13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials

That was my experience with begonia grandis (which overwinter just fine here), you can't force it to keep growing, it's based on photoperiod (well, if you wanted to set up lights, I guess you could).

Thanks, everybody! I'm going to get a couple of the 'Bonfire' cultivar; I'm going with orangey, peachy, tangeriney colors this year. Hmmmm, sounds like an orchard, doesn't it? I've got a patio that gets morning sun and a screened porch that filters brighter light all the time. Perfect spots for begonias.

I'm planning on growing them throughout the winter, after a serious haircut. I believe that all of the B. boliviensis cultivars are under patent protection, so won't be taking any cuttings.

Patty, thanks (I think!) for posting those links! I'm getting some from Faribaults.

Anyone seen Kevin lately? I thought he'd posted in the Trees Forum but I don't remember seeing him here since the change. Anyway, thanks, Kevin!

Kevin's mums did the same thing for me. These very wet frozen winters has had me worried about mums thou. But they could over winter in a pot. Think it's time to order.

ryseryse - I think they have a printable order form or you just write up your order and mail with check the old fashion way. Faribaults is a good trustable source.

I am in NC and have phlox (garden and Laura) in shade and full sun. Some of the Laura is in full sun, facing west, and it was quite happy last year. :)

I would go for the sunnier spot for Phlox. Don't expect much the first year, but they get more impressive every year. In dry California mildew is not usually a problem, but all mine are on drip watering so the foliage rarely gets wet. Al

...I planted eranthis a few weeks ago and most have disappeared, - rotted probably, but a few are in flower... however I think they're a rapid spreader, so maybe just a few are needed to move things along...
...Chionodoxa's and Squills I love...but see so many around here that makes me think...better in theirs than in mine....
....I have a pretty 'weed' to post, in a day or two....

Lillies were called Lollipop. All of them appear dormant at this time. Will wait on hollyhocks but may go ahead and pot lilies in peat pots. Thanks

It is a little early to plant the lilies from bags unless they are already shooting sprouts. If so, do plant them, keep as cool as possible to slow the growth down as they will get very tall and spindly before time to plant outside.

I use Milorganite for my lawn and the spreader would sprinkle some on the flower beds. It's advertised as lawn fertilizer but I don't see why I can't use it on flowers. It's also one of my defenses against all kinds of critters in my yard. I think it's a controversy whether it's real organic or not because it's made from sewage sludge. I do not use it on vegetables. Home Depot has it.

Agree with what others have said about testing your soil first, usually through your state ag center. I have a home tester which cost apx $35, & have compared the ag center's reports on my 3 soil samples w/ what my own tester shows - pretty accurate. High end testers cost apx $75-100.

I grow the herb comfrey, make a tea like the alfalfa tea described above & apply it with a sprayer or a watering can. I would worry that comfrey used as a mulch or in compost might grow new plants all over the place. Comfrey tea smells until the leaves turn black, then it stops smelling. As I remember the alfalfa tea that I made never stopped smelling until I poured it on the plants, then there was no smell. Comfrey grows very quickly here, dies back somewhat in the winter & costs almost nothing. See links below.

Has anyone mentioned a worm box (vermiculture)? Very cheap as the worms eat your rotten produce, newspapers & eggshells & provide liquid gold to your garden.

Info on comfrey as fertilizer, see p2 of link for "liquid fertilizer":

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/comfrey-power

Comfrey needs room as it has a huge taproot. It can also throw a seed. I am currently cutting off the flowers until I can get the sterile one, Russian Comfrey Bocking #14, developed for this use & recommended. Also see book on link below:

http://www.nantahala-farm.com/comfrey-root-bocking-14-s.shtml

twrosz is absolutely right, though I didn't know that the berries are edible. It came in with some soil I moved here from another part of the property and the clump has expanded. Here is a photo with the berries; I think that if the plants were in at least some shade the foliage would still look reasonable in the fall, but they get all day sun. It grows naturally in the woods here. The scientific name for false Solomon's seal was changed within the last few years from Smilacina racemosa to Maianthemum racemosa, so you will see it listed under both names.

