I've started another flower bed. . . most of the shrubs in the front of my house died this summer due to the heat wave we experienced. I'm not disappointed -- I hated those ugly things. Anyway! I've dug it all up, one shovel deep, enlarged it greatly, and have purchased most of the plants I want to put back in. I am wanting to do mostly ornamental grasses and managed to find a great sale at Santa Rosa Gardens (on-line). They have arrived and mostly look great. Now if I would just quit redesigning the bed (on paper) and get them in the ground.
Last night we receive much need rain (1"). Needless to say, I won't be digging in there for a while. I'm thinking I need to get some compost worked in as I did not see one single worm or bug of any sort in all that digging.
I realize I am on a time crunch as it is November. By-the-way, I am in north TX -- on the OK border -- zone 7. Any advice as how to better prepare the ground (cheaply) and how to protect the baby plants through the winter (most will be taken from 4" pots).
I thought about planting a ground cover that would feed the ground through the winter OR covering it with lots of shredded leaves. But I also want those plants in the ground ASAP. Quite of few of the proposed plants will have to be wintered over inside as they are fresh cuttings taken several weeks ago. The real challenge will be actually keeping them alive.
All advice appreciated.
need fall planting advice please
I personally would also consider adding to the soil to improve moisture retention for the growing season.
That way it wouldn't require as much watering attention and drought wouldn't kill off all your efforts.
I'd definitely add moisture retentive compost/peat and consider adding the water absorbent polymer crystals.
4" potted plants will have a tough time surviving this winter in your zone 7 area. If at all possible you might consider potting them in slightly larger pots, placing those in a hoop house (sunk in mulch to protect the roots) covered with 6 mil plastic for protection then planting them out in spring when temps moderate and the grasses begin to grow.
Sassy
Or plant them and then do all that mulch and possibly hoop house stuff right where they are? Maybe depends how exposed the bed is. I'm assuming when you say "ornamental" you mean "attractive natives"? I'd focus on protecting the roots from a super hard freeze, not really worry about the grass part that's supposed to die at the end of the season anyways. Do you have some bricks or cinder blocks or such laying around? Maybe stack a little sun absorbing windbreak, give the a slightly more favorable microclimate.
Maybe not peat because of the pH, but compost and mulch is always good. The prairie grasses have just fabulous root systems, so once they start growing at all, they're going to greatly improve the water absorption of the soil.
Tell us what all you got!
Great ideas. Thanks!
The grasses are:
Pennisetum Karley Rose, Miscanthus Cosmopolitan, Miscanthus Grasillimus, Muhlebergia capillaris (pink muhly), Miscanthus Little Zebra, Miscanthus Rigoletto
I plan to plant a Zuri crape mrytle in the mist of the them in the sunny area.
Also need to get some other perennials in the shady/semi shady part of the area, and thinking of sea oats, but afraid of reseeding. (Turks Cap, Black and Blue Salvia, Henry Dulberg Salvia, Salvia Greggi, Nandina, Beauty Berry, and a Viburnum)
Anybody have Henry Dulberg Salvia. I'd love some cuttings. This is one hard plant to find.
Wish my scanner worked. I'd show you my plans -- 50th revision. After ordering the grasses I thought I could use, I redesigned my plans (way too many times) and now need to put lots of these grasses in the back yard -- which is fine! I'll love watching them out my kitchen window.
Thanks for your help!
Could you live without the nandina? Fragrant sumac, maybe? A mahonia?
Sea oats aren't too bad to control unless the bed is huge. The seed heads ripen nice and slowly, and they're stuck onto the plant really good, so pretty easy to grab them off before they reseed. (Plus makes you popular cause you can give them away in quantity.) They might be wanting more water than some of your other grasses though.
Cool!
Realbirdlady -- Why attempt to live with out the nandina? The ones I plan to use are the small versions. I already have them, just need to move them. Is there something I need to know that I'm missing? I thought they were good in shade, that is why I thought they would be good.
This particular spot is on the west side of my house, which usually yells hot sun! But, there are two fruitless mulberry trees between house and the sun which will shade about half of this area. It has been quite an ordeal trying to find plants that can be in shade except for 2-3 hours of overhead sun from noon to 2 or 3. (Suggestions for this appreciated also.)
I have Henry Dulberg Salvia, but it is a tender perennial in my warmer zone. I have one now, but don't know if it will survive the winter. Maybe others have better luck. I could send you cuttings if you still want it.
That shade bed with sun is a challenge.I have similar conditions, although now my trees are much bigger. I have kerria, which has arching branches so it provides a little extra shade. Also anthony waterer spirea,sedums, lambs ear,' red dragon' persicaria microcephala, germander (teucriium chamaedrys) and Flame aniscanthus can take shade to a blast of sun.
bannana -- HD Salvia is a tender perennial, I did not know this. I was going to turn down your offer of cuttings, but I just did some internet research and all claims it is a Zone 7 plant:
'Henry Duelberg' Salvia
Salvia farinacea 'Henry Duelberg'
Low maintenance, heat tolerant, native perennial with masses of showy blue flowers
Hardiness: Zone 7
Exposure: Full sun
Size: Height 3 feet; width 3 feet
Notes: Spikes of showy blue flowers from spring until frost. More floriferous than other cultivars. Texas native plant; found by Greg Grant in a small central Texas cemetery. Taller with bluer and more floriferous flowers and larger and greener leaves than modern cultivars. Not preferred by deer.
So with this in mind. . . yes, I'll take my chances, I'd love some cuttings. . . lots, I'll attempt to root and see what happens. I don't always have great luck at rooting (that's why I said lots). Thank you! Oh, can I d-mail you my address?
