13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

It is hard to disagree that potted plants are much better than bare root.

Ironically, some of my best plants were pitiful bare root babies when I bought them. Some examples:

1. Clematis Marmori. I bought it at Walmart in about 2003 when I had no clue about growing Clematis. It was a 2" bunch of roots with a single white potato-like eye. I potted it. It was barely growing for 3 years and became a NOID for me. Two years ago, when I already had more than 60 Clematis in my garden, I started looking for Marmori online. I did not have any luck. Last year, a NOID Clematis planted next to the fence at the most non-prominent spot started blooming. I realized it is a Marmori bought almost 8 years ago! This year, it blooms its head off with lovely and very distinctive flowers. A winner! Will move it the well deserved front row this fall :)

2. Tree Peonies bought from Van Bourgondien. 1 year old grafted sticks, 50% were dead upon arrival (returned to the seller after some fight). The price was about $8 per stick. Here are those that survived:

3. Clematis 'Viennetta'. Bought from Park's online sale at 50% off. They are not hardy in my zone. I killed 2 Viennettas and 1 Florida sieboldii at the time I bought this bare root one, so I did not hope for anything. I did not pot it up, I planted it directly in the garden - close to the house wall. Can you imagine how thrilled I was when it showed up the next spring after planting???

These are my little miracles. If you see a rare plant for a really low price, give it a try. Even if it is a bare root.

I bought a bag of bare root peonies from Walmart several years ago - could see through the plastic they had the "hey, I'm alive" pink buds. Though characteristicly and expectedly mislabeled, they're actually quite nice - all bloomed the first season, and every season since.

We each have our own way of acquiring plants. Not every good plant is an expensive mail order plant. And yes, I know that is the only way to get certain things when the unusual, the rare, or the exotic, etc. aren't readily found even at the best nurseries available to you.

Yeah, what Ken says. I have a border full of English Ivy and Myrtle and perennials like peony, hardy geranium, columbine and even blood root continue to come up every year and do their thing. BUT - I do clip (most of the time rip) a neat little circle around them in early Spring when I see new growth down in the jungle. If you don't or can't be vigilant then you may not want to bother trying to plant them.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I may just clear out one of the beds entirely so the perennials won't have to struggle.

B. macrophylla has self-seeded around my front beds to the point that I now have about a dozen plants in addition to the one I started with ten years ago. Not exactly thuggish behavior, considering also that it's my longest-flowering perennial in a great shade of blue and requires little care or attention.

I'd better go check on my hellebores - those thugs might have self-seeded again. ;)

Yes, they self-sow and by the hundreds. I have had to do a massive clean up to keep them out of the forest. Most of the edges of the forest are lined with them.

Never got around to taking the rosa glauca out. I like the idea of Dutchess of Albany, esp since it appears the clem bit the dust.

Thanks.
mt

Finally, r.glauca has matured into a lovely specimen. Unfortunately, the winter moth larvae mature just as it leafs and they chew up the leaves badly.

Apparently, I did not hit the clem/rose balance. The clem's been climbing but has never bloomed. Careless gardener that I am, I don't remember which one I planted. If I could get just one bloom, I'd know!

Experimenting with a bit more fertilization of the plants, hoping to encourage the clem to bloom.

In the mean while, has anyone else experimented with success?

Marie

Kato - the compost folks would toss the stick from your ice cream bar into the compost pile, and the wrapper.
So - no guilt for eating one eh?
Jan

Tried the turning, watering, monitoring temp routine. No time for that and no energy! I just throw it in the bins and when I think it's done, it's done. Plain and simple. I don't screen, water, turn, or monitor. It's all good. It's all organic.

Of course! Why didn't I think of that?!

Dee

So hope it's not the dreaded groundhog! Best to you, cj

I have a lot of astilbes because I have a lot of shade. I have tried many times to grow them in a site with afternoon sun with no luck at all. The soil is deep and rich and moist. But they hate that afternoon sun no matter how moist the soil. And forget full sun, again with moist soil.

cheleinri wrote:

I think some things just need to be tried as every zone, climate, & even microclimate is different. I'm always amazed at how well some "sun" plants do in my dappled shade too.

I so agree.

I have very successful plants designated as requiring "full sun" that probably only see 4 hours of the stuff.

