13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I tried coreopsis 'Star Cluster' last year. It is among the "Big Bang" series, but this one is much shorter than 'Redshift' (which I also have). The 'Star Cluster' plants were tiny last year, but bloomed all summer long (zone 7b) until frost. The height was just under 2 feet and it is hardy to zone 5.
This year, the foliage tripled in width! These plants are the hardiest coreopsis that I've seen. Mine are planted in good soil in my cottage garden, but didn't flop last year.
The yellow is pale, not gold and it develops the burgundy "eye" as the weather cools. I have that first grouping planted with salvia 'Victoria Blue' and echinacea 'Pow Wow Wild Berry'.
I added another grouping with eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' to echo the eye color and that group is backed by penstemon 'Husker's Red' with more echinacea to one side that is backed by monarda 'Raspberry Wine'.
Cameron
Cameron,
That combination sounds wonderful. You seem to have a knack to know what to put together. When the right plants share the same space, everything just pops! I am interested in the Big Bang series of coreopsis for myself, and I appreciate the feedback about the one that you tried.
I can report success - my friend called me from a gardening center today and when I told her about the Gaillardia, she was able to find some and she loved the blooms. They sound like they may be the regular Blanket Flower, and are nice, big hefty blooming plants. I know she is going to like these. Thank all of you for your help.
Linda
Nice suggestions folks!
Not sure what direction I really want to go. All I know is it has to be something that offers a different texture than the mini conifers.
Eitherway the three of you offered some nice suggestions worth considering.
Any particular mounding sedum with good purple foilage?
Calamintha nepeta 'Montrose White' is another one I just thought of.
How about any dwarf grasses that offer attractive plumes and or fall color?
You're right so many choices!
Yes, I love Delosperma, but haven't tried it in years...
Well Kevin, this is the spring/summer to try again. It seems every nursery is (over)hyping this new entry 'Fire Spinner':
Here is a link that might be useful: FIRE SPINNER
why do you use the term PLUG ...
in the greenhouse world.. that means a one centimeter square plug .. in trays of 100 to 250.. or whatever..
and they are PLUGGED into cell packs ... and grown in the greenhouse for a month or two .. until they are ready for retail ...
those can NOT go in the ground..as they are probably less than a half inch tall ...
if you are talking large cell pack plants... your concern.. is planting 4 to 6 weeks before the real heat of summer hits...
if you pot them.. then they would remain potted until fall .. cool nights.. for planting in the ground ...
ergo.. the issue is.. how long do you want to fool around with pots..
this quandary is another good reason to have a small HOLDING BED [critical care unit, in a hospital] ... where small things can get the extra TLC.. but you dont have to mess with pots.. which eventually get forgotten in my world.. lol ...
plugs or cell packs???
ken
Since I am not that best at keeping pots evenly watered during the heat of summer, i typically plant out my seedlings direct in the garden. They are just in the standard 2x2 peat pots. If you are talking about true nursery plugs... i would pot them up for a bit.
The few things i do to help the transition is to minimally tear off the top portion of the peat pot so that the rim doesn't protrude from the soil. If the peat pot is exposed to the air... it can act as a wick for water.. which then can dry out the roots more quickly compared to the surrounding soil. Depending on the plant, i may or may not break up the rest of the peat pot that ends up below the surface of the soil.
I also make sure that i add on some fine soil on top to completely cover the soilless mix that the seedling was grown in... again.. i don't want the air to quickly dry out the soilless mix.
We are entertaining guests tomorrow with photos of Haiti by DS and by his friend from Madagascar. Food should be easy BBQ stuff.
The garden is still exciting with spring things popping up. I hope to be able to plant things in about 3 weeks, but we'll have to wait and see. Still plenty of weeds to be pulled and then vegetables to start. My plant sitters did an excellent job...so nothing was lost.
We have Phoebe back home and she seems sleepy after her ride home. She also ate grass and threw up! (Joy!) She loves being outdoors and watching us prepare things for tomorrow.
Our DD's brother-in-law found a tiny foal on his property. The vet hopes it will survive, but that is not yet certain. The good news is that he seems stronger each day and is starting to drink milk. Ivy has enjoyed him as part of her birthday present. She's officially 3 now. The foal is probably from a wild horse and therefore the vet says BIL can legally keep it as he has the space and the desire to do so. I'm not able to post photos right now but will try to share them tomorrow.
