Wish List

Reply to: Yes, Please show the meadow. I have a patch of soil on the other side of a stone wall that separates it from the veggie garden. i started it for the perennial garden ” rejects ” ( namely veronicastrum) i must let it go. I am at the end of my time and ability to maintain. ”letting go ” would be the gracious and sensible thing to do. whatever nature suggest there will be accepted except for poisons and real pests The ”nature” of locust trees is to send up shoots when the mother tree is stressed. . we removed one 20 years ago and i spend 3 years chasing thorny 1 foot shoots that popped up all the yard. Now one is in decline ( half leafless) and is preparing for its future. Sprouts everywhere. This is why we never finish. Nature loves to fill in where it can around my raised veggie beds, Weed seeds have olympics to see which one can fly, float or leap the furthest and land in the veg bed. I removed one bed and got an elevated bed / planting box which I have yet to fill with the appropriate soil mix. My lawn? Like many of yours, returned to weeds: dandilions,violets, ground ivy, The burdock and plaintains i go after before they seed. i let a thistle go to seed once ( how pretty it was) and ended up with 50 the next year. Im not stupid but that was dumb. My gardens reflect nature where land suggested what should be there. i made a shade and shrub garden in a wooded area. The gentle shaded slope suggested groupings of hostas. The real world suggested a growing deer population which decimated half of the hostas. How do we idenify or narrow diwn what aspect if ”nature” we are talking about.? it is so wonderfully complex, interelated and interdependent that it is easiest to just sit by and let it happen. .

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Reply to: Astilbe : It comes up reliably, has early lovely foliage, amazing blooms of so many colors, doesn't flop, no bugs, gives structure in late summer after so many of my floppers and self seeders have been pulled out , keeps color through the early fall, makes an excellent cut flower , I can't resist getting more and more each year as they are readily available at Costco - it holds its own in my challenging weedy garden. I took some pics but they haven't shown up on my laptop yet and they are still 'waiting in the wings' anyway, with flower stalks forming. I reserve the right to change my mind ;))

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Reply to: Should I cut this just above any node, maybe a few inches above the existing canopy? You can. But I'd cut back to slightly below the current canopy level as Cotinus are inclined to produce long, whippy growth (like what the stem above is doing) when pruned during the growing season. IOW, now is not a good time to do so. Despite the common name of 'smoketree', Cotinus coggygria is not a tree but rather a sprawling shrub. And as it blooms on current year's growth, it is best to prune in late winter or early spring before any new growth starts. In fact, the shrub will easily tolerate hard pruning back to 6-10 inches to rejuvenate or restore to size if it grew too large. That is likely how what appear to be multi-trunked specimens came to be - hard pruned so the new growth looks like it's coming from multiple trunks rather than a very low framework of branches. btw, hard pruning or pruning after new spring growth has already started could delay any flowering for a season.

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Reply to: Ahhh, Marlorena, we can always count on you for lovely photos and that wonderful garden setting! I must obtain a similar variety to 'Burma Star.' This year, I received 'Diamantina', such large double blooms, too bad I hadn't snapped a photo prior to pruning it back when planting. "Kiri Te Kanawa', was disappointingly not available from the vendor and my money refunded. My big disappointments this spring being I had carefully dug and moved 'Blue Light' late last autumn and now it's totally sulking, and 'Perle d'Azur' has wilted, hopefully it comes back to grace the veranda in a few months. We've been decent good for moisture so far, though the awful WINDS have now very much dried things out, thankfully a significant multi day rain is approaching as I write, hopefully though won't be swimming in a few days time, the balance of mother nature seems more than a bit out the window these days! Raymondz7a, yes, I'm in agreement it appears you have 'Jackmanii Superba', indeed a variety having become challenging to obtain for the myriad of times it's now mislabeled. As for propagation, I've easily been successful with semi ripened cuttings taken from stem prior to flowering, these can root rather quickly as compared to those of ripened brown wood, but not impossible with those, just takes longer. Strike cuttings into a peat / perlite / sand mixture and tent over with plastic and maintain in a semi shaded place, be careful to never overwater, keep the soil just nicely barely moist. 'Reflections', this one has an ethereal appearance.

