Any plans to remove any established plants this Fall?

I don't about you'all but by this time in the season, I'm getting tired; tired of no rain, tired of all the 90-100 or above temps and the high humidity. I start losing interest and start longing for cooler Fall weather and the color changes it brings. Do changes in the seasons bring about mood swings for any of you? I find myself going through my garden magazine and garden library books for inspiration and fresh ideas. Are there certain plants that you will not be keeping that maybe you wintersowed this year or that you purchased the starter plants locally?

I know of certain plants that I'd like to bring along for the Plant Swap at Jill's in Sept

How do you gather seeds from yarrow? This is my first year growing this flower. Do I clip the dried pod if I don't want it to reseed in same location? I only have one or two seedlings. One has grown real tall and the other one was planted didn't get planted where it could get full sun. I bet if it was moved, it would grow much better. I have several tall garden phlox that I'm going to have to move too.

I read in a gardening book by Burpee..that if you dig a trench and lay the seed pods of the liatris, cover it that it will reseed itself like that. I clipped the dried plumes off the other day and want to try that. Will it work? Gardening is all about trial and error.

I am seeing small seedlings of Black-eye susans popping up nearby. Does anybody want any? That plant hasn't missed a beat this summer; it is not only drought tolerant but deer resistant and certainly low maintenance. It provides color for my neighbors behind me to see when they open their blinds, shades or curtains in the morning.

The other morning, I dug up a peony that the previous home owner had planted years ago and threw those tubers into the yard waste bag that was picked up on Thursday. I should have washed all the dirt off it and brought it along or planted it for somebody to take. It's blooms were mostly white with light pink color on the tip of the petals. I am not a fan of white flowers, and only have a few in my flowerbeds. That had a lot of tubers to it. I'm sorry I didn't think to pot it back up for the upcoming swap. Sorry I didn't leave it in the ground until a few days before the swap. Oh well, can't cry over "spilled milk" now.

That same day I dug up a dead azaleas that couldn't take the high temps this summer and a Westerplatte clematis that I never liked. I was on a digging good roll that day! LOL! I had the man that takes care of our pruning of our shrubs cut down and dig up a very mature forsythia. I should have used some of the clippings to take rootings as he pruned two other forsythia that I plan to keep.

I share some of that tired of it feeling, Pippi. I have an azalea which got sick last year, and hasn't ever looked any better this year. I'm prettty sure its gotta go.

More so i am thinking of things that need to be moved. My daylilies have been struggling by the driveway, I have decied that its just too hot there in midsummer and want to start a new place for them. Then find things that like the heat better in other parts of the yard and put them in by the driveway. Mostly, I love digging and moving plants and haven't dne it enugh lately, and have to wait ofr cooler and moister weather to do it again...

I need to move some plants, too. Mostly good size potted shrubs that I bought this year. They are still in their pots and I still haven't figured out where to plant them. I think gardening momentum does slow down in August. Most of the planing & planting is done. The beds have already been cleaned up and most of the weeding just doesn't seem that important in the heat.

I had to giggle when reading the topic line. Do we have plans to move any established plants? Oh my gosh, I know that this has been a topic of discussion in our house for years running. Whenever I ask about something that doesn't seem to be doing really well planted where it is currently, I always get the answer.....I will do it in the fall. Thus my giggle, a couple or more in some cases falls have come and gone and no plants moved. I really can't complain because my DH really does a lot of yard work that I am no longer able to do and he would work from dawn til dusk every day and still not have everything done that needs doing.

For some time now, at least 6 weeks plus he has been on a major Iris campaign. We had Iris borers attack our Iris and he is doing the time intensive work of digging them all up, bathing them in bleach, ridding the plant of the borers and repotting each Iris.

I do know that we have now lost a few plants due to not getting them moved or planted soon enough. I always hate to lose a plant and hopefully having lost a couple this summer will motivate me to either beg harder or actually do some of the work myself if I can the next time I see some plants in trouble.

