I couldn't resist a half price pot of variegated sweet flag the other day at Home Depot. I plopped the plant, pot and all, into a container half full of water, so it is submerged and looks pretty happy. However, except for that little water garden container, I don't have anything resembling a pond. I do have a low spot that stays soggy or at least moist most of the time, but I can't say that it never ever gets dry -- occasionally, it might.
Does sweet flag need constantly boggy conditions, or can I plant it in my mostly-moist spot? And if I can't put it into the ground, is there any way to overwinter it in its little water garden pot (20" across, perhaps 10 gallons)?
Thanks!
overwintering sweet flag without a pond?
The low soggy/mostly moist spot should do fine. Although they like to have wet feet they will grow and flower quite respectably if kept reasonably moist. I would make sure it goes into the winter months in wet ground. I have yellow and blue flag growing under just the conditions you describe for three years now. They seem to do very well. The yellow flag is more agressive than the blue and will need some dividing next spring. The cultural requirements are said to be the same for the varigated type so you shouldn't have a problem. I would do it sooner rather than later to give the roots a chance to get a grip in the soil so the rhizomes don't pop out at the first freeze.
OK -- thanks! That spot in my yard is pretty moist bordering on boggy a lot of the time, but it does dry out on occasion.... sounds like the flag can manage under those conditions
Still having pond dreams, of course... :-)
Watch out for the pond dreaming. I can't tell you what that can lead to. It starts with a small gold fish pond, escalates to a second huge koi pond and then indoor tanks for those special fry that you want to overwinter. Excuse me, I have to go change two pond filters and clean a tank. And once I was just dreamin. LOL
LOL! We've already got a couple of indoor saltwater tanks, so I'm hoping the outdoor pond plans will stay fairly simple. I know where I want to put it, but I'm thinking it'll probably be 5 years before it goes in... meanwhile, I may start a few plants in the soggy area that I can later use as marginals around the pond!
Thanks for your help.
I've pond that it is hard to kill vari Sweet Flag. It can grow in the yard in any slightly moist place. :)
Jumping in here to say that the yellow is classed as an invasive, in some states and in Canada. This because the seedpods float. So if anyone grows the yellow pseudacorus by a waterway, be sure you cut off the seedpods before they are ripe.
You could also have louisiana iris in your boggy area. That would be beautiful - they want sun though.
inanda - more usually found on lilium & iris forums
Inanda, good piece of info on the yellow. Also thanks for the reminder that louisiana iris is a plant to consider for similar conditions. I am a little tired of the yellow as it is getting huge and threatening to take over my entire little bog. I will pop over to the iris forum for advice on planting and varieties.
Mary
I started with a small plant of the yellow bog Iris and now it reminds me of the plant in "the little shop of horrors" FEED ME SEYMOUR, FEED ME................. LOL
But it is very pretty and a very vibrant shade of yellow so I battle it every year but keep it on........... :)
I think this is the one that I have, Acorus calamus, sorry can't get the PF link to come up now.
I don't think it's the same as yellow flag iris, so hopefully I won't have to worry about whether or not it's invasive... but there's no possibility of pods floating away from our yard to any nearby waterway at any rate.
You could also look for a lovely white pseudacorus called Frosty End. Bought mine from ICG aka Iris City Gardens. A totally blissful catalogue.. Due to !@#$ Cdn Customs,(3 days from Tenn. to the border, 10 days AT Canada Customs) they were more than 2 weeks in shipment and all arrived in very good shape. 3 cheers and then some to ICG.
How I wish there was a DGer who lived just across the border - near an Ag office to issue phytos for me too of course.
inanda
Good Heavens, I have tree peonies coming from Canada sometime this month. You mean they are going to sit at Canadian customs for that long? If you want to drool over spectacular hard to find tree peonies (and have acess to a large amount of cash) try
www.peonygarden.com
Actually the prices are reasonable considering what you get. I agonized for days over my choices as the list of lust was long and the amount of available cash was short. I prepared the planting bed this spring so all I have to do is pop them in when they arrive. I feel like I should christen them with champagne like a ship launching.
What is it with gardeners/plant people anyway? This is more than a hobby. This is an obsession wrapped up in an addiction. I don't think right when ever I visit a plant nursery or read a garden catalog. My DH has given up and just trails along. We have a pact - I will accompany him to the auto parts store or the car wash without complaint as long as he pushes the cart in the garden center or catches the mailorder arrival and promptly opens the plant packages. I'm rambling here, but with the prospect of winter coming I get a little nutty. Once the ground freezes all I do is count the days until spring - and plot and plan next year's new plant additions. The only salvation comes in the mail with the garden catalogs. I read them until the pages fall out. And I try to make as many trips to the auto parts store with DH as I can stand to get a few trips "in the marital bank" before spring and the obession starts all over again. One of us has great patience.
Snapple45. You should be fine on plant material EXITING Canada. Your supplier will have all the correct paperwork (phyto cert) etc so US customs will see all the paperwork is correct and ... No prob. My brother recently received a box of lilies weighing over 14 lbs from Canada in a week so ..... am sure you will have no probs.
inanda