Help with trilliums and hardy orchids. Please!

OK all of you woodland plant lovers that brought the fact that hardy orchids exist last spring... I need your help! I have just aquired my very first hardy orchids, as well as my first "unusual" trilliums, and I would love some advice before I decide where to plant them. I am very excited about my new babies, and want to give them the best chance of survival.

What I purchased:

Epimedium grandiflourm "Lilafee"
Epimedium grandiflourm "Red Beauty" aka E. "Yubae"

Trillium luteum
Trillium erectum
Trillium catesbaei
Trillium grandiflorum
Trillium cuneatum

I have plenty of humusy soil, but most is in pretty good shade. Is that OK? I also have slugs the size of small cats that tend to decimate anything in their path. Our natural trilliums survive with a minimal of slug damage... how do the more exotic varieties fare? And how do the epimediums do with slugs?

And as long as I am asking for advice, I also picked up some ornamental Rhubarb.... does anyone grow these?

Rheum palmatum var. tanguticum (supposedly gets quite large)
Rheum "Ace of Hearts"

Pixy, I think that my garden visit to your house last summer is responsible for my almost overwhelming desire to add more red/burgandy foilage to my world!

Thanks for any help you all can give!

Julie

I let my regular rhubarb go to flower and it gives me very pretty flowers (see below, don't mind the unmowed paths). I do harvest it first, but only lightly - stew some up, maybe make a pie - then let it go. The only problem I have is with slugs, but they stick mainly to the lower leaves. Just the other day I had my son dig out one of my two plants from the herb garden (to make room for strawberries), which I plan to split into 4-5 chunks and transplant to my pond area. I think they will make a nice statement.

Bonehead, that area is just lovely and the "unmowed paths" look beautiful and give the garden a wild country air. I love the rhubarb blooming in it! I don't grow rhubarb yet (Mom's has always given us enough for our cooking) but have decided that I needed to add it this year just for the leaves. I decided to purchase the red varieties for the color, but after seeing that picture, I think I have to plant a regular one as well!

Thank you. It is part of my herb labyrinth, still a work in progress.

Oooooohh, herb labyrinth! That sounds intriguing. I would love to see more of it.

Julie , I unfortunately know nothing about the woodland plants since I have virtually no woodland, but I love seeing pictures of yours.

Maury (I like this better than MHF, hope that's OK), here's a shot of a portion of the herb garden. The culinary section is in the forefront, and each 'wing' has a different purpose. It's not a true labyrinth, in that it does not have a center, but it does wander around in a concentric fashion. I try to get into the rhythm of it when tending it.

And another view from the "bi*ches corner" - the idea is to sit in the bench and let the women's herbs surround and soothe you. If that fails, the bench overlooks the "serenity" section (valerian, poppies, belladonna...) I'm having fun with it.

You are very talented. Really nice.

Julie the epis will be fine. I have many & the slugs don't care. I believe they are related to Barberry. Tough plants. They prefer some protection from the afternoon sun - i grow mine in part shade. After they are established, they will tolerate a drier soil, but i have seen them perform best with adequate moisture. These pups are $pendy - a wallet eater, to be sure!

Katye -- but oh my, what wonderful colors - well worth the cost (it's only money...)

that is exactly how my conversation goes with me & myself. I rule the wallet...

Katye,

Thanks. The moist/dry was my second biggest concern (slugs are always first). I have lots of foresty area that the soil should be perfect, but they are pretty dry. Will be searching for the perfect place as I play in the yard today.

I saw some that I would have really loved to have, but you are right...they were expen$ive! Don't get me wrong, if I am successful with them, that doesn't stop me, but for a beginner, I figured I was better off sticking with the under $10 range!

"I rule my wallet" (giggling)

Oh, lovely selections, Julie! Here is the advice I have: make sure you can see the epimediums when they bloom. Their blooms are delicate and easily missed if you are not close. Cut foliage to the ground in late winter for the best show. Slugs are not a problem. Isn't that nice for a change?

Rhubarbs: water and sunshine. Lots of water. Lots of sunshine. Lots of slugs. Lots of protection. They are beautiful plants. I've toyed with 'ace of hearts' for years. Don't know why I don't have it yet. Probably because I don't know where it would go, but that has not generally stopped me, so don't ask my why, really.

Hardy orchids: slugs and drainage. Also, be sure you can see the show.

Trillium - they might not bloom for you the first or even the second year. They will push themselves down deep into the earth, so if you go looking for them when they don't come up, you might not find them, but they will be fine as long as the drainage is okay. Slugs don't seem to bother mine too much for some reason. Don't forget to mark where you put them because I've split more than a few trillium with the shovel, forgetting they were there. Hate when that happens. They do not like to be moved, resentful of it.

