Thanks for looking out for me, Gita! I actually have big root geranium in my yard but it's not quite tall or bushy enough for what I'm looking for.
PLANT ADDICTS CHAT #3
SSG - have you thought of tricyrtis (toad lilies) for that area? I got my first one about 3 years ago, and then added a few more last year, and then really added a lot more this year. They may provide the height and green foliage you are looking for with the added bonus of tiny orchid like flowers that start blooming late summer through early fall. They never caught my eye in catalogs or photos, but after I saw one first hand I was hooked. They do well in part shade.
This is my latest find to feed my plant addiction - Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Inoveris' (aka Grand Bleu Blue Mist Spirea). Woody perennial with clusters of deep blue blooms from late summer to frost over blue-green foliage. Height 2-3'h, Spread 2-3'w. DEER RESISTANT too.
VV, I posted photos of my Winterberries on the Tree & Shrub Forum. I'm interested in your verdict.
Aspenhill, I don't think I've ever seen toad lilies in person, but I'll check them out.
I love your caryopteris! Why isn't mine blooming yet? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
But I *love* the idea of caryopteris for this spot! Are they ok with dry soil, no irrigation, and only part sun?
SSG, what about Phlox? I have a Phlox 'David' that only gets afternoon sun, and it blooms well and stays about 2' tall. My Hardy Begonias and Bleeding Hearts thrive in those conditions. Bleeding Hearts fizzle out early and Hardy Begonias are late to emerge, so maybe you could squeeze them both in and cut down the BH as soon as the Begonias start coming up.
Wow, your David stays 2 feet tall?? My David in full sun is 6 feet tall, and I even pinched it in June before it started blooming!
Very interesting idea to combine hardy begonias and bleeding hearts in the same area. I might have to do that in another part of the garden. :)
My Phlox David also grew very tall. Over 3'. Full sun too.
It is extremely sturdy! The stem is as stable as a broom stick.
My Begonia Grandis are all up and blooming already in my crowded kitchen bed.
Tall enough to peak over my Caladiums. Full morning sun till 3PM.
What has grown huge that i now am not too keen on are all of Sally's gifted
Melampodiums. They are so big and tall that i am seriously thinking of cutting them back.
I was expecting 12" tall little clumps along the front of my beds--and mow I have
these "bushes" of yellow flowers. I love them--and I hate them.....
Here's an example---in one of my beds....GEEZ!!!
Yes, it stays short, probably because it doesn't get much sun. It's still only 2' tall.
What color are your roses?
G, why do you hate your melampodiums? They are so pretty and they bloom nonstop! This is the first year I've had them and they were a little slow to take off but they are gorgeous now just as yours are. I think I'll get them next year.
jeff--
I don't hate them per say--I love the way they look....
What i did not expect is that they grew so huge.
I planted them in borders-expecting little, cute clumps--as I had had in the past.
Now they are over 2' tall--and sitting in my borders, obliteration other plantings--
such as NG Imps. Coleus, my Pentas, etc. At a glance--all you see are the butter daisies.
Their size has thrown a monkey wrench in what I had planned my beds to look like.
That is what i don't like....that is what i did not expect...
They are very pretty--just out of place where I planted them. Did not expect that....
Does this explain it? Gita
Yeah it does explain it. I wouldn't cut them back though. If you did that you might as well just remove them. I think they might have grown so large from all the water we've been getting this year. I wonder if they'd be smaller in a dryer summer?
These Melampodiums are from seed given to me by ladygardener1
(one of our faithful participants some years ago, and very sweet lady who has passed away)
The seeds are easy to save and grow if you catch them before they fall. They are now self sowing a lot for me.
They are smaller in drier spots.
Maybe they are an older type or reverted to a bigger form, and not a more refined smaller new strain that has been commercially available..
Gita since they are bigger than you can use there, and they will self sow, might be wise to cut back or remove them now.
sally--
if i cut them back--but carefully--so as I cut above a node--do you think
they will leaf out again and bloom? This would mean a smaller clump.
I have to say that the only other place I have tried growing these is in
the available border of my YUK bed. Talk about dry!
They never made it there--and the ones that hung on were midget-size.
That is what I had in my mind...small and cute--in bloom.
Now they are in beds with good soil and Osmacote to boot in the planting hole.
Where are the seeds in these? Are they in the flower?
Live and learn! G.
sure, I think you can cut them back and they'll leaf out. They still have until frost.
When the yellow petals wilt off there is a circle of odd shaped chunky seeds stuck together there. Its tan or dull green, they dry and fall off pretty quick but if you start looking at various spent flowers you'll get a handle on when that stage is. I'll try to show a picture.
I stopped by Lowe's today (my reward for sitting through a seminar about our elementary school health program)... they had 2 gallon fruits (not trees) marked down to $3 (started at $11).
I picked up a hardy kiwi (which has a little male vine and a larger female vine in the pot), 2 blueberry bushes(Sunshine Blue & Sharpblue?), and 3 little Chicago hardy figs. They also had some grapes, didn't look at variety, and blackberry plants.
