13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Mollydog: :)

Which clematis would work best in this situation? Shade and stays relatively small

The majority of grape growers here in the Napa Valley use roundup for the in row weeds around the vines, where mechanical weeding is difficult. Anyone ready to give up wine, just in case? Al

one thing i meant to tell you..

the stuff will last.. in mixed form.. in the garage.. for at least a week ...

so when you start to lose focus.. just put it away ... and with the babe.. release the pressure ...

also ... instead of trying to go anal.. and doing it all... simply target one half... do the rest the next day ... or later ...

you know i speak of my pastures.. north.. south.. middle ... i just target one pasture for any given tank ... do the edges fast.. and hit the big stuff ... and work at speed ... and let it go for a few days.. until i start to see the dullness ... or yellowing ...

then the next day .... do a different pasture ...

in the mean time.. the tiny stuff.. grows a bit.. so next week.. when i head back to the original pasture.. its take less concentration to hit the closer stuff.. and because i got rid of the great mass.. i can work slower.. with higher concentration ...

ken

in my world.. grass is the most invasive weed in the universe ...

nothing will kill it ... in a bed.. [and no .. the lasagna system will not within a bed .. IMHO]

either remove it by hand..

or use a grass killer ...

proper edging is a great way to start ...

ken

I agree, get in there and pull that grass out, get the roots, before it really gets going. The amount of compost you would have to put on grass to ensure its' death would be a waste of compost.

If the compost not too fine to pick up with a pitchfork, that is a lot easier than a shovel. The lifting is the same but the jab to load the fork is easier than the dig to load the shovel.

You can load some on a tarp, fold it, then use it like the chute on the back of a cement mixer, raising one end and using the low end to drop little piles or rows, leaving less spreading to be done. Works best with 2 people.

I have a varigated weigela in my flower garden and I have trimmed it down the last two years. The last few years the leaves are getting all green and I am losing the varigated look. What can I do.

I've heard cutting out the green leaf branches and let the varigated ones grow. Is there some fertilizer or something I can use to bring back the variegated leaves?

I have been growing Weigela as a hedge for 5 years with just one issue: pill bugs feeding on the bark during winter. Planted in the autumn, the first plants bloomed the next spring and have been blooming ever since. Weigela will root directly from stems. Just cut off a branch and stick it deep (remove any bottom leaves, if necessary) in well-moistened soil during the growing season or at least 6 weeks before winter and the plant will bloom the next spring if the the soil moisture is maintained. For issues with blooming, make a winter feed topdressing using 1-cup each of alfalfa meal, bonemeal, and greensand and gently work a half-cup into the top soil near the plant in late autumn; water it in. Alfalfa meal can be created from the pellets (rabbit food) or, alternatively, made into a tea by putting a cup of pellets into a 5-gallon bucket to seep for about 3 days and use this water with the bonemeal and greensand. The vitamins and active ingredients in alfalfa meal (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carotene and other minerals) helps to turn on a plant's biological timer, leading to a healthier blooming plant.

A very common double clematis Multi Blue is just a sport from just as common The President. Soil chemistry(or other unknown factors ) can change colour on some Azaleas. I bought Azalea Gibraltar 3 times, with flowers on them, only because they were distinctly orange. In my garden they are all distinctly red.

Here it is on the right. When I bought it, it had the same colour as the orange eye of the yellow one.

Thanks guys. I did notice today...the third bloom is the right color...so who knows????. It wasn't fading...the first two looked different right off the bat. And no cold snaps here. Unseasonably warm winter.

Whatever the case...I'm hoping the rest will keep in line with this third bloom.

Does anyone have any experience with the "Dark Knight" variety? I'm wondering if it's hardy in zone 5. Also, do you know of a good reputable source for this plant? Thanks much for any advice/suggestions.

None of mine die to the ground. They all come back along the stems. I cut them back hard, but not to the ground.

Hi Keith, sorry to hear about your bushes and hope they make a comeback. We also had freezing temps in Minnesota 3 nights in a row. I have five butterfly bushes and just put pots over them each night. I wasn't sure how much protection a 'pot' would offer but they all looked good yesterday. Hopefully the freezes are finished! Tony

I agree with most of the posters. I have two butterfly bushes that popped up a little early this year with all the warm weather, then wilted with the cold snaps we had last week. I saw something similar happen with them last year, except the wilting was caused by a considerably higher than normal rainfall all spring. Both bushes seemed to be smaller than usual and produce fewer flowers than usual during the summer, but I think that was caused by the excessive spring rain AND excessive summer heat. The long and short of it is that you shouldn't worry too much. I'd be willing to bet that they will return healthily when the time is right. Good luck!

Gardenweed, I would love to have that list. I have been meaning to put one together but have not gotten around to doing it as yet so your list will be a big help.

Thanks!

Ken_Adrian, how do I admit to DH that he was right in saying that the the tree has to go? LOL.

==>>> just give it to him.. i am sure he loses most other arguments ... why is YOU WERE RIGHT.. the hardest 3 words for married couples.. lol ... and.. since it was his idea.. ask him to remove it.. with malice .. lol ... there is a downside to being right.. lol ...

i am not happy to see a giant maple there ... that tree is going to be the bane of your gardening happiness no matter what you do ...

roses are probably not going to work with the maple.. and the lack of full sun ...

i am happy .. to have focused you on the right way to do it ... i will leave it to those more inclined to design.. to take it from here ...

ken

ps: do you still need the private property sign on the maple????

OMG, the chipmunks wreaked havoc last year! I had no less than 3 yellow jacket nests in chipmunk holes last year, maybe more in back where I don't go, as well as 2 holes burrowing against the foundation. They can indeed enter your house and cause major damage, just as mice and other rodents can. I got stung by yellow jackets 3 times last year while mowing the lawn, kept forgetting one of the friggin' nest holes was in the middle of the front lawn!

This year the chipmunks are scarce. :)

As for voles, I just went and exchanged the 1/2 inch HW cloth for 1/4 today. It was a bit more expensive, but I already have some 1/2 inch anyway. I want to protect the special Echinacea seedlings I started last spring and have over-wintered very well (Pow wow wild berry, Bravado, and Primadonna white). Think I'll go down 6 inches with the wire.

There is still a vole hitting a plant here and there in the front garden. Discovered most of my Phlox 'David' in the decimated! Ugh! At least I have other 'David' plants, including a small clump from last year's swap, some seedlings from 2 years ago, and some sprouts from this year.

PM2 the squirrel/raccoon baffles I have on the feeder poles also keep off chipmunks. I enjoy watching squirrels or chipmunks go up a pole, up under the baffle, and a minute later, come back back down the pole. The baffle probably "baffles" them!

Oh and so far the voles have not touched the Peonies or Foxglove - of course, probably NOTHING eats Foxglove. Another totally poisonous plant. So one can always have a garden made up of daffodils and Foxglove and nothing will touch it.