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Reply to: Brian, I grew the cultivar 'Freckles" at a previous (beachside) garden. Grew on and over an elevated walkway and railing and was exposed to full sun and a lot of wind. Was never exposed to very cold temps and was very lush and floriferous, blooming sporadically from late fall through to early spring. This is a big vine so two maybe excessive unless you have plenty of space (need to plant were you can easily enjoy the flowers and their scent in winter). I don't remember where I got mine.....maybe my local nursery. We have lost a lot of clematis mail order sources recently so no suggestions there. But if you are prepared to travel to Oregon, you can likely find it at Xera Plants or Cornell Gardens. Good luck!

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Reply to: Last year a local nursery had a section labeled native plants, and there was a line of pots all labeled Solidago ’Fireworks’. Problem is, the pots all contained a plant that was a low growing basal rosette. I pointed out the error and was told that some plants look different when they first come up. I said I’m growing this in my garden, and that’s not the right plant. They just looked at me so I said you’re going to have some angry customers when this turns out not to be goldenrod, and I walked away. Later I could see several of the nursery staff huddled around that table with phones out, trying to figure it out. I’ve no idea if they corrected as I didn’t go back.

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Reply to: As a general rule, the plants usually resemble their mother (from experience), though it's not a certainty. The ones I'm starting are from the Ashwood strain, which is one of the best. With my conditions, I expect about 3-4 years to first flower. That's part of why the priciness.

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Reply to: I'm sure if I think about it awhile, I'd come up with many plants that are in my garden because of something someone shared on Gardenweb, but the first thing that came to mind was the Seven Son Flower tree - Hepticodium miconioides. I don't know how long I read posts by Woody - years - where she posted photos of her Seven Son Flower tree. She was so happy with it, but because I didn't think I could add a tree to my garden, I never thought of getting one. But over time things change and two years ago I started to think a tree would work. A smaller tree. And when I read that this tree attracted hummers, I thought it would be great. Woody had always talked about the other pollinators it attracted, butterflies? Any way, last year I ordered one when I came across a small 1-3ft tall bare root tree for $24. @ Fedco trees. I didn't hesitate. It arrived this spring and we planted a very small barely alive stick of a thing and watered it and waited. Well, it didn't take long to push out multiple stems with very pretty healthy leaves. We had surrounded it with wire to protect against the rabbits and it was lower than the wire fencing. Now it's about 8" above the wire fencing. It seems vigorous and healthy. I was watering it this morning and of course, every time I go near that tree, I think of Woody. I so wish I had bought it when she was still here. She would have been so excited that she influenced me to try it. :-) OH, and I found out it was introduced here from China to the Arnold Arboretum which is in my state. And that there is ..."an extremely nice specimen on the terrace at the Tower Hill Botanical Garden here in MA too.

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Reply to: The one in the my pic gets morning sun and is next to the pipe for my sump pump. Ended up getting another and it’s in full sun next to a gutter. The full sun is easily 3 times the size. Much taller and wider. I like the plant. Could look great in one big area or a wet spot in the yard. Doesn’t stick out too much and rather unnoticable most of the year. Serves its purpose though

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Reply to: Peren- I ordered small roots 2 years back... and then I found a couple gallon pots on sale at a small nursery. They were sad looking things in the fall. But they have all come up really well this spring. My soil is heavy clay that I have amended down to a bit over a foot.... so it's got decent drainage. I have a single flower stalk... which I mentioned to my small boy about the "trick" ... so now he asks every night if we can do it. I assume he thinks it pretty much going to be a fireworks display.

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Reply to: Hosepipe battle??? We aren't allowed hoses. But there's a tap right by my plot so I can use cans. Always impressed by your plant lists. The only intentional Ranunculaceae I have are easy Clematis and Japanese anemones. Of course I have a healthy population of R repens and Lesser Celandine and also some Celery leaved buttercup. The latter is from seed I collected by the Thames. I had never seen it before and was very excited. Now, of course, it's become a thug, rather than an unusual native. Oh, I forgot Kingcups in the micro pond.

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Reply to: That stinks. Coppertina is one of my favorite shrubs. I wonder what causes the mildew, mine is in an exposed location but other than aphids one year I've never had any problems. I do try and prune it each winter to thin and "refresh" it by removing some older branches.