Hey, I've checked out your other plants -- they are beautiful. Lamb's ear scares me. I grew it in MT. Had one plant in the flower bed when we moved in. 10 years later it was everywhere! And impossible to get out of the lawn. Such fun!
I have the kind of lamb's ear that doesn't have the flower spike...only had it one year so I don't know if it will eventually do as yours, but so far very nice.Helene von Stein.
Maybe let's see if anyone has had it come back in the DFW area first. Like I said, I lost it several times...and usually have successful returns of tenders (except cuphea batface!) Maybe start a new thread?
Do you have the beauty berry ??It grows wild all over here in SE Okla but is likely just escapees from peoples yards
Yes, and I forgot about Turk's cap too. I will some cutttings of HD this w/e.
Grits -- I think I have a beauty berry -- received at a "swap". But the berries are not a pretty purple, so I really do not know if I have the real thing.
Do you know how much sun they can tolerate? I saw someone's blog with beauty berry and pink muhly in front. Beautiful. So either the BB can take a bit of sun or the PM can really take some shade. I was told the BB could not handle mid day sun (12-2). ??? Is this wild stuff grown in real shade? I know I ask a lot of questions, but I'm hoping to plant this stuff right the first time -- as it is -- I move too many plants already. Thanks!
I see it growing in both sun and shade but I think that the prettiest berries are in shade the most prolific I have seen is growing in a steep canyon at Rhunestone state park but my friend has some growing on the dam of his pond and it is sunny ...Now just so we are on the same page I am referring to callapara Sic???
Sorry for the seperate post but had to search for this picture
Yes this is the beauty I am referring to. I think I'll take a picture of mine tomorrow and seeif you think it could be the same. . .mine is not near as pretty. Thanks!
come to think about it, mine has tiny leaves. ???? So wonder what I do have. Weird.
How hard would it be to dig up and mail those babies? Go ahead and tell me impossible! I won't know if I don't ask.
Edit to say: I just took a flashlight outside to checkout my plant. I think it is a coral berry. Dang! I wanted beauty berry.
Something else that just dawned on me. We are repainting our front door a beautiful burgundy pink and I think it will be the close to the same color those berries are. Oh, I need have a beauty berry on each side of the door. In my head this will be perfect. Hope there isn't too much sun. Ooo-oo I'm excited. Now back to my drawings.
This message was edited Nov 11, 2011 8:52 PM
This message was edited Nov 11, 2011 9:37 PM
Now I will check and see if there are any I can dig and they are quite common and I know my friend will let me dig up as many as I can find ,but need to go take a look and see if I can find them because the leaves may have fallen and there may not be any berries this year..That said I will check on them tomorrow
Coralberry is a great plant. It keeps it's berries all wiinter.
I was reading that the seeds of HD are the best way to propagate. I collected some...that will be easier to send
Thanks grits and bananna! Wow! You are both so helpful to me.
I went out this morning to dig a few holes and fertilize them with "Black Cow". As I was measuring to make sure I had my spacing right -- I was shocked to see I had miss measured on my graph paper -- I had it too big. SO once again I get to redesign. I can't believe this. If it can be done wrong -- I can do it!
I would be putting these plants in the ground today, except my husband decided this would be a good time to repaint the eaves of the house and put in a rain gutter. I'm not about to plant and then take the chance of them getting tromped. I sure hope I can get them in the ground before it gets cold.
the Beauty Berry i see growing are fairly large with the largest being at least 6 foot tall and nearly the same in diameter..When I first relocated to this area I would see this plant around and i asked folks what it was and noone ever had an answer. When I did find it in a book then the very next week a magazine had a nice article about it and raved about it being hardy in New England ...
grits -- thanks for the info. I had read that they get 6-8 feet and was wondering how accurate this was. With this info I now know they won't go in the 4' wide beds that I planned, but the other bed is 8' deep -- so perfect. At least it will be on one side of that burgundy-pinky door of mine.
Thanks for going to this trouble for me. I thought about coming to get them and just checked mapquest. We are 5 hours apart. That would be quite a trip for a plant. Thanks!
first off I will have to get off my lazy butt and go see if there are still some with leaves and berries so I can tell what is what i did go out to my friends and asked if I could have some and he said okay ..his pond and pasture are seven miles from his home so didn't get to check on them yesterday as we got to BSing to much and it tgot dark,,but will get it done ..
grits -- your too kind. But, I'm going to get you off the hook -- I was shocked to find I had a beauty berry from last years fall swap. I had wondered what it was, thinking my coral berry was a beauty berry, so never really gave it a second thought. Today, I dug it up and put it in the prime location. I was hoping to catch you before you went digging for me. Thanks so much for the offer and the effort.
I did get some plants in the ground today. I am tired, but proud to finally get some in the ground. I've got to get all in the ground before next weekend, as we are taking off for 7-10 days to the west coast. So much work to do. Such fun.
Again thanks. Hope I caught you in time.
I planned to leave on the digging expedition as soon as it got ligh enough but no matter I am going as there is some pix at the pond I have never done in the early morning,this photo is from 07 I think
Thanks grits! The pond would be worth taking the trip for. Dig up a plant while your there for your yard. Be sure to post the pictures you took.
Good thing you didn't wait for me too get you a beauty berry I searched really good and could not find one but I looked at the spot where I was sure they were growing and there was only some bare twigs sticking up and I have no idea what they look like without foiage or berries
here is one pix
I do hope I can get this right http://picasaweb.google.com/uname=joe74571&Target-ALBUM&id=56749881521242568652authkey=Cv1sRgCNr1z4fh-dtzsa&feat=email now if that is right it should go right to my albums