13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I have found that, for me, yarrow does not like rich soil or extra fertilizer. It rather thrives on benign neglect and loves hot, sunny weather, but may wilt if it gets too dry.
Since it is rather vigorous under these conditions, I have divided mine to keep it in bounds, move it out of the shade, move it closer to some other plant for the color combo, give some away, etc. Sounds like you need to divide it.
prairiegirlz5 wrote:
I have found that, for me, yarrow does not like rich soil or extra fertilizer.
I think I agree.
This past spring I planted what as I recall was Strawberry Seduction in an area with lots of clay and little natural moisture. It was an outstanding performer all summer and fall and early winter.
In almost all cases, it requires eating a good bit of a plant to get poisoned (except mushrooms as people have mentioned). Azaleas are considered poisonous; their leaves contain alkaloid. But almost every poisonous plants also tastes terrible. Kids and fawns take one bite and spit the leaves/flowers right out.
If azaleas were going to kill children; there would be no next generation in the DC metro area where there is a hedge of azaleas in every other yard.
There is a short list of plants that are REALLY toxic, like plumerias and castor beans. I wouldn't plant these in my hard if I had small children.
But the majority of plants considered poisonous might cause a mild allergic reaction or maybe a stomach ache, but aren't deadly, and even more often is that they'd have to eat a salad-sized amount of the plant to have any adverse reaction at all. You have to look up what is poisonous about the plant and why. For example, a lot of tree leaves are mildly toxic, but you don't see kids gorging themselves on leaves and you never see any experts recommending you cut down everything in your yard because your kids might eat them.
If children were really prone to be poisoned by plants I think we'd hear about it more often. Instead, the most common plant poisonings we find out about are teenagers intentionally eating copious amounts of something rumored to be hallucinogenic and ending up hospitalized.
There is a very old book called A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening by A. J. Downing. He was something of a neighbor of mine, so grew up with the old Dutch influences. Apparently 'a plethora of minutiae' was a recognized design style even then. There are drawings of 'designs' consisting of a multitude of small, intricately shaped beds. That is what this is reminding me of. The beds are really too small for anything but regular, Victorian bedding plants. Back then, these were status symbols because they meant the garden owner had access to a greenhouse. Now, they can still mean the garden owner has access to a greenhouse, but means a lot less now.
My first thoughts when shown the picture were the same as Flora's. The corner beds should be made deeper to accommodate a larger range of plants. If the idea is to get a lot more garden area in a symmetrical design, then maybe a mirror image of those beds across a diagonal line.
For sure I appreciate the advice mad_gallica and flora_uk as I have decided to not 'do' my proposed medallion. But I will keep the existing corner perennial garden and the two undeveloped 'side arc' sections as shown. These 2 'add ons' will be planted with mostly annuals. Because of this, by the end of next summer I should be able to see the full effect of these 3 adjacent gardens. If it doesn't look right at that point changes can be made in time for the following year.
Last year I wanted certain plant.Found just just 1 plant. And wanted 6. So I got it from Blue-Stone. Even with shipping was cheaper. And such nice plants. Packed extra well. Just watered and bloomed in 6 weeks. Got list made out for them again.
Depending on what you are looking for...Hallson sends great plants and I have gotten good size at a reasonable price from Santa Rosa Gardens. But I agree with others if you can try to search locally you will not do better with any online company that I have dealt with.
The worst thing here is that buds on tree peonies begin to open. I lost 2 young plants due to this some years ago. What to do?? Apart from that daylilies begin to grow, even the dormant ones, eranthis opens, and Helleborus orientalis made flower buds.
I get a soil test done. My roses are doing fine. The only problem I had with them were Dahlia bulbs overcrowding their root space. I had no idea how large the bulb's can get...whoa!
The annuals took off like lightening! I do have 2 foxgloves that look like they are still growing. I just have one Lupine left. The Butterfly bushes had to be removed. Too Large.
Thanks for the links. I'm just going to have a soil test done.
I dug dormant perennials one winter after an ice storm so we could pull out some stumps. I kept dirt around the roots and crammed them all in cardboard boxes, then put them in my unheated dark shed for two or three weeks, then replanted them. I think it was around early February. As far as I know, all of them lived. My only problem was knowing what was what. I used to know all the names of my hostas and huecheras but not after that.
