13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Anything balanced would be fine, either a liquid kind like Miracle Grow or a dry granular like 12-12-12. Just be sure to follow the label rates.

Personally, I wouldn't use manure on my vegetable garden. The worry about salmonella and e coli contamination etc has kept me from adding it. And it is often suggested that if you compost it you kill the potential bacteria and that is true, but you have to know what you're doing to produce a 'hot' pile of compost to kill the bacteria. Something I don't do. I use a passive compost pile and let it break down without help over a year and that is a 'cool' pile that wouldn't kill the pathogens.

So I stick to using yard waste. I have a TON of leaves in my yard and neighbors give me theirs, with that and the grass clippings and healthy yard waste, we have a pretty good size pile of compost that is great on the garden. And I sheet compost and make lasagna beds which become very fertile and full of worms pretty quickly.

I grow cover crops every year in my veggie beds after the veggies are done and then turn them in next spring and this adds fertility and organic matter. And I use liquid Seaweed / Fish Emulsion Fertilizer according to package directions. The plants really respond to that.

Sometimes strawberry plants have viruses and there's not a lot you can do. But if you buy from someone who has a good reputation then you should be good. Nourse Farms is supposed to have a good reputation for one.

I can't see why the soil would be a problem at this point after two years. It might be that the plants have been damaged or have a virus. I think I would probably call Nourse Farms and ask them to advice you. They grow a lot of fruit and someone there must have a lot of experience.

Here is a link that might be useful: Manure Safe or Not?

That's what I was wondering--whether it's better to pinch off the aster blooms as if they didn't exist or let them bloom and then hope they start over. I'll probably just have to live with whatever decision the caryopteris is making. : ) Thanks, Sandy.

Many plants seem to be blooming about 2-3 weeks early. The Miss Kim lilac, peonies and Irises are definitely early as they don't usually start blooming until the first week of June.

I gave a lot of the perennials a haircut yesterday, including all the Asters, all the Solidago, Helianthus, a lot of the Phlox, Agastache, Monarda, etc. Sometimes trim off just half the tops, thinking this will extend the bloom season by staggering the blooms. I try to trim the perennials before they are starting to make flower buds.

I usually don't do this until June but they were getting big already!

Any chance you have a groudhog?

nah, I would definitely notice a groundhog. as mentioned previously, we clipped the tips of the plants so they'd grow bushier (like we do every year). could that have exposed it to damaging agents?

Thanks gazania for further info on the Cherries Jubilee. I have not divided enough in my garden and hope to do more this fall. It is so much fun to turn one plant into four!

Alina, a new Copper King, I hope you enjoy it! Look forward to photos.

Alina, the iresine is not an annual in my zone. I grew this one from a 5" cutting, and it's very happy where it is. It has to be cut back a few times in the summer or it will take over the garden. I like colored foliage.

It depends what zone you're from. Here in Denmark zone 7/8 they are all annuals(except Zagreb). It is rare now to see anybody selling them.

Limerock Ruby would give a nice red contrast.

Limerock Dream is more of a peach/pink color. Sweet Marmalade is similar but more peachy.

Route 66 has a reddish center.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

Of course you will post pictures when you get your first blooms.

I hope so. I'm getting impatient. They need to hurry. LOL.

Here's a patch of Marshall's Delight. Notice the deadheads on the upper right are not extremely troublesome.

why o why does my monarda suffer so...i cleaned off and out the yellow dead leaves (several times, have used neem to try and at least slow the disease/fungus. it is not mildew. spots on leaves, turn yellow and dies...help

The name fits perfectly with the flower.

I think they are just adorable. I love your plant, with it's unusual petals and easy movement.

I am always surprised when seeds here yield something I didn't expect. I had an Echinacea volunteer last year that produced a flower that looks like E. Tiki Torch. It has returned nicely and has just started blooming again. Definitely a keeper.

And in another area, I had a Centaurea seedling, again a volunteer some 60 feet away from a Centaurea Alba, that bloomed a lavender purple.

You definitely have a keeper there too.

Linda

alfalfa is a growth stimulant .. i cant remember the active ingredient ... it was all the rage in the hosta world.. a decade or so back ...

and frankly.. its the mouth end.. of what come out the back of the horse.. undigested ...

it is also rabbit food .. and the one time i spread it ON TOP.. i attracted rabbits.. who got really pissed off.. after it was gone ... and started eating the garden .... many would call that a rabbit LURE ...

plus the idiot golden retriever ate a bunch.. and had gas worse than a horse that night..

incorporate the granular.. if you wish.. but dont leave it on top ...

MANY peeps use to to brew a tea.. and use that to water.. you might try the search function and relate the words to hosta.. and see what you get ... try the link

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Yes it attracts rabbits and it's high in nitrogen. Not a replacement for compost.

Yes, it's Plumbago auriculata. Carrie, when you overwinter yours do you try to keep the tops growing and green or do you let the whole thing go dormant? Do you keep it in light or dark? The plant is kind of expensive to me, so I want to learn how to overwinter mine. Last spring I bought a big plant of it, divided it in three, and then took cuttings. The cuttings were slow to root but ended up making good sized plants.
Thanks,
Linda

I'm bumping this. found 4 of these plants at Lowes on clearance for $2 each. Bought w/o researching first as its fun! Anyways do you think I can grow these fine in Evans/Augusta GA? Hotter than hell now. But my plan was to rid myself of some KO roses that are thin and not doing much. I over bought and now I'm sick of them; so the Plumbago's will be going in a nice mound and I will space them out and hopefully keep them around 4'. But they are little now. I guess if they are going to die if we have a few cold snaps I dont wanna go through the hassle. Thanks.

Mark

Here's a photo taken minutes ago of the dark orange asclepias tuberosa plant that I purchased from Ellen Horning of Seneca Hill Perennials. ~Mary

A tuberosa - dark orange or red/orange

Pretty Mary! I do like the darker colors better. Yes please let me know if you're able to collect seeds from it this summer. I would love that.
One of my seedlings from a packet of 'Gay Butterflies' that I wintersowed last year is about to bloom for the first time, but it looks like it's either going to be yellow or very light orange darnit. There are three others that are smaller. I'm hoping they'll all bloom so I can see what color they are.

Wow, gorgeous! Thanks for sharing this! My lupines (only blue/purple ones) are really doing well this spring and I have been enjoying the new (for me) combination of them with my irises this year. These photos make my small bed look a bit pathetic, lol, but at least I know I had the right idea in mind!

How did you leave there only buying a few things? You must have some pretty strong willpower!

Thanks again for posting this. It was really enjoyable!
Dee

Oh my, oh my!!! Your photos are absolutely stunning. I drool over their catalog, but your photos make me want to actually go to their gardens. Someday....