For $3, I thought I couldn't go wrong. Figs should work nicely in the fence row, although I'll have to put some wire fencing around them or they'll be tasted to death by the groundhog.
Does anybody want a fig or any of he others if I have a chance to swing by again?
those are can't lose prices!
I'll try to check my own Lowes but thanks for offering
Jill, I would love a hardy kiwi if it has both male and female in the pot. Thanks.
Sally, LMK what you want, as they'll probably go fast... and it would give you an excuse to come out here next month even though you didn't order any amaryllises!
Joyanna has dance class this afternoon, so we'll be up thattaway.
I'll give you ten bucks if you have three any kind of blueberries for me, whenever I see you. Blueberries do well here
Thanks a bunch!
They like your sandy soil.
yes, lots close relatives native in the woods. Bug free, easy to pick, get plenty once your bushes are big enough to satisfy the birds as well, it seems. Or maybe there are other berries for them here now, in any case, I've picked plenty last couple years with no net.
(high wire blueberry picking act LOL)
*snort*
Sally, you've got 3 'Sunshine Blue' bushes, and Robin has her hardy kiwi (yes, both male & female in the pot). I picked up their last 2 figs, also, and an extra kiwi, so LMK if you're interested. :-)
Thank you! will ponder the fig and kiwi option. 'Vegetable' garden needs major redo, already have sprout on Brown Turkey which mostly froze, plus a piece of one from Gita, so think I'm fig-ful.
Just googled; Sunshine Blue sounds like a winner winner chicken dinner kind of blueberry
;)
When I have time--i will be trimming off a lot of branches from Olga's (my neighbor)
now massively re-grown Fig tree. Yes! it too froze to the ground. Is now 5' tall.
I told her to choose about 3 stems she would like to keep--and i will trim off the rest
and try to root them. If successful--MAN! You all will be growing Figs!!
These are so sweet--they are green when ripe--and taste like they are full of honey.
G.
I would like to have a fig or two. I know that Jamie wants one.
Gita, I'm crossing my fingers that your rooting efforts are successful... would love to have your neighbor's variety growing here!
I got the last 2 fig trees yesterday, making 5 altogether... There were a dozen when I first looked; I should have picked up more when I had the chance! We'll just have to learn to root them :-)
Sally, can I give you 1 'Sharpblue' and 2 Sunshines? I just googled the former and found that it's better in zone 7 -- and you're warmer than we are. Martina & I will then keep the other 2 Sunshines, probably in containers.
5 'Chicago' figs ($3)
2 for me
1 for Martina
1 for Jamie
1 for Holly
4 Kiwi ($3)
1 or 2 for me
1 for Martina
1 for Robin/Catbird
1 available
5 Blueberry ($3)
2 for Martina & me
3 for Sally
Thanks Jill add that to my bill. LOL
Well--here's the cutting I rooted 2 years ago. It is now 3' tall.
Before she knew that her cut down Fig tree (impulse..as always--regret later)
was actually GONE--she was so remorseful, because it was her deceased
Husband's tree. He cared for it--so this id like a "transference of a person on a tree.
It is as if this tree was "HE"--and then she cut it down.. She was so sad...
She was sitting with me at my patio table and talking about this.
I got up--went and got the growing cutting (then just 1' tall) and said to her:
"It is NOT gone! look--here it is!" She almost cried.
Now, of course, it is no longer so "special"---as her re-growing Fig that died
last winter is now re-growing from the roots in a massive jungle of stems.
She is not back from her trip yet--and I have not had time to mess with the cuttings--
but, I will, next week. There will be many...
Jill--do you remember a picture I posted of her huge Fig Tree a couple years ago?
It was up to her 2nd story window~25' tall and wide.
WHERE on your property would you have room for something like this?
"Brown Turkey" is but a shrub compared to this Fig.
I am not really looking forward to 10 more pots to coddle and take care of under my lights.
Yes! I kept it inside under my lights and then as it grew bigger--by the window.
BUT--I will.
1--The re-growing "bush" of stems from the roots
2--The lower part of this mess of stems
3--The cutting from 2 years ago--now 3' tall.
I think several, if not all, will make it from the cuttings....
Gita
Jill, I am fine with whatever blueberry variety.
So, inside under lights over the first winter or two is the trick, eh? I'll be happy to coddle a cutting or two... don't want them taking up seedling room at your place as spring approaches!
Figs are very prune-able. The one at the corner of my house tried to get that big a few years ago, and I managed to reduce its height. I'm thinking a few figs might mix nicely with some rose of sharon tree-shrubs along the back edge of my fence row... if the other trees provide some wind-break, they should overwinter all right most years, and the fig trees won't get as big as if they had a sunny space all to themselves.
More $3 plants today! I swung by Lowe's again since I was right there at Wegman's this afternoon... couldn't help myself. I found some New York Asters, very pretty periwinkle blue, in big 1 or 1.5 gallon pots. They were clearance priced because they were half bloomed out (some more so, but of course I got the prettiest ones). They're actually better than $3 each, because each pot has TWO plants in it, and I chose ones where the 2 plants are separated enough at the bottom that the pot could probably be split easily. Score!
