I agree. I made plans all winter and didnt take into account Bloom time. Now I do.
I kept a photo file od coleus because I want to have better color combos next year. Now I know what color a plant will be here in my climate and light.
Many from RD were disapointments because their photos either eliminated reds or made reds look bluer than they actually were.
I really trust my "minds eye" pretty much but there is nothing loke experiencing the real plant to get a grasp of its habit and character
Favorite Astilbe?
ge - I'm sorry - "RD"?
I'm one of those people that has to physically see/touch things - colors, fabrics, plants, etc. Have been taken by catalog pics and descriptions too many times vs. how they'll really perform in my garden (not an ideal environment). Like variegated elderberry - really too shady for it to bloom but the foliage is a plus. So if I planned it as a focal point for bloom, I'd better rethink that. So I probably move more things around.
Ah, bloom times - they do catch me off-guard. Love morning glories but they're not going to start blooming for me until late summer. That's ok since there's not much else blooming. And annuals started from seed - I usually start way too early along with all of my other seeds and once planted, don't sustain the blooms through the summer. Did Salpiglossis 'Kew Blue' - loved it! But once planted, it didn't last more than 6 or 8 weeks.
Rosy Dawn coleus growers
Rosy Dawn - Excellent
This is an excellent thread! Did anyone mention 'Amethyst' astilbe yet?I luv that one. Ge I think you have it too.
GO for it girl! I have a book of lists ^_^
I do have it and confused it with pumilla. Bluestone said it was short.
I had to move the three to the end of the deck(and make another garden)
I want an Ostrich plume in the peach color.It has a German name,too early to think that hard.
Here they are in May. just planted.
I dont have pix of them blooming ,they were transplanted between regular pic taking.
This is where they were transplanted.
The blooming astil in dark lavander is a 4 footer that blooms late.
Amethyst is the three plants on the right of it.
Sorry no blooms, Next year for sure
OK - writing in my gardening notebook as I'm typing. :) ge - a peach colored ostrich plume? Tell me more. I have 'Peach Blossom' but I could use more peach as an alternative to the other pink ones. 'Pumilla' is a ground-hugging variety for me. It's very cute. Also makes a nice underplanting for taller perennials.
I tried to send a link.
White Flower farm has Straussenfeder a peach ostrich Plume. I would recomend purchasing this from some other nursery.
I have a bad luck history with this nursery.
My Pumilla
Your 'Pumilla' looks very happy there - look at the number of flower spikes.
OMG - was looking for pics of 'Straussenfeder' - have you seen the list of Astilbes on RHS Plant Finder? Oh my. I digress. I wonder how much color variation there might be since a couple of photos of this showed a really mid pink flower. It's on my list though since most descriptions are calling it salmon-pink.
I think there is a pink veriety.
I like the Strassenfeder or what ever it is.
I do like what I see in the salmon colored variety. I like the form. Since this would probably be a mail-order thing for me, I'll double-check the supplier's description to make sure I don't get a pink one.
Have a question - is 'Deutschland' an arendsii or a japonica or a cross?
I am doing good staying on thread.
One disapointment with mail order is ,you cant count on anything 100%
Been busy lately and haven't had a chance to post much but thought I'd pop in quick since you're discussing one of my favorite Astilbes - Ostrich Plume. We have an older planting of it under our Willow and darn if every year I miss my opportunity to take photos! I tried to find some earlier this year because I wanted to add more and I guess it was too late in the season - very hard to find. I'm ashamed to admit that I finally found 'Strassenfeder' at American Meadows, ordered it and never got it planted. I should have contacted them for a credit because most all of them appeared to be rotted when I received them. This year I'll start looking earlier!
Cindy, 'Deutschland' is listed sometimes as A. japonica but most show it as A. x arendsii, so my "guess" is it's a cross :)
American Meadows failure rate here was 100%, plants were small and some rooted ones like a Siberian Iris has never bloomed in 3 summers.
They are definatly off my list.
Altho I am getting tulip bulbs from them, how can I go wrong with a bulb?.
I'll let you know.
I just checked Google and White Flower Farm has Strassenhauer. I dont know if that was offered this year or not.
WFF is another nursery I rarely do business with.
My faves are Garden Crossings and Bluestone
ge - Back in the early days, I did order a couple of things from WFF and Wayside (maybe because their catalogs are so pretty) but haven't for some time due to pricing and selection. I do use Bluestone a lot but after so many years, I've run through most of their shade selections. Tell me more about Garden Crossings.
