Summertime plant shopping

Gita -- Japanese Painted Fern is tough as nails -- you should have it back into good shape in no time. I bet they didn't water it.

Happy- Nice selection! The ninebark Monlo looks great. What size is that one you are receiving? 1 gallon?

Gita- I would have picked those up as well. JPF's are gorgeous. My neighbor's are multiplying like rabbits for some reason, I wouldn't mind if some of those spores blew over my way!!!

Happy, Deer love Ninebark Monlo flowers. Don't remember if they also eat the leaves.

I have quite a lot of Brunneras in my garden. I can dig up some big ones for you for the fall swap. I have been pulling baby Brunneras out, but can pot them up for you if you want them.

Donner- Good tip with the Deer and the ninebark flowers, I think I have rec'd one or two of your Brunneras.

Donner -- Thanks! I accept the Brunnera!

Do you think the deer love Ninebark so much that it would be more of a draw than the many hostas and daylilies we have in the back yard? We have deer netting up and that works -- but if the deer would stop at nothing to get a bite of Ninebark, I should reconsider. I wasn't going to put it out front because of the deer issue, which I had read about.

Terp -- LOL -- 1 gallon -- no, just a 4" pot, 2 for $15. Should I skip it? Want one of the two? I'm still wavering on this whole purchase - I'm sure the plants will be minuscule.

No thank you Devon. Perhaps in time if you purchase it and can yield a cutting eventually or you like so much I'll buy a gallon size in a year or two.

Paul---

If you do not have a JPF--I will put your name on one of these.
They are not in that bad a shape--actually.

Besides the Ferns--I also picked up an 8" pot of "Jack Frost Siberian Bugloss" (a Brunnera) for $1.
It looked dead--but this very petite lady, that always takes care of the clearance plants, told me
"It WILL come back--or I would not sell it"! I can tell she id a gardener....and loves her near-death plants...

Here is the plant--after i trimmed off all the dead stems--and also the tag.

Gita

I have 2 regular ones and 3 named cultivars. I should post pictures. The jack frost though if it lives... I would double your initial investment for. Haha.

I know ssgardener really wants a Jack Frost, if you are looking for a different home. I have found it not as tough as I'd like, at least not in my conditions -- I prefer Looking Glass ... But I wouldn't' kick it out of bed for $1!

Gita here are the jpf I have. Take a look and you tell me if you can distinguish the difference, there are (allegedly) four different kinds.

The two largest have been there forever, came from my aunts in connecitcut. The other three I received in a mail trade a few years ago. None have shot off spores, did I say that once or twice already?

Wellllll.....Hmmmmmm....

#1 and #2 have the color I am used to seeing. #2's fronds are a bit smaller..kind of irregular.

#3 looks bigger--in all ways. The leaves and the fronds are wider...a lighter color too (?).
may be the camera...it has a "disorderly" look.

#4 looks sort of petite...and the fronds are really small. Nice bluish shading.
Maybe this is the most similar to the ones I thought (at Lowes) had slightly curly leaves...
.They may grow out to be more straight.

$5--looks more like a regular fern. it does not have the metallic coloration--
and the darker green shading.

Maybe I should go back tomorrow and get some of the rest of them? IF they are still there!
I know there are no lack of takers when it comes to JPF's.

SO--did I "pass" in my observations ??? What do YOU think the differences are?

G.

I have no idea, other than the really green one. I remember that they are suppose to be most distinguishable when they are emerging and the further they get throughout the year the more they resemble each other.

You know what I will take a couple on second thought, if they're up for grabs. A $1 each, I'd take as many as 5. Love them. I will post my other ferns I don't have tags on any of them.

Paul--I don't have five! I only got 4! Now I need to go back to Lowes and grab any that are left....

It is ALL your fault....Glad it is close---maybe 2miles?

See ya! G.

Oh my gita no need to do that! If you are thank you, that is really thoughtful.

I just called the cops again and had another run in with a four wheeler in the park land. Tomorrow I will be purchasing a trail can to mount up in the trees. The guy just looked at me and sped on as fast as possible. P.I.T.A.

You mean a "trail CAM"?? Not much you can do with a can.....:o}
Do you have some "official" capacity to chase the 4-wheelers away?
What is the biggest damage they do to the park?

What does P.I.T.A. stand for?

YES! I did go--mission accomplished................

Will send you a D-mail.... Gita

Erosion is the main concern. Motorized vehicles basically kill the vegetation they run over in time which leads to erosion. Not to mention they are noisy, very noisy. People live next to protected areas for a reason to escape (Yes, I can hear I-95 or 29 some days). I'll place another call to the county parks and recreation and wrote an email to a friend who writes for a local paper. Over the top? Maybe.

I completely agree -- I have the same issue on beautiful lakes where people motorboat around too fast. I'd prefer canoes and sailboats....

And Gita, if Terp or ssg won't take them, I will in a heartbeat. So you can buy out Lowe's, if you go back there. Why is it when I go to stores they aren't having deep discounts?

This message was edited Jun 5, 2013 8:05 PM

No not over the top as far as I am concerned. Our kids had 4wheelers when they were young and ran them all over the woods behind our house but they had permission to do that from the land owners. They are great fun but you need to know where you can ride and where you can't and public land that is marked as protected isn't the place for them.