Thank you for your thoughts, I appreciate your replies. You've confirmed for me that a peony may be just what I need here (although $$$, I need 4-5!). I think I may just have a better shot with spring blooming shrubs. Has anyone tried 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'? Or any other suggestions for a fragrant, double dark pink?
I plan to mix in a couple amsonia, maybe Sib irises among them. I have peach-colored daylilies, purple heuchera, pulmonaria and hosta for the front, and plan to mix with annuals like impatiens for color.
Hi Whaas, I've looked up some native plants that I grow, or hybrids of natives, and these are listed for z5 or WI. Sorry, I don't know about soil.
Phlox divaricata Louisiana blue (purplish blue) blooms first in the spring and then phlox pilosa (pink & purple varieties). Princess Diana clematis (hot magenta, large flowering hybrid from crossing with native texensis), Monarda didyma (our native one is a dark mauve purple & listed for z5).
I've read about native Viola pedata bird's foot violets and lots of clematis that are purple shades. There was a famous Polish breeder of clematis, Brother Stefan Franczak, so his hybrids would be cold hardy for you. Clematis on the Web lists his large growing "Polish Spirit" as deep purple blue, "General Sikorski" as mauve blue, "Emilia Plater" as blue violet and his pale "Blue Angel."
Here is a link that might be useful: Article on Brother Stefan Franczak
All, thanks for the great suggestions!
The beauty is that I can repeat the color scheme but have alot of choices to work with.
I haven't heard of half these plants so I have my work cut out for me.
Not sure why I mentioned May Night Salvia in my original post. I meant Blue Hill Salvia...much, much nicer color.
You would be surprised at how loosely the nursery business handles pot sizes. Or at least they used to. I believe a few years back there was a legal move to make us use better descriptions than things like quart or gallon as sizes. If you found this on a website, you email that site and ask them to define to you what they mean by a 5P pot. I've been in the business nearly a quarter of a century and I've ordered gazillions of pots and never heard of one.
I think you found the right answer - it's about 2.5 quarts. I'm very familiar with that nursery - I've known John for about 15 years, and if you're ever in the CT area, try to stop by his place - it's amazing. His backyard (for lack of a better term, it just keeps going and going) has something like 800 different hostas in the ground, and just a ton potted for sale.
The plants he sells are all in 5 pint or 1 gallon pots (a few even bigger), but it makes sense that for mail order, he'd only be shipping ones in 5 pint. I highly recommend his plants - I don't think I've ever had one die on me - they're all nicely grown with good root systems. (and no, no affiliation other than a very happy customer.)
Don't they splice in genes from plants that have natural immunity/resistance when they hybridize? Not sure how/where they get the "stamp", or if there even is such a thing, but new varieties of annuals and veggies have trial gardens, so is the designation of "resistant" a comparitive and not a definitive issue - ?. I'm guessing it is, since I've never seen a plant/seed variety designated as "immune".
Just realized that the Jelitto link I posted above is not the pic of 'Polstar'; just the home page of Jelitto. You can get the 'Polstar' seeds from Jelitto by navigating from their product to perennial to Alcea. It is quite pricy; 6.4 euro a package.
This place (http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/hollyhocks.html) in the US carries some Jelitto seed including some Spotlight Series at much more reasonable prices; unfortunately no 'Polstar'.
Be ready to bring them in during a freeze.
Or set up some chairs around them then throw an elect blanket over them to keep them from freezing.
I've done this in the past on my covered porch and in my garage.
I'd put the plants to bed every night by tucking them in under an elect blanket just before I'd go to bed myself.
It kept them from freezing.
Aachnelf that is quite the list! Good example of how confusing a common name can be. My favorite bluebells are Mertensia virginica, and every year I winter-sow some and get a few seedlings. They take about 3 years to bloom from seed but what else better is there to do than wait for something as beautiful as bluebells to bloom.
I am not sure the best place to buy spanish bluebells. Hyacinthoides hispanica reseeds in my garden and eventually the clumps get quite sizeable and they are very easy to divide. We've finally gotten some winter weather so at the moment they are buried under about 6 inches of snow but by end of May they will bloom. Apparently they a good source of Spring nectar.
ocbrian, I did a google and then checked with Garden Watchdog for a rating what I found was Willow Creek might be a good one for you to order.
Maybe you could go to the trade area and post your want maybe you could get someone to send you some. I do not know which one I have because they were on the property when I purchased but I have millions of bulbs. LOL They do spread a lot.