That's ok. I really have about as many as I can fit now anyway. Just a bit (ahem) oinky lately about those astilbes.
We cross-posted. Thanks for trying.
This message was edited Jul 26, 2009 4:11 PM
Favorite Astilbe?
Found it....Astilbe Fuschia Spangles PA27. If you google that, you'll find mine.
Ut oh. May need to put another astilbe on my want list. Oink.
Thanks, Louise.
Louise, the only place listed that sells those is in New Zealand!
Time to use your frequent flyer miles, Sharon!! LOL I can't recall where I got mine, but it is the only one I've ever seen.
Well too bad I traded in my miles card for one that gives me back cash. Don't think I'll be going to NZ any time soon. Maybe one of these days or years I can tempt you with something exotic in exchange for a small division.
Cindy - let us know if you find it anywhere we can order it.
Sharon - I'll take a look at my clump to see if it might be ready for division in the spring.
Thanks Louise! - but really, wait til you're ready to divide it. I don't want to be scarfing up part of your favorite astilbe before you're ready to part with it.
That's no problem, Sharon. I don't usually divide our plants at the farm until spring at this point, only because they never seem to have enough time to get established in the fall here before we have to abandon them to the dry spells. If the rainy weather keeps on through the fall, however, we may be able to chance it. We'll know in September how it looks. Worst case scenario is that we will do it right when we return in the spring.
Cindy - I have no idea where I got this one, unfortunately. It arrived before I started keeping track of such good and useful info!! LOL
Have the best intentions on getting those Astilbe divided in my lower garden but am having to grub out unwanted plants (Lamium gone native and sweet woodruff) and move other "lost" plants to better spots. I did rescue a poor 'Pumilla' today from the throes of woodland phlox strangulation and gave it a new home with some relocated maidenhair ferns and a relocated Carex 'Bowles Golden' being smothered by Canadian ginger (which has gone crazy in my garden - I thought it was supposed to be well-behaved). I just have to move two Hostas and then I can start on dividing the 'Peach Blossom'. Then it's on to removing rampant woodland ferns to make room for 'Fanal' divisions. Obviously this poor garden is long overdue for some serious attention.
Cindy, sounds like you're on steroids or something!
Louise, really whenever is okay. Just discovered your September roundup. Would love to come, but not sure yet if I'll be around - and 3 hours is a bit of a hike for me. Haven't got a GPS thingy yet either.
Holy Cow Cindy! That's a lot of digging, dividing and planting.
As I mentioned, serious attention is long overdue. It does go a little slow since I have to be vigilant about poison ivy (sheesh, I even pick it out of my lawn) - those seedlings are always hiding waiting to get me. I always garden with heavy leather gloves unless I'm playing with pots. I'm using all of the digging as an opportunity to add some compost since the soil down there is pretty much clay. Any amending I did years ago has basically disappeared and returned mostly to it's natural clay state. That makes for much harder work. I'm taking a break today and tomorrow from the hard labor since I have other things on my schedule. This cooler summer is giving me a great opportunity since I usually hide indoors from the "real" summer heat.
Snapple - You'd be proud of me. Finally finished dividing the first bed of Astilbe. Took me 3 or 4 days of steady work because I rearranged a few things and amended the soil with compost and a 10-10-10 fertilizer and loosened up all the clay. I think that one bed is 30 ft by 15 ft and on a slope. The 'Peach Blossom' Astilbe better reward me next year. ;) I did add a bit of superphos in each planting hole.
Next bed has already been cleared of an overabundance of woodland ferns and need to relocate some Ligularia first and remove a huge Cimicifuga or two. Then it's on to dividing 'Fanal'. Throwing in some leftover 'Peach Blossom' for more staggered blooms and color. Still have a third bed to do after that. Ugh. I think I'm developing muscles.
I AM proud. And trying to imagine handling a bed that large and on a slope. The botanical garden where I volunteer has one just a little bit larger that I weed from time to time and once planted ( along with about 6 others) in a diamond pattern with lavender and Alternanthera "Red Threads". It was exhausting. Absolutely exhausting. You will definitely notice the difference superphos makes. Next spring should be spetacular. Just spectacular.