NHBabs, indeed this plant appreciates moist fertile soil and some protection from hot scorching afternoon sun and then will retain its foliage looking good longer into the season.

BTW. nice spider :)

Pic of Elizabeth Ann

CMK

..another lovely pic of Elizabeth Ann there...I like this one...

..of those above...'Elizabeth Ann' - lovely foliage and flower colour but possibly another one that's a bit touchy as to where its planted....I've had to move it twice already...don't know if anyone else has noticed this with their plant...

...'Magnificum' only flowered in June for me...lovely rich colour and good foliage but I want something longer flowering...

...'Macrorrhizum Album' is my favourite of this group....here it is with another purple variety called 'Bevans'.... I love both these.... I use the white more than any other... I'd like to obtain another white called 'White-Ness' it's pure white, but deciduous.... 'Spessart' is another similiar to 'Album'.... I'm not sure which of the two I've actually got...

...if you've not heard of one called 'Patricia'...then I'd like to introduce you to that....it's a shorter form of 'Psilostemon'..and so much better...although it does flop a bit.... but a much longer flowering season...into October even...

Hello all, I'd like to introduce myself a little and more about what I do and maybe get some conversations going to fill up these boring winter nights.

• I first started Garden Web back in 2011 in the cacti and succulent garden, then moved to winter sowing but my real love has always been and always will be perennials. I have quite a few but I'm sure many of you have quite a few more.
• I've been gardening since 1990 and started working at my dream come true a Nursery/Landscaping company.
• I later was hired to start up and run two different greenhouses. After having a physical set back for a few years,
• I slowly started working in peoples perennial beds again.
• I started winter sowing as a way to propagate many perennials and have them all live.
• I also grow annuals as well and some tomatoes.
• I do this mostly for the fun of it and give a lot away.
• I also take some of my plants to the to farmer's markets.
• I also live on a corner and before I started driving again recently I sold my wares on the street corner.
• But this isn't a success story as much as it is a love story.
• I love what I'm doing and will give it away to anyone who shows an interest.
• I know very little compared to some of you, and am here to learn and have fun.
• I love sharing pictures too.
• I couldn't leave my first note without sharing some of my flower favorites.

1. My favorites are Delphiniums because they are the Princesses' of the garden,
2. Echinacea's, mostly the shorter ones, and it seems like I've grown found of
3. Biennials this year. Unless you're a garden nut, people don't seem to keep biennials going.

I've started several seeds from seed already this year... I already seeded 2 Perennial Delphiniums (one of the Delphs was Carmine red, awesome huh?) and 2 Larkspurs.

I recently bought about 10 more different seeds to winter sow.

I Love the color peach and ordered

1. Digitalis Apricot Beauty ,
2. Agastache Apache Sunset ((which is one of my least favorite plants), but since it's in combination color of peach, orange and rose... I think it will be interesting,
3. Begonia Illumination Apricot Shades,
4. Geraniums Maverick Coral and a huge pack of
5. Accent Premium Salmon Impatiens
6. and just 15 Impatiens Divine orange seeds.

I ordered two different peach double Hollyhock seeds;

1. Salmon Queen and
2. Spring Celebrities Apricot Mix. The 2nd I will only get TEN SEEDS CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? AND I PROBABLY PAID THE MOST FOR IT, LOL, THAT'S CRAZY! Does anyone know how pretty these are? The color is very two-toned and bloom is double and frilled.
3. And just 15 divine orange Impatiens.

I've sown all my seeds from seed swaps and my first two shopping sprees. Can anyone relate? Below is a Dwarf Double Pink Hollyhock from 2 years ago.

What goes good with peach? I'm asking you, but I'm going to suggest purple.

