13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

Columbine does not have bulbs - perhaps you mean Liatris?

This Spring I'm waiting on 2 or 3 dozen Columbine plants planted in several different beds to bloom. They are a mix of Aquilegia caerulea, A. canadensis, Origami mix, and also a bunch of McKana Giants. These were all started from seed and most will be blooming for the first time this year! Although some of the A. canadensis is 4 or 5 years old.

I love a big show of blooms and growing them from seed is the most economical way to get it. Also I start them every Spring for the following year's blooms. I do that with Digitalis purpurea and Dianthus barbatus too.

I dig a number of them up each year. Actually, the tap root on some of them is so thick, that it can look like a parsley or something. While the majority of them grow as biennials with me, some come back for 3rd year. In the link below some varieties are marked as 'long-lived' or even 'very long-lived'. I wonder what it means in practice. I do not recall I have ever had one I would call 'very long-lived'

Here is a link that might be useful: long-lived Columbines??

I wonder if everyone is talking about the same plant? 'Perennial sweet pea' usually refers to Lathyrus latifolius and I think that may be what Sandy has. It has a taproot. Lathyrus vernus is sometimes called Spring vetchling, spring sweet pea or herbaceous sweet pea. It is bushy rather than vining.

Here is a link that might be useful: L latifolius and L vernus

Thanks everyone! Flora, thanks especially to pointing me to Paghat's pages where he distinguishes between the 2 peas - one with taproot and invasive (latifolius) and the other not. I'm clear now.

Like Roxanna and Mnwsgal I summer my amaryllis outside in its pot. I get enough rain so that they don't need watering when set in half sun. The foliage grows and the bulb gets bigger, and then like mnwsgal, before frost I bring it in and let the leaves die off, usually in my cellar. I bring it back upstairs late November or early December and start watering when it is dry, and it will rebloom. Some of mine have created offsets which I separate off and let grow in their own pots so that they will bloom in a couple of years.

I am annoyed with my 2 Amaryllis bulbs this winter, because they did not rebloom, so they have been banished outside - a few days ago I planted them right next to the house foundation along the south side (gets partial sun) with a little bulb fertilizer. We will still get some freezing temps, but they will have to sink or swim. Maybe next fall, if they survive and I'm no longer annoyed, I'll dig them up, put them in the garage, and try to rebloom them next winter. I keep trying, and failing, at getting these things to rebloom, but have never tried putting them outside during the summer before.

I am in Northern Illinois about an hour from Chicago, far enough that I don't get lake effect temperature. I was under the impression that you were near the same area.

The ground in the past week or so have been wet and soggy and not frozen at all. In fact, ducks have returned early to sit around in the nearby pond. Plants have been popping up all over the place. The Irises are already nearly full height.

Paul

I would wait a little while on columbine, only because they are susceptible to crown rot if the soil is too wet. Wait until your ground is no longer wet and soggy. Bare root columbine will store for months so long as they are dry but don't totally desiccate. They also are not the easiest to grow in pots since they do rot easily, but if you wanted to pot them up just cover the top of the crowns with about 1/2" of well-draining potting soil and then put them somewhere protected from major rains. Water lightly once and then you don't need to water them again until they are leafing out a lot.

Hope that helps.

Chris (who is going to start planting this week once the soil dries out from the recent storms)

the way they sell little mounds of mums.. so clogged. and shaped into domes.. i doubt air circulation is an issue ... but i suppose VA could be different.. some parts redefine humidity.. dont they.. lol

ken

Lantana makes me a bit nervous. Last year I dug up a nice red/orange one that I didn't think had made it through the winter. Potted it up instead of tossing it out and it only put off a single bud before it died. I knew I should've left it in the ground!

Last year I cut the lantana back to about 6 inches somewhere in the late Feb/early March range. I think I got lucky because the dead growth did look a bit... bleh. Still waiting to cut back hibiscus. Our roses lost half their leaves, except the "Dr. Huey" that kept trying to put on new growth only to have it nipped by the cold... now it has a bunch of scraggly reddish growth on it that I'm afraid might be rose rosette or damage.