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Reply to: Are you naturally convivial, Dee? It can be rather nice, having a chat with people passing by. Or, if you are terminally awkward, bad-tempered and surly, like myself, you might have to work quite hard, cultivating a fierce scowl and mad bat demeanor. Wear strange hats and mutter to yourself...people rush by quite rapidly, I find. I garden on a public allotment, on a busy street where numerous people like to lean over the hedge and make inane comments. Some people (like my sweetheart and dog) like all that sort of thing. You might too. Or not. But hey, I find I spent 99% of my time peering at a square foot of ground and am largely oblivious to the passing public. Wear headphones, too. And sunlight!!! Or grow some raspberries/loganberries/rubus - privacy back within a single season.

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Reply to: Zone 4 (Minnesota) here. Last year we had a local gardening pro come by and make plant recommendations for our front landscaping, and he enthusiastically suggested a Sun King for the shady corner by our front porch. I searched high and low but finally found one at a nursery across town, planted it in lovingly amended soil, watered him faithfully, even whispered sweet nothings of encouragement when I passed by. Of all the perennials I planted, he was my greatest source of excitement because a) he was lovely and b) even my very gardening-savvy dad doesn’t have one! I felt like I’d made a major discovery. He didn’t explode in size over the summer, but I assume that’s normal for the first year. He died back in the fall as all perennials do here, especially after the first freeze. Well here it is, May 20, and he has yet to stir from his winter slumber. To be fair, this particular spot is north-facing, so even the hostas and astilbes are taking a little while to catch up with their south- and west-facing counterparts, though they are emerging a little more each day. But no word yet from his royal highness. Before I panic or start writing his eulogy, is there anything I can do to encourage him? Plant food? Smelling salts? Hoping to hear this slow return is nothing to fret over! (Photo taken immedaitely after planting last summer.)

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Reply to: As I recall, mine did that and then started blooming around year 5. I figured it was transplant shock. Also, they don’t bloom until June in these parts, do you see flower buds? tj

