13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Since I love the way the bush looks I am considering looking around at local nursery's for a 3-5 gallon plant to use for the front yard so that it fills in quicker and use my small plant in the backyard since I will be the only one witnessing its growth back there (and enjoy that). I appreciate everyone's input!

They are super-easy to grow from seed via winter sowing. I grew lots of them in 2010 and planted at least one in every bed in my garden. They all grew to full size and bloomed the second year.

According to their Facebook page, still open and very active.

This is not a big operation and given the shortness of the PNW growing season, April and May tend to be jam packed with activity. I'd guess they are moving so fast and furious they don't even have time to think. I can barely keep up with the phone here at an area retail nursery/garden center....I'd hate to think what would happen if I were drawing from a nationwide customer base!! Mail order is a hugely labor intensive selling operation.

I understand the issue of being swamped and of course some patience is in order, but if a business did not answer the phone or return voice messages in a reasonable amount of time nor respond to multiple e-mails, I would not do business with that establishment.

I have boxwood and love them. They like more acidic soil. I use Miracid twice a summer on them. Otherwise, I'm not an evergreen person. My favorite shrubs are Smoke Bush, Bridal Wreath Spirea and Dogwood (which has variegated leaves). Never tried a Rhodie. Azalea failed to thrive so it got pitched. Sounds like you've got good sun. Have you considered a rose or two?

Oh that Smoke Bush is cool! I had completely forgotten about holly. I'm off to research. I remember hearing about the male/female thing.

My 'Luxuriant' does not go dormant. None do for me except spectabilis. The bigger old fashioned Bleeding Heart.

A friend gave me a seedling from her plants and I bought the Luxuriant but I think it was that one that didn't survive. What survived is the one that my friend gave me but I don't think it is in great soil and there are a lot of fiberous roots from shrubs and trees there. I probably could put it on the side where they hydrangeas are located and it would be great for it. It may be about 4 in. if that tall and it's a few years old.

I had a very mature monarda that did not return from winter. We had a mild winter, a bit on the dry side. I'm very surprised, & of course it was my favorite deep red monarda.

We had a mild dry winter here. Local weather reports that we had an 8 inch precipitation deficit before yesterday's rain. Although it was mild, because of no snow cover, I wasn't sure how everything would fare.

Agastache 'Golden Jubilee',and rupestris, that were started from seed last year and 'Purple Pygmy' that was in it's second year did not come back. But Agastache 'Honey Bee Blue' that I've had for years, came back strong and I even have growth on 'Ava' which is a western hybrid from High Country. Anthemis 'Moonlight' in it's second year did not show up. Some of our Asparagus plants did not come up. 'Ghost' fern, is now showing up, but is a fraction of the size it usually is. Some of the daffodils were sparse this year and I lost Galanthus nivalis. Some Dicentra are half the size they were last year. Lunaria bloomed at one foot instead of 3 feet. I lost Euphorbia 'Blackbird'. One woodland phlox that was just planted last year didn't show up. Most of our hens and chicks are nowhere to be seen. Lilac 'Avalanche' has blooms half their usual size and very little fragrance. I lost most of our Verbascum. Weigela 'Midnight Wine' very small purchases from Bluestone last year, surprised me and started leafing out, after looking quite dead until last weekend. The only thing I'm not sure of at this point, is hardy Hibiscus, which it's too early to see growth from.

All and all, I feel fortunate that so many plants tolerated all the crazy weather we've been having.

yes they do but at the home depot some few said perennial

Home Depot isn't necessarily a good source of information about plants, either the tags or the staff IME. If you plan to buy there, be sure to take a resource (a smart phone will let you look up plants online) or write a list of what's available, and go home to research before you return to buy.

The photo is a bit out of focus. Can you take close-ups (does your camera have a macro setting or lens?) My questions would be:
Is the stem hairy?
Do the stems or leaves have little sharp spines?
Is the stem square in cross-section?
Are the leaf stems sort of transparent and "juicy" looking?

Do the leaves have a scent when crushed? Almost looks like Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum).

tj

my children.. liked to pick the dandy-lions.. and then walk to my favorite plants.. and while enjoying my faves .. blow the seeds into it..

idiots

ken

It has always been one of my complaints, and yes I know I have many, that weeds often choose to grow right at the base of my favorite plants. I don't know how many times I have taken out a plant trying to get rid of a weed.

You have some contrary children, Ken :) Gave me a good laugh - til I noticed you used past tense. I assume they are still around, just older now? Gulp!

:)

Agreed, BB's should be left alone until you see new growth in the spring.

Yours looks fantastic! Great job! Those pieces on the ground each want to grow a new bush for you... (enable, enable...)

Mine were green all winter and one of them has buds that should open in the next few days. It's wild how early everything is happening in most places. I swear when I lived in OH (5b), it was the norm for BB's to just start showing leaves about this time, mid-April. Am I remembering correctly?

