Bought one of these at Redenta's today. Wondering if anyone grows them near me and what conditions they prefer. Do they need really well drained soil or will average do.
Cheryl
Penstemon baccharifolius
That is really pretty, I haven't grown that one, good luck with it.
http://wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=23615
I just hope I have good enough drainage to keep it from rotting. If I get seed I will share.
C
Thank you, I think it will work out just fine.
I bought one about a month ago at Marshall Grain. I put it in my xeri bed. So far it is fine but there hasn't been very stressful conditions yet.
Let me know how it does. Mine is in a raised bed that is relatively dry but the soil is not sandy or gravelly so I am not certain of how it will do.
C
I usually add expanded shale to the hole. I hope I did it for this beauty.
Anna, would you please tell me about your experience and results using expanded shale? I am planting among large rocks on the sides of my dry creek/drainage swale. It is red clay soil and wondering if expanded shale would improve drainage. I've roughed up the sides and bottom of each hole I plant in as recommended to reduce "clay pot" effect and it is on a slope, so hoping for drainage when it rains but... still worry because of past experience with this red clay. I'm in a Catch 22 situation. I cannot replace the red clay on the sides of the dry creek because when it rains it would not hold if totally replaced with "good" soil mix but at the same time worry about planting in the clay causing my plants to drown.
I tried it on cactus and it was a killer. Not my favorite. Sand, organic matter, lava sand lots of choices. Of course I am sure it varies by specific conditions. Clay isn't always bad, except if plants are really adapted to live in sandy or rocky soils. With the right plants and a lot of compost I think clay is not so bad.
The problem here is digging a hole to plant in clay and then adding good soil makes for bad conditions if the clay won't drain. It is just exactly like putting something in a plastic pot with no drain holes. The plant drowns when it rains. I planted and killed more trees than I can count when we first bought here 30 years ago before a long-time resident gardner explained that to me. Duh, did I feel stupid. Dig a hole in this clay deep enough to hold 1 gallon of water, pour in 1 gallon and that gallon of water will still be there tomorrow.
We use expanded shale in our soil mix at the greenhouse for the wildscape.
It does make the pots drain very fast, but I have never used it mixed in a flower bed, with the slope you have the rain might just wash the soil away if it is loose.
We don't use shale at the wildscape when we plant, and believe me, it is horrible hard clay, but every plant we put in has shale in the mix.
That is the issue, you have to dig the area and continuously add admendments. Takes time and effort. I don't have great expanses so its easier for me. I double dig add lots of organic material and add more each year. How about raised beds?
I think if the area is like you describe I would use plants that can grow in clay conditions.