PLANT ADDICTS CHAT #5

Jill, I will definitely be ordering more crocus bulbs this fall.

Also, I highly recommend fritillaria bulbs to anyone who has a serious squirrel issue. Mine are *so* stinky that the squirrels, which dug up even the daffs last year, are no longer digging in my beds!

Muddy, I think I accidentally pruned my spicebush to the ground this year. D: Oops! I hope it comes back from the roots!

Has anyone seen geranium 'Blue Sunrise' locally? I just love the chartreuse leaves.

That's very pretty SSG. I'm getting Geranium monacense 'Claudine Dupont' from Lazy S&S this spring. It has similar leaves but with a maroon marking on them. Check it out.

Ooh, that's a pretty one! Please report back to us on its performance!

It looks like 'Blue Sunrise' might do better in sunnier locations.

those geraniums sound awesome. Someone gave me three of the Espresso last year, and they've returned even better, yay

Solomon's seals popped up yesterday, yay! I was worried

How does tuberose like to grow? I have two clumps again getting started. Potted plants here don't always get consistent care- what garden site might they like best?

Yeah, sure will. I'm getting these from Lazy S&S too:

Geranium renardii 'Philippe Vapelle'
Geranium wlassovianum
Geranium 'Orkney Cherry'

They have one heck of a selection of Geraniums. You should check it out SSG. I bought a bunch of geraniums last year and all but one came back. My Sambor is really taking off. The flat of Bevan's Variety I got from NC last year is doing really well too. Each of the plants are at least a foot in diameter at the moment.

My Bevan's Variety and Sambor are looking really good right now, too. And that Espresso's so pretty! I did lose one Espresso in the dry shade, though. I've never even heard of the other geraniums on your list.

I'm going to see what kind of geraniums are available at the arboretum sale this weekend also at the Green Spring sale next month. I'll be checking out Lazy's website if I can't get my fill from these sales. :)

Tuberose like sunshine & water (but not soggy just not bone dry), I believe. Yehudith said she plants hers with gladiolus -- great idea! (I didn't do that, because I'm experimenting with planting glads deep and not digging them in fall... and the tuberose needs to be lifted.)

Jill--
Olga planted some Glads 2 years ago--a good amount in 2 places,
She planted them just deep enough to cover the bulbs by maybe 1".

The all bloomed that spring (2012).
The rabbits ate off most of the stems and leaves--laying them waste on top of the soil..

The following spring---they all grew again and bloomed. Go figure!

I realize we are a zone warmer here than you. Right? Here--7a.
Would it be that big a difference as to how deeply you plant the bulbs?

Just wondering....I left all my Glads in the beds last fall. Will see how they fared.
Nothing has come up yet...Too early?

G.

Sequoia, my apologies to Darcy if this causes you to drive back with a U-haul after the swap, but I was thinking about how you might never leave some of our local garden centers after you stepped foot on their grounds!

I only go to local chain Merrifield Garden Centers if I can't find something elsewhere because their prices are 40% higher than almost anywhere else, but they do stock an unusually wide range of plants. For example, they claim to stock 2000 varieties of shrubs. If you click on the links you can see the ones they carry: http://www.merrifieldgardencenter.com/Our-Plants/Shrubs.aspx

This message was edited Apr 22, 2015 7:57 PM

Even my micro-zone-warmer glads by the big rock aren't up yet, so yes I'd guess it's too early. Big difference between zone 6 and zone 7 for glads, but I'm going by Ric's experience keeping some in the ground last year -- they may be hardier than we'd thought.

Another reason to plant glads deeply is so you don't have to stake them. I learned that trick from a DGer who brings cut flowers and veggies to market... He plants glad bulbs at the bottom of a 6 inch trench, fills the trench halfway with soil, when the leaves poke up he fills the trench the rest of the way up, and he usually makes one more pass to mound soil up... ends up with a good 6-7 inches of dirt on top of the bulb, and that's enough to keep them upright.

I've posted on a couple of other threads in this forum but figured I should put the link here, also... don't want any of our plant addicts to miss out!

Donner & I are putting together a quick little order for CALADIUMS from Bill. We're getting 'Gingerland', 'White Queen', and 'Grey Ghost', maybe also 'Lance Wharton' (all sun-tolerant, meaning they'll handle sun as well as the shade conditions that all caladiums love), as well as a few *jumbo* bulbs of 'Scarlett O'Hara'. I'm not sure if we'll get a discount this late in the season, but we'll still save on shipping by ordering together, and we've got enough 'Gingerland' for a quantity discount.

