You might be right Paul, I was wondering why we had an iris in a pot in the GH. Walking Iris aren't hardy in our area. It was behind some other pots so I didn't look to see if there was a tag in it.
FIRST FLOWERS OF SPRING!!!! Post your pics!!!!
They are pretty interesting plants. I like them because they are relatively easy and bloom over and over and over and over and over
again.
yup Neomarica walking iris. My voles tell me they make a great February salad
Muddy--
I grow many toxic plants--and do not really give it much thought.
Like--3 Brugmansias--Daturas--Several Foxglover ...4 O'clocks--etc.
I am sure there are others, I just can't think of them now.
If I realize I have been messing with some too much--I will go wash my hands when i am done.
As for the Monkshoods--mine do not do too well. I think they get too much water
which cannot be helped, as they are in 2 different beds with other plants in it.
They struggle with drying up leaves and fungusy (???) problems.
I have shared sections of these with other DG'ers--and they have no problems.
SO--it has to be my beds or my soils....even though plants right next to it have no issues.
Maybe I should drench them now--as they are starting to come up, with a strong fungicide.
I have some old Daconil.....
G.
Do you leave them both in pots in the ground all summer?
To go along with the theme of this thread, I'm planning on starting a new one as soon as I have a pic of my first daff, which should be tomorrow. The blooms cracked their outer lining so as soon as we get some sun, they'll be showing off their stuff. I didn't want to start a new one and not have a new pic for you all :)
Muddy--
My clump of Monkshoods used to be on the W. side of my shed.
My shed is a chalet type with a very steep "A" frame roof.
All the rain water runs straight down--and in this case--it used to
run right on the Monkshoods.
For years--it grew just fine--and then started yellowing/blotching/and losing its leaves.
By the bloom time Iquite late in the fall) there would hardly be any leaves left on it.
I asked "greenthumb" what was going on--as he has them--and the only thing was
that he NEVER waters his...
David told me to try putting them in a pot and sinking the pot into the bed--and so it has lived..
It did a bit better--but not so great either.
SO--I dug mine up and moved them to the very back if my kitchen side bed against the house
between the ferns.......same thing...
I also planted 2 other sections in a small bed on the same side of the house...
on either side of my Proteys Clematis. They ALL show the same signs of problems...
Perhaps, this plant is not meant to grow in a development type garden.
Perhaps, it needs a woodsy type of environment...in humus-rich soil--moss covered--
dappled shade--gentle rainfall, etc..etc....
I moved the pot (in the picture above) to a different spot in the same bed when
i was digging up and dividing the ferns..amended the soil a bit...whatever.....
Can't say I have not tried.... G.
1--This is where it used to be--in the middle of this shed bed. Very wet
whenever it rained. Taken right now--nothing growing yet...
2--After I potted it and sunk the pot in the back of this bed--you can see how well it is
growing. look to the right of the fern...(2013)
3--This is a very small bed--here are the other 2 spots I planted some of it--on wither side
of the Proteus Clematis--Don't they look healthy?? (2013)
4--A more distant shot that shows both of the Monkshoods flanking the Clematis. (2013)
5-This is my "kitchen side bed"--right now. You can see the sunken pot all the way to the left.
it used to be in the middle of this bed. In season--it was totally obliterated by the ferns
and all the other plants in this bed. The ferns have not yet started growing.
SO--from all these lush-looking Monkshoods, by early fall--the problems will start.
The leaves start browning from the bottom up--eventually to the top.
By bloom time--the very top of the stalks will have some green leaves and the blooms
on disgusting looking stems...(see picture above). This is one of the ones on either
side of the Clematis.
OK! I am open to ideas.....thanks, Gita
Brand new blooms today!!
1) A single snowdrop? Or chionodoxa?
2) The purple crocus bloomed! The squirrels didn't eat them after all--just bloomed a couple weeks later than the cream ones
3) First hyacinth!! Others about ready to pop!
4) Several yellow tulips all opened at once!
5) I cannot believe the viola cornuta is blooming!!
It's the simple things in life, isn't it?? :-)
This message was edited Apr 4, 2014 5:51 PM
Cat, that is exactly what my crocus do. Yellow first, then purple. So jealous that you have tulips blooming already. What kind are they?
I am surprised too, Typ! These are the Darwin hybrid tulips 'Gudoshnik'. I'm still waiting for 'Red Impressions' and 'Heart's Delight'. The daffodils look like they will pop soon! The Gudoshnik must be a very early tulip...
This message was edited Apr 4, 2014 5:48 PM
Catmint, I think you meant typwc, not ssg. :)
My early tulips are not blooming and may skip this year. It maybe because they were transplanted last spring right after blooming so they might not be established yet.
My daffodils are soooo close! And probably 3 more days before the candytuft starts blooming. And I'm seeing buds on the redbud!
Yes, you are right, SSG--It should be Typ! Thanks for catching that! :-) My daffs are really close, too. That's wonderful that your candytuft and red bud are about ready to bloom! My candytuft buds are still tightly curled, and I think my redbud is a later blooming kind. I am seeing several of the earlier blooming ones around--very nice!
Do you have a photo of your redbud? Is this the one you got new last fall?
I'm so glad Spring arrived for you, Catmint, and that the squirrels were vindicated. I know they dig up crocus bulbs in some people's yards, but they're kind enough to leave them alone in mine.
Gita, I don't know anything about how to grow Monkshood, so following Greenthumb's advice is the best advice I can offer but, if you get tired of trying to make the Monkshood happy AND if it is a variety that is native to the U.S., I'll take it and plant it in the forest : )
Muddy---I will wait and see....
I will give it a dose of Daconil (pretty old...)and see if that makes a difference.
I love the blooms and the color...not much blooms that late....
G.