I did get a small Jack Frost brunnera from a neighbor, but I'd love another one! I love silver/white variegation in the shade. And any Japanese painted fern would be great. I almost killed them last summer (planted them too late in the season and they got fried in the heat), but they're doing much better now. I'm going to try to get to a Lowe's in the next couple of days.

Happy, I hear you about not finding anything on sale. The only thing I've found on clearance racks are half dead hanging baskets of annuals. : /

Terp, I don't think that's over the top at all. Does your neighborhood have a listserve or a community group? Sometimes groups have more influence than individuals.

Good grief! i just got them--NOT really eager to give them away! Please!!!!

You two may just have to wait until the swap....if I have any left...

Their reg. price was just $3,98--very affordable. There are many Lowes around.

G.

Lol Gita, that was not a request. I was lamenting at the fact that I couldn't find such deals at my Lowes.

Happy, I am not sure if deer prefer ninebark to other plants, but they do seem to eat the flowers faster than they can grow.

Well, I'll give it a whirl then -- thanks Donner -- hopefully our deer netting will continue to work.

Just got an e-mail from Brushwood that ALL Clematis are 33% off.

Happy--and whomever else were interested in the Estonian Clematis "Piilu"--
now would be your chance to grab one.

The reg, price on most of his Clematis is $14,99. Shipping is a bit steep--$8.95 (I think).

Here is the link from my e-mail. Not sure this will transfer over as a link...

edited to remove link--it took me back to my e-mail page.

Gita

This message was edited Jun 8, 2013 6:22 PM

Hey Terp, I just saw a Hosta 'Paul's Glory' at my local HD Do you have your name sake?

Also at HD Hydrangea paniculata "Doublelicious" Yep, double blooms and good sized plants $22.95.

Judy, I do not have Paul's glory! How much was it $9.99? I can't imagine not having it. I don't have anything by the name Paul.

And the doublicious sounds delightful. I will check my local HD here tomorrow for them, thank you

Funny the timing on that but I just moved a bunch of hostas that were decaying in a nice bed. I posted a picture on the hosta forum of it,iI assumed it was voles but I really have no idea it could be an insect.

Paul, as luck would have it, I have to go back to HD yet again today (long story) so. I will but the very best looking 'Pauls Glory' hosta they have and reserve it for you in case your HD doesn't have any. I thinkk they are $8.99 but I couls be wrong.

Might also take a closer look at the double bloom hydrangeas....
http://blogs.post-gazette.com/index.php/living/doug-oster-gardening/34374

Judy

Judy wow. OK thanks, could you get doublicious as well?

New evergreen azalea "naughty ladym" I couldn't find an accurate description for it online. I think it was mislabeled. Pretty anyway.

Paul: I'm sure you know that slugs can do a number on hostas....

Devon, yes I do know that slugs are often the first guests to arrive if the hosta is host. I was under the impression that slugs enjoy the leafy part of the host hosta and not the dirty roots. I really am just guessing at the culprit though, if I knew what it was or how to resolve I wouldn't have asked for help.

Ugh -- I've never dealt with that -- it sounds as if your hypothesis may be right -- I found a ton of threads on vole damage to hostas. See, for example, http://forums.finegardening.com/over-fence/general-gardening/something-eating-my-hostas .

Paul---

That looks just like the bottoms of 5 or 6 of the Romaine Lettuce plants I planted,
They would just separate from the soil--and when I picked them up--they just lifted
right off the soil. The bottoms looked just like they had rotted out--but more like
they were just severed-and then rotted.

There WAS definitely some rotting involved...or so I thought.
Do you feel that way also about your Hostas?

G.

Gita, there is definitely no rotting. I can see teeth marks.

OH! OK...

I think I can see them too on your picture.
G.

I have found hosta in that condition also. I think it's voles.

Voles, Terp... that's my best guess. I've planted some hostas for my MIL inside hardware cloth cages (cylinder shape with a bottom piece wired on), adding sharp volcanic gravel to the top layer of soil so the roots are protected from all directions... That's the best I've come up with to defend against them, but it's time consuming enough that I only did it for a few "choice" specimens.

Voles will enter containers, too, through the drain holes! They bother hosta and J maples! Cats are on the prowl.

Paul, I hope you can find some resolution to this matter before you plant your namesake Hosta which I did get for you this afternoon, ($7,98+ tax) I like that It changes colors thru the season.

Also got a Hydrangea 'Doublicous' for you.

Below pics of Hosta 'Pauls Glory'! And Doublicous.

Judy,

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Yes. I will figure something out. It has been suggested that the only defense against them is buring wire around the hosta or a good layer of gravel.

I will be in touch.

There was some talk about marking perennials. My favorite method is engraving the information on a clear plastic knife.

This message was edited Jun 10, 2013 1:01 AM

Paul I haven't seen anything eat my hosta like that.
I just picked up a new violet it is the cutest thing I think Paul and Greenthumb will especially like it. It is Viola walteri Silver Gem a US Native prostrate Blue Violet Height 3-5 in with 10-15. So it grows low and wide with silver leaf with dark green veins and a burgundy underside.