13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
That Purple Lance is beautiful!
AS for whites, I saw there is a Visions in White, I'm considering trying it simply because my Visions do so well.
I would be nervous about "Glut" because the "Fanal" I lost was also an Astilbe x arendsii ... but you think it is more varietal specific and not species specific?
I'm not sure about Glut and the varietal vs. species specific debate. All I can say is I have other arendsii hybrids and none of them do as well as Glut. Glut also keeps it's color a long time.
I have to check out those Visions. I need a good white.
Kevin
Michelle, the first reminds me of Blue Belle, the second of Polish Spirit. Those are just guesses, so best to check it out at the site below.
Today was busy-busy. Two friends came by at different times which is always fun, but I feel rushed now to accomplish things before we travel. DH managed to burn the things in the fire pit, which is great. I mowed some more.
I have piles more to accomplish, so away I go!
'bug
Here is a link that might be useful: COTW
Lots of garden chores this weekend-what a mess it was out there ! Feeling much better now. I filled both 55gal yard waste toters and a 32gal trash can too. Notes were made on some serious renovations for fall, involving tree removal. I have a Birch that is on the way out, riddles with exit holes, and a Japanese Maple that is beneath a neighbors tree -double shade , no bueno. My JM is just the basic variety, so not a tragedy.
Chelone, wouldn't I love to raise a glass with you ! This is a weekend visit stuck on the end of a business trip, and as Deanne said my base of operations is the Fortnum B&B. We are going to Tower Hill at some point-how about it ? Idyllunion 8.5 !
Deanne, your Extreme Gardener segment was priceless-I kept thinking that you made 350 containers seem almost normal since you were so calm cool and collected. I'm going to try to post the link below for out non-fb friends. The comments there about �hearing your voice� made me remember my first IU and what it was like to hear voices of friends whose words I had only read.
Time for dinner
Kathy in Napa
Here is a link that might be useful: Our fave extreme gardener
A.Novi-angliae is a clumper and A.novi-belgii is a runner. Novi-angliae does not open flowers in bad weather (with an exception of 2 or 3 varieties). Novi-belgii gets mildew just because you look at it, novi-angliae is resistant to mildew(but not immune)
There's good and bad about Joe-pye weed. I started with one (non-hybrid) plant about 9 years ago and now there are at least 50 scattered around the garden (promiscuous reseeding). One good thing is that they add flashes of yellow to the garden even after going to seed (goldfinches love the seed and I'm seeing them frequently perched on Joe-pye seedheads, enjoying a snack).
Here is a link that might be useful: Goldfinch chowing down
I have been enviously eyeing the pics of echinacea hot summer so was pleasantly surprised to see it in my local nursery. However it looked nothing like the pics posted here. Was just various shades of pink. Whereas the catalog pics look like those posted by enabled. I wonder If there are regional differences to flowering? Anyway glad I didn't mail order it.
There are several different types of Digitalis, and flowers on different Campanulas can also look differently. Besides, flowers on Digitalis resemble the flowers of some Campanulas a lot. I think you should specify your question a little more precisely.
There are places in every garden where it is impossible to spray weeds. When I was growing up hoeing was the job assigned to the kids, both because it needed to be done and to give them something to do. I still remember how and have a long handled Japanese weeder that makes the job a lot easier. Al
Mulching with non-decomposing organic matter seems better than pruning to me, at least that's how SoCal often handles our 6-7 months with no rain. You don't want a flush of nitrogen to stimulate new growth during a drought, as Rhizo noted above. So this is one of the rare situations where a few inches of bark or pine needles or clean straw mulch would be better than great, N-rich compost or soils.
When our drought-resistant natives have finished blooming in summer, many of us in SoCal prune some then, but not more than 25-35% or so. Sorry, I don't know your conditions & plants well enough to be of much help
What hostaholic2 and wieslaw59 write here is true. I checked my Bluestone catalog but their description of this new variety is written exactly as follows:
Rudbeckia fulgida var. Fulgida
There is no descriptive name for this plant as there are for most other plants. Gloriosa Daisies (also a Rudbeckia) have names such as Cappuccino, Cherokee Sunset, Indian Summer, etc., but not the Rudbeckia I'm interested in.
I put a call into their help desk this morning and left a message asking for clarification as to the exact name of this flower. I'll post back when I hear from them.
Meanwhile thanks for the reply Vivian 2010. I'm glad the foliage is smaller as it will expire less water here in Zone 7. Too bad about the flower size though. Maybe they'll work to increase it.
There are several "natural" varieties of R. fulgida:
var. deamii
var. fulgida
var. speciosa
var. sullivantii
As mentioned, the popular cultivar 'Goldsturm' is a selection of R. fulgida var. sullivantii.
As advertised in the OP, R. fulgida var. fulgida is typically later and/or longer-flowering than the more common 'Goldsturm'.
Japanese blood grass, Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra'-- rich soil, mulch, crowding from other perennials, & winter wet did it in. After reading about warnings that it's invasive, I planted them right next to tall sedums ('Autumn Joy') to corral it, but maybe that wasn't a good idea.
I've been to Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus when it was raining. Although I was inside, the mostly glass building seemed totally different without the harsh sun spots and dark shadows.
If you consider mother nature's handiwork a garden... Once while hiking in Old Man's Cave outside Logan, OH, it started to rain. We were sheltering under a leaning rock and the sound of the rain was shockingly loud, which I think was magnified by the echo effect in the canyon. Unforgettable and very cool how efficiently the water disappeared after the rain stopped.
Remy, loved the pics from Buffalo garden walk! It wouldn't let me, but I would have "liked" a bunch of those! I even saved a copy of #23 to reference later.
I live in Oregon, have toured many gardens in the rain....at Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC they hand out clear plastic umbrellas. DH wanted to go back to the hotel but I refused. :) Can't be in Victoria and not go to Butchart Gardens...