Garden Projects #8

always amazes me Patti... let me know how the ringo 2000 violet is... had not grown that one yet.. did a few of the other colors.. they were all nice

Wow Patti what a great list! I would love to see your place some day!

Thanks all.

Onewish1, I will watch Ringo and let you know as I have never seen it before.

Wha, of course not as I forgot to list a couple, but I did get them all planted except 2 which I didn't remember where there were to be planted and no time to check before I had to catch the ferry. I also didn't plant many of the annuals that are going in the containers. We have to empty out the GH next week. Big job and then I will freshen up all the containers that wintered over in the GH with some new kids.

I am now in Boston at the pottery studio and making light fixture #4 as #3 was ugly! Not a charmer at all.

I took a mess of pictures yesterday morning So take a visual stroll. Sorry not labelled yet. The new sculpture was made of concrete by a potter friend of mine from Boston. I had to pick it up in Lexington from someone who hadn't figured out where they wanted it in their garden Their loss, our gain. It is heavy but I love it in the woods. It will look better when the Japanese Maples near it leaf out again (deer ate the first batch) You all are always welcome to come by, but it is rather out of the way.

https://picasaweb.google.com/pmc.ack/GardenAlbumMay122012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMCY1vDe1o6ngAE&feat=directlink


This message was edited May 13, 2012 2:12 PM

wow - what is the thing with the holes in it? is it made of stone? are you posting that to tease me? :)

In the 1st photo, I thought it had "antlers"...in the next photo I could see those were tree branches! Some very nice iris..loved the rose-colored one. Saw some deer nibbles.....what awful pests!

I really enjoyed the pictorial walk through Patti's gardens. So nice that it ends with the inviting JM container by the front door.

looking forward to a visit someday up there Patti.. just amazing work you have done

Wow! Tons and tons of pics, Patti, nice! You have a lot going on there already. Looking good!

I have had some deer nibbles on some hostas out by the woods. I'm debating on whether to start spraying some liquid fence. I may wait and see if they nibble anymore. A few nibbles here and there is not a biggie, but when they really start chowing down on the buffet, that's when I don't like it.

Karen

If there is an opposite of chronic fatigue syndrome, Patti has it!! ^_^

Wish I could have even half of it. I was watching Jerry tear around out in the backyard last night, and was wishing I could somehow get some of his energy. He was funny!

Karen

I want to know about the first few pix and the thing with holes. Such a great presence in that spot. Like a guardian in the glade.

I am going to a Garden Club's plant sale. If you were going to one, what would be the plants you would look for?
What would be the plants you recommend that I look for?
Please be patient with me. Your input is greatly appreciated. I know it will take me a few years to be at your level.

HEY. Dont beat yourself up because you ask questions. We were all ( including me still ) new. The availability of some gardeners who answer questions,is invaluable on the websites.Thats what keeps me comming back. I realized my vision for my garden wasnt nearly big enough and found out there arent too many rules. In other words there are nearly 100% enablers here.

I stopped going to "Plant Sales" when nearly everything offered was either Daylilies ( yellow ) and Daiseys and other invasive s. I am pretty cynical but have read many posts from gardeners who did find plants they liked.
If I was starting to buy plants for a new garden I would look for Hostas
Salvias
Catmints
Heucheras
Astilbes

These were my good-luck plants.

Rose, I would add iris, named daylilies, helenium, sedum, and hardy geraniums to my list to look for at plant sales in addition to those above. In my area, the garden club or fundraising sales tend to have as much or more variety than the big nurseries, and plenty of nice people to give advice about where to plant the beauties.. No reason to start with tall phlox or beebalm because of the mildew problems

Do you have a lot or shade or sun, Rose? That would make a difference in what to buy...do you need tall or short....groundcovers? The backbone of my gardens are iris, coral bells, daylilies, phlox....some like Shortwood, don't get mildew, hostas, & perennial geraniums.....

Rose1959, I would add mostly to a list the things NOT TO BUY started by ge1836 or your garden will make you crazy down the road. Plants at shows are often the easiest to grow (invasive) and the one's they want to get rid of the fastest from their yard. But not always as I have found some gems at sales.

