13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

It took me awhile to get on the catmint bandwagon.

Not a perennial, but zinnia is the one that comes to mind as a plant I'd love to try. I don't have much shade, but I drool over hellebore. So some of it is that I don't have the right growing conditions. Some of it is that we don't get some plants here in Vancouver until a year or so after they come out in the states, if they come here at all. By then I often forget about the new plant. I do the same as you with grasses, (and hostas), I want so many, but only have 3 varieties. There's always next year, and creating shade. :)

Yeona

Caryopteris roots in a glass of water in the window in a matter of days. Try it in the Spring.

The lavender is another story. I would skip trying to root that one. It's not easy!

Sheesh..thanks..I didn't even think to look at the propagation forum...go figure that out. If I had thought about planting this bed earlier in the year I could have found the plants but I doubt I will now until spring-unless I go online $$. Hence the propagation question.

Getting the timing right is always fun in gardening, isn't it?

BTW-Ken I have a greenhouse :) But it's new and it's my first year learning how to use it.

Beca (who is now off to look at the propagation forum...)

I agree yeonasky, seeds are easier than you think. Trudi Davidoff's winter-sowing technique (see Winter sowing forum) is fun, easy, cheap, and like "sowing seeds for dummies". Makes it very easy for the beginner, and usually gives you more confidence to start even more from seed, and move on to more complex germination techniques.

Gardenweed, my Crystal Peak had 100% germ. and is blooming now, at all of 6-8 inches tall! Pretty little white flowers. Also, my Digitalis camelot lavender and white are both blooming this fall and they are coming true to color. Also, one of the Echinacea Pow wow wild berries and three of the Bravado are sending up blooming stalks. All of these blooming the first year from seed. Awesome.

I have a tendency to hold off on expensive new introductions until they've proven themselves equal or superior to what's already out there.

..."somebody HAS to buy them to MAKE a verdict. If everybody waits, no verdict."

No problem there. Lots of people just have to possess the latest and greatest, even if it isn't (as the various threads griping about new Echinaceas hybrids suggest).

New seed introductions are generally a lot cheaper and more worthwhile for me. I use this fabulous spring sowing technique and get lots of plants from it with ease. ;)

That last shot is the sweetest....

Happy Belated birthday wishes Norma!

Beautiful summer sequence Yeona! How well I remember the days of Motocross! Looks like all of you had a perfect summer day!

My photo is of my Josephine clematis - not very common here. It was gorgeous this year, although it wasonly its second full summer. I am so pleased! Looks like I get to close off this thread!

Cheers,

Julie

I have two beautiful baptisias and the seeds just fall to the ground and germinate. I dig 2 or 3 year seedlings each Spring, but wouldn't bother my full grown ones. Mary

Yes you can absolutely dig and divide Baptisia. It may be difficult, but you won't kill the plant, even if you mangle the roots.

Now, if the voles nearly wipe out your big beautiful Baptisias (like mine last winter) then it makes your work a whole lot easier. I was left with just a fraction of the original root system, but at least there was something of the plants left.

Dividing Baptisia is easier than a large Miscanthus grass, or a big Joe Pye weed!

hmmm, must agree with growlove - it does look awfully like physostegia )although I am claiming duff eyesight)

This is the plant in question:

This is Physostegia virginiana :

This is Salvia pratensis:

They are too different to be confused in my opinion.

Yes Michelle, this huge plant came from a seed that I started in my window a year and a half ago. I think I will be facing the same sort of thing again next year as I started a Starfruit tree from a seed after we ate the fruit. It is a lovely lacy plant but is already about 18" high...

Just can't help myself *LOL*

Cheers,

Julie

That's quite the plant Julie. It sure looks nice in your house.

Norma

While astilbe like regular moisture, they also really like good aeration. Often the soil compacts around them so they don't get the moisture and aeration at the roots that they need. They also grow out of the soil in time, so a fresh layer of mulch on them each year can really help.

And they don't like heat, but it was a pretty hot season in most of the country.

I'd rework the soil really good, add tons of organic matter, replant and mulch, and possibly move them out of the morning sun into more shade. Also it is tough to keep them perfect if they only moisture they get is from the hose. They really prefer a naturally moist garden to do their best, but not everyone has that in their gardens.

Good luck,

Chris

The one that didn't even flower was planted last summer, 2010. It did not flower at all, hardly even grew this year. The other one was planted this year, had 2 lousy flower spikes more brown-looking than the promised red (I don't know the variety) and that was it. Perhaps the juniper shrub roots are out-competing them for nutrients. If I moved them under a tree, would that help? We have gotten a regular monsoon of rain this year, plus I filled in when it was dry.

Mine seeds, though not prolifically.

@ aachenelf 'still haven't found any mention of this problem '.
Don't consider it a problem. It may be a blessing in many cases. There are actually a lot of plants which cannot be fertilized with their own pollen. Just to mention a few: many cultivars of apple trees, pears, cherries, Lythrum salicaria, some lilies, blueberries, and many more. That's why you have to have at least 2 different trees to get fruits.

