13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
Meat tenderizer has an enzyme from papaya in it that helps break down the protein that causes the pain in stings. A paste made meat tenderized with a few drops of water applied right away will help reduce the severity of a sting.
We had several nests last year, but have not discovered any so far this year. One was in the bed next to the main house door, but no one was stung. DH did find several with the mower. Hopefully this year there won't be the same problem.
Put grow-through grids in place when new growth is emerging in the spring - the foliage will hide the grids, and they do a great job at supporting :0)
Here is a link that might be useful: Like these - but I'm you can find locally at hardware stores, nurseries, etc.
I have a low-growing chartreuse (sp) type that I let spread everywhere because of the chartreuse ground-cover look. I throw the deadheads everywhere so they spread and do they ever. I'm also thinking that might be the feverfew that Ken pulled out as I am quite sure I gifted him with a bunch of mine about 200 years ago. Oh well. Sure makes a nice backdrop for almost any hosta, especially the blues.
Pat
Ooh, I like that Virgo! I got a regular (I think) feverfew in a swap last year. I have been quite charmed by it. I deadheaded it already, though. It's growing where I have trouble with lot of things though: a place that is too hot and dry and too far from the hose to get over and water very often. If it spreads there, I'll be happy. I'll have to hope it blooms again, though, so I can get some seeds.
Part of my confusion on this is that growers often label p. subulata as "creeping phlox" whereas plant guides tend to refer to the shade-tolerant woodland phlox p. stolonifera as "creeping phlox" and p. subulata as "moss phlox" or "moss pinks." This is why I try to stick to the Latin because it sure does get confusing in a hurry!
Wow. I never heard "moss pinks" before, so I just googled it. Check this out. They've got my local Wendy's beat by a mile, lol!
Here is a link that might be useful: Shibazakura (Moss Pink) Hill
Pretty much anything...lol.
I have one more bed that's pretty much empty so...
I do have to be choosy for that one though, very dry, full sun, no shelter from wind.
I'm about done for the year anyway, because that bed needs to actually be created, as it's grass at the moment. I did snag up some Velvet Buzz Butterfly bushes at $8 and some Lo and Behold Blue Chips at $7 for it. I'll be able to avoid those when tilling it to prep it for planting and seeding next spring.
I do still have a hard time passing up coneflower and hosta from my "list" (not that I've found any so I'm ok there, will probably have to get those online). Also Rudbeckia...I am LOVING my new Cherry Brandy and Cherokee Sunsets, and my Denver Daisy and Moreno too. The worst for me are Butterfly Bushes, especially with the newer "dwarfs" out. I REALLY love color on the Velvets.
denninmi, I'm with you... I'm holding off even going in nurseries anymore until fall. Ground is too hard here now to do anything worth while, too hot and humid out and, because of the heat, everything ends up looking ratty any way. I just bought a handful of new annuals for a planter on my patio (after previous annuals died)... they're looking sad already. I'm done until fall!
With a large patch you probably already have several stems that have layered themselves and may be dug up and started as new plants. If you pot these up now you could take out your old plants completely redo the bed with compost and transplant your saved new plants into the ground. This would give you a new bed with hardly any loss of bloom time. Al
lacevail, some of the plants there have been there close to nine years old so those are finally getting divided this fall. Others are newer and are blooming heavily.
caistoga, normally when I divide a plant, I discard the center as its gotten woody. I assume that not really the case with dianthus. I assume just pull apart sections and replant?
Hi splitrock, yep, i have deer and they did not nibble on Hoary Vervain. It is a native plant so you likely need to find a garden center that specializes in native plants. It is doing exceptionally well this year due to extra watering, which is not something i normally do. but my hubby is watering his sod...and my garden is in 'his way'.
Jodi
The foliage of S.B.B. always looked like cr*p - deformed, funky mess. How that plant every got plant of the year is beyond me.
If you want veronica, hunt down "Lavender Charm". It is a terrific cultivar. The light purple flower spikes are long and graceful - just a beautiful sight - and the foliage is not unattractive. It can get mildew-y like any other veronica, but location in full sun with good air circulation should help alleviate that problem. :0)
Most helpful, thank you!
The Veronica genus pointed me in the right direction; I believe they are a cultivar of V. longifolia.
And it makes sense because armitage says they are used as a cutflower (I got them from a place that sells cut flowers).
Thanks again!
Plants can droop in the middle of hot afternoons even if they don't need more water. A shrub that's several years old shouldn't need extra water at all. Check in the morning to see if it really is wilty. They grow fine here where it's that hot every summer. You're just lucky you get to call the heat "a wave!" Here, it's a season. LOL!
I haven't considered spider mites -- I'll have to check mine out and see if they are attacking them. With the dry, hot weather, I am seeing a TON of mites in the general landscape, on everything from weeds to trees. I've got about 40 butterfly bushes going now, so if mites like them I'm sure at least some of them will have them.
I don't know what is up with the multiple posts -- I posted a reply on one of these forums the other day and it showed up 5 times. Of course, if these forums had a decent user interface like many do, we would have the ability to edit, to delete, etc. Funny, iVillage is owned by NBC/Universal, a very large company, and they can't manage to upgrade their software past the level of about 1995/1996 when I first discovered the Internet. I guess it's because they're broke and no one watches their network anymore?
I'm going to suggest that you post also in the G*rden W*tchdog, an on-line reference on garden-related sources, so that gardeners who don't frequent one of the forums where you posted learn how pleased you are. Companies that stand by their products are more likely to get my money, and I always check there before I buy from a new source.
That is wonderful customer service! Glad you were able to get another scoot :0)
I've been ordering from them for probably close to 15 years now - have never had a problem that I recall. Agree they are a great company to do business with. Above suggestion to post on GWD a good idea.
Double Gem Tangerine appears to be Papaver rupifragum (Spanish poppy) which may not go dormant --several listings say it doesn't even in high heat/humidity, though it might if we get triple-digit hear for an extended period.
I would wait and see if it does in fact go dormant. If it does, a nice tropical plant like a sun coleus should fill the gap until fall when the poppy comes back.
I wintersowed "Mrs. Bradshaw" geum which bloomed this Spring and were beautiful. It seemd mine lasted a few weeks, because it was planted beside of "Brilliant" oriental poppy which was almost the same color and what a beautiful sight. I will have to pay more attention to how long a new plant blooms, etc.
I would say it's stems appeared to grow outward, like whimsical and I don't know if that is right word to use. When they finished blooming, I cut it back to its basal plant but it is putting out new leaves in that area. Since it was my first experience with this plant, I really did not know what to expect. Everything in gardening is trial and error and that was one of my experiments I guess. Can you tell I'm an impatient gardener? Come the Fall, I may dig that plant up and move it to a different location.