I know that we have a several Astilbe that seem to be on their way out this year. I am not sure if Astilbe have a short life expectancy or not, but these are probably about five years old and several have gone down hill the past cuple of years. They should really be the first things on our list when fall gets here, because I really love them and don't want to lose any more than we already have.

So Pippi, interesting question. We too will try to be at Jills swap, so maybe we will get a chance to meet. I haven't yet had the pleasure. In terms of what we will take to Jill's, we haven't yet given it much thought. I do know that I will have some extra houseplants that will need new homes. I have added to my collection this year by dividing and rooting pieces, and will be bringing back inside more than went out during the spring....and they are not going to all fit.

It will be interesting to see what chores await some other MAGardeners.

Ruby

Cross posted with Holly. Well, I feel as though I am in good company here because I have seen your well maintained flower garden and if you fall behind at times, I won't be too hard on John and myself.

His main question to me seems to be....where will we put it? I know the feeling of running out of space. He did dig a bed a few weeks ago and it is in a place where I can see it from the back side of the house and it has two beautiful Hibiscus currently blooming. Nothing prettier than those enormous blooms.

Yep, not feeling too awfully bad about our slowness at all.

Ruby

Pictures of newest bed.

Red and pink Hibiscus....so pretty each morning.

Mexican Lily.

Pink Hibiscus.

Last one....mexican lily.

Ruby, is that a Lady Baltimore hibiscus? We used to have one of those at our former home and it was always so beautiful. Our daughter was married the end of July 22 yrs. ago and it was in bloom the day of the reception and many people commented on its beauty and wanted to know what kind of flower it was.

Is your DH for hire? You must have a lot of iris if he's going through all that trouble to save them by bleaching them. Didn't realize that would get rid of the Iris borer. Guess if you have some favorites and the cost to repurchase the same amount, it is cheaper to soak them in bleach if that gets rid of the borer problems. Doing all that and replanting takes a lot o patience. I'd say your hubby is a keeper!

On my list for this morning is to cut the bee balm back, plus another tall coneflower that the flowers are so faded and looking shabby. I really don't feel like working. The tv meterologist predict there is rain coming within the hour, suppossed to be over in Fairfax county, now. That's across the river and beltway. Come on rain; let her rip! Can you tell I don't want to work today?

"In the fall..." tra la tra la!!! ROFL

Mexican lily! Never heard if it! Pretty.

I read about Astilbe being heavy feeders. I don't know if feeding right now would help, or hurt,, or nothing.

My Purple Ninebark has gotten huge and is a wider shrub than I expected. Rather than try to move I hope to start another from stem rooting, and 'move' that. But these wideshrubs are hard to fit in on an established (read crammed) suburban landscape.

Hi Pippi and Sally. Pippi, John said the red Hibiscus is Lord Baltimore. I need to find the shipping slip and see if he is correct and also find the name of the pink one too. I will let you know. The bleach is actually, if I am recalling correctly to kill the possible bacteria and fungus the Iris "may" have. To kill the actual borer, you need to open the rhizome and pull the booger out and kill him someway. He has been cutting the borers in half and some are drowning in the water and bleach mixture.

I just asked him how many pots he has potted and he tells me that so far he has over three hundred, three gallon pots with four or five rhizomes to a pot. So, to answer your question, yes I suppose we do have a lot of Iris.

He does not plan to re-plant the Iris in their former homes, but the ones we keep he will find new homes for. This summer he has been making some pocket change by attending two local farmers markets and selling mainly Day Lilies and some Iris. I don't attend the markets, but I have been sending along house plants that I have potted and I too on occasion get a few dollars from the deal.

Thanks Sally for the tip on possibly feeding the Astilbe. I believe we lost two and too late for feeding, but will check out doing something to several more that are going down hill. I noticed that I have one that is as healthy as can be...need to try and figure out why it is doing well when the others have done so poorly.

