13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
I do understand that FROST is not equivalent to frozen ground so I am pleased to know that my perennials planted yesterday still have time to root but I am also wondering if national weather services have historical data for "frozen ground"....as you said frozen to 8" deep?
Looking back I can bet there are years (more recent rather than earlier) that the ground *isn't* solid until into January (in my zone 5).
In certain areas in Zone 5 the ground won't freeze more than 1-2 inches deep at all, especially near the house, under mulch, in sunny areas, and around rocks and dense objects that absorb the sun's warmth during the day and radiate it at night.
Finally, if there is snow piled on the ground before it gets really cold, the soil will probably not freeze at all. You may be able to pile snow on the area when you shovel your walk or driveway, in order to insulate the ground and prevent a deep freeze there.
In the shade, in areas that are not mulched, and in elevated or hilled areas, the soil will be more exposed to deep freezes and freeze deeper or sooner in the year.
In any case mulching makes a big difference when it comes to frost heave... and you have lots of time to water. Water deep (slow and keep the hose/sprinklers there for a long time) and do not water again until the soil is dry on the surface, because you want to stimulate the deepest roots to drive most of the growth.
Also know that the big box stores actually purchase their bulbs up front.. so if they don't sell by end of the season.. the just pitch them. SO usually once they go on sale, you can ask the garden manager if they will take even more off then what is marked. And of course if you buy a few, they will be more willing to bend. Last year i was able to get a ton of allium for $1 per package.
So it works differently than the live plants that are all priced by the outside nurseries.
rouge21, by all means pinch twice or thrice. I lose count, I pinch so much on some of them - LOL. Mid-July is probably the cutoff date (zone 5) for pinching. A little later is still do-able, but bloomtime will be later -- which can be a good thing too.
Let us know if your Matchstick comes back in the spring. I just planted mine and I think the rootball looked great. Not a typical roadside 'hardy mum' rootball at all. It had the rootball of a well grown nursery perennial -- not too much, not too little. Up close I could even see the crown spreading wider.
I bought this mum four years ago. All yellow.
Each year since I have one branch of bronze.
This year the end of June I "pinched" the ends. I stuck them into rootone and planted eight of them next to mama. We had lots of rain this year. Six of them rooted. I even have two bronze.
I have five colors growing in the last several years. This is this years prize. This car gets good gas mileage. I bought it at a yard sale eight years ago for $2.00.
Don
ACK!!
I'd be p*ssed about the hydrangea. Oakleafs aren't quick growers like other types of hydrangea, so while eventually she'll fill in and the shape will even itself out, it might take a couple seasons.
Similar thing happened to me a couple falls ago - a gust of wind sent my wheelbarrow flying into a winterberry holly, cracked off a huge piece of one side. Thankfully the damage wasn't that noticeable after the foliage filled in the following spring (although, of course, *I* knew it was lopsided and it bugged me...), and now you'd never even know it, I swear it's fuller than ever - that's the effect pruning can have, whether said pruning is intentional or not.
Perhaps next season you should move the grill out of the path of the wind, or chain the legs to something that isn't going anywhere.
Paul if I'm reading right you are zone 5, so sun in winter is really not an issue. and 4 hours of noon to afternoon sun will be more intense than morning sun. My experience with balloon flower is that it would be fine with that amount of sun, many geraniums as well.
I regularly have tall snapdragons overwinter - not every plant makes it... (at least I don;t think so... but since I just scatter them throughout perennial beds, I have no count of number that don;t vs. do...)
I assume that in winters where we have a decent snow cover when the weather is really cold that I get better success rate... but cannot say this is the case.
I never plan for them to overwinter - just view it as serendipity when they do.
If you want more, just try buying some 6-packs of any snap variety that appeals to you in the spring - if they like the spot they're in, some will likely make it.
Beth
Z5 northern Michigan (near Traverse City)
I was on a private garden tour and this lady had many different areas. Each one had a laminated sign and started with "The herb garden is my favorite garden because I like to cook and ....." "The shade garden is my favorite garden because I can cool off on a summer day and ...." "the perennial garden is my favorite garden because of the riotous color and ...."
It amused me that they were all her "favorites".
I didn't get any pictures of these boxes, but meant to mention that at Chanticleer they had plant lists for each particular border. The lists were held in cute boxes in each garden.
Here is a link that might be useful: Plant list boxes
How about varigated or solid green Liriope? Cute purple flowers in the fall, it gets 'ratty' looking and you take a mower to it.
We moved some to a very shady part of the backyard along the fence (last August when it was still in the 90's here!)and it never missed a beat. Very little supplemental water, even after we moved it. (To tell the truth, I forgot all about it). It's one tough plant.