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Reply to: So I went out to do some work and decided to get a few more pics of my daylilies. Not sure why I bother as the camera on my phone never does them justice, but I feel a bit guilty that I devour everyone else's photos and never show my own. I will say, it's so darn humid that just walking around the yard taking photos left me drenched in sweat, so I decided not to work outside. Which is kind of a lazy decision since I have so much to get done. But, tomorrow, when I go to work, it will be a lovely day, I'm sure lol. That's the way it's been all spring - lovely days when I work, lousy days when I'm off! Anyway, some more daylilies: I think I showed this one above, but the lovely pink edging shows more here. Apparently I have divided and moved some daylilies around the garden, which is bad because I never accurately labelled the originals, so now I'm just spreading my lax ID practices around lol. Keep thinking these are Hyperion but then remember they are more likely Ice Carnival. (IIRC, Hyperion had a nice fragrance; these don't. Hyperion also perhaps a bit more yellow??) Again, moved a bunch around the yard.... and so these may be Ice Carnival too, but they look a bit pinkish The lovely hot yellow I thought was Buttered Popcorn but now think it's Glory (maybe??) A pinky-salmon that is hard to capture. I do have the name of these... somewhere lol I thought this was Primal Scream, a flaming hot orange that is spectacular in real life.... ... but then I saw THIS at the other end of the bed. Again, perhaps I divided and moved it? I really MUST start keeping better notes. But I probably won't. My hard drive is littered with the beginnings of garden journals that last a few weeks, devolve into monthly postings instead of several-times-a-week postings, and then just end. For someone who loves to write (not to mention garden lol!!) I don't know why I don't keep better records! A teeny-tiny little apricot color - I was surprised how small it is - don't remember reading that in the catalog. Not sure I like it, but we'll see. I keep wanting to call it April Love, but that is the name of the rose I lost over winter. But think this is April something. I really should remember this as it's only two years old lol. But again, the name is somewhere.... One of the - believe it or not - reds that I referenced in my last post. Looking extremely magenta here. I kinda like the magenta better lol. But seriously, I'm not a big fan of red but I have to admit when I saw this this morning, I did appreciate the color and could see why I added it. I just wish I could share that color with you lol! Okay, had to give kudos to some of the hydrangeas this year. This is my White Dome, which is actually a bit past it's peak. I LOVE this hydrangea. Almost NO maintenance, absolutely prolific bloomer every year, absolutely swarming with all kinds of pollinators, and the white lace-cap type blooms (should have taken a close-up!) age to a nice green which last all year. I used these in my daughter's wedding flowers (the nice green by her September wedding) and I just dug up about a quarter of this shrub to transplant into her garden. So, not the most exciting blooms but one of my garden workhorses An unknown hydrangea I got at a plant swap years and years ago. I tried to ID it here on the forums but no one could do so definitively. Lovely airy blooms that age to a nice pink A little hydrangea my daughter bought me for Mother's Day last year (got the name somewhere lol). I planted it out last fall, not hoping for much, being one of those forced Mother's Day, greenhouse-grown plants, but it came back very nicely and is doing well. It's all by itself in a shady area which I am hoping to create into a new shade garden. (What was that I've been saying for the last two years about cutting back and downsizing...?) My first dahlia bloom of the season - lousy photo and honestly, not a very nice bloom. Like Wendy's daylily, lol, it's rather muddy. I think this may be Great Silence, because I know I planted those tubers in a pot on my patio because they are so spectacular, but this rather disappointing bloom makes me think it might be New Dawn(??) which in the catalog looked very similar to Great Silence but IRL last year were muddier, less beautiful blooms. My beloved QAL - hard to tell but this bloom is about 8 inches across! I've got some huge QAL this year! The one that was over 6 feet tall fell over in the rain, but there is still this one, which is over my (5'4") head Speaking of tall, I've mentioned elsewhere on the forums about a reseeded type of rudbeckia that appeared in my garden, but I don't know what kind it is. (Tried to ID this here too, but again nothing definitive) But it's HUGE. Well over my head and still not in bloom. I tried to get a photo that showed it's height. That Primal Scream in the lower left of the picture is about 3 feet tall, and this rudbeckia is about 1.5 feet away from it. This is the tallest one, with others about 3-5 feet tall. Can't wait till it blooms to maybe get a better ID. And then I'm going to rip it out lol - and replant at the back of the bed. And will definitely move any seedlings next year. This is the bed where I "found" a shrub that I forgot I planted, hidden under this rudbeckia and feverfew, and where my Julia Child rose is valiantly plugging along also hidden under this stuff! Oh, and see that gray, grassless area in the photo above? That is some of the solid rock I live on lol. Of course, in the one of the few sunny areas of my yard. Off to the left of this photo is are my cinderblock raised beds, four of them, all on pretty much solid rock. And again, the sunniest part of my yard lol! My rather sad attempts at growing hollyhocks. Very happy these bloomed first season, but it's only about 10 inches tall! I do have some others I planted last season - Chaters Double and another whose name escapes me, and they grew pretty well earlier, but have been hit by some kind of rust(?) and now the Japanese beetles have destroyed the pretty blooms. My cimicifuga - which is so much more fun to say than actea racemosa lol. Got this at a plant swap eons ago, I think from Sue who used to post here and has a lovely garden. The plant itself does very well but I only usually get a few - three to four - bloom stalks. Lastly (I know, you guys are saying thank goodness, the last one!) is a ligularia. I don't know what kind this is. This was given to me by George, who many of you may remember as EGO45CT, who was a very active poster and had a gorgeous garden, and was very, very generous to me. This was a seedling of two ligularias that he said had crossed in his garden. I may move it to my red/yellow/orange bed which is a bit shadier and seems to have moister soil (or does now - we'll see how it does when the electric company cuts down those trees there). Right now I have it right next to my driveway so I can see it, but this bed, despite most-of-the-day shade, gets some pretty intense late afternoon sun and the poor thing is always wilting. Okay, I'm done lol. Thanks for sticking with me through so many (rather poor) photos. I really should space myself out a bit more lol! :) Dee

