13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

catkin, it is in a dappled shade in the spring (with not all of the leaves on for the surrounding trees), but by mid June it definitely experiences lots of shade (maybe too much) through most of the day.

pennlake, has it survived previous winters in your garden? It is for sure a late riser in my area. Don't give up hope!

I always grow them on the allotment anyway, so no problem there. Blimey - you already have flowers? Mine are sitting sulking at less than a foot tall. They look as if they resent being asked to make the effort to climb the netting. I also get my seeds from Kings.

My 'normal' ones are just a bit taller than yours Flora...but have started doing that thickening of the haulms which always signifies a growth spurt...and yes, one tiny Erewhon bloom - while the self-sown ones are romping ahead, easily 5 foot tall with lots of flowers.
I bought a huge tranche from Nickey's nursery when she had a sale on for the Olympics (65p for 30)...still working through the stash...but yes, I also use Kings seeds or, when buying species lathyrus, Roger Parsons or Owl's Acre seeds have been good for me.

Grand rapids area?

Zeeland.

I routinely get some five footers in my patch of ostreiches - that corner has a rather prehistoric look about it. They're really up now, but yellow out and die back in September so I'd probably question a 7' height over the short course of our growing season. Anything's possible, and 4' isn't unreasonable.

Wherefore art thou, Kevin?

Looking good!

How about maybe a wrought iron medallion of some sort centred between the trellis?

I know you want summer color but have have you thought about spring blooms? For color, you could put creeping phlox or candytuft (white) on the corners, and maybe the center too? They are very colorful and can be cut back neatly after bloom.

For fall color I would suggest asters...you could place in back corners.

You coul have all season color :)

My beds are all 36 inches wide or less, and I have plenty of perennials and annuals in them. It really can be done. :)

Perennials I have had in them for 3+ years (counting this year):

Penstemon mexicali

Veronica Sunny Border Blue

Day lilies

Hydrangea Mini Penny

Scabiosa

Foxglove

Gaura lindheirmeri

Salvia Heatwave

Dahlias

Asiatic lilies (they spread but can be moved)

Garden phlox

Columbine

Balloon flower

Coreopsis

Dianthus

Blanketflower

Spiderwort (in shadier conditions)

Newer ones Perennials (1-2 years):

Gladiolus

Shasta Daisy

Penstemon Red Husker

Canterbury Bells

Now, I am not sure how these would work with your sun/shade and the brick wall...but, I have had no issues with these guys in my 24-36 inch wide boxes. It looks like you have a plan, but I wanted to throw these out. :)

Thank you all!

Peren..I can see why it's one of your favs...it's a beauty! My neighbor has two very large ones...and they're only getting started :) I hope mine does as well as hers.

Babs..yes that's it...nice to know thanks! Read up on it and it looks as if it could be a real headache!

I agree: Rodgersia, Ornithogallum umbellatum and Onoclea sensibilis.

Thanks a lot.

Daylily - you can see the sheaf leaf arrangement in the front plant.

Here is a picture taken just after some early garden cleanup. It is the darker green in the middle front. This plant is about 4 years old.

Not sure why image didn't stay. Trying again.

tradescantia and geranium

OH I love that poppy! Do you know the name? I want to see if I can add it to my zone 3 garden. It amazes me that you can have all these blooming at the same time, I need to find more that bloom together up here. BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks to my neighbor, who planted a package of wildflower seeds next to my south fence, I now have a whole bed full of this. Comes up where you least expect it, and now has migrated to my vege garden. This morning I found some in a bed clear across the yard. If she hadn't moved, I would now be commiting neighborcide.

Oh, I couldn't resist showing the blooms against the green-yellow foliage:)

Your seedlings have stretched looking for more light. Plant the roots only, they will send out new growth.

Yes, just plant the root, prop up with twigs if necessary.

catkinZ8a - the setting is the allotments i.e. community garden where I have a plot. The jungle in the background is neighbouring plots so I have no control over them. But the little bay tree is mine. It grew from a berry that came with leaves I used for mulch.

Flora, there's that *borrowed landscape* thing you've going on! I think it looks great--even/especially with the composters! What do you use for carbon in your composters? I have a bale of straw I layer with grass/herbaceous clippings but I'm not as fanatic about creating compost as I could be...I admire your seed sowing abilities!

A hoe would do the job on a warm dry day. For tree seedlings disturbance at the cotyledon or infant stages is sufficient, as mxk3 said.

We tried our shop vac in the corners of our patios where swirling leaves collect. They were too large to fit into the mouth of the shop vac, hence the purchase of the cyclone rake. It's large, but folds up, and has been an enormous help.