I'm getting confused about who is coming on Saturday and who is fairy/ferrying stuff. I thought there was a way to get one of those tree-form hydrangeas here on Saturday, and if so I was going to ask you to get one for me when you bought yours. But I'm not sure when I'll get out your way, and I don't want to wait to try planting it in Feb (if the seed swap is the next time I see you). :-)
Gita, Terri and I were commenting on Saturday about your Home Depot... you get in all sorts of great garden stuff that we never see at HD or Lowe's locally. I think they must all be a bit different, once you get past tomatoes & leland cypress... For instance, our local Lowe's gets in a few plants, but usually nothing spectacular, while the Lowe's on the north side of Frederick (near Wegman's) has a much better selection of plants, new cultivars, interesting varieties.
I can't believe I didn't see the PawPaws at Ace. I thought I'd asked somebody, but I guess I didn't ask the right person! 'salright, I've got my eye on a couple of named varieties from Stark Bros. next spring, along with a 2nd persimmon. :-)
PLANT ADDICTS CHAT #3
I'll definitely be there at 2! I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay for dinner, though.
Jill, do you know if I need to be a bulb fairy for anyone this time? Not sure if Paul, Happy and Catmint have bulbs to pick up.
Pawpaw's are the host plant for Zebra Swallowtails. I was told they are the only host plant for them.
Pawpaws are found in my county and Baltimore county, but I've only seen them in moist woods, near streams, or along floodplains. I suggest you water well if you plant some. I have seen a Zebra swallowtail at the lake in Tuckahoe State Park.
I have potted Iris for Catmint if she will be there.
Jill--
Well--two of the bigger Pee Gee Hydrangeas were gone. The smaller one was still there.
I, actually, forgot about it when i was going home. It was raining--and all that...
I may check out some of the other HD's (by phone) and see if they have a decent supply.
Or--maybe it was just not meant to be...
Our Lowes here has a HUGE garden area. They DO have a lot of stuff!.
Pretty well cared for too.Their yard is about 3x bigger than ours.
Wayyy in the back--there are always carts with stuff on clearance. .
I go to Lowes, most of the time, to check these carts out. Much of it is annuals, though.
Who wants to buy yukky annuals in October???
Our HD is a Low Volume store, fewer plants..so--things are a bit better taken care of.
We are located on a truck route--(Rt. #40). No developments near us--no housing,
no ritzy neighborhood---just commercial buildings and stuff.
People prefer out store over the busier ones, even if they are closer-- because:
1--Ample parking...right by the door. Busy contractors like that. They're in and out .
2--All areas of our store--inside or out--are clean and orderly.
3--We have a core of associates that have been at our store15, 20, or more years. Me-16.
And--people here are very informed and helpful. We know what we are talking about...
We greet each customer (required!)
We go out of our way to satisfy the customer. Expdected! Customers are our #1 priority.
We WALK most customers to the product they are searching for-instead of just pointing
and saying--"It's in aisle 17, on the right hand side....I think...
4--Our aisles don't have a lot of "holes" in them. Every day, whoever has time, is spent
packing out merchandise or straightening shelves. I love doing it!
5--Now the biggie--Our Garden dept. is one of the best!!! It is well cared for, watered daily,
and there are a people there that know what they are talking about--like ME and some others
People always comment how pretty and orderly our tables of flowers are.How perfect!
Because---WE CARE! It is NOT just a job--many of us ARE gardeners and we show it.
Of course--all good things start with a good manager and ASM's.
The saying--"The store goes as the management goes" is so true.
We have the world's BEST manager now--going on 4 years. Curtis!!!
He is approachable--doors are always open--he always stops what he is doing if
I walk in to just say "HI". Then--he gets up from his desk and comes over to give
me a big hug! No one else gets hugs but me--it goes way back...we met long b/f
he was our manager...he trained in our store--and never forgot me.
I just feed him Goetzes caramels and Cowtails and he is happy.
He is young (low 30's), a new father of a 1 1/2yr' old little girl--and they are
expecting a baby boy in February.
I have never seen him angry or upset. He seems even-tempered, yet we all know
how big the load is on his shoulders. We KNOW he is in control--and we all know what
is expected of us when we are at work and he is not there. ASM's are the intermediaries.
HD usually changes out managers every 4 years. Curtis is approaching that date.