There's also interest in ordering TUBEROSE from him, which with shipping should be around $2 or so per clump -- and Bill sends huge clumps. Right now we're ordering 25; the next price break is at 50.

If you're interested, please go to http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1391845/

Haha, maybe I should bring her car to the swap...it's bigger than my Mazda!

The arboretum sale was great fun. I met a couple of friendly local gardeners and bought a few nice looking perennials. I fell in love with an early-blooming rhodie, but someone got to it literally seconds before I did. :(

You know my favorite part of the arboretum? There's a new Costco across the street, and they sell alcohol! LOL They had bottles of wine for 5 bucks!

hmm, five buck wine at Costco - in that neighborhood I am not surprised....LOL

We have some kind of short, ball-shaped shrub that is a Rhodo with
dark maroon leaves and bluish blooms blooming at the HD. right now.
I can check the name and price...

Advance notice---
April 30th week will be a new ad kicking in. Kind of a pre-Mother's day
ad. Bonnie's Veggies in the 4" ans 5" pots will be on sale again. 4 for $10.
The Bonnie's Guys told me that.....
At least by then--hopefully--people will be able to just plant them right into their beds.

Check your circular for more deals.... G.

Does anyone grow Lobelia 'Black Truffle?'

I just picked one up at the arboretum sale.

Are they ok with afternoon shade?

Give it as much sun as you can.

thanks for the heads-up, Gita! i just checked this week's HD circular, and they have some "special buy" perennials -- 4 for $10.

Deciduous Azaleas
I have a source for several varieties of native deciduous azaleas These are 15 - 18 inches tall and 3-4 yrs old. Cost is $7-$14. Did I mention these are all fragrant? One or two of each available. LMK Rare Find and Plant Delights sell these same size plants for $25+. Made in Shade series will handle part shade instead of usual full sun requirements. Can bring to swap.

'My Mary'- (pale yellow) late April Made in Shade series ‘My Mary’, is a cross of (R. atlanticum x R. periclymenoides) x R. austrinum and has large pale yellow fragrant flowers. It blooms in April and grows to 8 feet tall.
http://plantlust.com/plants/azalea-my-mary/

'Summer Eyelet '- white July Swamp azalea (R. viscosum) grows in damp or wet soil. ‘Summer Eyelet’ is a swamp azalea selection with spice-scented white blooms in July and grows to 6 feet tall. http://www.rarefindnursery.com/index.php/azaleas/r-azalea-deciduous/r-azalea-deciduous-summer-eyelet.html

'Nachoochee Princess' - white with tinge of pink Made in Shade series ‘Nacoochee Princess’, which is a R. atlanticum x R. periclymenoides hybrid, has large, white fragrant flowers with a slight tint of pink. This hybrid will grow from 8 to 10 feet tall. 'Nacoochee Princess' derives from controlled hybridization between R. atlanticum (coastal azalea) and R. periclymenoides (pinxterbloom azalea), and is one of the offspring of the so-called "Choptank hybrids," themselves named due to their occurrence as natural hybrids along the Choptank River of the eastern shore region of Maryland.
http://plants.squakmtnursery.com/12230001/Plant/7857/Nacoochee_Azalea

'Kennells Gold '- golden ‘Kennell’s Gold’ hydrid azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum x R. nudifloum x R. austrinum) Many hybrids exist among the various native deciduous azaleas. Some may be natural crosses, but many are bred. One impressive hybrid is ‘Kennell’s Gold’ ((R. atlanticum x R. nudiflorum) x R. austrinum), which has golden yellow flowers with pale orange floral tubes. This hybrid will grow from 12 to 15 feet tall and flowers in early April.

'Rosy Pink' - pink early bloomer Pinxterbloom azalea (R. periclymenoides) is a low-growing, suckering shrub that may grow to 10 feet tall, although the average height is 4 to 6 feet. Fragrant flowers vary in color from white to pale pink to deep violet, opening from April to May. Foliage is dull yellow in fall. An early blooming selection with pink flowers and rose pink buds is ‘Rosy Pink Nudiflorum’ which grows to 6 – 8 feet tall. The name Rhododendron periclymenoides is synonymous with R. nudiflorum.

Requests:
My Mary -
Summer Eyelet - Critter
Nacooche Princess - Sallyg
Kennells Gold -
Rosy Pink - Seq(two if avail)

This message was edited Apr 27, 2015 8:33 PM

More pitures PLEASE!