If I can find the picture, a Salmon Geranium and a lavender Cleomewrite me or email me at Graceygirl777@gmail

Hi micki! Thanks for the intro. It sounds like you are really into gardening for flowers from perennials. I agree that you can get alot of plants from wintersowing seeds. I did it last year for Esprit penstemons and out of 100 seeds, I got about 50+ plants. Unbelievable. The others i have less success with but enough plants for my taste of them. I got some cherry brandy rudbeckias, some foxgloves and lupines as well as a few daylilies.

Thank you for the advise, i'm going to pull them out of the bag now and have a little peek to see where they are at. I have kept them in the house but in a cooler location, although having said that, it didn't keep my canna pretoria from sprouting or my peony. I have garden fever at the moment. I'll i want to do is plant. Ha! Thank you again for the sound advise.

BloomCin, those are gorgeous! I love the pink ... i got a mixed bag of colors. I hope they turn out as nice as that. :D

I have in my notes that I planted a mixed sack of astilbe from brecks last year on April 1st. 7 or 8 bare root plants, all completely dormant. I kept them in the bottom of the fridge - in the bag they came in, which had air holes and moist media - for 3 or 4 days waiting for the weather to break to plant them. I remember it did snow after that on April 15 (tax day), but they all lived, and 5 or so of the 7 bloomed last year.

I prefer this page, top 5 nurseries by category -

The Annual Garden Watchdog Top 5 Awards

thanks for the list, d-boll, but I don't grow Hostas. It's like saying to the deer, free lunch here. Over 95% of what I grow, and it's a very large garden, range from somewhat deer resistant to highly deer resistant. I just don't have time to spray more than a few tempting plants, and hosta a simply too tempting.

One of my very favorite nurseries was Seneca Hills Perennials. the owner carried a number of unique strains of uncommon perennials (i.e. spectacular strains of Arum italicum pictum with highly unusual markings on the leaves) and a few woodies. I miss that nursery very much.

I knew you would like them woods tea. It blooms all summer then the plants just sort of shrivel up and sort of self trim themselves at ground level into oblivion by mid September after doing super duty all spring thru summer. Each year the bulb gets bigger and after two or three years it will make a big mass of succulent foliage that looks like a miniature tree surrounded by lots and lots of babies that bloom the first year or are easy to pull. On a scale of 1 to 10 --one being easiest to sow and grow-- they are a one becoming what you would call a pass along plant.

I had two plants that are competing for supremacy in this regard. My Snake broom weed or is it Broom snake weed ( Guiterezzia sarothrae) And Havana Snake Root( Eupatorium havanense, Shrubby boneset, white mist flower, Barba de viejo). The honey bees, 5 types of native bees , butterflies of every sort, honey bees, wasps, praying mantis and spiders were all on it at the same time with their haunches loaded in yellow pollen. After it bloomed past its time they all congregated across the yard on the white Havana Snake root and exchange their yellow jodhpurs for white ones. They made me laugh with their activity. The Havana snakeweed bloomed till late November /early December. Its popularity with the bees might be because there is not much else that is in such full bloom at that time. I am encouraging more of them around the land. They are both natives and can deal with the worst of the worst weather that is dealt out here.

Broom Snakeweed

.Havana Snakeweed

See, this is the part that kind of scares me off - the storage and moving of tubes and houses, etc. I admit to being a negligent gardener (although part of my defense is my working 3 to 4 jobs, so it is a time thing to some extent) and I don't want to kill off anything because I don't get around to storing things properly. Same reason I don't feed hummingbirds - I'm afraid I will kill them because I didn't get around to cleaning the feeder properly!

We have lots of mason and bumble bee's here. Their quite docile actually and erratic in fight. They never watch were their going. We bump into each other on a regular basis. Have never been stung by either. Their rather humorous when they encounter a structure in their flight path as they can't quite decide what to do about the problem.

Like D.dee I bury mine, just the plastic tag that came with the plant. I don't like looking at the labels, and often don't need the reminder of what it is, but it is there if I want to look.

I order from Everlast Label Company, good prices, free shipping, good quality. In case you wish to take a look here is the link.

Everlast Label Company, Garden Labels | Plant Labels | Garden ...