13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
We had a BB quite a few years ago. One day I noticed the roots (shallow) were traveling quite a distance from the base of the plant . We have a septic system and I became concerned. Also it seeded itself annoyingly. Then, I read of its invasive tendency in my climate and could see why!
A weird thing...I found a foot tall seedling a few months ago across the driveway about 25 feet from where the original plant was growing. Must've laid dormant all this time. I had to chuckle. I spose it could have been pooped in...I'll never know. I decided to let it grow, I'll check on it next year.
Both S.coccinea (Scarlet Sage) and S. farinacea (Mealycup Sage) can be grown as annuals and reseed. Scarlet Sage is an annual here. Mealycup is perennial in my zone, the blue varies, some are lighter, some darker. Both are US native plants, very easy from seed, drought tolerant, self sow and both will tolerate quite a bit of shade or grow in full sun. I use them in some dry shady areas. They don't need winter sowing, just sow in warm temperatures. Mealycup sage is commonly sold as bedding plants, you could just pick up plants and allow them to self sow each year after that, they are only hardy to zone 7.
Alex,
Have you adjusted your profile to allow anyone to message you? I couldn't see how to send you an email, so you may not have done that. Go to "Your Houzz", click on "edit profile", on the left click "advanced settings", then go to the bottom of the page to "who may message me" and change to "anyone may message"----unless you don't want to. Then I'll need to "follow" you and you may need to "follow" me. I'll click to follow you, anyway.
Martha
Martha -
Have changed the setting; it was still set for private. Yes, I have 10 or so seeds I saved from last year's tithonia plants. Didn't save more because I wasn't thinking of planting them again right away, but can't help but put some back just in case. They're yours! Will e-mail you.
- Alex
Haha, I can usually remember where I planted most things, but when it's some stray pot of seedlings that I'm sticking in the day before a snowstorm things get foggy.... especially if I procrastinated long enough that it's actually snowing while I do it!
What I usually get is the "oh wow, I thought I killed that!"
ok... i had to look it up .. lol ...
first.. you will find the best info if you use the latin name ... even a youtube ....see link
second .... the reason for fall.. is its bloom time ... doing it after the show ...
third ... but if you have tons ... the worst that will happen.. is the transplants lose this years show ... things dont die from such ... you just might put them out of phase ... or.. the show wont be pretty.. due to the insult to the roots ... flowers will fall over or some such ....
but trust me... if a garden redesign is in the offing.. just go for it... the show will go on.. even if its next year ...
one last thought ... why do you have a ton ... many of us learned the hard way .. about over aggressive plants that want to take over the world ... maybe move a few.. but be leery about the fact.. that in a few years.. PERHAPS ... they will cover the whole yard ...
there .. i feel better ... and flora wont mock me ... lol
ken
Hahaha. Your posts are entertaining. I am definitely new at this, but I'm also the type of person who likes to educate myself on something before just diving into it. In the few years of experience that I've had with gardening I've made enough silly mistakes that I could have avoided by just asking a couple if questions first, so that's why in here :)
Now as for the whole summer thing, I'm not acting like it's already here, but February is usually our coldest month, and we've had days in the mid 70s already. So it's definitely a mild winter this year. And anyone in my area knows that when summer comes, it comes with a vengeance so I hesitate to plant anything too close to summer.
But you are right about one thing, I have enough of these to risk losing a few, so I'll just go at it and do some experimenting. Thanks for the push to do that! And the reason I have a lot is twofold: one, the previous owner planted quite a few because they are hardy and add a nice grassy element. And two, they produce seed pods and spread easily. But it's also very easy to go around snipping off the pods if you don't want them to spread. So I honestly don't consider them invasive. They take a little bit of work to keep them from being so, but it's only a few minutes a year. I guess tungstate annoying for someone who wants to plant a carefree landscape and go, but I enjoy being in the garden and this task is really so small for the payoff!
I'm always interested in seeing pictures of cactus and succulents growing in a natural landscape, their shapes and even their spines have a beauty in their own right and when in bloom they are breathtaking, at least I think so.
We were in Tucson one December, did a bit of exploring, the native plants really intrigued me. I only wish I could have returned in the spring to see the desert in bloom. I'm afraid my cactus and succulents have to live in the greenhouse most of the year. Can't have it all :(.
rouge, my comment was based on the many posts I read about plants that reseed or spread via underground roots are to be avoided as pests. This is commented on quite often here as a negative thing. Nothing other than that was intended. What is considered a good thing to some is a downside to others, thats all. Also, the majority of plants usually discussed here are hybrids created for the nursery trade type rather than wild plants and info typically discussed on a native plant forum so its just a matter of common interests, not a judgement call. My biggest gripe, if you will, is that nursery's do not carry more of the native plants I and others are interested in. Obviously I like the types of plants I'm growing, I'm not fishing for compliments or in need of affirmation, I simply like talking about natives and prairie plants and wanted to know if there are others out there who feel the same or have similar interests and wondered if we could get those two forums more active.
floral - some of those 814 were one-off posts or posts that refer to the Idylls. The main Idyll threads are the ones that say ' Idyll # [title]. I see the Idyll conversations as being a digital version of the tradition of long-running (snail-mail historically) correspondence between gardeners that develops into friendship and expands to encompass non-gardening aspects of the correspondents lives. In that tradition, face-to-face meetings happen but the written word is at the heart of the relationship, along with the love of plants, gardens, and gardening regardless of how wide-ranging the topics of conversation become.
I find the FB format does not have the feel of a conversation - feels more like a series of monologues, so I only pop up briefly there now.
Daisy, they can be forced to bloom any time of the year, but the plant may not survive afterwards. I plant them with roses and forget about them for the rest of the year. May is the month of their spectacular blooms! Tree peonies are really much taller and bigger than the herbaceous kind.
here are some yuccas that are hardy to Zone 5 or so the nursery cald Gold hardy Cactus says. I live in Z8b so it is all hearsay to me . there are others. a medium for your pot is 1 part inorganic grit, 1 part soil and 1 part humus ind some of that should be small composted wood chips. A easier way is C&S soil dilluted down with equal parts inorganic grit ( pumice, turface, washed DG,perlite, crushed granite, scoria). There are others that you can grow outside. On the cactus forum there is a guy that lives and grows some outside in inland BC.
http://www.coldhardycactus.com/yucca.php
water freezing on the fronds will beat them up. no matter what your soil mix you'll want to keep them dry in the winter-it's the damp freeze that will rot the roots.