I have two large slopes going down from the yard that form my "lower garden". It is exhausting to work them because footing can be tricky and keeping your balance while digging requires some coordination (especially for an old desk jockey like me). The body does get a real workout. I bet those diamond patterns were absolutely stunning though. I tend to keep the lower garden on the simple side using perennials that work reliably down there. So it's mainly Hostas, Astilbes, Aconitum, Carex, Campanula, woodland phlox, Ligularia, Epimediums, perennial foxglove and some naturalized daffodils along with a few various shade shrubs and a few other woodland perennials. The other slope is much steeper which I dread working on but it's mostly groundcovers to help prevent erosion. It has a few narrow terraces for toughies like Epimediums. Tomorrow I get to work on a flat surface so that will be a welcome break (sort of).
That is a very impressive plant list. Tomorrow I am manicuring the diamond bed in preparation for an Arts Festival at the gardens. The plants have grown of course, so there is precious little room to plant your feet. It's considered the "signature bed" of the gardens. Each horticulturalist gets an annual chance at designing it. All the plants have to be clipped by hand to a precise height as well as pull any weeds. The height is about 9". So it's bend over on a slope for approximately 4 hours. But you know all about that don't ya!
I'm really nervous about manicuring this bed. It's the second time I've done it. The first was a huge challenge. Maybe tomorrow I'll see if anybody with tiny feet wants to take my place.
Can you post pictures? I'm just amazed at the plant collection you have. It's as stout a list as some places in the botanical garden here. No kidding.
Tiny feet - funny. Your pruning job seems like it would be worse than my digging and dividing - good luck with that. Sounds like you'll be ready for some lounge chair time after that. My size 9's make it a challenge, especially in the heavily planted spaces like my only half-day sun bed where I cram everything in that doesn't like mostly shade. That's getting edited too - huge old sedum (no name) that takes up way too much space and a shrub rose that's thought to be 'Celsiana' which is pretty when it decides to bloom (not every year) and is prone to black spot. Both will be a whole lot of fun to remove as they've been in the ground for more than 10 years.
As for my plant list - I'm more of a collector/experimenter with plants - throw them in a difficult spot and see what survives. Always trying something new. I'll have to see if DH has any photos since that area is not in good shape at the moment for any new photos. Started it just to make use of an awkward space that has no other purpose so it's not as well-maintained as the rest of the spaces. It tends to go wild on the edge of the woods. My 4yo GD calls it the secret garden (yeah, at the beginning of the story when it's all overgrown). I'm currently making up for years of neglect as I never had enough time to maintain it while I was working. My plant list - I've killed almost as many things as have survived. I keep looking at my spreadsheet of plants and wonder how I could have killed so many.
Can anyone id this astilbe? Is it possibly 'Bressingham Beauty?' It is pink and DELICIOUSLY fragrant. Thanks! Kevin www.agardenforthehouse.com
Kevin - I'm not sure about the flower panicle shape. I have 'Bressingham' blooming now and the panicle is a little more pointed.
Snapple - I am so glad I went on a guilt trip about the Astilbes. I originally planted 3 'Fanal' several years ago and ended up with 13 or 14 today after dividing. Poor Ligularia przewalskii started life as 2 seedlings in '94 and now I have 7. Forget about individually watering all of my 20 or 25 transplants today - I hauled out the sprinkler.
Cindy, thanks. In the meantime, I have Astilbe 'Milk & Honey' in bloom; it's only mildly scented, as compared to my mysterious pink variety.
Cin - You're gonna just love the "new" gardens. It's such a good feeling to finally get in place all the stuff that you know is the right plant in the right place. Before and after pics can be fun. Take some "befores". Save them and show them next spring with the spectacular "afters".