Jill--Next circular will come out on 4/30. Should have a bunch of good stuff--
as this will be the "Mother's day" biggie.

I know that Bonnie's will have another sale--this time 4 for $10.
They really have a super selection of Tomatoes. Many heirloom ones too.

My tomatoes(from seed) are now a foot tall. I may have to chance it and
plant them outside. I have way too many than I can use...I usually grow only 3 or 4.
The bed is ready. I am off today. Should spend it doing something productive.

Here they are.....the plants on the left are the 'monster" Zinnias.

Judy, I'll take two of the R. periclymenoides (Pinxterbloom Azalea). LMK how much they are then. Thanks.

coleup- I would like a Nacoochee princess please, if you can. Thanks for making these available, I will pay you on swap if not before. .And by the way, you are welcome to ride with me, so are Catbird and Gita of course!!

My friend/neighbor Martina bought some of those tempting too-early tomato plants and lost them in a frost that wasn't in the forecast earlier last week. My baby tomatoes are only a few inches tall... didn't time that right this year, LOL.

Remember you can plant tomatoes sort of sideways to bury most of their stems... they'll grow a ton of roots from the buried stem.

That swamp azalea is really tempting... I will have to look to see if I really have room for one, or if I just think I do because the hardy hibiscus aren't sprouting up yet. Maybe I could squeeze it in and let it duke it out with the dappled willow...

OK, I talked myself into it. Coleup, please pick up little a 'Summer Eyelet' azalea for me if you find a pretty one!

Wow, those azaleas are so tempting. I'd take it if it were any other color...

I planted my tomato seeds on march 13th.
For whatever reason--they are now a foot tall.....

I am waiting for a definite OK in weather to plant them.
Here they are--yesterday.....

Jill--on the left are the Monster pink (?) Zinnia
seeds you have me at the swap. They really shot up fast--and
look at them now! They surer are living up to their name,
G.

Oops, I left out an important word! I meant *swamp* azalea! I don't think I've seen R. viscosum anywhere locally.

I've never seen swamp azaleas except in the, well, swamp. And they were white. But I think they were blooming in spring, so they must have been a different kind. I'm excited about this one... lacy white blooms will be a pretty contrast with the bold hardy hibiscus. :-)

I'm excited about mine too...I've never heard of a suckering azalea but it sounds like my style for sure. Hopefully Coleup will be able to get me two :)

"Suckering" means we should be able to shovel-prune off rooted suckers down the road to propagate it. I almost said you could have mine, but then I got plant-lust.

Haha, yeah well that's okay. The spot I'm putting it in will let it serve as an under shrub for a viburnum plicatum 'Summer Snowflake'.

thank you coleup!!

Does anyone grow Cimicifuga/bugbane/Actaea? Is it ever sold locally?

We grow a number of Cimicifugia/Actaea racemosa plants. It is sold locally at:

Stadler Nursery
6815 Olney Laytonsville Rd
Laytonsville, MD
(301) 944-1190

and others as well, perhaps Behnke nursery.

Of course you have them, GT! I need to remember to ask these questions when I see you in person. :)

SSG, I have Cimicifuga that has self seeded that I can share with you if you want. The one that has self seeded is tall and airy with white flowers - looks almost like astilbe foliage. I bought the original plant many, many, years ago labeled Cimicifuga racemosa. I have another cultivar 'Chocolate' that I bought more recently, but it hasn't self seeded or even grown much larger for dividing yet.

Thanks so much for the offer, Aspenhill! I didn't realize they were self sowers. I'm actually looking specifically for a dark-leaf variety like 'Black Beauty,' so I'll keep looking.

I have Actaea racemosa, but it isn't spreading much yet.

Meadows Farms' plant list includes Actaea simplex 'Black Negligee', and I remember seeing it in their shade plants area.

Thanks, Muddy, I guess it's an excuse to check out Meadows again. :)

OK Plant Addicts!! We know who we are....
I've been out and about looking for plants new to me or new to the trade before they catch on!.
(Remember geranium 'Espresso', Tripple Play phlox. phlox 'jeana'. Red Falls heuchera, and Silver Gem viola to list a few!

Today I found three new plants :

Corydalis shimienensis 'Blackberry Wine'
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=255553&isprofile=1&gen=Corydalis

Allium karataviense https:/www.google.com/search?hl=en-US&biw=&bih=&q=allium+karataviense&oq=&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=

Centarea montana "Black Sprite
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en-US&biw=&bih=&q=centarea+montana+black+sprite&oq=&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=