Very interesting topic. Thanks Pippi for the thread and we will look forward to meeting you at Jills.

Ruby

Nice pics Ruby. OMG 300 pots of iris! Wow, sounds like John is definitely a heat resistant, drought tolerant plantsman. Is he planning to sell them? Our Farmers markets here do a good business in cut flowers like iris by the stem or bouquets of zinnia or mixed flowers...

I have plans to repot/pot up my Japanese Maples (8) that are now 6-10 feet tall. They have really taken a beating this summer with the heat and drought, so I'm hoping that some great new soil will help renew them.
Still reading through the JMaple forum here for how tos and whens.

Also have other trees/shrubs in pots to find homes for and about six hydrangea...

Lol I did move three seedling paulonia tomentosas that grew to over seven feet tall by the end of July once I figured out what they were! Or, should I say REmoved them.

Yes Coleup, the plans for the majority of the Iris is to sell at our small Farmers Market next year. He has been selling there this year and hasn't done too badly. Yes, the cut flower folks at this market do a good business too. John has visited their home and seen their set up but I haven't yet visited to see how they run their home business. They sell to Flower Shops during the week and sell at the farmers market on Saturday mornings.

Until now John has just been dabbling in selling plants. This year and the sales he has made has motivated him to invest more time and energy in getting ready for next year. I will try to have him take some pictures of the pots he has sitting in different areas around the yard. Yep, beginning to look a lot like a hillside nursery. hahaha

He is able to tolerate the heat. He takes lots of breaks through out his day though and usually naps a couple of times too, so he isn't over doing it by any means. Guess what? He is actually selling off some of his junk vehicles....wonder of all wonders.

I told him or I hinted that if we were smart, we would get rid of all things vehicle repair related and turn his 4 bay garage in to a greenhouse nursery sort of set up. We will see on that one....we will see.

Ruby

Man Ruby, that John is really going to town. I should dig and divide my Iris and a few of the DL but I'm not sure at this time where I would put them and since we aren't doing any fall swapping I wouldn't want them in pots all winter. I could just dig them and put them out front with a free sign. That is always the last choice. I wonder how long clean iris tubers last unpotted. Can you over winter them in a cool basement like I do my cannas? Or if I potted them up and put them in the basement without much water would they be in good shape come spring?
I have a few areas that need serious reduction. The ornamental variegated grass is going to get a serious removal but that could wait till spring.

Sorry Holly, don't know about over wintering Iris and John isn't here at the moment. I will ask if he knows and get back with you. Awwww man, he is really going to hate that he can't get your extra Iris...I think...he might be really tired of working with Iris.

I asked him to call Ric a couple of days ago. We are wondering if the velvety seedlings we gave you at the swap were indeed Rose Campion or if they turned out to be the dreaded Lambs Ear? If it is Lambs Ear, so sorry to have done that to you. When the two plants were coming in last spring, they both look much alike when first growing, so it is a good possibility we gave you the wrong thing.

Ruby

Been meaning to answer to this Post--but it seems to be too long--when I get started...

OH, yes! I will be digging up a few things and moving them to other locations--or giving them away.
Where do i begin?????

Peonies----BTW--they like to be dug up and moved in late August.....Pippi--I am SOOO sorry you threw yours away!
They seem to be the same as my oldest Peony in my garden. BIG, white blooms with tinges of deep pink here and there...
Oh, well--spilled milk...................

The ones I have that are doing poorly are the deep, deep pink ones. I LOVE those!
I have 3 small clumps--and one old one--that are NOT growing or blooming at all--as they are in the wrong places.
Hasty decisions to plant them there years ago. Had to put them somewhere!!!