Gosh, I never think about photos. I'm too much the "do-er" for my own good. Probably why I never have the patience to learn how to use the digital camera. I know the lower garden will be in much better shape by next year just by amending the soil. Now design skills (or lack thereof) may be my shortcoming. DH did say that everything was just all growing together down there and that there was no distinction between the different plants so I have been trying to correct that (until they all start growing together again). Relying heavily on various non-solid green Hostas (imported from all over the yard) as well as other broad-leaved plants to help lend a balance to the textures and foliage colors since there's not a lot that will bloom down there in late summer. And because that area is viewed from some distance, I can't rely on too many dainty plants - everything has to be done in a bold way. Too hot this weekend to do much outdoors (personal thermostat can't take too much heat) but I'll be down there again next week. Have another bed with other Astilbes to be divided yet and rearranged and amended...
Spent two more days dividing and rearranging this week. Five more various Astilbes ('Serenade', 'Red Light', A. taquetti, 'Bressingham Beauty' and 'Pumilla') became about 20 more plants. Sifted 5 more barrows full of compost and dug hard clay. Got stung by a little wasp for all of my endeavors. One more small area of hard labor to go and then it's on to removing some of the Northern Sea Oats before they take over the whole area. I'm going to end up with Astilbe everywhere down there but luckily, they bloom at different times.
Geez - the things we tolerate to garden. I'd give anything to see your gardens. Please, please get some photos. The all done ones, the befores, the in progress. Anything. It must be stunning.
Thank You! In advance.
Snapple - Shot a few photos (well, more than a few and DH had to drag out tripod because I don't hold still long enough). These are just general photos, no real specific plants highlighted because they're all rather pathetic looking after divisions, moving and replanting.
Beyond the back of the garden is a wooded wetlands (read: mosquitoes) but it's quiet. About 95% of the plants are brought in by me as this was a desolate, clay-filled dumping ground for the previous owners - discarded turkey roasting pans, old Christmas trees, other trash and lots of poison ivy (which I learned about the hard way the first year. Now I can spot it at 10 yards.)
A shot of the back section where I've been working this week. 3 Astilbes became about 15. Still working in this section but mainly Hostas for accents and the Astilbe in drifts. Also some woodland poppy, Jack-in-the-pulpit, some merrybells and Campanula speciosa. Oh, and woodland phlox creeping in places.
As you can tell, I didn't tidy up for this shot. A couple of Cimicifuga in pots for my daughter. Looking up the worst slope (therefore the least tidy) towards neighbor's house. Relying a lot on ground covers to prevent erosion. Also working on eliminating that nasty invasive Campanula (forget the name) that I innocently planted before doing more work in this area. Epimediums have no problem getting established which surprised me. Also Campanula poscharskyana settles in along the edges of the terraced areas (using tree branches stacked against rebar to hold the dirt back). Those are woodland ferns that I have to pull out when they get out of control.
This shot looks down into my lower garden from the top of some steps we built almost 20 years ago. They're definitely ready for replacement but they sure beat trying to climb up and down a slippery clay slope. That's my $8 Japanese maple from Frank's from 20 years ago. And that beautiful green plastic fencing way in the back helps keep out some of the less inquisitive deer (until the plastic tears to let them in).
The main plants used in this shady area are Hostas and Astilbes with other odds and ends thrown in. Unfortunately nothing is blooming at the moment but am looking forward to next year with definitely more Astilbe blooms in drifts to brighten things up.
That lower garden shown in the photos above only encompasses about 25% of my gardening area. DH is my biggest enabler and is always encouraging to me to enlarge the gardens but I think that's because he wants less lawn to mow. The showier plants are up around the yard where they can get supplemental watering and a more critical eye. Because I was left with no real desirable native trees (except mulberry and a stray serviceberry), shrubs or plants, I wasn't able to play much off of existing landscape the way so many of the beautiful woodland gardens photo depict. And letting it go a little to the wild side helps it blend in to the background a little better. At least it's better than poison ivy.
Oh my, oh my, oh my. Both the upper and lower gardens are just as beautiful as the Toledo Botanical Garden's Shade Garden. That is just an amazing piece of property you have there, made so valuable because of all that you have brought in and planted. Now I can see what a tremendous undertaking the rehab is. Please keep on going. I'll ask the head horticultruralist from the shade garden here for the native accession list (plant list). There are some natives that are easy to find and relatively inexpensive that you could be using for beauty and variety. The first ones that come to mind are the Meadow Rues, especially tall medaow rue. It should work in your soil and light and it would add so much. Rues and Jack in the Pulpits combine easily. Is there a damp area? If so how about the big giant luscious Petasites japonicus? There is Ligularia too. Gosh - you have a stunning collection.
