certainly would want to cut the old hellebore leaves off as they are quite ugly come spring and to showcase the flowers. I recommended the minor or smaller bulbs because of having to deal with the old foliage of daddodils which seem to stay on forever and a day. Hellabore flowers remain beautiful for a long time....I wouldn't want to detract with the old daffodil leaves.

I tend to dead head most of the seedheads on Columbine, except for a few stalks that I might want to collect seed. This seems to encourage subsequent foliage and root growth, and increase the likelihood that the plants will make it through the winter.

Sometimes plants can exhaust themselves making tons of seed.

Since this would be the time - some time ago even - that the columbine seeds were falling naturally from the dried pods, you might scatter some now where you want them. They need light to germinate, so you can press them in lightly but don't cover with soil.

I only have A. Canadensis which self seed everywhere, so I don't know much about the modern hybrids. Although I suspect the seeding techniques are the same. Any new seedlings take a season or two to be of blooming size.

I've had a dozen or two cats over almost 3 decades, and they have ALL liked catnip, so they must all have had the catnip gene. (I like that word "nepetalactones").

Haha Campanula, that is spot on, my son goes off to college in a few short days and I just paid my first tuition bill. Boy if a parent thinks they were expensive before, just wait till they go to a university!

"I've had a dozen or two cats over almost 3 decades, and they have ALL liked catnip, so they must all have had the catnip gene."

I have too and I remember just one not really impressed by it, yet his sister loved the stuff. We currently have 4 bratties, not related, that go crazy for it. Our neighbor just adopted a shelter cat and he sniffs the catnip and walks away(I have a bunch of it growing near the front door). Ours will chew on the leaves for a while and lay down next to the plants and take a nap. One of them likes the nip and the Asian honeysuckle growing nearby.
Aachenelf, sorry to veer off course. I would definitely not plant the stuff since it depends on the individual cats and you never know who's in the neighborhood(there is a large turnover of strays in this rural town anyway).

although there is a digitalis/isoplexus hybrid out - not that I am going for it though.

Well, from what I understand, it IS possible to cross two totally different genera as long as they are in the same family. Think it is called bi-generic or intergeneric hybrids. X Fatshedera and X Solidaster are good examples.

Digitalis and Campanula are not even in the same family, so I don't think such a cross is likely. Sometimes you will see a species (or even cultivar) name that is the same or very similar to the name of a genus, like Inula helenium. It's not a cross between the two genera, but the species name "helenium" is used as a sort of description. I've seen the species name "campanulata" or "campanuloides" before, presumably indicating that the plant has bell-like flowers or other qualities associated with a Campanula. Maybe something got misconstrued somewhere along the way with regards to this Digitalis x Campanula??? I dunno, just guessing here, lol ;-)

From what I have read, the Digitalis x Isoplexis hybrid (the result a cultivar called 'Illumination') actually provoked botanists to reclassify Isoplexis canariensis AS a Digitalis. The story behind it is pretty interesting: Here at Graham Rice's Blog
CMK

FWIW, scroll down to the last post in this thread as there is a picture of my "TT" in bloom from this past May. With the flower stalks it does grow tall and although this past winter was quite moderate even so it stayed evergreen the whole time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Totally Tangerine in bloom

UPDATE:

FWIW I moved my TT just last day.

I did give lots of flowers this past May but it never rebloomed after that first flush. I am not sure if it should but I am just putting it out there just in case others experienced differently.

I agree with Flora. The roots would be much cooler in the ground.

If you don't want to take it out of the pot, plant the pot completely in the ground. I have done this many times to save the plant. When I dig up the pot later some have rooted into the soil, and you will sacrifice those roots, but save the plant. Al

Yes, you can cut back before bloom - they will be shorter, bloom a little later, and flower clusters will be smaller, but perhaps more of them.

I have too much experience with the deer choosing to 'cut back' for me - they sometimes chomp off the top tender growth before buds form... maybe sometime in June?
they're in full, glorious bloom now... can't help with the 'how much to cut back'... think you can make many things work - ditto with the timing... just keep them 'happy' with some watering, and fertilize if needed...

Beth Z5 Northern Michigan

I got this advice from my daughter who lives in Wy. I had given her a clump of White Admiral-which I consider the best phlox I've ever grown. She told me not to deadhead as the flowerhead would bloom again!! I was amazed when it did. I never deadhead this one anymore.