13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

I believe that terra nova article (and others) are for plants that are not to far out of the plug stage. So you should be fine to let yours bloom.

The only exception to that is if the plants you purchased have only a single growth point coming out of the soil. Regardless of how bushy, healthy, and floriferous that single stem is... I would advise, besides to always check the plant before you buy one of the new echs, is to cut all the blooms in order to try and force the plant to add more basal growth points before the end of the season. The single stem plants will never make it through winter. Certain varieties seem more apt to have this issue.

I do disbud many perennials and all clematis before planting them but I often will keep them in their pots and enjoy the flowers before cutting them back.

Kevin, here is the 'opposite' coloured Astilbe ;). I snapped this pic on the weekend. As I recall this is "Ellie" and it was planted late last season so these blooms are its first for me:

Oh my! That is lovely.

I think you're right about both of these. I really do seem to prefer the airy looking ones. I have the purple Visions and even though I do like it, the flowers are very densely packed together - a completely different look and feel.

K

While I am a fan of the Perscaria polymorpha, for a shady spot I would heartily recommend Kirengoshoma palmata. This is a terrific and underused plant, excellent yellow flowers in the late summer and fall, and though it looks more like a shrub once established, it dies to the ground every year, so you can cut it back without any problems.

Kirengeshoma is indeed another nice plant - but I find it does best in moister soil, and it spreads a lot for me.

BTW another way to control the size of a Persicaria clump as it gets older in addition to digging out the excess is to simply edit/thin out a number of the stems before they reach full size.

I rarely sit in the garden, which is a shame. I find there is always just too much work waiting to be done and once I am out there, I always see something to do. Which I enjoy doing. When the weather gets hot though I do less work, but then it is too hot to sit out there during the day and mosquitoes at night. I am going to make the effort to sit out there more often this year though and see how that goes.

This is such a funny thread - and it really strikes a chord. My boyfriend and I hardly ever sit out in the garden; we're always too busy working in it. (Still, at least our upstairs neighbours get to enjoy it!)

I like the suggestion of having easily portable chairs that can be carried around the garden and plonked down depending on what looks good/what time of day it is, to take advantage of, say, the beauty of backlit leaves and flowers. I'm going to try to keep handy a couple of those folding camping chairs with drinks holders, so my partner and I can potter out at the end of the day to find a good view and enjoy a tasty bottle of beer (or two).

Forgot to say: I often shear mine after it's done blooming, since the foliage starts to look ratty, and that stops it from seeding itself. The new foliage grows back into a mound.

Jayco: that's a good tip, and the kind of thing that I often forget to do!

It could very well be that pink veronicas just aren't as sturdy. Ah well.

It might need to be divided. I find that my veronicas go downhill every three or four years - fewer flowers, smaller plants - and dividing them does the trick. Best time to divide for me is fall or early spring.

you get your straw.. near halloween.. when it is stocked for fall garden displays .. you know.. the bale.. the pumkins.. the cornucopia ... and when the cold weather hits.. use the display .. to cover the garden ... in fact.. i have been known to garbage pick some bales. in early nov ... free for the taking at the curb ...

when they harvest the crop.. the big john deere cuts off the top .. with the seed.. and makes money ...

the 'second cutting' ... is the straw ... which in theory.. has no seed ... it is nearly literally .. a hollow stalk .. aka straw ... adn man.. these things will cut you.. long sleeves and jeans and leather gloves .... when tossing it around

the third product.. is an animal food.. forage ??? ... which these days are usually those huge rolls ... which includes the whole plant.. like the cow or horse.. might eat out in the pasture ... usually with a high percent of alfalfa.. though for the small time operator.. still sold in convenient bales ...

the cheapest of them all is straw.. aka bedding stuff.. it has little inherent value.. as to its food value..

wow.. i know way to much about this.. for a city boy.. lol ..

BTW.. this is one of those trick questions.. where you can really delineate the knowledge base of you nurseryman or garden friends.. if the guy selling it .... doesnt have a clue what you are talking about.. that should tell you something ... like.. questioning EVERYTHING else.. he spreads around as manure.. lol ..

i always ... thought denn was IN MI... so i always thought he was a guy .. but then he said something girlie.. in some post.. and then i got really confused.. lol .. try to man up dude.. lol .. and no.. i dont remember the specifics ... lol

ken

Getting straw from Halloween displays is a great idea, Ken. I'll keep my eyes open in October to see who's doing the whole fall celebration theme.

I am asking the same question. I live in MA and my evening primrose has been beautiful for the past several weeks. However they are beginning to look a little spent. Should I try to trim them up now for continual bloom throughout the summer (it is barely June). they are supposed to bloom throughout the summer but mine are already looking a little rangey (sp). BTW it won't be oool again until October!

I am asking the same question. I live in MA and my evening primrose has been beautiful for the past several weeks. However they are beginning to look a little spent. Should I try to trim them up now for continual bloom throughout the summer (it is barely June). they are supposed to bloom throughout the summer but mine are already looking a little rangey (sp). BTW it won't be oool again until October!

Not sure this is the right place for my question but since columbine seem to be the topic here I thought I might give it a try. I, unlike Jayco, do not want my columbine to re-seed. It has taken over the place. It is blooming right now and today I pulled up a couple wheel barrels full of columbine. My question is, looking at all that I thought it would make for a great mulch in some other areas of the place but I don't know if since it is already blooming if it will just go to seed any way and end up spreading even more. Like a dandelion bloom if you pick the flower and drop it, it will make seed even after being picked. Chances are the columbine have been pollinated. I appreciate any help.

Mashell

I am not an expert, but it was my understanding that until the plant produces seed, it wouldn't be able to reseed. In my general experience, I am cautious when using plant material for mulching, that it doesn't have an opportunity to root again in a new location. So I will sometimes leave it in the sun to die before I apply it as mulch. Otherwise, if there are seed pods already formed on the spent flower stems, I would remove those before mulching too. But sounds like good organic matter to improve your soil and it's free too.

Well, mine has flopped terribly. I hate to have to cut it back because it is in full bloom, but it is laying over the top of other plants and I don't want it to kill them. If I give it a good pruning will it grow back and flower again yet this year? I think the soil is too rich in this bed. I have a lot of other plants that have grown fierce in this bed and are flopping all over. I've cut them all back, my ratibida is next on the hair cut list.

Karen

I also have ratibida in zone 7 (Virginia). Each 'hat' contains more seeds than you can imagine. When mine get larger, they flop. It may depend on the soil - mine seems to be pretty plant-friendly. Regardless, I love the plant, and just control how many there are and how big they get. If they flop in an area where I don't like it, I cut them back. They are great natives. Keep in mind that some of the people who responded are in zones 3 or 4.

WHOOPS! I meant next year...

i am sorry.. i dont see the poppy.. and i think its probably dead ...

and the pot looks very dry ... inserting finger.. is it really as dry as it looks???

you could play amateur archeologist.. and do some very delicate excavating with a brush .. do you see anything viable just under the soil.. or is it shriveled as far as you can find??? even a dormant plant.. will have stout water filled roots .. and NOT be all shriveled like grandma in the hot tub for an hour.. lol .. there is a mental pic that will haunt me tonight ...

ken

They were pretty small when they came in and their root balls look decent (I seperated some of the roots out before I planted.)

I will ease on the watering and watch and observe. Thank you for the advice!

I will ease on the watering and watch and observe.

===>>> does that include inserting your finger.. or just eyeballing it???

ken