Yellow flag Iris or Iris pseudacorus pretty and grows in water as well as in dry soil, not to be encouraged
Autumn clematis beautiful but comes up forever and everywhere
bronze fennel beautiful but invasive
Mint (For Containers only) comes up everywhere
Lemon balm smells lovely but is a thug
Garlic chives horrible to get rid of, though tasty
Columbine or Aquilegia as some can be invasive
Wormwood or Artemisia except silver mound as the rest can be very invasive though beautiful
Russian sage can be invasive though I wouldn't be without it
Lily of the valley unless you have a space just for them
Yucca, they are always stunning but always a battle to keep from taking over the world
Sweet pea or Lathyrus which are gorgeous but will climb through everything forever
Centaurea which can be invasive but may be worth the headache
English Ivy or any ivy except in a container
Evening Primrose Oenothera took years to get rid of them
Arum Lily we grow some but keep them in check
Blue Periwinkle Vinca major wonderful in the woods, but invasive
Broom Cytisus we have to grow them on Nantucket, but known not to be nice for the environment
Coreopsis Daisy careful, but I wouldn't not have some in our garden
Golden Rod or Solidago though some cultivars may play well with others
Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica though some cultivars may play well with others
Tradescantia a major headache for us
and grasses, not so good with a specific list of them but know some can be terrible thugs
Gooseneck Loosestrife or Lysimachia clethroides is a big no no. I have a couple of big patches that will live long after me to plague the next gardener, but I love it.
Ajuga scares me, but only because I saw it take over other people's garden
Avoid any thing that says creeping, or runners just to be safe.


I would buy any of these
Lavenders
Caryopteris
Dianthus
Cranesbill or Hardy geraniums (named ones if possible)
Sedums especial Autumn Joy
Digitalis
Achillea or Yarrow though some might not agree though I have no problem with it
Brunnera
Pulmonaria
Baptisia or false indigo
Obedient Plant or Physostegia but heard some have trouble with this one
Echinacea or coneflower
Phlox
Hosta
Heuchera
Any Iris except flag iris


Have fun and if in doubt just ask, of course the problem is that we all will give you a different answer! Patti

Wha and Ge1836, the sculpture is made of concrete over chicken wire with a core of foil building insulation that a potter friend from Boston made and has given to us to use indefinitely. She lives in an apt on Beacon Hill, so not a good fit for her. It has a weathered antique bronze colored finish. DH sunk it into the ground over a cement block so it should withstand a good blow. It is very heavy. It took two of us to move it in the wheel barrel.

I can't wait to tell her that it has been dubbed by another potter the "Guardian of the Glade" which will please her no end. She made it as part of her work in a sculpture course she took at Harvard, though most of her work is in ceramics. Her work is most often small modern sculptural pieces that she sells at several Boston galleries and shows, though she does some utilitarian work that is mostly bought by fancy folk. Her name is Claudia Rasmussen.. Patti

Interesting list Patti.
I would add "Snow-on-the-mountain" to the list. My wife planted it on a hill that had little or no good soil. Railroad ties keeps it from spreading to the garden but it goes up the hill like it's the best area it has ever seen. I am sure if you wrote the word dirt on a piece of paper and it would grow on it.
We do have several of "don't use" plants. We have had luck with most of them. The key is time! You have to have the time to train and keep them in check. This may be more time then some people have, but the poor soil we have in those areas helps.
Chuck

HOLEY MOLEY Patti, what a list!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would love to see your place in person!


Rose, I always stick with a plan when going to plant sales or the garden center...#1 what area in the garden are the plants for? #2 Is there a certain style to the garden? #3 any particular color?
I think it's less stressful than bringing home a bunch of plants and not having any idea where they are going

thanks for the info patti on the Guardian of the Glade.

I think i will try and drill out a large hole on one of those "tombstones" i have in my stone waiting area that caught your eye (and mine obviously). celeste had shown me one a while back that was pretty cool although is was done with a boulder which would be tough for me to do with my limited tools - one of those flatter stones is a possibility - just need to decide which one to sacrifice in case i mess up:)

Patti.There is a gardener on Containers forum,Tomtom who has the reciepe and directions for Papercrete.I think its the same stuff and It would hold up all winter with a dash of polyurathane.

I was so jazzed when I saw TomToms planters. I almost got myself into a mess. Number 1 those bags os Sakrete weigh 80 pounds. That was the first stopper,then I dont have the studio I used to.So I bagged ( sorry for the pun ) the idea.

Your list of "Dont buy" is even bigger than my first one. I saw some dreadful memories there.
Pirl would also add Heuytinea ( sp)

Definatly all of your "Good to find" list and as you said ,sale plants are usually ordinary.,sometimes not a bargain.

Good list of invasives...I have a yellow daisy that I've been yanking out for 30 years....seeds all over the place!

Invasives are definitely site-specific, but with so many other choices available, why take a chance. I would add chasmanthium to the list. My biggest self-inflicted headaches are that, gooseneck loosestrife and houttuynia.

I have gooseneck loosestrife planted in pots in th ground but I think they broke the pots this year. I may pull them out before they get too established.