Well--two of them are right under my dripping gutters in the back of my house--and are rotting out.
The third one is in a small bed near my Maple--too much shade and no blooms ever---lots of
competition from the Maple tree and the roots of the shrubs right next to the.
The 4th one IS in my YUK bed---By now it does not bloom any more----it is all choked out by tree roots...
All 4 of these will go! Since I have nowhere else to put them--I will be dogging them up and taking them to work.
When I say "digging"--it will be more like a day's work with sweat and tears to even get down to their roots.

In my YUK bed--there has been a clump of "Chrysanthemum Pacificum" for years...
Honestly! This plant will grow anywhere! However--It seems that it is now sitting on top of a lg. clump of some kind of
Daffodils--small, clustered, and fragrant. They are definitely defeating each other. Just in different seasons...

SO! I have already taken cuttings to root of the Chr. Pac. and will plant them where I dig up the one Peony.
I would like to dig up the whole C.P. plant as well, from where it is--but I don't think that can be accomplished
w/o digging up everything there-eg the Daffs as well. IF I can even dig deep enough to move them!
I really do not care!!!! I can always re-plant the daffs.

I really do not care about a lot of stuff in my garden by now! Nothing is doing as well as it should.
Everything is getting old--including me! Everything struggles to some extent as it does not have soil free of
tree-roots to grow in. It is sooo frustrating!!! Me? Just thinking about the work involved keeps me from doing it.

NEXT!!!!
My very small bed on my kitchen side--that I planted those amazing Orienpet Lilies and the other ones I so loved
when i went to Latvia---neither of which are no longer blooming all that well. Some not at all.
This bed is on the East side--but gets amazing AM light until 3PM.

SO! I have some crowded clumps of Frans Hals and some other D-Lilies on my sunny W. side bed.
They all need to be dug up and divided. Guess who will be happy about that????? My manager, Donn....

Opening up this area--will be a good place to transplant the Orienpet and "other" Lilies to.
I think they will thrive there...NO tree roots--and full sun. More digging!
What I will put in the now open mini-bed on the east side--I have not decided yet....There is a Peony there---
the oldest one--with the big, white blooms tinged in deep pink.
It is a VERY small bed and smack against my house's foundation. Only 2' deep and 4' long....
right next to a HUGE Azalea bush too. No matter where--it is always an issue with roots--and more roots....

Granted--this summer has been a scorcher. NOTHING has done well here! Everything had problems...
Yesterday's T-Storm and 1/2 hr. of hale beat up so many things....My Brugs look all tattered--
There are leaves from my trees all over everything....It was like a flood!
All this takes away a lot of gardening get-up-and-go!!!

Here is what my back lawn looked like yesterday!

Another shot----

I feel for your frustrations, Gitas...

Today I dug out a few hunks of Kwanso daylilies and trashed them - I needed the spots for my new Black and Blue Salvia, and some sort of Aster on clearance.
I also wrenched out one chunk of BLack Moudry Grass. THat has some pretty cool black fuzzy seed heads, and graceful grassy clump look, but self sows A LOT

We discussed and now feel the time has come to re-do a bed that was my first flower bed at this house many years ago. We put down landscaping fabric and have regretted it ever since. I suggested just trying to pull it up and he said while we are at it, we may as well transplant the plants in the bed and start anew. So, in the fall......hopefully that will be done. It too is under a maple tree and get very little sun, so we will have to do some research and try to figure what we will plant there.

Under the only other tree in our yard he has planted an assortment of Hostas and they have done okay while competing with the maple for soil nutrients. Maybe doing a hosta bed in the older bed would be the way to go.

Gita, I feel your frustrations.....the past two summers have made it basically impossible for me to do gardening to any extent due to the high temps which whip up on me pretty badly. I am devoting most of my time and energy in to caring for houseplants just to get my plant fix each day.

Here is hoping that everyone reading will have a good week coming up.

