13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

marquest...not even close. Here is Ruby Stella

Thank you for posting a pic. You are right it really is red.

I also got quack grass in my flower bed,my daughter clean it up alot and then she used roundup protecting my lilies after they bloom we will move the bulbs and do more spraying and hope to get rid of it., Good Luck to us both

When overlapping cardboard is utilized under mulch to keep down the weeds, how does water percolate down to the roots of the plants? WOuldn't you have to really keep the area well wetted to get the cardboard to break down enough to let water through?

My Crater Lake Blue Veronica blooms heavily, though not for a long time (like noted by the above posters). I seem to recall mine didn't bloom much the first couple years either. Now several years later this is what I get:

It is very useful in the spot I have it in, a small section wedged inbetween the rock lined pathway and an evergreen. A spot that is often stepped on by accident, lol. I could totally undersand not keeping it if space was limited and you wanted something with longer bloom time though.
CMK

Christinmk, that's beautiful! I actually have mine next to the same kind of geranium as the one in your picture (got it at the farmer's market and I don't know the name). So now at least I know that if the veronica ever blooms, it will be a good color combination. Mine also doesn't look that bushy. It's more of a trailer.

Prariemoon & wieslaw, I just read somewhere that veronicas almost never need feeding. I think I'll give it one one more year, with no more alpaca poop, and if it doesn't get better out it goes. Thanks for your input, everybody.

I really don't know what to tell you, but I appreciate your question. I am getting all kinds of ideas of what to do with my own back yard, which is quite barren except for a Chinese Pistache tree.

Thanks! I think we want to concentrate on the areas around the deck for this year and then add more next year. We definitely like the woodland/cottage feel. We already have salvia (I think) growing in two clumps approximately 20" wide each (which can be moved and divided I'd imagine) and the orange, common daylilies in the front (which I imagine can be divided). We also really like the black-eyed susans. That being said, and considering the potentilla get yellow flowers, I'd imagine we'd want other colors (no reds or pinks yet). I just don't want to block the hydrangeas and potentillas we already planted.

I have a small garden and very limited space, but I also got four more Itoh Peonies last fall - will have to get rid of some regular Peonies to squeeze Itoh. They are perfect landscaping plants.

I have Peonies blooming for more than 2 months in my garden. Tree Peonies bloom in April, herbaceous in May and early June, and Itoh fill the gap between herbaceous and TP. They also completely deer proof. Love them.

mxk3,
How old is your white one? Can't wait till mine will be that big :)

She's somewhere around 15 years old - grew her in a pot for several years, has been planted in that spot for 10 or 11 years.

I assume you are talking about Rudbeckia hirta seeds? No, it's not too late. I have winter-sown these and they are hardy seedlings and sprout fairly early. I plant them out in May and usually have blooms by mid-July or so. You will probably get blooms later in the season instead. Also, some may act like a biennial and will likely over-winter and give you a good show next year. They like good drainage, and will tolerate some drought, but since this is a bird bath garden, it's easy to give them a shot of water when you're changing the water in the bird bath.

Just a note about bird baths (I am an avid backyard birder) - if you have cats or hawks that frequent your yard, bird baths need to be out in the open, where the birds are able to keep a good eye on predators that may be soaring or crouching behind a perennial. They also need some cover nearby to dash into in case a hawk attacks - a dense shrub is good.

Yeah they are rudbeckia hirta seeds. Actually they are from last year and I dont really know how long the seeds stay good but I will give them a try. I have been hardening off the coneflower seedlings for over a week now so they should be ready to go I believe.

The birdbath is also out in the open with plenty off nearby cover. That being said, I still still see Copper's Hawks trolling my yard from time to time.

Thanks for the advice!

Tree Peonies are more shade tolerant than herbaceous Peonies. The blooming is not as prolific as on a full sun spot, but the flowers stay longer.

That being said, shade is not the main problem. Planting under trees means root competition, so lots of plants will not be able to get their full potential. Planting under black walnuts is even more restricted - black walnuts are poisonous and not many plants will tolerate this. Definitely a bad idea.

Here is an Artical about Black Walnuts.

Not necessarily a bad idea. If you are willing to water them, peonies are on the list of plants that can tolerate juglone. I don't know if peony and tree people are interchangeable in that regard. But that toxin is what one must consider when trying to grow anything near a walnut tree. There are a lot of other things to consider also, which would be factors when considering planting under any tree, such as increased shade as the tree grows larger, and whether or not you can find a place to dig where the roots don't make it impossible.

Anytime, up to mid-July sounds about right. As an aside, I used to take my cuttings when I pruned and dip them in rooting hormone, and keep under lights and mist regularly...now I literally poke into the soil somewhere in my garden with my finger, put in the cutting, firm around it and water. About 75% of the time, I have a new plant. This gets harder as it gets hotter, of course, but even then some temporary shade and watching to ensure they don't dry out for a couple of weeks and still almost always a new plant.

Glad I peeped at this thread- I only have my 3 original sedum and now I know how to make more! (By the way, I lost several- seems they are not as dry and heat hardy as their reputation claims. Thanks, Brandy

Thank you all for your responses. The day I posted the question to you guys, I had just sprayed the bed with Bayer Advanced because just about everything in it was being devoured by baby grasshoppers. After some comments on the oil, I decided to skip that, as the plants that have these things are still young and small. I had also emailed my county extension office and he recommended using malathion. He said they looked like scales to him. I bought some malathion but have not used it yet, as it is my understanding that if they are scales and past the "crawling" stage that chemical treatment will not work anyways, am I correct? I will try the experiment suggested about trying to root a cutting of the monarda. The root thing does kind of make sense to me because some of the ones lower on the plant do look longer and sort of like roots. But the ones on the top, are just bumps like in the picture.

Yes, weed killers have been used in the immediate area. My husband is fighting a long battle with lawn weeds this year. We live in a neighborhood where many people grow weeds in their front yard for the pretty flowers (so they don't have to buy any at Lowe's) and are too lazy to mow and our HOA's sole purpose is to be loved, respected, and appreciated by most. So all those weed seeds continuously blow into our yard. The bed where the monardas and lilies does not get "treated" for weeds but it is in our front lawn so it is possible they did get some of the weed killer in them. None of those plants seem to be dying, though, they are still very green. They just refuse to "grow". My volunteer petunias and basil (re-seeded from last year's) seem to be growing just fine with no bumps, as are the daylilies, salvia, and various other herbs.

Hormone weedkillers (the kind used on lawns) can cause all sorts of distortions short of death including the formation of adventitious roots. With your further information I suspect the weedkiller is the culprit and jeanne001a was right all along. Read the para under 'Symptoms' at the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Weedkiller effects

This is a year of surprises for sure. My Mums are blooming. Still getting used to gardening in the south, but I'm pretty sure it was well into June when they started last year. I don't like to be too dictatorial to my plants, more of a caring observer, just enjoying the show. Pass the popcorn!

Mums can be affected by weird weather. Last year my mums were fully budded in June. I contacted the grower and they told me to cut them back hard - don't just pinch the buds off. Did that and they bloomed when they were suppose to - in autumn. I don't like plants blooming out of season. It messes with my head.

Kevin

Just cause a friend donated it to you, do you feel you must plant it?

I'd like to hear about these extremely aggressive, even in zone 4, bamboos, please.

Years ago, I decided that it made no sense to worry about both a plant overrunning everything, and the same plant dying out. With bamboo, my experience has been the only side worth worrying about is the dying out side. Between the lawnmower and the climate, the poor thing barely stands a chance. Even after this winter, it looks like it was hit with a blowtorch.