13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

I have two of the garden phlox which are shorter than most (about 2 ft tall) and are supposed to be "compact" varieties. I don't know about specific mildew resistance, but they are fine in my garden.

Franz Schubert is a beautiful light purple-mix one, hardy and forms a slow-growing clump. It can fade a little in very bright sun but mine gets just a bit of shade from the hottest part of the day from a large rose bush nearby and is a beautiful colour. It almost glows sometimes.

Watermelon Punch is my other compact variety ... a pink, fairly bright. Very healthy and hardy again.

These are the two compact varieties I have, but there are quite a few others out there. They are basically the same as the tall garden phlox in every other way, just about a foot shorter :)

Thank you czig et al for all this good information re such PHLOX. I did decide to 'go' variegated with SHOCKWAVE.

(Although echinaceamaniac I did pick up a couple LORD CLAYTON and BLUE PARADISE for other areas)

It happened to me too, but with Tomato Soup. I overwintered it in my basement, so it did not even lose its basal leaves. These year all the big shoots are ordinary purple. To top this all, some flowers are distorted and some have quilled petals(as in Big Sky series). You can't really imagine my surprise.

Here are my pictures what happened to Tomato Soup.

As you can see, the form of the flower (except distortion) and the habit of the plant is like Tomato Soup.

Russian Sage would work. It's a plant that would let light through. It's not a very thick plant and can be pruned as needed. If you're worried about the Russian Sage getting too tall, try the cultivar "Lacey Blue." I plant Russian Sage with Baptisias and Roses. Neither of those has suffered any. I'm sure a Peony can tolerate its presence.

mx gave teh answer ....

plant taller things behind .. shorter things in front.. and give them enough room.. that you are not digging in the peony roots ...

if you damage the large sweet potato roots structure of the peony.. it will take a long time to recover .. if at all ... i would not dig within 12 to 18 inches of the peony ...

mine.. by late summer.. they are covered with morning glory that is supposed to grow up the fence 2 feet behind.. by then.. energy storage is completed ...

ken

This slow to get going Li'l Chip finally produced a few measly sprigs & a couple of blooms! So disappointing for such a pompous name!!! I too shall dig & pot up or throw him w/ the big guys ~ see if he gets the idea!

Has anyone tried digging Blue Chip back up to containerize? When would be the best time to do it ~ this Fall or wait 'til he wakes up in Spring.

I'm very disappointed in his performance in the ground this 2nd season. He is blooming & all, even manages to lure a few butterflies but nowhere near the size he was last season nor the # of B visitors!

Appreciate any experience anyone can share! TIA!

I have been quite pleased with plants from Lazy S's Farm Nursery. Plants are quart sized and well rooted.

They are supposed to issue me a refund. I hope they fix the problems with shipping. They do have a nice selection and are nice people.

Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids.

Based on your travel route, you might be driving right past Pine Hill Nursery on US-31 about 10 miles north of Elk Rapids. (20 miles south of Charlevoix - Antrim County). If so, might be a good time to stretch your legs and take a look around. This isn;t a 'must-see' but is probably the best garden center /nursery in NW Michigan...And like most, it makes a better visit in spring or summer rather than toward the 'end of season'.

Let us know what gems, if any, you pick up on your trip.

http://pinehill-nursery.com

Beth
Z5 NW Michigan near Traverse City

I agree, it looks like it could be a double-whammy. Baking most of the time, with occasional drowning conditions from the downspout, although it's hard to tell how fast the water would flow away from there or if it would pool in the area before doing so. What direction is that wall? If it's north or east, baking might be less of a factor than not enough/consistent enough moisture to establish, or poor drainage which can be common next to a wall. I see green on a stem. Certainly worth trying to save.

Really appreciate the feedback. And I will say I think you guys/gals are correct with it baking. This spot gets almost full sun from morning til late afternoon. I also think I should of watered it more. I almost was thinking about letting it die or if it does end up dying planting something else. What kinds of flowers would be good for a spot like this??