American Meadows is another one I'm not familiar with. I must be hiding under a rock. I did try Roots and Rhizomes two years back and their plants were also small for the price even though their selection was okay. I did order from Munchkin Nursery in DePauw, IN this year. Nice plants for shade and prices reasonable. Got some new Epimediums from them. Owner is very knowledgeable and helpful. They're have a 10% off sale right now but holding off on new plants until spring.
I found Made in the Shade gardens to have nice plants at fair prices with less charged for the shipping. I ordered 2 Dancing in the Rain hosta from them earlier this summer, and they are both doing very well.
I'm sad that WFF has gone down so much since it changed hands. It used to be a Mother's Day outing with my DH and DS encouraging selection of nice plants as their gifts to me.
Didn't know that WFF had changed ownership. If their catalog pics are anything to go by, it must have been a real treat to go shopping there on Mother's Day. Over the years, my favorite pic was a grouping of Hosta, ferns and Astilbe. I still aspire to that perfect photo. Coming close after dividing Astilbe this year and the JP ferns multiplying. Maybe a photo op in spring. :)
Adding Made in the Shade to my list to check out. New nurseries - how fun.
Oh my - just looked at the Hosta listing for Made in the Shade - how would I ever choose? What does one do with old Hostas moved out to make room for new ones?
Also checked out Garden Crossings - tempting selections there as well. I think one could travel Michigan for a week and still not catch all of the nurseries up there.
Speaking of nurseries and mail order - I love Forestfarm but the shipping costs are so prohibitive. Does anyone know of a good substitute east of the Miss?
Rare Find Nursery in NJ. Love 'em.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1962/
I wish I was anywhere but where I am. I am in the middle of a tense closing process for the sale of our businees that we have had for 35 years. That's why I haven't been around much on DG. And probably will be not around much for another week or so. I wish I drank.
Good luck with the closing, Snapple!
Cindy - I love plant "window shopping" by catalogue, but the shipping is usually what makes me delete the order in the end!
Snapple - deep breaths...
DonnieBrook - Ah, window shopping. As a rule, I don't unless it involves plants. But then, I have to start adding to my "want" list and then that necessitates a spreadsheet to compare prices and then... I have a stack of summer/fall catalogs to "browse" through but haven't allowed myself a good veg time.
I'm with you, Cindy! The only window shopping I do is for plants! In retirement, there's more looking and less buying! LOL
As a single mothe I never window shopped.
Just trained myself not to look at or buy anything I didnt need.
There is a difference between need and want.
ge - Have been in the same situation. Even 20+ years after that period, DH is dumbfounded that I'm still that way. He's the window-shopper in the family and he makes up for the rest of us (except when it comes to plants).
We've had a couple of weeks without rain but might get some early next week. I've been dragging the sprinkler around (even down into the lower garden) to keep all of those divisions/transplants from drying up. I think I'm pretty much done with dividing plants for the season. Still editing since those can go in the compost pile or get potted up. I am experimenting with spot composting. If a plant comes out, I'm dumping veggie scraps in the hole. Needing to focus on soil improvement while I can still dig. Compost pile totally depleted so I'm relying on the scraps for amending. Luckily the raccoons haven't discovered what I'm doing.
Ratcoons will be along soon.
Spot composting sounds interesting. We have a black box but dont generate enough so I buy bags of Manuer.
I will order 2 yards of compost for November spread.
Ratcoons - LOL. We have a family living just beyond the back fence. They haven't had to dig at anything because I currently put most of the scraps down in the compost bin that they have easy access to. Just threw a bunch of bad apples down there so that should keep them busy for a while. I think once the ground freezes, I'll be okay from the marauders.
Closing went fine. The check cleared! After some intense accounting issues, it's retirement to gardening. Pinch me.
What a trial that is.Congrats on the outcome
Congrats on your retirement snapple45!
Oh, Congratulations, Snapple!!! How nice for you. It will take awhile to sink in, huh?
Yup! I'm having a hard time getting my head around it, but trust me I wil! :) Celebrating? Oh my yes! Can you hear the cork popping? We worked on this deal begining in late March. A couple of times it nearly fell through. The actual closing was postponed twice. That's what gardening can do for you. If I hadn't just walked away and gone out to the gardens to work or taken the time to do my little volunteer thing at the local botanical garden I don't think mentally I would have survived. I'll wager every single one of you here has a time that you remember that being able to escape, even if just for an hour, to pull weeds or browse a garden center or plant something, was just enough to supply a little peace when things were otherwise rotten.
BTW we had this business for 35 yrs. It will take all winter to sort out organize and store all the records. Notice I said winter. It's time for the fall plant sales. No time to be inside.
Keep up the good work