Hmm. Maybe I should leave the mums alone. Better safe than sorry. I could just add them to my spray regime in case they develop something.

Thanks for the help!

I'm so glad you asked this! I'm redoing some beds and have three green and gold euonymus (not necessarily the botanical name; but they actually are dark green with a wide yellow border) and I didn't realize what I could do with them. After seeing your photo, I've decided to plant them so that they grow together forming a mat under the mailbox. Thanks for the inspiration!

I forgot to mention my pick for shade and dry soil; under my Norway maple Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima' has done very well for me. It even self-sows a little, but the plants are easy to transplant, and survive a move very nicely, particularly if you pot them up early and give them time to get established a little first.
The soft pink flowers are held aloft on wiry stems that float above a mound of bold, deeply-cut trifoliate leaves. These would contrast nicely with your ostrich ferns and euonymus.

yep, i think that's good call, flora - the snow lotus or saussurea medusa

flora, it is a picture taken by some tourists. People think it is snow lotus but they are not able to ID.

Perennials that multiply well for me have been:
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), cone flower (Echinacea), most phlox paniculata cultivars, Japanese anemone , most of the older daylily cultivars clump up nicely, beebalm (Monarda), mums, penstemon 'Husker Red', shasta daisies, cannas. Some of those seed themselves about also.
The salvia 'Victoria Blue' is sold as an annual, but will survive for years here and seeds around.
And one that really increases is Mexican Petunia (Ruellia), especially if it's planted in rich soil with plenty of moisture.
Bluestone Perennials, High Country Gardens and Plant Delights are all good sources for mail order.

I guess when I said "multiply" I should have said somewhat quickly. I know with the daylilies I have, some multiply faster than others. I just wanted to see what plants others have had good luck with. Everyone here is a wealth of information.

I also have to read up on how to divide certain plants. I have a Shasta Daisy that looks like it could be divided, but while looking at it I wasn't sure how to go about it.

The pictures above of the winter sowing are amazing.

I think I'm thinking of the wrong Christopher Lloyd....

Dee

An alliterative Clematis that always made me smile is Lady Betty Balfour. But for really unique names you must turn to the daylily world. Where else could you find a cultivar named "A Moose Fishing On A Pond On Monday", or "Snake In The Grass Boo". Both are reportedly good modern daylilies and certainly would be a conversation piece in the garden.....Maryl

Yes, they sure are tough plants! That's why I like them, they're one of the few things that survive around here. Thanks, it gives me assurance that I can just move them and cut them all at once. But for you... how about digging up and giving them away? I don't know if you are near a city, but there are plenty of empty tree boxes around my neighborhood that could use something un-killable.

Great idea! Most of the neighbors already have these from the original 'supplier' but I'll check out other areas in the City and perhaps find them a good home!

I also have Helene von Stein (aka Big Ears) - it *never* mildews but it does look yucky over winter; easily remedied with a good spring trim-back, same as most perennials. Like the poster above, I also appreciate that it doesn't flower - because man are lamb's ears flowers U-G-L-Y!!

I see the OP is in WA - perhaps not the best climate for S. byzantina, they like it hot and dry, although, of course, I know nothing of your particular microclimate...

I've never had a problem with it not overwintering well (even though our late winters and spring can be quite wet). Then it always drys out quite a bit here come summer...

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with lamb's ears. I don't have anything against the way they look (even kinda' like the flowers), just that they require a little too much attention to keep them looking good. Although I do appreciate the CHVS recommendation, in case I should ever want to give them a second chance I will try out that cultivar.

I have actually found a replacement for lamb's ears that I LOVE. Salvia argentea. The leaves are silver and whooly, but much bigger. The flowers are only white with a tinge of purple, but I like the overal tumble-weed like look of it in flower.
CMK

It's a mail order business too. Most people won't walk into the place. I have never visited High Country Gardens either but they have a nice catalog and prices that are much better. You can get a new, named cultivar plant for less there than White Flower Farm's sale price for common seed varieties.

I think the proper term is car analogy.