Not sure how hardy they are for your zone, but if you have some shade and moisture, Astrantias do really well in heavy soil...as long as they get some shade and the soil doesn't dry out.

astilbe do great in my heavy soil, full sun bed. Also Filipendula 'Kahome', Campanula poscharskyana Blue Waterfall

If the soil retains water well, you can get away with typical shade plants in a sunny area. I have Hosta On Stage that gets HUGE and gorgeous in that environment and never a sign of dryness. I also have a blue one that doesn't stay too blue, but still does really well. Its nice to have large-foliaged plants mixing in with the regular stuff.

My backorder just arrived. Only one plant, a Clematis, was alive. All others were scattered in the box. They didn't let them take root before shipping.

I do hope that everyone is taking pictures and emailing them to Bluestone...

Thanks, Chris! I was afraid I'd have to move them :( I moved some Monarda from that bed just a little while ago and the soil's so nice there that I hate to abandon it, but I think that's the route I'll have to take. I have Iris over there too and only one bloom this year. I think I'll give everything one more season just to make sure and the move it if needed. The notes about the watering are helpful, too, I'll certainly keep an eye on that.

- Rachel

I agree. They are not getting enough sun. All mine are in part to full sun and the one red hibiscus I have (name escapes me) has gotten over 5 feet tall. These are such free flowering plants I don't have to do anything to them. They emerge very late in the spring and bloom very late. Mine started a few weeks ago. You might want to stake them now so you don't forget where you planted them next year. I don't think you need to second guess this advice. Once you move them you'll see a tremendous difference.

I bought one about five years ago. It was not happy with my garden for some reason, dropped leaves, discoloring, etc. so I gave it to a friend who had a more shady spot for it. It's still not spectacular but it is alive. She said it bloomed better this year.

I went back to HD this weekend and all of them were gone. There will be a lot of test gardens in PA. They had about 50 of them. I guess everybody thought like me that for 4.00 give it a try.

They are gallon size and look very healthy. As I said I will see how they perform. I will put one in some morning sun and one in deep shade in a protected spot against the house.

I divide mine when they are larger than a dinner plate and I want to grow more for myself or sell. I don't do it for the health of the plant. I have some that do well, and some go into decline. I blame the voles for tunneling under and destroying the roots for the ones that do badly. And usually when I dig them I'm right. If you have tunnels a few inches down that are NOT visible on the top (not a bump like a mole tunnel), then you might have voles too.

If that's not the case move the unhappy ones and see if they do better elsewhere in your yard. Try to change up the amount of light and water with this second placement and figure out what yours are missing. It will take 'til next summer to see the difference if you move them now.

hope this helps.

Thanks for posting that video - was helpful. I'm heading outside for an afternoon of yard work, will work on the Heuchera. :0)

I've had good results growing Obedient Plants in part shade. They get several hours of morning sun then dappled shade the remainder of the day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Physostegia virginiana

Physostegia has squarish stems, which you may have noticed. I think that plant looks very happy. Unless it's in the way of other plans you have, or behind something taller that is hiding it, I wouldn't move it. I've had pink ones before which I wasn't crazy about since the flowers got lost in the shadows and were much smaller than those on your plant. White flowers are the best for shade, IMO. They show in the gloom and glow in the dark. Looks great!

The only significant seedling variability I typically see is when raising seed from hybrids. Often, even named varieties are stable from seed (reflecting the probability that whoever introduced the cultivar merely slapped an attractive-sounding name on a particular species).

So I wouldn't let fears about unmatched plants inhibit raising perennials and annuals from seed.

The run of the mill bedding plants I can buy for $1.99 a sixpac, when ever I want them, so I don't waste my time growing them from seed. When I bring home a flat of sixpacs, I will immediately pot them into four inch nursery pots for about six weeks before planting them in the garden. It is very rare for me to lose a plant this way. For most other plants I will order the seed and start them myself. If I order a live plant it is only because I can't get it any other way, so I don't complain about the price. Al

I believe I have the summer carnival series...

Here is a picture.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hollyhocks

That's a beautiful hollyhock. I read up on Summer Carnival and it does indeed flower the first year. I don't know if it grows tall and gangly like the hollyhocks I grow. As Ken, our resident curmudgeon says, try pruning it and see what happens. I'm going to try to find seeds of this lovely hollyhock.