13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

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.

In this part of California, we have a lot of propagating nurseries who sell their product to everyone. The small retail nurseries as well as the big box outlets. In most cases the producing nursery has his label on the plants. There will be growers who produce a better plant than others, and a buyer can easily tell the difference. Except for specialty plants these growers all use a bark based mix. The advantage is the mix will last for several months, without collapsing. The disadvantage is that frequent watering will be required, as the mix is fast draining. A fast draining mix will also require either timed release fertilizer, or frequent liquid fertilization. As for myself, I buy my mix by the yard from the same landscape suppliers that mix for the commercial growers, and I buy the same mix for the same reason. My potting mix costs me $50 per yard and is only used for pots. Al

Real dirt, real fat and real sugar cost real money. So you have to pay more.
There is an immense difference in the mixes growers use for their plants.
Better mixes cost more money. Better mixes also grow better plants.
In this, as in everything else, you get what you pay for.

Another thing is that not every home depot carry really cheap compost. The stores here don't sell compost at 1.5 for 2 cf, it's like $2.69 for 25 lbs. I can't even get them to tell me what brand it is. The guy on the phone tells me it's Manure brand and mushroom brand...

Paul

I concur with paul on the HD. I just went to a different one than i usually go and their compost/manure is more $$. So i guess the one by me is selling it for less for some reason. It is still more product in comparison though.

You can always offer to buy the torn bags for cheap too. That has worked out nicely in the past too for compost and for mulch.

Paul..just a word of caution. If your plants are hybrids, and you mention they are dwarves so they might be. The seeds may revert back to the parent plant so you might not get dwarves!!!
Joann

I can't say for certain but don't think Paul needs to worry about them reverting. I also grow double white balloon flowers and they come back reliably season after season, growing just 18-22" tall. Right now they're loaded with plump seed pods that I will harvest once they're ripe enough.

Let's face it, once this plant is done blooming it is no beauty.

I'd have to disagree, Kevin. While I fully agree that BH can and usually does look rather ratty by this time of year, the one at my folks' place looks good throughout the summer. Theirs must "like them" better than yours like you. LOL

Did the title of the OP's post (once the "t" is included for "heart") strike anyone else as a title for a bad country/western song?