Ruby

Ruby I appreciate that story of the first bed- I bet we all can. You start out in one place, but years later as more gardens evolve, the plan for the first one doesn't seem like the best after all! One of my first beds is a perennial border- which I have never to this day gotten "right" . I need to move some recent acquires to the back as they got taller than I expected (phlox). I might be removing some false dragonhead. Its one good point is late bloom (September). It was good for colonizing my new dug bed but , I think because of tree and shrub roots, it often wilts through the summer.

Its a lovely morning for digging! Plenty of rain yesterday, all afternoon here .

I pulled out all the bee balm (except a clump of red)
I am pulling out the three miss kim lilacs that are huge but not blooming - I hate to do it but no sense being unhappy with something just so not to waste. I can't imagine with the root systems being able not to destroy those shrubs --plus it is a tight area in which to work.

Also -- the shasta daisy's have to go. Those are reliable, etc. etc. but I just don't like how they age out and it is too darn hot to go out there and keep trimmed.

I feel like an awful person destroying good plants. If there was someone who would want to come get them -- I'd gladly provide the tools-- and lunch just so there was no waste. It is a lot harder to pull out and conserve as opposed to just pull out and toss.

Ruby---

It is a bit early to dig this up--but I suppose I could???? The Swap is 3 weeks away.....Hmmm....

I am talking about my 2 August Lily Hostas which badly need dividing...They are still in bloom..so I think I should wait....
It will be a big chore...they are growing smack against a brick edging to the bed..
These would be great for your "old" bed--as they ARE a Hosta--and can take shade--BUT--they bloom beautifully
in August with fragrant, trumpet-like blooms...Do you know what plant I am talking about?

I may as well aim to have it dug and divided while the weather is cooler. The soil is really wet too--that will help to dig...
See? Now I am talking myself into it....

Here is a picture of the blooms-----Gita

Here it is in June of this yrear....All leaves--and you can see how tight they are.
Across from it is my Endless Summer Hydrangea which also grows huger and huger....

I just cut it back a bit--and am rooting about 25 of the cuttings.
Will have plenty for next year's Plant Swap.

There is a small sidewalk between the two--that I use going under my patio.
By now--there is hardly any sidewalk left! All leaves....

Some of these Hosta divisions are promised to others---but there could be a lot more available.
Wasn't going to do it until fall---but..........................

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED--(NOT shouting--just emphasizing, Folks) to have some divisions at Jill's Swap--let me know.
If enough people wanted some--I will sacrifice the remaining blooms (all tattered anyway from the storms we have had)
and dig it up and work at dividing them. GOD! That may just be a nightmare!!!!
If you have ever divided an older Hosta clump--you know what I mean!

Let me know.....Gita

Remembered another one- a sick struggling rose bush, this year all it managed was two pitiful blooms which got eaten by beetles.. which may well have been from a below the graft sprout anyway...Just not worth any hope.

Gita if you are offering Hosta divisions, I will take whatever you have left after others choose.

Missing Rosie - If you have the time and inclination, you can always run a local Craigs List ad and state exactly what you stated to us....bring your tools and come and get them. At least that way you can say that you tried to save them before they become compost.

If there is a Freecycle group in your area, you could run the same ad there. Both are free to post on and there should probably be some folks out there willing to do the work in order to get free plants. I have given away house plants on Freecycle in years past.

Another thing that there used to be a lot of was sending plants through the mail. I know we have sent our share off from here and also received a good amount of plants in the mail. In fact, I have been the very proud recipient of goodies sent from both Gita and Sally. Heck, a very good portion of our gardens came from Daves people.

Pippi, are you still with us?

Ruby

My silly rose bush bas one more stem and bud now....

Good idea Ruby. I can't get to the back of the shrubs -too close to the foundation (we all can't fit!) but maybe I can root prune all around the front of the shrubs and let them sit until early fall to get them used to the trimmed roots while still in the ground and less stress. The shastas...can't kill those anyway ...but maybe I can help give the lilacs a chance. I don't have the energy to dig and remove carefully etc., but if someone does -- and wants to put in the effort, I am delighted.