Bonehead, that's just lovely!

When I lived in Seattle, I planted a trillium out behind the house. Twenty-five years later, after the ex died, I went over to help my daughter get the house ready for sale and that bunch of trillium was a good two feet across. It was amazing. The one I have now adds a new bulb every year.

I am very excited about all of these babies. I had planned on ordering Rheum "Ace of Hearts" last year from Heronswood, but they were sold out. Now I am glad I didn't because I got it for $8 less from Naylor Creek this spring, and it is a wonderful root (tuber?), whereas I was terribly disapointed with the size of the plants in my Heronswood order last year. I am going to plant it next to my big pond, to go with the darmera, gunnera, and banana, to go for a somewhat kind of a dinosaur effect for that area.

I am all good with waiting a couple of years for the trilliums to bloom. The one that made me decided to buy trilliums in the first place was Trillium cuneatum because I fell in love with for the foilage. (see picture....)

Pixy, As I am a "poker" myself, thanks for the warning of the bulbs working themselves down. I know what you mean about not showing anything. There is a wild one that sits right on the edge of the road between Mom's house and mine, and I swear I look for it every time I walk that way in the spring, and it just suddenly appears out of nowhere. I finally marked it last year, so now at least know the general area to be watching!

Willow, your clump story is very encouraging!

Bonehead your pics are making me want a bigger yard. Since I love my neighborhood and my house, I will have to buy my neighbor's house over the back fence and knock it down to make more garden space! I love the b*tches corner LOL.

Judy, I think it would be perfect if you bought the neighbors house who has the noxious trees....killing two birds with one stone! Bigger garden and less yuck!

Oh if only I could do that. The entire neighborhood would thank me. We could have a neighbor vegetable garden. Now, where do I buy a lottery ticket?

Humph, well that will learn you to order plants from there, Julie. The real Heronswood is right here in your own backyard. You'd never have been disappointed if your plants had come from there, but you can't buy from there anymore. IMHO, the new 'Heronswood' is way overpriced and they are selling the same stuff you can get at just about at any large nursery. They are still banking on the Heronswood name and I fear they are beating a dead horse at this point. Used to be you would be able to get stuff that no one else had. Naylor Creek has awesome stuff.
Have you ever been to Big Dipper Farm? That's a very cool nursery, not that far from us up in Black Diamond. I've been up to their place and need to go again. I"m thinking of a spring trip. Maybe a group from DG needs to descend on the place.

Portland, definitely get together with neighbors, buy her place, boot her, and then tear the house down for a neighborhood garden. Sounds like a plan!

The guy across the street has trillium growing all over his yard. It kind of makes me sick because he really has no yard at all. He never does anything to improve his property in any way, and, in fact, it sits abandoned just now because he is in California where his wife decided to move with their daughter, because she can practice dentistry there and not here. I dug a bunch of trillium at his place over the years. That's how I knew that they grow so deep.

I love those leaves.

Melissa, Yup, learned my lesson about Heronswood. The had some clems that I really wanted, and their catalog is still so beautiful I had to try at least once. And it will only be once.....

I have only been to Big Dipper once and it was in the fall so the selection was limited (Mom took me for my birthday). Would love to go again! So many great nurseries, and so little time!

Isn't it frustrating to see a neglected yard with a treasure trove of wonders in it?!? BTW, speaking of neglected yards, the couple of "rescued" cyclamen that you shared with me are looking so happy! Thank you so much.... I was just sick about the others freezing!

Speaking of clematis, you're familiar with Silver Star Vinery, right, Julie? Her clematis have great roots and she has a great selection of plants . . .

Kathy, I think you have an evil streak in you! And now off to look at Silver Star Vinery..........

oh my: Silver Star Vinery has the very best clems - i collect them & she has the largest most healthiest I have ever seen. I will be buying more this year - fence to cover...

Be vewy, vewy cawefuwwwwwwww . . . .

http://www.silverstarvinery.com/(just in case you don't have the link).

And I'm busy building fences just to put the clematis on them!! Ha!

Bad Bad people! I got to the N's and had to quit. I got four clems last year and was hard pressed to find a spot for all of them (including two Montana varieties, which hopefully will be growing like crazy in a couple of years). Now I will be wandering the yard looking for any other posibilities.....

The one really cool thing that I saw on that sight, is that there were several pics of clems growing together on the same trellis..............

OH NOOOOO!!!! You are so EEEvVVIIILLLLL!! I was not familiar with Silver Star Vinery, not being a very successful clematis grower, but now that I realize my soil was just not as good as I thought, I probably need to try them again!