Since BB's produce buds on old and new growth, and they do it rapidly all summer, there shouldn't be any fear about removing buds or delaying flowering, especially in this, the year without a winter. Even mid-summer when I'm deadheading, I'm very generous with the cuts when I see weaker, smaller buds in front of a much more robust node, and usually remove that inferior set. Once the branches get too long, they seem to lose their oomph. Still end up with a bush that's taller than me.

I cut mine and transplanted a few days ago - cut it WAY back, and mine is not as mature as yours.

So far so good, and I expect it to bloom this year (but high expectations), we'll see!

Yellow Gaillardia from seeds cannot be beat. If you want yellow they are the way to go. I'm.

Although I only bought it last year, I like G. Mesa Yellow very much. So far it hasn't sent up any new growth this year which I'm hoping doesn't mean it got pounded to death in the October snow storm. I harvested seeds from it and winter sowed them so at least I can replace it if it turns out to be a goner.

what.. no peanut forum.. lol

ken

Also the Beans, Peas & Other Legumes forum, there's a few threads on peanuts there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beans, Peas & Other Legume forum

Divided mine and moved them about 3 weeks ago.

you can probably dig it up now.. and leave it on the driveway.. until the new spot is ready ...

it might not be pretty.. but you are going to be hard pressed to kill it.. so dont worry about it ...

when it come time to move it.. do it on a rainy day.. or a cloudy day.. for reduced stress ...

ken

nhbabs had some good suggestions. I searched high and low for an old thread of mine, which I can't find, which asked pretty much the same question you do. Large area, part shade, has standing water for long periods (especially in wet years) but not consistently standing water, although for the most part consistently moist. I think my area may get a touch more sun than you describe.

This is what I have planted in the area:

Ilex verticillata (with a pollinator)
clethra
itea
caltha palustris
chelone
bog rosemary
lobelia cardinalis
lobelia syphilitica
siberian, louisiana, and japanese iris
swamp azalea
hibiscus
ligularia
cephalanthus
cimicifuga
viburnum
cornus alba

Already in the bed before expansion were hostas, peonies, astilbes, bleeding hearts, and some kind of bluebells (these surprised me - I believe they are Spanish, which are bulbs, which I didn't think would survive the wetness).

There are also ferns, which I think were not planted but grow there naturally, as well as native asters, which do very well there.

Unfortunately the skunk cabbage, that nasty wild raspberry (I think that's what it is) and even poison ivy do well here too!

Some of these plants are experimental - the garden was expanded about two or three years ago and we tried a few things not knowing if it would be too wet or too shady. The ilex (for sun reasons) and the dogwood (for moisture reasons) are the two biggest "ifs" and so far so good, although the holly is not up to what I had hoped so far. We'll see.

Everything else is really doing quite well - itea, irises, ligularia, caltha and lobelia especially. And from the original planting the peonies and astilbes are doing very well.

Oh, and how could I forget? The two biggest things - two willows, salix hakuro nishiki. They LOVE it here. As a matter of fact I was looking at them last week and I'm beginning to nervously think about that (for me) four-letter word "prune". I kept seeing things like "don't overwater" in care instructions, but they are in the deepest part of the standing water and are thriving.

Hope this helps! This can be a really fun area to garden in if you work with it! (Well, maybe not fun to actually work in - have gotten shoes sucked right off my feet and stuck in the mud, lol) but the results can be beautiful!

Dee

at the old house.. i had a large area.. low spot.. that was underwater for a week or two.. on snow melt.. but the soil frozen ...

and also.. after heavy rain.. could be under water.. for a few days ...

and that is what i call TEMPORARY water ...

dormant plants didnt care in spring .. nothing failed for such ... and nothing i planted was specific to seasonal damp ... and in fact.. most stuff did supremely

i am not sure you need 'special' plants for the area ...

and i am not sure there is enough water.. for those that REQUIRE [rather than tolerate] a lot of water ...

so your presumption of a lot of water.. may have been the failure of the plant .. or not.. who knows...

as you are learning.. you plant.. you experiment.. and what works works.. regardless of our theories...

ken

my understanding.. right or wrong.. is that an F1 .. is a specific cross.. between a specific mom ... and a specific dad .. to get a specific result ... all is controlled to get the specific end plant ...

once you throw open pollination onto an F1 ... there is no specificity ..

so the result.. is variable ... who knows what you will get ...

but of course.. that should not stop you from trying.. there is always the chance.. you will get something better.. but most likely you will get some mom.. some dad.. and some weirdo children.. lol ... and maybe even what you started with ...

thats my basic genetics lesson for the day.. hope i am close to reality .. lol

ken

Hi Ken, in this case, my Camelot Lavender seeds would have resulted from cross pollinated with each other. The Lavender plants were the only ones that were blooming at the time the flowers were open and they were in a separate part of the yard. (There was a Camelot White that started to bloom part way through).

I winter-sowed a container of these seeds already and have gotten lots of nice germination. I expect these plants to be lavender, but not really sure. Find out when they flower!