13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
The few snowdrops I have are in bloom with a honey bee in each flower. I don't know what's to become of them once the snowdrops go by as there's nothing else anywhere near bloom. Maybe some of my very few neighbors have crocus but that's just about it - no wildflowers and dafodils are just begining to poke up. Maybe they just go back to their hives and "hunker up" until there are more flowers.
Pulmonaria, violets, daffodils, hardy primrose, and forsythia are all in bloom. Virginia bluebells are growing, Hellebore are in bud, "Berry Exciting" Corydalis is actively growing, Kniphofia is shooting its weird head up in preparation for blooming. Crocus and winter aconite are past. Lots of other things are getting ready to put on growth.
Those pics look great!
Nice colony you have got there, Terrene. I see that you have trees behind, but the roots are probably not near. I will probably site 2 under my ash trees, and hope supplemental water will compensate for the trees sucking so much away. I will put the third one in a nook next to my house, where 2 walls meet, where there are no roots.
Cone of soil, that's a good idea, gardenweed. I could see that, with these roots. They are chunky like daylilies but long.
I have tried these before but they were always very small plants.
linnea56 - glad you got the "cone" idea. I buy a lot of bare-root perennials every year, mostly from Costco since they guarantee money back if the plants don't grow. I've had to return a few that were "dead" rather than "dormant." One of my perennial How To books illustrates the technique of digging the planting hole and building up a cone of soil in the middle, then spreading the roots around the cone like a bridal gown or petticoat over it. Fill in with soil around the roots & cone, firm gently and you're done. Oh, and water for a week or so especially if you don't get any regular rain. Once they're established you shouldn't have to do anything for (or to) them.
I have seen it on the web and in a nursery, but I can't recognize your description. Some pictures are VERY FAKE. It's eyes are not more visible than any in this colour range. One I know that has light purple eyes (for a short period , as it's changing with time) is Eden's Smile.
Link: http://www.helenium-phlox.de/phlox/edens-smile
There is a cultivar with very distinctive eyes, but in pink. It's called Bright Eyes.
Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Ice
It's funny, the one called "Blue Ice" from the link looks like one I already have that was growing in my garden naturally. That is, I think it was a cross that developed from different varieties of phlox I had planted in a new bed. It definitely wasn't from the previous owner, since they only had one stand of traditional lavender/pink tall garden phlox and that was at the opposite side of yard, about 100' away. I absolutely love the distinctive cross-bred phlox that I discovered in my garden. It's very pretty. I moved it last year to a more sunnier spot so that it could grow bigger. I will divide it in a couple years to have more of these gems.
I have a collection of Phlox that look very similar to "Bright Eyes," some brighter than others, some I often mistake for "David's Lavender." These bright pink-eyed Phlox too just occurred from natural cross-breeding. I didn't do a thing. In fact, 2 Springtime's ago, I recall that I noticed many new baby Phlox growing all over my big perennial bed out in frontyard. Of course, I let them grow to see what colors they would be and I was pleasantly surprised.
Well, thank you so much for your help. I'm satisfied now that I have a good variety of phlox in colors that are very pleasing. Of course, the fragrance is wonderful as always. I am through with my desperate search for "Blue Ice" Phlox!
By the way, I have a picture (yes, probably fake) of the Blue Ice Phlox that I saved from the nursery website, if you'd like to see it. Just let me know.
I will make sure that when I dig up the gob of mums that I also take a GOB OF SOIL with them. I will then take the GOB OF SOIL from the place I am going to transplant the gob of mums and put it where the original GOB OF SOIL came from. This way I won't be missing any GOBs OF SOIL in my flower bed. GOBless spots in my flower may create erosion, and I certainly don't want that.
Wow, ken, that was hard to say and write. I'm all GOBed out.
there is a pretty active western mi hosta club out that way ...
they usually sponsor some type of garden walk in summer.. and if for nothing else.. the fee to join [if any] .. is worth the gardens you can walk thru ... great peeps too ....
ken
Here is a link that might be useful: link
I guess I'll go ahead and plant them in their own spot this spring so I won't lose it in the other plants. My annual bed is probably too small for them, anyway. My eyes were bigger than my shovel when I was buying my seeds this year;). Thanks for answering, everybody.
The plant in the photo germinated in the spring. I've started them from seed in mid summer and spring. They like warm soil. My limited experience with starting this plant from seed is that the first year the top growth is VERY small and weak looking. After watching the same plant come back and perform beautifully the second year, my guess is that the first year it concentrates on root development. Good luck with your planting. Once this plant is established, it seems to be quite hardy and drought tolerant. ... Mary
Here it is in it's second growing season. This plant bloomed and bloomed over a long period of time and many types of butterflies nectared on the blooms. You can judge the size of the plant by comparing the plant markers next to it. They are made from cut pieces of plastic mini-blinds.
It was new for me last year and I think I recall it being mostly green in the summer with some light green marbling with darker purplish-green veins. So far this spring it has more purple in the leaves, but hasn't really started growing yet.
Karen
The pink ones look like Pentas or something else to me. Verbena petals are usually less pointy and more overlapping. Verbena foliage is much more serrated at the edges than what little I can see of the foliage in this pic.
The bulbs behind look like Agapanthus.
there is an iris forum.. should you wish to visit such ... nice pix over there .. in season ...
and yes.. you have to start with an ID of what kinds of eye-rye
this happens in hosta ... we call it fairy ring..
and the other option.. is to take a hand trowel.. dig out the rotting center.. down a few inches.. and simply refill with some fresh soil ...
but i will defer to real iris peeps ...
as a general rule... since you are on the newbie learning curve.. is to ALWAYS safest to dig/cut up a plant.. AFTER THEY FLOWER ... if you can ... and that would go for annuals.. perennials .. flowering shrubs ....
it is usually best to do it in dormancy.. but once actively growing.. wait until after flower ... which in some cases.. may even mean.. waiting until fall ...
ken
I agree with ken. The later in the year you buy packaged plants, the more of the plants energy will have been used to grow foliage and the less is available to get the roots established. Do as he says and pot them up and keep in the shade as it will take several weeks for the roots to be able to supply nutrients to feed the foliage already grown. Don't be tempted to "pour the fertilizer to it" as this will only make it worse until established. Al
Thanks for the info guys. Ken, thanks for the video too. I love Dionne Warwick. Never saw that one before either.