Good idea, Debi....took me years to get rid of mine....

I have a few that survived in a container out of the ground, I really do love them...

I gave up trying to get rid of them.

I am very grateful for your suggestions. I will make a list and bring it with me.
I have some shade but mostly is sun.
I know that long term, it is not a good idea to have invasives, but when I plant one and the following year I have 3 or 4, it gives me the confidence that I can be a Gardner. I have Solomon's Seal and Sedums that I was pleased they multiplied.
Today, at work, someone brought me a Digitalis. I was very happy.
I am not organized yet to color coordinate. In the future, when I feel more confident I will do that.
Also having multiples of the same plant appeals to me.
I will try to be selective.
I have a lot to learn with all of you.
Rose

I find it inspiring to look at books of famous gardens. Considering how different they all are from one another, I can forgive myself for the particular ways I mix plant textures and colors. I have copied the spring flowering shrubs from Winterthur, boxwoods from Mt. Vernon, the willingness to have a colorful pallet from Monet's gardens, the shade plants from the Alcott estate, and so on.

I have people that dislike me because I gave them gooseneck loosestrife.

ROTFL

Jo, I have to say I've found many nice plants at plant sales. The club I used to belong to puts on a good one, and you can usually find nice stuff there. You find the invasives as well. You have to know what you're getting. I wish I had never gotten creeping bellflower, a.k.a. spotted bellflower. Ugh!!!!! I have sales at my house all the time, and I usually try to sell stuff that's non-invasive and a little less common, such as named daylilies (or unknown hybrids), named hostas (or NOID ones that look nice), etc., etc. I also have some of the more common stuff, but not as much. Some stuff just doesn't sell well, and every year I put an add in my local Freecycle to have people come and dig up plants.

Patti, you have pretty much covered all the invasives, looks like. I have to beg to differ on columbines, at least. I do get seedlings popping up here and there, but never too many, and I love how they fit in with so many other things. I have quite a few, and they are easy to get rid of if you don't want them. Nothing like tradescantia, which is the bane of my existence.

I have also had no trouble with yucca, though the only one I've tried is the variegated one, and maybe it's not so aggressive. I had it in Nevada when I lived there, and I didn't have a problem with it there, either.

Many that you mentioned I do sell, and give away, too, as I get lots of requests for them. Things such as the vinca, daylilies (the orange ditch lilies), lemon balm, etc. I always warm people of the dangers. I will NEVER sell tradescantia!!!! Well, not the invasive one, anyhow. That would be the bright fuchsia purple one. The other kinds are much better behaved and stay in clumps, but they will seed in. I love the chartreuse one called 'Sweet Kate'. Always well behaved and never seeds in. Great color for the shade, and the dark blue flowers look great with that lime green foliage.

I would add, do not get Petasites japonicus, (aka Fuki, bog rhubarb or giant butterbur). It's quite nice looking with the huge leaves, but it will take over. It's fine if that's all you want in a wet area (although Petasites japonicus giganteous is quite stunning!).

Also, stay away from Japanese knotweed, which is very invasive, but I have just looked it up, and seems it's edible and quite nutritional. Hmmm..... I still wouldn't want to get it started in my yard.

Chuck, is that 'Snow on the Mountain' the same thing as Snow in the Summer? I have not had luck with that plant at all, though I keep trying. I would love it to spread in my white/yellow theme bed.

Oh, you are so right, Jen. Having a plan is great. Something which I hardly ever do. Not that I never do that. I'm always bringing stuff home, having no clue where they're going. Or maybe I'll have a general idea.

Anyhow, have fun going to the plant sale, Rose. There are so many around here this time of the year. I don't have the extra money, nor time to go, otherwise I would.

I had the variegated gooseneck loosestrife. Found it it reverts quite often. It started to take over a bed, so I got rid of it before it went completely wild. I still find pieces coming up here and there.

Karen

Iris show on Mon. May 28 at the Harvey Wheeler center is W. Concord MA. opens to the public at 1:30. I think the directions have been posted on www.massirises.org.

Thanks, Lucy. Maybe I'll get a chance to go. Sounds like fun.

I'm thinking I want to incorporate more dwarf bearded and intermediate bearded irises. I don't have enough of them, and they seem to produce a lot more blooms than the TBI's. The TBI's are gorgeous, but I don't have a lot of luck with them. Some years they'll look great, and others not so hot. This year is a lean year for most of mine. Last year was good, but the smaller ones still did much better over all.

Karen

the tradescantia returned on me this year again as well.. been digging that out for a few years now.. will be digging it out again

New thread
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1258276/