We will ALL go into a mass mourning when he has to leave. Many of us will cry.....
We all love him to death. However--Curtis is the 8th manager in my 16 years there.
We mourn the passing when they go--and a new eager-beaver comes on board.
And--life goes on. Gita
As for the "neat stuff"--maybe it just seems that way--but I have a keen eye
about plants. Lets face it--I water them every day i am working there.
Watering is slow, tedious work--so I can look around and see what we really have.
Also--I "hear" enough here re what people are interested here on DG--and then i see
a pile of shade plants--and I know many of you will be interested.
Besides--since i am such a miser--I always look on the clearance racks and at plants
buried under other plants on clearance. Many times--that is where the gems are.
You may not notice something like the Holy Ferns I bought--as they looked so ratty
and weird--no one knew what they were. Or all those Astilbes--that were sitting--
half broken up and browning tips on a clearance rack.
Earlier--as I would waater that table--I was so in awe of the amazing color of their bloom!
Shade...Astilbes....awesome, unusual color....out of bloom (but I remember)....
Saw them on clearance ($3)---my antennas perked up! What if Bell would mark all the
rest down??? Sent Mary Lou (the regional biggie and she works out garden too) an e-mail--
saying I will buy them all if she would OK the $3.
Next day--it was a done deal--and I bought all the rest and made a bunch of people happy.
In my mind--"Ferns" of any sort means Greenthumb, Paul or Terri--as they all
do shade gardening. So--the connection comes easy. I let them know--noted how
many each person wanted, and then took good care of them all till the swap.
Two years ago--it was a full flat of distressed Japanese painter ferns. 50 cents each.
In a few weeks in my garden--they were lush and growing nicely.
And so it goes. May seem like we have all the good deals--we do not.
It is just that I am there and I, silently, note what I think will interest DG people here.
Sally and Jill, I just confirmed with Catmint that I'm her designated plant/bulb fairy!
I'll be picking up her bulbs and potted iris this Saturday.
Great, thanks ssg!
SSG-Terri, I think Happy might need a bulb fairy, too, if you're willing. I think they're having a hectic month with work stuff, and she's not sure if she'll be able to make it.
Gita, I can deal with "not meant to be" with regard to the tree-form Pee Gee's. But if you happen to see a second nice one when you find yours, keep me in mind!
I have a pretty good nose when it comes to the sale plants also... but, on sale or not, our local HD & Lowe's just don't have the kind of selection that you often talk about.
I did recently pick up a couple dozen quart-sized pansies for $1 each... they are guaranteed to return in spring, trade name of "bounceback" or some such. I'm taking the gold & black ones up to Pittsburgh for my dad... GO Stillers!
Sure, I'll pick up for Happy!
I've never grown pansies before. How do they do in the shade?
SS--
I believe pansies don't mind a bright shade, especially the little, Viola ones.
If you plant the Violas in a mulched, protected spot, like near some shrubbery,
where they won't be disturbed, they are known to self-seed and come back.
I have never had much luck with the regular pansies returning.
One year--when we had a lot of a snow blanket some of them came back.
They were, mostly, the blue ones.
Hmmm...just had a thought! I wonder if they could be seeded NOW and then
come up in the spring? Kind of like a biennial....Thrn they can develop their roots
slowly and be more hardy.
Just thinking...Gita
For shade, I think you want Torenia... similar look, easy to start from seed but start them in early Feb. if you want to set out blooming ones in spring.
Gita, good to know about the little violas! I love them, anyway... especially the "Johnny Jump-Ups" that definitely pop up from self-sown seed. Bet you're right about direct sowing them in fall/winter.
Violas and pansies are rabbit candy. I had some violas planted in this one spot this year and they barely bloomed because the rabbits wouldn't leave them alone. Torenias are visited by rabbits too. If you're not planting in a rabbit path, then you should be okay. I think next year I'm going to get some begonia annuals. I'm not too happy with the NG Imps this year. I wonder if that Imp disease is finally out of my soil as I haven't had them for 3 seasons now. Nothing performs in the shade like a regular Imp, IMO.