It can be such fun to experiment with a plant i.e. putting it in a location that might be less than what the tag states i.e. light aspect and or hardinesss zone.

urk, the continual rain over the last three months has been severely limiting on garden work time, while naturally, the weeds and general garden growth has roared into overdrive, flopping hideously, twice normal size (water is much more of a limiting factor in dry East Anglia). Basically, it means staying out until my vest is breached and my boots are leaking Good for planting salad leaves and spinach but hopeless for tomatoes. At least, the work at this time of year is fairly mimsy, pulling and snipping, pruning and sowing - no digging, heaving, dividing or trenching. Enragingly, I still have to do watering in the dozens of pots. Even so, I still have a garden. Many areas of the UK have been suffering catastrophic flooding - a dreadful conflation of underinvestment in privatised water companies, creeping urbanisation and concrete laying (run-off is a nightmare now), rampant developement on flood plains and a truculent Jetstream - in many more areas of the UK, annual flooding is a dreary reality.

I do some gardening almost every day - sometimes it will only be a few visits and pulling a few weeds or snapping a few photos. Sometimes I will garden for a total of 4-8 hours in a day.

I have a good sized parcel (1.25 acres), have created large gardens, and add or expand beds every year. However, I've got to stop and "finish" what's here because I plan to be moving within the next 2 years.

I spend almost all my free time gardening or doing something related to gardening - bird watching, butterfly rearing, winter-sowing, nature-walking, surfing gardening or plant-related websites, editing photos, etc. There is hardly anything in the world I'd rather be doing. In fact, I am really starting to resent the tedious responsibilities of life that get in the way! Haha

Even though Barberry is pretty, it is invasive in natural areas (to the point that barberry has been banned in some states) so I would avoid planting it. Actually I pulled the ones that the former homeowner had planted at my house when I moved here for that reason.

If you want a colorful shrub, consider Fothergilla or Sweetspire 'Little Henry' - both will produce beautiful color during Fall! They also produce fragrant flowers. Additionally, they are native to America so they are already suited to grow here.

Balloon Flower is a great perennial. It's very easy to grow, long-lived, and it flowers for a long time.

I would suggest baptisia as another very pretty long-lived plant.

I am a big fan of Echinaceas. Just do research on the specific variety before you buy (look on this forum for threads about echinacea) because some of the new fancy varieties are duds. Others are great though. I have had Echinacea 'Magnus' for years and it does well. I just planted 'Pow wow Wildberry', 'Hot Summer' and 'Hot Papaya' this year.
Coreopsis 'Zagreb' is a good grower and would be easy too.
I am also trying out Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' and 'Red Shift' this year.

oh.....well too late on the Barberry.....I planted 3 tonight as suggested by one poster.....I also put Buzz Butterfly Bush in the far right/left corners....it says they get about 4ft tall, which would be just tall enough to slightly peak over the porch....they smelled great too! My only problem now is that the Barberry is really close to the Gallardia and Salvia now....I may have to dig them up and move them closer to the front of the bed for better spacing. I ran out of time tonight to do any more.

this is defly the short platycodon;likely Sent'l Blue. nice and bushy.

If you choose not to deadhead it, and you'd like more plants, it will reseed itself. Watch in the spring for babies at its feet. They can be lifted when small and transplanted to wherever you'd like more of them.

lida -- i think i would not use Over the Top in your situation. see link: http://www.epinions.com/review/Ferti_lome_Over_The_Top_Weed_Grass_Killer_10454_epi/content_436224364164?sb=1

A lot can happen in a year, especially with rhizomatous grass. Apparently there has been a border failure, load of seeds found its' way in, something. Knowing what it was would be paramount to preventing it from happening again or your eradication efforts may be in vain by next year.

Could be Jackmanii.

Deanna

This is not Jackmanii - the form of the petals is different.

Mindy, I have 60+ Clematis and I am in MD, zone 6/7 :)

Our lot is small, so Clematis are everywhere, LOL. I have about 20 of them planted around a small 10' gazebo, next to many shrubs, along the fence, etc.

I do not fertilize my Clematis every month. In spring, I throw some Tomato-tone or Rose-tone and add compost and/or mulch. After first flush of blooming is over, I cut them back and add more fertilizer - I learned this trick on Clematis forum long time ago. This gives a second and sometimes a third flushes during growing season. More sparse than the first one, but still a bonus...

As for that chart, no, I do not agree with many ratings. Most of my type 3 Clematis are terrific performers, so 'fair' rating for them sounds unfair :)

Still think that Romantika is a better guess than Viola. Viola is still rare and seems to have wider petals.

Mindy, did you find companions for this Clemmie? My 'Negritjanka' is planted with 'Huldine'. They bloom at the same time and the contrast is really beautiful. Just an idea :)