If this spot gets >6 hrs of sun, you have a lot of choices for color. I have something similar to yours in the front I started 3 years ago, moved /added/removed plants several times. It is really a personal preferenance. Finally I settled in something that is neater looking (so no tall shasta daisies, no cone flowers, etc), but anchored with long - blooming plants:

2-3 red or pink knock out (3-4 ft tall) or double knock out roses (shorter, ~3 ft tall). These can be the backbone as they can bloom from late May to end of Oct in your zone). If they are too tall, you can plant the drift roses (slightly shorter and smaller)

the good old Daylilly Stella D'oro, they have heavy blooms (organe -yellow) from early May, and lighter blooms in the summer and fall. Nice contrast to the roses (both foliage and blooms).

if you have good drainage, plant some tall garden phlox (david is my favorite), beautiful big white flowers, very fragrant. bloom mid summer to early fall. choose the medium height ones)

Sedum Autumn Joy. they will provide nice summer and fall color.

Salvia (May night, east friesland or royal crimson disctintion) depend your color choices. Royal crimson is my favorite, bloom constantly from mid June to Mid Sept, hot purple, neat leaves turn to dark purple in the fall, very beautiful.

You can use some ground covers or shorter plants for the border (or in between the tall plants): Dianthus fire witch, hot pink flowers from late May until late summer if dead headed), nice ever green foliage). Geranium rozane (purple blue), blooms the entire time. they can grow fairly quickly to fill up the space.

You can plant bulbs in between the spaces of the perennials and along the borders. I like the former. I found out for borders, the bulb foliage needs to stay there for a long time after they finish blooming, but without other plants to cover them up, they look very ugly. If I plant annuals there, sometime bulbls do not come back due to the heavy watering for the annuals.

The best thing I found is to get started with something, if you are not happy, modify it. There is never a perfect plan. and that is part of the fun.
Good luck and post some pictures next year.
Vivian

Post that view in 30 days or so. The fall colors must be spectacular!

As someone mentioned go for mounding, low growing plants. Mix in a just a few vertical accents. For example a dwarf conifers and grasses.

You've certainly made the most of a cold zone. Great combinations, you've proved the point that you don't need fancy new introductions, healthy stalwarts really shine!

Everything looks lovely. Some great choices on plants.
Cher

I posted the information about Walkers Low catmint because the OP's first sentence said, "I have walkers low catmint that is in a large area in my back yard." If the reference had been to catmint, I would not have posted the information about WL being a sterile plant.

My own Walkers Low catmint were planted just this year so they have a year or two to prove they can remain within the confines of the area they were given. I shovel pruned Agastache 'Golden Jubilee' and monarda/bee balm that came with growing information stating a height of 28-36". When both grew three times as tall and wide as I'd been told to expect, they were removed from the premises with no return ticket. The remains were destroyed, not composted or recycled.

see.. there is the problem...

i focused on the title .. and you read the actual facts .. lol ...

ken

hi

you remove flowers immediately after the flowers fade .. so they will rebloom THE SAME YEAR .... it has nothing to do with next year ...

like peeps.. a plant has ONLY ONE goal in life.. procreation.. furthering of the gene pool.. they all make seed ...

the issue is which seed will winter over in your zone .. not many do in z5 ... as the native range of many of our perennials are much further south ... vermin.. birds.. etc ...

one of the biggest nightmare seeders in my garden was a mallow.. no clue which one.. by the third year.. i had about a billion of them.. and 5 years after killing them all.. i am still getting seedlings ..

daylily .. not only makes seed .. but multiplies by rhizome dividing... the rhizomes are the same flower .. seeds.. with genes and dna and all.. are useless.. in regard to the flower you have... they are snapped off as soon as the flowers fade.. unless you want to play with seed .. we would rather have the energy spent on divisions grown underground.. rather than the seed

good luck

ken

luvmyfish - you mentioned mostly perennials so it might be worth borrowing a book or two about them from your local library in addition to posting questions here. There are countless books available that will give you information on growing perennials, their habits and needs as well as their bloom season. I started keeping a garden diary when I got serious about perennial gardening and have added/referred to it many times over the past few years.

I leave seedpods on my plants intentionally so I can harvest seeds to winter sow. Winter sowing my own seeds is an economical way of expanding my garden beds with the healthiest plants at the lowest possible cost. Plus it gives me an excuse to have my hands in dirt right through the long cold months. In addition to harvesting seeds to winter sow, I also trade seeds via the Seed Exchange here on GardenWeb.

You are so right about doubles not producing seeds. I went out to check. Not only are there no seeds, but are covered with mealbugs. Very unusual, so I think it must have to do with the drought.

I think they are more tender in the north and can be difficult to overwinter. If you are not seeing them in Ottawa, I would guess that's an indication they don't grow well there.
I suspect the time they are planted also makes a difference to their survival. I am guessing that early is better than late.
Where I live, the shrub did not even break dormancy until late in June, so it did not show well in a well-travelled area. It never reseeded, which is very common south of where I live, though it did survive and did flower.
Eventually I removed it, because I just didn't think it paid for its space.