Best time to plant pansys for my area is in the fall. They are very cold tolerant and round here will continue to bloom and grow through out the Winter even thru the snow. It is the heat that kills them off, not the cold. Just clean them up as needed and they will be as nice as when you plant them. Most varieties need some deadheading or shearing before seed capsules form and of course some winters are better than others. Also, most do well in shade as most are Spring bloomers before trees leaf out. Here they will repeat bloom in cool fall if they live thru hot summer (never have for me) Also good to feed them when planting.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a616
This link lists best varieties trialed in Tennessee. I love 'Sorbet'
http://utgardens.tennessee.edu/pom/pansy.html
This message was edited Oct 23, 2014 10:44 AM
I think pansies need dark to germinate; maybe others in that family too.
They need a dark, cool area to germinate. Ric and I grew them from seed one year and I put them on the floor under the bed in the back bedroom, They did very well for us. I can't remember when we started them but it wasn't early enough as they were pretty small when we planted them outside, could have used a few extra weeks growth.
My local Home Depot has 6 Tree form Hydrangeas @ half price like at Gita's store
2 qty 'Pinky Winky' with 21/2' - 3' trunk height (four to five foot overall) Starts blooming in Aug
4 qty Proven Winners 'Quick Fire' 1 1/2' - 2' trunk height (three to four foot overall) Starts blooming in June!
"Pinky Winky - The Pinky Winky resembles its parent shrub Pink Diamond in both size (6-8 tall, 8-10 wide) and hardiness. The difference is in the size of the flowers and foliage. The blooms are 14 inches long and each floret contains 8 petals instead of 4, doubling the petal count and giving the blooms a much fuller look. The stems are also stronger and offer greater support to the flowers. Pinky Winky is a brand new Hydrangea.
Quick Fire - This Hydrangea grows 6 - 8 feet tall and is 6 - 8 feet wide. This new Hydrangea is quick to bloom - a month earlier than other varieties, starting in June. The cream flowers will turn to light pink going into a deep pinky-red color in late summer through autumn. Quick Fire is a "Proven Winner" Color Choice variety."
https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/planting/hardy-hydrangea
No PeeGee tree forms here.
This message was edited Oct 23, 2014 7:26 PM
Boy they sure sound like very nice hydrangeas
Judy--
I may be wrong calling them "Pee gee"---I think i just assumed that is what they were..
BUT--I thought i checked the tag once for a customer--and it said "Pee Gee"....
From the link you sent--sounds like it may be the "Quick Fire".
I really do not want one that will grow 6'-8' tall!!! NO!!!
IF you are going there and picking one up for Jill (she also wanted one), please pick up
a nice one for me too. Give it to Sally--and i will go there and get it and send you a check.
Please LMK. if you are doing this. Thanks, Gita
I'm happy to play my part.
But GIta, both are described as 6-8 feet and you said you DON'T want something that big...but pick one up for you...?
coleup, I'll be mostly around Friday and morning of Saturday, we can arrange some sort of drop or rendezvous. At the least, If I find a mystery batch of plants in my yard, I'll just take them to Frederick!
I love the long pannicles on those Pinky Winky hydrangeas! Don't make a special trip / rendezvous just to ferry one up to me, Judy, but if you're stopping by HD anyway and/or making the tirp to Sally's, I'd sure love to get one. And if not, I'm hapy putting a dark-leafed ninebark in that spot. :-)
OHHHH! OK! Odd how things settle on their own.....
I am going to drop my idea of having this Hydrangea.
6'-8' tall and wide just will not fit in the corner of my YUK bed.
SO--I guess the Mockorange gets a reprieve. UGH!
Thanks, tough. Gita
Gita, the "tree-form" ones don't take up that much width... they have a single central trunk, then branch out at the top (as you saw with the little ones), so even if they get to be 6 feet wide some day, that width doesn't start until 4 or 6 feet off the ground, depending on how they're pruned. My MIL has 2 at the back of her new formal garden in the back yard, and there's loads of room under & around them for other plants. The one that's grown in mostly-shade is half the size of the one that gets more sun (so much for the symmetry of that garden, LOL).
ROFL. I can't picture a six ft 'squared' shrub in the place where that little mockorange is!
Ah, OK. Gita, maybe it's time to use the "lasagna" method to expand your garden this winter... no digging, and less grass to mow. ;-)
The ONLY Lasagna I would use is the edible one.
I CANNOT expand the space I am talking about--as it is the VERY corner of my YUK bed.
