What's growing - Part 5

LOL...I have no idea...just planted it. But if this helps, I have a field at the end of my road where they bloom every year. Nothing is done to this field except they mow it at the end of the summer. I have watched these Lupines grow there for more than 20 years, so I am guessing they aren't picky!

By the way...they like "cool weather" so they should do well but they need sun.
D-mail me your address.

This message was edited Jul 20, 2006 8:12 AM

Pixie, what's a lupine seed look like? Is is that hard, longish pod thing that takes the place of the flower? I just got my first one this summer.

And Baby Blue's is really a gorgeous thing!

I don't understand gazanias, another new adventure for me. The plant I bought grew out a yellow and reddish flower, then it went away and came back, but grew this with it. I wonder how many faces it has?

This is the other bloom.

nap ~ Yes it is the long pod thing....when it is dry there should be seeds in it. What color was your lupine?
As for the gazanias, they have MANY faces and I think they are beautiful for that exact reason!

'morning pixie. I think you're up earlier than me, but I did get in an hour in the garden before 8. I don't have Custard Candy, but it's very pretty...so this is what started you on the road to addiction? LOL I probably shouldn't get one, then.

I've seen lots of pics of lupines in catalogs, but never with the foliage. it's neat! how big do they get?

nap, I don't know gazanias either. that's fascinating! now I'll have to try some (sigh...so many great flowers, so little time)

gram

Gram ~ Custard Candy was "THE ONE"!! It stole my heart and made me curious about other colors. Like I said...I was curious..not addicted. It has been only 3 years since this happened, and you know how many I have now. So nope, I wouldn't advise you to get one unless you want to be a hem-addict too. The sad thing is there are no classes or meeting to help you get over being a hem-addict. Instead there are Daylily Conventions and sales to help your addiction along! Alas, I am doomed to die a Hem-addict!

Nap - nice gazania

this yellow swirls zinnia really stands out

look who's back, I cut them back about a month ago

butterfly bushes are so nice, mine this year is Black Knight

Not the most exciting plant, but I don't mind bugbane(cimificugia?)

Al ~ The zinnia is a lovely color, and how the heck did you manage to get columbine to come back? Have you ever done it before?
Aren't the butterfly bushes great!

This is "Landini" on the left w/"Centerfold" on the right.

"Pocket Change" The edge of white gets wider as the day goes on.

"Wally Nance" an older one, but lovely.

You guys are ahead of me with the Butterfly bush. Mine are weeks away.
I love them.
Andy P

wish I knew what happened to my butterfly bushes. I put 2 in last year, they were big and beautiful and bloomed like crazy. never came back this year. I know they 'wake up' late, so I waited....and waited....nothing but dead wood. seems like everybody has them. great cut flower, too. :-(

gram

That Landini is really cool - what kind of plant is that?

Gram - my buddelia are not really that hardy here. So I get to try new ones more often. If I had more room I would put a lot in, but that's one plant you can't cram in.

I usually have some columbine rebloom, I cut them down to 6" or so after flowering and they put out new leaves and some flowers.

"Landini " is an Asiatic Lily, dark on a sunny day(pic), and even darker on a overcast day.

Al, are you saying you treat the buddelia as an annual? just realized you said Black Knight was 'this year's'.

Sorry to hear you're losing your butterfly bushes - that is so much a favorite during August when many other things are finished. I planted White Profusion in the middle of a huge group of daylilies, its just beginning to bud right now. And let several Verbena bonariensis go to seed in there too so something could show off the white blooms of WP

Aren't buddleia pretty easy to start from cuttings? I don't know when you should do it - early or late - anybody?

thanks, alyrics. they're not the only plants I lost over the winter, but they were kind of the the anchor of my butterfly garden. and, as you said, something to carry thru the rest of the summer. besides that they are just plain pretty

Gram,
I have had them overwinter, but not on a regular basis. I pick up small ones when I buy them and they grow so fast it's no big deal.

Pixie, it's purple. It is very small. I have it in a pot. I was shocked to see how big they can get. Here's a close-up of it right after I got it. It looked nice then, but it hasn't thrilled me since.

Al, true, but remember, I am the LAZY gardener. I think the concept of perennials was invented for me :-)

This message was edited Jul 20, 2006 10:40 PM

Maybe you need to read "perennials for the lazy gardener's soul"

Ha

I've found that buddleia does best in moist soil. Maybe next time you put one in, mulch it more heavily to protect the roots. Thats weird that you guys are losing them, I never have and I sure don't do anything special for them. I have really heavy clay and they actually seem to do well in that if its amended. If they dry out they definitely react to it. I always wish I had more sun for them although this last few weeks hasn't been a problem this year.

We have lots of rock outcroppings around here. On top of one of her 8 foot outcroppings my neighbor has had butterfly bush and bleeding heart. They grow great! Some of the biggest I have ever seen. Especially the bleeding hearts. Of course, I now have both on my outcropping.

Aren't butterfly bush shortlived perennials? (Mine are!) I don't seem to get more than 4 years from them.

Lupines love Main. They are legendary wildflowers up there. I grow them in CT without a lot of difficulty. Again (I think) a shorter lived perennial but reseeds/grows from seed pretty easily.

Al, Right by me with the "tomacco" (?) referrence. BUT, when I was doing that ealy landscape you showed; I was told that the house would grow to be much bigger than it has. There is a lesson here to not always trust the information in the catalogues!

By the way, NICE rebloom!

Gram, Nothing official. I just thought every definition of the Northeast included New England, New York, New Jersey. Usually PA and even more (Menasha, WI).

Wow! I had a lot of catching up to do. Busy week around here.

I hope they are not short lived...I have one that I like. I've had for a few years.

HI Dave - I thought you might have moved to R.I..

Tomacco is a Simpson's reference where he fertilized with radioactive fertilizer.

Dave (and anyone else who may/may not be interested), National Gardening Assoc. has a regional map

http://www.garden.org/regional/report

Al, I hope we can both get special dispensation at this point (please??? all you legitimate northeast gardeners?)

gram

I absolutely am!

Just want to say that my favorite threads to check first everyday are What's Growing and Daily Musings. Then I move on to the other favorites.

me too, nap. it's like chatting with the neighbors, but only the ones you like :-O

Darn - I'm supposed to be in northern and central midwest. K

I just visited that forum and they seem to be having much hotter temperatures than we get here. I think I'm closer - growing wise - to you guys. Unless I'm going to be thrown out, I'd rather stay here :)

This message was edited Jul 21, 2006 12:45 PM

"Dream Legacy" bloomed this morning.

and for breakfest we had fresh.....

"Muscadet"

"Pink Lavender Appeal"

gee whiz pixie - you're making me feel like a slouch....I need to get more pics!!!! I love Muscadet....great markings!