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Reply to: DANG!!! Jeri, I was seriously hoping to enable you into getting it, dang, dang, dang!!! Are you SURE you don't like the colors??? What I like, as the brick fades to mauve, is that it reminds me of *all* the desert colors at once, espcially the drive thru Red Rock, and I bet you've been thru there. (Uh-oh, yeesh, maybe I've hit a bad memory after your Needles, er, 'adventure'? ) Anyway, it complements pinks and yellows *together* beautifully in a vase like the best colors of nature. Beyond all that, it is simply a trooper of the first order. I got three this spring. Two for down here by LAX. Today, I finally noticed the first touch of M ("m-i-l-d-e-w" for those who don't know what it means, I dare not do more than spell it, in case it hears). I don't believe it will need spraying, if it's been clean so far. I can keep you posted. In the meantime, they are now 3'high and 2'wide with many great candelabras waiting to blooming this week into next. At the mtn place, I have one in between and in front of a Golden Celebration and a (very upright) Crown Princess Margarita. It is incredibly cute, especially with the Black Eyed Susans next to it. Around the corner from them are the rest of my 'desert color' series. Too, bad, sniff...

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Reply to: An online ad called the Haas Halo stems as "sturdy" but I would take it with a grain of salt until someone who grows it can comment I have seen a mature HH at a friends garden....very large with "sturdy" stems. you can do a Hydrangea Forum search for "Haas Halo" from last year: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4441166/haas-halo#22403412

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Reply to: Seen February 3 along the Mount Vernon Trail in Alexandria, Va.

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Reply to: The types of hellebores artinnature is referring to with upward and outward facing flowers are intersectional hybrids with rather complex parentage. Although any hellebore is a great garden plant, these ones tend to be a bit limited in coloring as well as seldom featuring any double flowers. Unlike the vastly more common Helleborus x hybridus or "oriental hybrids" (with nodding, downward facing flowers in a vast array of colors), these intersectional varieties tend to have white, cream or pink/mauve flowers or a blend thereof. These are not as common in nurseries and garden centers as the xhybridus but are easily available via mail order. They often have stunning patterned or marbled foliage as well FWIW, all hellebores are easy to grow. All they require is proper drainage and enough sun to promote flowering. While hellebores are shade tolerant, they grow beautifully in quite a lot of sun as long as protected from intense summer heat. Corsican hellebore, H. argutifolius, can be grown in full sun as that is its native condition. Not as hardy as some other varieties however.

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Reply to: Mine, on the other hand, sits and sulks getting no bigger and never seeding. It doesn't get enough sun imo. I didn't intend to implied they NEVER need water. If you have prolonged drought they will need a bit. But they didn't need watering every day after planting.

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Reply to: I'm very excited - I bought some new ones at a local sale. 30% off and some real beauties! Anybody have experience with any of these hybrids? Anna's Red - new leaves are variegated pink! Green Gambler Ballerina Ruffles (I understand it's usually pink? I love the white!) Peppermint Ice and my favourite of the bunch: Winter Moonbeam

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Reply to: For the past sixteen years, we've lived in a colonial on a suburban cul-de-sac in a neighborhood within walking distance of great schools, sports fields and a community pool. The kids are grown now and my knees resent climbing stairs and a quarter acre lot feels confining so... we purchased a rambler on an acre and a half as our retirement house. The previous owner of the rambler is a ninety year old lady who had lived in that house for forty years. Obviously it was a good retirement house for her so I trust it will serve us as well. The house and landscaping haven't received much care in the past few years so we've spent a couple of months and a lot of cash repairing/replacing the well, water treatment system, septic tank, moldy crawlspace, HVAC, etc. We will finally move in over Thanksgiving weekend. My plan to transplant cherished perennials from my "old" garden has been foiled by drought so for now my gardening activities have consisted of removal of burning bush and autumn olive along the tree lines and removal of mint, garlic chives and mugwort from the garden beds. Most of the lot is wooded: the only lawn is over the septic field. There are several raised garden beds surrounding the screened room. The back side of the house has two sets of French doors. One leads to the screen room and one to a brick patio with a nice view of the woods. So I'm daydreaming combinations of low maintenance plantings to entice hummingbirds, provide color over a long season and enhance the view.

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Reply to: True....a shade tree with a free-form garden bed beneath it always works in front. Add a free-form flower bed along the wall as well. Not familiar with Stewartias or anything else in your Zone.