The end of my property--both ways. 6' fence on one side--split rail om the other.
The neighbor's 6' fence would definitely be a barrier. It may work--but now I have
given up finding one. There's always next year.
Jill-You and your lasagna method and suggesting I could widen my beds with it!
NOT possible!!!!! NO way--NO how! Kapish????
look directly behind the tree trunk. That is where the corner is.
G
G.
What's the lasagna method?
Gita, you have a lot of grass there with narrow beds along the edges... I'm not suggestion expanding through your neighbors' fences, rather trading some of your grassy lawn for garden space. In your photo above, draw a line (curved would be more attractive) from one corner of that back bed to the other, maybe going just in front of the tree trunk. I know that area is all "yuk" with roots from the tree, but you've been amazing at getting things to grow anyway in those beds.. imagine all the space you could have if you turned that whole corner of the yard into a garden area!
I suggested lasagna method just because it's an easier way of getting garden space, letting the worms do the digging, and I know you'd be good at getting the cardboard, leaves, etc. needed. I know I've made similar suggestions before, and you've said you don't want to expand the limits of the existing beds, but even bringing that corner out a little would let you do so much more there (like put in one of those pretty hydrageas we've been drooling over LOL).
layering paper, cardboard, mulch, compost, and letting it sit and decompose to kill grass and create new garden area.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/lasagna-gardening-zmaz99amztak.aspx
"lasagna" refers to putting layers of cardboard, leaves, old mulch, compost material, etc. down and letting the worms do the work of mixing it all into the soil as it breaks down. It takes time, but it can be a pretty easy no-dig method of making new garden space. I'm thinking of utilizing that method along one side of my house...
Two helpings...yum!
Yes, double helpings of the good stuff for our Birthday Boy. Hope your day and year are as fine as can be VV!
Better late than never
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1379398/
I had to laugh. Gita gave me two monkshoods, LAST spring, or maybe the year before. Planted them but one since croaked. The other has barely hung on. Today there is a flower bud about to open. One stem, two leaves, a flower.
Sally--mine look better too--since I gave them more room and
have been watering them.
There is hope for next year! G.
The "spot" and the bloom after planting my Monkshood there....
Maybe you have found the magic spot for it!
I got three little starts of this Green and Gold at spring swap
http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantdetail&plant_id=100
and they have added leaves over summer with little help from me, no doubt helped by the frequent rain and above average total moisture despite tree roots.
Yet another yellow spring bloom in the shade, but what can you do? Native, we seem to be well within its range of the whole East Coast and west of those states.
The other spring yellow shade flower in mind is the two wood poppies. I'm watching both in my garden this year to compare and contrast. Stylophorum is native here, Chelidonium is European. Once satisfied, I'm going on a witch hunt to keep the Chelidonium from taking over. It seeds much more, as is its invasive reputation. But for fresh looking leaves most of the year, and cute tiny double blooms, Chelidonium Flore Pleno is what you want.
Time to satisfy the addiction before getting ready for the thing that pays for it....
Sally--
I think the yellow Evening Primrose is a shade plant as well--yes?
And--it spreads....and blooms a lot. I had one ages ago!
G.
Gita, evening primrose doesn't perform the best in shade. I've had great success with it in part shade though. It gets sun from 11-2. It definitely spreads a lot though but I like the spreading nature of it.
Sally, I don't know if you like yellow native shade perennials or if you were being sarcastic but you might check out ranunculus hispidus.
There also is a Woodland Sunflower that did well for me this year and Goldenrod solidago caesia does well in woodland, high shade, part sun. Mine got about 4 hrs morning sun (dappled0 and bloomed well.
North Creek highly recommends Chrysogonium virginium "Green and Gold' but I didn't order any this year. Some are clump growers and others spread by rhhizomes.
http://www.northcreeknurseries.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.genussearchpost/genus/Chrysogonum/index.htm
I have no beef with yellow shade flowers, just noticing that I already had two (if including the one I plan to eliminate) Plus the big and ever growing presence of that invasive ranunculus in spring. I don't even argue with that, over in my neighbors yard where the alternative is simply moss. R hispidus, eh? We're getting into "read some more and just write an article" territory.
Muddy shared S caeasia seeds with me saturday- sounds like a winner!
I'll certainly let people know how this Chrysogonum does....David may already know tho.