Definitely grow more than one on a trellis, since they bloom at different times. That part I've tried. It's just that I seem to lose them. Except the 'Rouguchi'. It's glorious. And the evergreen one. It does well. Just the big flowered ones. I can't seem to get the hang of them. But some I put in last year look like they will be kind to me this year. Yea!

I am in trouble. Julie, we will have to compare notes. Clematis are easy to do from cuttings. I am on page three and already the keyboard is compromised by drool. This is a very bad, bad sign.

***dusting herself off after a brief faint*** I am SO in trouble! Not to mention so are some of Mom's clems that I have been drooling over for years! Cuttings here we come....

I am also very disillusioned Melissa! I had always believed that you were a "Palidin of plants" who had tried almost everything and knew what worked and didn't work... who had no weakness! I can't believe that they found a chink in your armor!

You are right, we will have to compare notes, because there is absolutely no way that I will be able to look through that entire website without getting at least one of the lovely larged flowered varieties... and those little nodding blue ones.... and one to go with my hot pink rose "Cl High Society".... sigh....

I will also have to look up the names of the several that I do have, so that if they are something that you are considering, I can share cuttings instead of you haveing to buy them.

Oh, Julie, Julie, Julie.... my pedestal crumbleth... I have killed more plants than you have ever yet planted in your young life. If I ever stop learning, just kill me quickly and put me in the soil, please.

One that I have tried to grow for years and that has simply struggled along for me with a bloom here and there is Nelly Moser. I am so hopeful it is a soil issue.
Here is one that does well, but I cannot remember its name. I have to move it because it is on the wrong side of the shed and does not get enough sun. It always Stttrreeetttcches around to reach the front of the shed, causing me pain. When I dig it up, I will surely have a division of it if you want it. It's an old cultivar, which I got from my neighbor across the street. I'm sure I would know the name if I saw it. Likely one of the Kates knows it.

Clematis are also easy to divide, even if you don't dig them up. When they start growing in the spring, just use a good bread knife and saw down into the root between the growing buds... you get the picture. Then you only disturb the part of the plant you want to dig. Your mom will never know! Shhh!

One thing I've learned in the last few years is that, while "they" divide clematis into categories by pruning type, you can't really hurt a clematis by pruning it hard once it's well established.

The other thing to know is that some clematis like a lot more sun than others. It's not necessarily a shade plant, as I had previously thought. Just keep the feet cool (plant a shrub at the base) and you're good to go.

I don't know off hand which one you have, Melissa. There are some that look so much alike from the pictures that I really can't ID. Perhaps Kate . . .

Guernsey cream is very reliable and tough as nails. In fact, I know people who have several because it goes with everything.

Don't forget to buy a couple to train up your trees.

I get excited just thinking about it! I planted several to go up trees last year. I think two are actually going to make it and I am babying them along famously! Of course, don't ask me what they are because I cannot remember. But one of them is going to be climbing up the tall privet behind the waterfall. I think it might have delicate pink blossoms. I checked it for slugs and the need for support the other day and it is leafing out nicely and liking it there! Hurrah! The other one I have planted to the rear of the house against the old cherry tree that is really half dead. It's a woodpecker tree now and I love it. It grows and produces cherries, but is literally half gone in some areas. I do not remember what the cultivar is on that one., but it looks like it's going to come out.

I planted two last year that I think have died, likely due to soil issues. The area underneath a wild dogwood, to the right of the loveshack, has filtered sun in the summer. It's a new bed and the soil was originally incredibly stickly clay that had such poor aeration it literally smelled bad. The soil there still has a ways to go and I think the clematis succumed. Guernsey cream would be lovely there!

I also planted a blue cultivar, again, memory does not serve one bit, under the birch tree to climb up with the evergreen one. I think it's doing okay. You know, first year sleep, second year creep... I think this will be the second year, so if it does anything I'll be glad.

That photo is poor. The flower is actually a dark magenta. I would love to go down to that woman's nursery.

Well - Clems for you all!

hehehe....the addiction begins.

another.....

Okay, well you show me yours and I'll show you mine! I just wish I knew what they were! Sometimes I plant too many things at once and forget to write them down. I'm glad to know I can just prune away. This one needs cutting back.

ARRH! That's glorious!
Okay, take this!

This one got out of control and tried to swallow this rose. I had to move it to climb through a hazel tree. I hope it didn't get covered up, but you can't kill it so it's probably there.

and another:

then there's the danglers.....

Now here is one that I put in last year to grow with the double mauve one. C. fascicularia. It was in the ground for less than a week when some critter broke it off at the ground. I do not think it will come back. I just loved the little bells.