I'll leave you with the following link showing some photos of the Haitian school where we spent much of our 2 week stay.
Here is a link that might be useful: Buildingaschool, May5-2012
I think mxk3 has the answer to my problem only I don't think I have to worry about it reseeding because I use Preen. Maybe I can try shaking the trimmings over a pan of potting soil to see if they'll germinate. Wonder how long it will take them?
Thanks to all who replied. GW has so many wonderful, helpful people.
I did research what Sevin is affective for, and with such broad coverage it was disappointing to see more destruction.
Sorry I didn't describe the issues better---Small 'holes' are all over the Hostas, but on the Echinacea large areas of leaves are totally gone, and the Helianthus are down to just stems, much the same as the Marigolds. We've had quite a bit of rain since the Sevin dust was applied, so I'm thinking that its affectiveness has probably washed away, since we put it on 2 weeks ago.
Got new batteries in the flashlight and I'll go out sleuthing tonight. Don't know if leafhoppers and grasshoppers are active in the dark, but it's sure worth taking a look. Thanks for the suggestions!
My understanding is that is it a capsicum* product. Chipmunks and squirrels may be the only animals commonly affected by trying to eat fruit from the plants, and I expect most people here would consider that to be a good thing.
*hot pepper extract - harmless to birds and insects, spicy hot to mammals. So the question would be whether the fruit is feeding any non-nuisance mammals.
Sorry to hear about your black eyed susans. I'm not sure which species you're talking about. I usually think of BES as Rudbeckia hirta, aka Gloriosa Daisy and other names I'm sure, which is a short-lived perennial. The longest I've had them live was 3 years, but often they don't make it over the winter.
Rudbeckia fulgida is more perennial, also known as BES. But not very drought-tolerant in my garden and I've lost clumps of this due to drought. They were planted in the xeric garden and didn't seem well adapted to it. Also, I lost a couple to voles during the winter of 2010-11.
If you want a plant this year I'd go for the plant. Perennial seeds usually take until the next year to bloom unless you start them super early.
Here's a suggestion--Get the seed and grow it in a small nursery bed and plant them out next spring and grow some annual rudbeckia (gloriosa Daisy)in your flower bed Some have flowers and height similar to brown eyed susans.
Spring is the best time to transplant perennials. If they don't get their roots settled in before the ground is frozen you run the risk of them not making it. In spring when they show 3 or 4 inches of growth is the time to transplant
Hi ! I haven't had time to read all the past posts, but I did see where Eileen and Bab are asking about me. I have had the computer off for the most part yesterday and today.
Tim and the girls came yesterday afternoon and will be in the vicinity until Friday. They have gone swimming in the nearby river this afternoon.
Also, I made the range trade, and have waited for the delivery of the new one today. I kept the computer off in case the delivery man needed to call. It was delivered this afternoon, after the kids left to go swimming.
It is much more simple, as I wanted. As the deliveryman said, it doesn't have all the "bells and whistles" to go haywire. I will be content with it...regardless.
Earlier today a friend from town brought me a secondhand computer ( a Dell ), and a monitor. Tim isn't too happy with them ( naturally we thanked her profusely) , but he would much rather I get a new one, and a larger monitor, (this one is smaller than my old one). I don't know if he will be willing to install them.
She also brought us a new window air conditioner! I don't think it is big enough to do us much good...but what can you say? Her heart certainly was right!
Ennyhoo, we are fine.
I haven't heard from the relatives again, and hope to call my sister in the morning after the company goes to town to visit friends. I presume no news is good news.
TTYAL
Marian
Hi, I am in Nothern Vermont zone 4. Have zone 5 plants that do well here. Love the CI. New Dawn (Weeks roses)a climbing rose...18' to 20'. Will it grow here in zone 4? Have a very hard time with roses. Last year bought a "on its own root" bush that is doing very well. But the "grown on its own roots" are limited. any suggestions will be great.
Thanks
gigi
Delosperma cooperi.
thank both duluthinbloomz4 and wieslaw59