Thanks for the compliment even though my design skills are severely lacking. Even though we back up on wetlands, the lower garden tends to be dry after June. I have one bed that stays damp a little longer but will be dry by July if rain is scarce. Yes, Petasites would be luscious but it's not wet enough down there. That's why I'm surprised that some things have hung on. I do have two types of Thalictrum (one as seedlings and another type along the sunnier edge not pictured) down there along with Rodgerisa, Uvularia, 2 types of Aruncus, various Carex, Corydalis (white and yellow) that seed themselves around, 2 types of Ligularia, variegated Solomon's seal, some hardy Geraniums, dwarf Iris and a few others. Big shrub in the middle of the garden is a Calycanthus that does bloom down there despite the shade. Used to have Echinacea that would bloom but that's deer bait. Have various other things as well but have tried to stay more along the woodland side of things and a little more natural than the upper gardens (except for the Astilbe and Hostas). The Jacks were just moved there a couple of years ago but haven't really taken a good hold yet because the soil was so hard (not any more). I even let a lot of the wild violets stay but have to rein them in every once in a while. And I have a few Canadian cypress for background even though they're not really robust along with a small pine and barberries - concentrated along the back of the garden for screening of the compost pile, etc.
And I'd really love to see a list of natives to see what else I can add. Thanks for offering to get that.
I should have known you had the Rues. I don't work at the Garden until Tuesday, but I usually talk to my boss on Sunday or Monday about what my projects will be for the week. I'll ask him then. Since it's supposed to rain here Tuesday and Wednesday it's possible I could be working in the records room and I can get it for myself. They are behind in getting the new aquisitions added to the accession lists and just last week I started to put some things in the computer files. Budget cuts have forced them to slash paid staff. Volunteers like myself are trying to pick up some of the slack. I usually work 12 hrs wk. Sometimes a little more. BTW, calycanthus is one of my boss' favorite shrubs. He had me nick seeds and sow them in flats last April. We got a modest germination and the seedlings are in the native greenhouse. They've been pottted on once so far.
Do you have any viburnums?
Have 3 Viburnums. V. plicatum 'Pink Beauty' is on the slope going down to the lower garden on right side of stairs. Have had it over 10 years and in my shade, it's probably 12 feet or more across with very distinct horizontal brances that are utterly beautiful when in bloom. The berries don't last long though so no real color from them in the colder months. V. carlesii is the best thing to smell in spring. And a little V. 'Mohawk' only a few years old that's currently over-shadowed by Deutzia 'Magician' in another bed up in the yard. 'Magician' is moving to a better spot in a few weeks so 'Mohawk' will have more room. I have suckers of 'Pink Beauty' (whose flowers are more a pure white for me) that need to be dug up but it does take up a lot space in full shade. It would definitely be a single focal planting that I think I know where to plant in the back bed. My Calycanthus (from Forestfarm) doesn't have the intense fragrance that I expected. Maybe because it's growing in shade. It got relocated from up near the house - too close to house foundation per DH.
I'm hoping for some rain tomorrow as we've had a bit of a dry spell. I'm going to work some more down in the garden today and keep my fingers crossed that it does.
Finished the Astilbe division in the lower garden just in time for rain yesterday. Have a couple more days of work down there pulling out some very prolific Northern Sea Oats and doing a little more soil amending and then will call it quits for the season down there and keep my fingers crossed for next spring. Still have a quarter of my compost pile left and looks like I'll use every bit of it. Need to look after the bed of white Astilbes to see what needs dividing and to make room for 'White Wings' which has been growing in a pot on the patio since I got it this spring. Have a Northern Lights 'White Lights' azalea that's been struggling with root competition in another bed that will probably get moved into the midst of white Astilbes which should extend the white blooms in that bed for a longer period.