A neon colored glad
Summer ...show your pic's # 2
callas
Earlier this year I received four Kaffir Lily bulbs as a gift. I've never grown them before and the instructions with them were pretty vague, so I put them in a pot on the patio (I don't think they are freeze-hardy) to see what happened. At first two of them put out lots of leaves, then a few days ago bloom spikes appeared from the two bulbs that had not produced much foliage and this morning the blooms opened. I'm not quite sure how to treat them this fall, but I certainly plan to keep them going, if possible.
Last year I wanted some ground cover for areas of the border garden that have bulbs in the spring. I've had success with lysimachia in the past, so I planted l. 'Goldilocks' along the edge of the bed. I like the effect of the plant spilling over the rocks.
I also planted lysimachia along the street, between the curb and the boxwood hedge around my big annual bed. Here the goal was to have something that could withstand the pollution and snow/ice removal from the street and take the foot traffic from the neighborhood walkers, kids and dogs on a leash. It has met my expectations perfectly. Previously I tried ivy here. Each spring (for 2 years) I'd plant a couple flats of ivy, conscious of the "Sleeps, creeps, leaps" adage everyone gives about planting ivy, but somehow it could not take the traffic and drought this sunny location offers. Last summer I planted the lysimachia and it's been perfect.
the Kaffar lilies are beautiful, do they by chance smell good too?
They have a very pleasant, light fragrance - not as heavy and cloying as an Oriental or trumpet lily.
Bees on echinachia
Pink water lily with little frog
Three pretty rose noids
Daylily in the shade
leawood, those things are INVASIVE here. I have a neighbor that planted in her front flowerbed. Now it's choking out the iris and she can't get rid of it.
Yikes! I'll keep my eye on it. Thanks for the warning!
Leawood - do you know the scientific name the plant you call Kaffir Lily? Here, we normally call Clivias kaffir lily. LiliMerci - It is a pity that something so pretty can be invasive.
Leawood, could you get some "steppable" plants that are not invasive. I was at a local nursery one day and my little daughter and I was picking one out for her stepping stone. I think the plant rep for the company that sell those stepable plants there and she showed me a few that are not invasive.
....but it could be different in your climate.
ahh - you were referring to the lysimachia as invasive.
Soilsandup, my research on the Kaffir lily shows it is a member of the Clivia family, but so far, it does not resemble what I have always known as Clivia, which has an orange or yellow bloom in the fall or winter (you must bring them indoors in zone 5). In looking it up, I also noticed it says they grow in deep shade, which certainly is not the case for my pot, which is in the center of a sunny patio. Maybe this is something different and I was misinformed as to what I received when I was given these bulbs. Whatever they are, I like the blooms.
Leawoodgardner ,Iam way confused,what is the bright green creeping plant? is that what you refer to as goldielocks,because Lysimachia ,is loose strife ,not the bright green creeper.I just planted some of the creeper,with out an ID.And I know that loose strife is on the Indiana ,DO NOT BUY ,SELL,OR PLANT LIST,and it is illeagel sell it in Indiana,the list is amazing and suprizing for what is listed,english ivy,russian olive,japanese honeysuckle.So what did I plant,Iam hoping I didnt plant an invasive,I planted 2 varities 1 is listed as a steppable veronica repens sunshine,and the other looks like what youve planted along the curb.I ve got my books out ,cant beleive I cant find it,DUH
Here is a link to the plant I have in my garden:
http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/detail.cfm?photoID=6791
Here is a link to Loosestrife, an upright plant which is considered an ecological threat:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/lysa1.htm
Leawoodgardner,I now see why I was soo confused. Thank you,Thank you.Tamara
Lysimachia , seems to have a whole lot of different looking plants.
The picture below is another loosestrife called fringed.
another loosestrife
And yet another , this one gooseneck loosestrife
So far this is the most diverse plant I have in my gardens, they do not have much visible in common. (except the name)
the one my neighbor has creeps on the ground and just spread out and climbs over stuff, like her stairways. It's like those ivy, you have to keep them in control.
LiliMerci, I've seen displays of the 'stepables' at nurseries and the "Goldilocks' lysimachia is one of the plants they feature. Their plants are a little more expensive, because they Advertise and Market them - what I bought is the same plant, but I paid the same price for a flat as I would have paid for two of the 'stepables' brand.
It is very durable, however, and you can actually step on it without causing a problem. It's been in place for a year and a half and so far, it isn't invasive. I'll watch it though. Thanks for the warning.
it may not be invasive in your zone. if you ever need more, I am sure my neighbor would be glad to give you some! I would probably pull them out and put them in a bubble envie to mail... :)
LOL - It is very easily propagated. I even lifted a few rooted runners and put them in an urn at the edge of my driveway to add a little interest to the angel wing begonia I put in the urn.
Here is a cool cottage border idea - plates...
Lilli..that is a cool boarder.Not using my wedding china???? Are those salad or dinner plates??
They are dinner plate size. It's not in my yard, BTW. It's at a shopping center close to my house. They have these huge zinnia and I collected some seeds yesterday. Yeah!
OK. This is not from my own garden, but at a garden show.
and these are from my very own garden:
ooops forgot to attach the photo
cactus zinnia
portaluca, I think...
more zinnias. These are those short little ground cover kind.
And I hope he is a friendly fellow who likes to hang out in between my sunflower leaves. He looks harmless, so I took his picture and left him alone.
Begonia.
Angel Wing Begonias - all different kinds
And last one for today...ornamental peppers
