13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
The wood is just decoration and doesn't stop the grass.
I respectfully disagree, based on many years of experience in different states, with different grasses. When I lived in OH, I had "nice" grass, non-rhizomatous, mostly, like it looks like bgaviator has. Bricks or timbers laying on the ground will stop about 95% of the grass permanently, especially when the bed is well mulched such as this. Wherever there's a low spot, or seam between pieces, the grass may creep under/through. Easy to fix in a few minutes about every-other month. As the timber settles, it will sink a bit and then it's even less of a problem, something to check maybe once in the spring, once in the fall.
Even here, with a yard of St. Augustine or Bermuda or whatever type of vine-grass this is in my yard in AL, with Bahia invading that, something like this timber is enough of a barrier to easily achieve control. Agree it's not a type of border that is completely certain, but certainly worth doing, especially compared to the effort and expense required for a completely reliable border.
I prefer this type of border because it's easy to pick up the timber and definitely remove any invading grass by the roots. I spend very little time on out-of-bounds grass.
Often grass is let to make seeds before it's mowed, then not enough care is taken to direct the outflow away from the bed, or it drops in the bed before mowing. When the seeds sprout, the border gets blamed for not doing its' job.
It doesn't look like Lunaria to me either. But it could be because it is shriveled up. I have tons of it. It reseeds VERY prolifically. Started out by breaking up a few "silver dollars" and scattering a few seeds in one of the woodland beds. That resulted in a few plants, and then those few increased rapidly.
This year I have taken to pulling up most of the plants before they go to seed so that it will only make a few hundred seedlings instead of a few thousand! Haha
Very pretty in the Spring.
I think it might be Lobelia siphilitica.
Not knowing where you are, or what zone, makes it more of a mystery. If you're interested in doing so, you can find your zone here. By including it in your profile info, it will show up next to your name when you post. It's also helpful to include your 2-letter state abbreviation since the same zone can be quite different in different states.
I don't have a problem with violets either. They're pretty in bloom, green the rest of the time, and if they are in my way I rip a handful out and carry on.
One year, I had Freckles EVERYWHERE. It was breathtaking and a bit scary too, at the same time, lol. But the funny thing is, after that year, they declined and now I don't seem to have any. I still have the purple, and I have some white, but Freckles seems to have disappeared from my lawn and beds all together.
Of course, this is coming from someone whose "lawn" includes violets, wild strawberry (I think), bluets, buttercups, white clover, red clover, hair cap moss (LOVE that stuff!), other mosses, dandelions, canadian mayapple, bits of ajuga, lichen (I love the lichen ON the moss), and oh yeah, some grass of some sort.
Dee
That looks like Viola sororia, which is a common violet. I have lots of them, in both purple and white, as well as Viola pubescens, which is downy yellow violet. Lovely plants, although they are a little weedy. I let them grow to their heart's content back in the wilder areas, but do weed a lot of them (but not all) out of the garden beds.
Very pretty in the Spring, provide early nectar for insects, and they are host plants for the Fritillary butterflies. Last year I watched a Great Spangled fritillary lay eggs in the violets!
Nothing compact about 'Grosso' - in fact, it is a larger growing hybrid and is often used as a hedging plant. And won't be as hardy for you as any of the English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia).
Some of the best dwarf/compact lavenders are some of the oldest selections - 'Hidcote' and 'Munstead'. Other good choices are 'Blue Cushion', 'Twickle Purple', 'Folgate' and 'Sachet'.
April, your best bet would be an organized plant swap. I know over on the New England forum, groups of us plan them once or twice a year, according to region.
I took a quick look at the list of forums here and don't see an Indiana one, and I'm not really sure where to refer you to on GW. Sorry!
But try joining your local freecycle. Then you can post on there both looking for other plants and offering yours, and you can arrange individual swaps.
Also, contact any local garden clubs or maybe check at the local garden center to see if they can refer you to a group.
Kevin's suggestion of the Plant Exchange Forum is a good one too. You may be able to find others near you to swap with.
Sounds like you have a lovely garden full of great memories and associations. How nice!
Dee
Very strange that the pictures doesn't always show up. The mysteries of the internet.
It's definitely not monarda - I have a huge stand of that right behind this plant.
I'll keep waiting. I'll report back with new pics in a few days. If it turns out to be lobelia I'll be very delighted.
Yup. I move them. Whenever I want. I just moved some daylilies, hosta, peonies and ferns last night and split off some spiderwort and put it in a new home too. And plopped a rooted cutting of a butterfly bush I started from one of the ones I moved earlier this year into the spot where the peonies were. I will take freebies like daisies and coneflowers whenever someone wants to get rid of them, summer heat or not. I moved a LARGE (like 4' high by 3' round) hydrangea last July because someone wanted it gone asap-and a butterfly bush that was about 6' from the same person. Just watered a lot when it got into its new home and dealt with it looking like a crispy critter for a few weeks, it's back this year happy as ever. Butterfly bush too, it's even got some new blooms coming in.
buyorsell is right!
I browse plant catalogs online, or just Google random gardening/plant terms, then browse the photos.
"hosta fence"..."miscanthus window"..."bay window perennials"...and on. The amount of inspiration I see gets my creativity going again.
Michelle
I can identify with what everyone has said so far. I often rely on the practicalities of a design question to point me in the right direction. How does this area need to function? Which plants would like these conditions, sun/shade, wet/dry, low growing/tall? Then often it is a case of a certain plant that I am in love with and finding the best place to put it. And in the end, even after thinking it through well, and giving attention to care, the end result doesn't please you. Then you try again and see where it is not working and move things around or bring home another great plant to try. I've done that lots of times and have done a lot of moving. Eventually, I have finally succeeded in a pleasing result in some areas, but others I'm still working on.
This year, I am finally seeing some maturity with some of our shrubs and perennials and I have thought what a difference that makes. So patience pays off more than I realized. But, when you plant with eventual size in mind, the spaces are very unappealing. So I've planted between and now, for instance, I am going to have to move daffodils out from under shrubs.
I like the idea of planting annuals for a season until you find inspiration. I love an annual garden. You may find it works so well, you will keep doing it every year. I keep one bed in full sun that has a mix of perennials and annuals, but it started out with just annuals and that was fun.
A garden is so personal. It is a process of learning about yourself as a gardener and your property. The trick I think, is to accept both as they are and with patience just enjoy the process. There isn't a season that I don't find something to really be happy about, but never a season that I'm happy about everything. But if I were, then what would I have to look forward to changing next year? :-)
None of the fernleaf Dicentras go summer dormant here in the Pacific Northwest only the old fashioned spectabilis dies back here.
We've had over three inches of rain just in June and they love it. I would imagine it was on it's way out when you bought it. It may have gotten too stressed in the nursery pot.
Mine is still blooming.
Since you didn't state how or where you're growing these, the one thing they do need is full sun. Less than that would affect blooming. We've had a ton of rain and my Alma is doing great this year.
I don't know what the deal is with Alert and Prof K, but I did yank both the past year. I was just so tired of the crappy blooms late in the season. For some reason they just didn't open properly year after year and I got tired of 'em. A very long time ago, I never had problems with these, but in recent years they just don't work for me. Maybe because our summers and falls seem to be getting hotter??
For me, a much easier and more reliable alternative has been Aster Woods Pink and Woods Blue. They never disappoint. Alma has also continued to do very well as does Purple Dome.
Kevin
Kevin, thanks for the info. Full sun is where I had them. I will look for the woods. I think i tried purple dome once with minimal luck. however it might have been when i was a newbie. i am slightly better at gardening now!
Jodi