Mine is pink and it was named Dictamnus albus purpureus. It is a light pink, but not quite as light as this picture seems.
The card that came with it says "rich, moist, well-drained soil, full sun". My soil is dry and lean. I probably amended it though. My sun amount is pretty good, not great as the surrounding woods seems to get taller each year. That hosta didn't last there. too sunny and dry.
I like that it is basically carefree, low-maint and no problems. But I have not figured out what to plant with it. The bed it is in was primarily designed as a yellow-red-orange summer bed, but some spring pastels have crept in ad-hoc.
The bloom time would be similar to Iris'es, Amsonia, Geranium bikova, peonies, Salvia (in picture), tulips
I have found the name of the skin condition it causes : '' Phytophotodermatitis (also known as "Berloque dermatitis"[1]:32) is a chemical reaction which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light. It is frequently mistaken for hereditary conditions such as atopic dermatitis or chemical burns, but it is caused by contact with the photosensitizing compounds found naturally in some plants and vegetables like parsnips, citrus fruits, and more ''
Here is a picture of the natural habitat taken from Wikipedia in Polish. :
The habitat is described as dry forests and sun-baked dry hills, soil rich in calcium (Ca) but poor in other nutrients.. Nearly no watering in cultivation. The plant is listed as toxic (2 alcaloids among many others), used in medicine and perfume industry. Hardy in zone 3 to 9. Can attain the age of 20 years.
The picture was taken from this site:
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyptam_jesionolistny
You can also be interested in this quote:
''Phytophotodermatitis connotes phototoxic reactions consisting of erythema (with or without blistering) and delayed hyperpigmentation. Phototoxicity implies an immediate or delayed inflammatory reaction caused by the combination of a topical or oral photosensitizing agent followed by the appropriate wavelength of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) to the skin.37 This response can occur in any person who has been exposed to adequate amounts of a photosensitizing chemical and UVR. It is therefore not an immunologic reaction, and no prior sensitizing exposure is necessary for any potential victim.''
For die-hard taxonomists: As far as I know none of these names are scientifically valid: Ruber, Purpureus, Caucasicus. They all refer to the same species and are synonymous(But I may be wrong too :-) )
Here is a link that might be useful: phytophotodermatitis
I have had catmint is less than optimal sun previously, and it did fine. Became rather sprawly post flowering, which it tends to do regardless of sun exposure (nothing a good mid-season whack-back won't fix...) and still bloomed very nicely. IIRC, was probably closer to 6 hours sun, though.
They both bloom well for me here in part sun, especially the cat mint. The main thing for both of these plants is very well drained soil and less watering in less sun. Don't know what your planting area is like, but if you can raise the soil level and plant them high they should do fine.
The good news is that whatever you decide, you can rationalize it was "the best thing to do."
I think it's a matter of personal preference. In a natural setting, there would be no gardener to "clean up" and the plants don't care what becomes of their dead leaves. Please remove them if they are bringing you unhappiness. If left alone, (and not eaten by worms or pill bugs,) those little piles of dead leaves can help you remember where the plants are, especially when you're out there in the spring, hunched over, looking for signs of something green coming up. I also think the little clumps of dead foliage help hold leaves in place around them.
Thank you all for your very helpful responses. I will definitely do some clean up this weekend. I was more worried about not knowing which plants should be left until the spring since I know some plants (Buddleia in particular) do much better with a spring cutting.
This place has definitely been my best source of information since buying my first home last year.
Evergreen, variegated, shade tolerant, Carex 'Ice Dance' in front on bottom left. Even in mid summer when dwarfed by hosta it brightens up the garden. All winter long I can see it from the house windows & in another garden when I pull up the driveway.
Is that the hated Buckthorn I see there in the left? Even if it isn't, you could easily remove some that under growth over there to provide some sun. Now, for some fun stuff in the wet spot:
Joe Pye weed, Queen-of-the-Prairie, Boltonia, New England Aster, Blue Flag Iris, Rudbeckia triloba/subtomentosa/maxima/fulgida/, Hibiscus+++, Cup Plant, Button Bush, (and probably more).
All of these(except Queen-of-the-Prairie) can be grown from seed very easily. Check around on the Seed swap forum for seeds from members. Or help out the folks trying to make a living on seeds and buy some.
Hi, I don't know if it's a buckthorn. I thought those things were not that large. In any case, it is not on my property so I can't do anything to it. I just cut stuff when it reaches into my property.
Oddly, I planted Queen of the Prairie last year, but it flooded and killed off the plant. Joe Pye weed is a bit too tall :-). Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can research those plants and where to find the seeds.
Paul