I picked up 4... 1 for Martina, and I don't have to greedily keep the other 3... so LMK if you want one.
I also settled on the final evergreen for the foundation plantings in front of the living room, where the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick is on its way out. Lowe's had these tiny, sweet Bird Nest Spruce trees for just $7! They had bigger ones for $20, but the little ones had a prettier color (more silver-blue), besides being cheaper LOL. They had some baby mugo pines and a couple other evergreens for the same price, all in trade gallon pots.
Happy, are you still looking for Skypencil holly trees? Lowe's had some for $20, not a steal but pretty reasonable, 42-48'' (not including the pot, which looked about 3 gallons).
I'm just going to keep an eye on that Lowe's, to see if they start clearancing some of their "nicer" stuff, like the dark-leafed crepe myrtles.
SO--Jilll---are you saying you want a couple of these Fig cuttings????
Not sure if I mailed you a couple JUST cut--they would root like ones I
stick right into the soil after cutting them. I DO use rooting hormone...
Why not? Anything to help.
I suppose they may make it. I'll wrap the ends on wet newspapers and then
in plastic wrap. I have mailed all kinds of plants across the Country
and they have always arrived in A-OK shape. Good packaging is the secret.
OK! When I take the cuttings--I will trim them as I would for myself and
send them to you well packaged. The rest is up to you. NO slacking!!
You DO need to pay attention to finicky cuttings--can't just ignore them....
They do not just root in a blink--sometimes you think they are rooted, but they
are just putting out latent new growth. Patience is the key here......
Will let you know when. Gita
The cutting I have from Gita was overwintered sunk in the ground, against the south facing wall, quite cozy here. And it was already rooted. But Jill, I don't recall that you would have such a location there.
Reminds me, I swore I was tearing out two Burford hollies this fall and getting something new. Now I'm not sure if I even WANT evergreens on the corners of the house. Another option is to wait another year and then use existing things which I expect to somewhat outgrow where they are now. Or drastically prune the Burfords in late winter and see what happens.
So Jeff, now aren't you going to tell me what you love about Burford Holly?
;^)
re-thinking... Gita, if you're going to root some others, would you please try to get a couple started for me also? I can take over their care (maybe try one outside as Sally suggested -- I do have a south-facing foundation wall in the bed behind the dining room) the next time I see you. Even if that's as late as the seed swap, that would save you some space under the lights for starting other things in spring.
We could hedge our bet, too... if you can mail me some cuttings (more than 2, please, but fewer than 20 LOL), I'll stick a few in pots for inside and also put some against that south wall. That should increase our chances of propagating this magnificent variety!
Critter: I'll pass on the Skypencil holly trees. All of mine died last winter (they are only hardy to zone 7, though I think the label said otherwise -- but see http://usna.usda.gov/Newintro/skypenc1.html ), which muted my enthusiasm for them. And I'm trying to switch to natives (these are Japanese) except when I can't stop myself.
I sort of have a plan....
I really need to give away or get rid of most of my AV's that are just
sitting there and not blooming under that big, hanging light.
They don't have enough light--and the watering I do does a number on them.
Don't ask!
I will keep some and maybe take the rest to work and let people go at it.
Then--I can use that hanging light for rooting larger plants....
Just a thought....
I will see just how many Fig cuttings i get, Last week and this week have been
insanely busy for me. The Swap and company last weekend (loved having Speedie here)
and my sister and 3 of her daughters coming here tomorrow for the weekend.
I am just a B&B--they are headed for Washington and Arlington Cemetery
for an internment of am urn of someone they all knew.
OK! Gotta work on getting all the beds ready.... and other stuff...
Gita
No Sally, I'll let you go on that one. I'm not much for hollies but I do like my Nellie Stevens and American Hollies. I'm glad you were looking for my opinion though ;-P
Happy, I do have 3 'Skypencil' hollies in the ground that have been doing fine here for... not sure, 7 years or so. They are next to the side patio / parking space, so I'm sure they get some extra heat-sink protection from the pavers. Judging by my experience with other plants here, that doesn't bring the microclimate quite to zone 7, at least near the windy, north-facing front of the house. You had them in containers, though, which can make at least 1 zone of difference in winter survival I think.
I'm looking at that tiny birds-nest spruce and thinking I should plant it in one of my 20" containers in front of the window... surround it with annuals for a few years... and eventually plant it in the ground. It's hardy to something like -20', so container living won't bother it! Otherwise, it won't show up next to its neighboring small-leaf rhodi for 10 years LOL.
I had intended the Sky Pencils to stay in containers, to flank several entrances, so I'd always run into issues with cold spells....
Happy, I have two sky pencil hollies.
One was planted in the ground last year and overwintered just fine.
The other was kept in its container, and the container itself was planted about 3/4 of the way into the ground for extra winter protection.
I got a lot of tip burn/dead ends on the second one, while the in-ground one overwintered with no issue at all. So Sky Pencil is definitely not hardy enough to be containerized here. Have you thought of any alternatives? Maybe some other narrow hollies?