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Reply to: From a Zone 4 perspective, I think the breeding work on these 'reblooming' hydrangeas is getting better. I've been happy with Bloomstruck, Summer Crush and Tuff Stuff A-Ha so far, others have gone buh-bye from lack of blooms. Time will tell on this one but I plan on tracking on down. As a Minnesotan, I got a kick out of 'our harsh Michigan climate.' I guess it's all relative.

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Reply to: Here is my Rooguchi today. It is on a 7 foot tall obelisk and the top has flopped over about 2 feet. Nothing else I can do except enjoy. It is now in a bit too much shade to be a prolific bloomer, trees got larger. Sherry

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Reply to: floral, the creatures that would be inclined to eat lily bulbs are present in ALL US climate zones so I fail to see how location would have any impact on that.

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Reply to: I see someone suggested a bamboo screen. I would just do something like this at the corner and plant what you want in front of it. By the time the bamboo fencing deteriorates, your plants will be established and will hide all the sins. this is a little fancier/more permanent, but still very inexpensive:

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Reply to: Try Chrysolepis chrysophylla. Here is a picture of a bud that a stole from the internet. They’re just strange things. They have excellent fire regeneration: I was backpacking through a 2017 fire last weekend and the trail was covered with them on both sides. A lovely native shrub, even if the nuts are a bit spiny.

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Reply to: in reply to a few questions: i believe the magnolia came from Northeadt nurseries in Beverly or around there It bought by the landscaper who worked on my front gardens. t “Grace Barker” came from now gone ”blanchette’s nursery” in Carlisle. im still sad it’s gone Redbud. ihave had 2. i think our climate challenges them. the i got one from Wilsons and they promised me their redbuds did ”great” where they grow them up in their zone 5 NH nursery. it looked and acted completely dead ithe next spring. i left it there and the following spring i noticed it had sparse leaves. Over the last 5 years it has slowly revived but it will never look good. it is just grower. The second one lost main branches over winter. it has lost branches every one if its three winters in my garden. it looks ridiculous but its alive. and it pushes out enough leaves in spring that has a substantial chartreuse presence. But my opinion, from my limited experience, is that they have weak crotches. substantial die back and overall branching pattern is not always pleasing. Why is this side ways and how can it be fixed and more basic how do you delete a photo once it is on the screen. ? for people who are inclined to turn their camera sideways, the chartreus is that wee sad stick of redbud now that it is completely leafed out. the flowers were insignficant. this year. if the foliage stays this color it so has earned garden space

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Reply to: My otherhalf is a software architect and agrees; it's incompetence on the part of the tech staff. They are still playing whack-a-mole trying to de-bug/maintain an old, outdated system (which, remember, combined GW and Houzz into one clunky beast) rather than designing and implementing a robust, user-friendly system that accommodates a variety of platforms and devices, etc. LOL If I had one wish granted, it would be that photos were simple/easy to post, and related to this--that the photo posting button, once submitted, enabled a "spinning wheel of death" so that the user had some inkling whether the photo was indeed uploading. Or not. LOL Edit: He calls it a "progress bar" and not "the spinning wheel of death" when he's trying to sound professional. LOL

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Reply to: As a family physician and geriatrician, I can confidently recommend that no one should compare themselves to anyone else, when it comes to age or rate of physical decline. There are many causes of "slowing down," some of which could be worrisome and some of which are "normal aging." Everyone should continue to work/play to the extent they can tolerate (use it or lose it) and observe for any dramatic change in abilities. Those should be addressed with your primary care medical provider. I also understand the tendency to want to "fight it," but it's not fair to impose that expectation on someone who may very well have a legitimate medical reason for their slow down. I come from a long line of folks with severe, early osteoarthritis (wear and tear). My mom had both hips and a shoulder replaced in her 60s. If I want to avoid surgery, I need to pace myself and use every resource available to minimize the strain on any/all of my joints. Do I like it? Not one bit. Do I follow my own recommendations? Certainly not all of the time. But, we each muddle through the best we can. Balance in all things. Martha

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Reply to: Here are some of mine. Confetti Cake Amber Gem Apricot Blush White NOID Molly's White

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