I think that is the same Silene I grew one time from seed. I think it is also called Stickfly because it is a little sticky right under the blooms. I liked that it bloomed the same time as the Iris in the same bed. They seemed to make a good match as far as being different textures and leaf shapes. Maybe I can get some seeds from one of you. I think starting a seed trading thread is a good idea. I need to go through my seed box and see what I have extra of.
susan
This message was edited Nov 21, 2006 7:03 AM
So what makes a Cottage Garden, well, "Cottagey"?
early birds, good morning. I was busy in bugfiles.
Now I have to go look up Silene Electra and see if it will grow here.
Tammy, I love that deutzia! If I don't come across one, I'll be joining the line of people wanting a cutting. :-) Do you by chance know the name of that peony? The place where I'd like to put the deutzia is the same bed where I want to install peonies this spring....
I've got C. montana, and I love it! By the time it's starting to look a little sad, the salvias have pretty much dominated that corner of the bed, so it works out fine.
Tammy, I think your daff bed is absolutely lovely, but I think I know what you mean -- it's not PERFECTLY satisfying. I wonder if putting some sort of focal point, such as a bird bath, would do the trick? Maybe a little chair? A small obelisk with a climbing or rambling rose? You know what I mean? But I love the little bed.
Hey all... there's not a wit of life in that deutzia so I doubt it'll root just now. So I'll take cuttings this spring.
Critter - those peonies were here when I bought the place. There was this ~20' row of peonies with grass
growing in them and that was about the only bloom on the property. I dug out all the grass, extended the
bed back and made the kidney shaped bed that I have now with the start those row of peonies gave me.
(That's a long round about way of saying I don't know the name of those peonies).
brigidlily - I agree. I've been trying to figure out what to do to fix it. I keep adding taller plants to add height
and its ended up being a bed with really tall plants. LOL. Maybe if I extend it a bit and add a bench in the
middle? Perhaps if some of my very clever & talented DG friends could help me....
I'll take dimensions & winter pictures and put this on its own thread.
Thanks!
Tam
Tammy, that looks like mine. I say I'll thin it out, but just like Hesperis, it makes a beautiful show, and there it is for another year!
Another plant I was thrilled with is a lilac colored Penstemon. Called Large Flowered Beardtongue. Penstamon grandiflorus. I got it from Ion Exchange. They have a website. They do a lot of wild, wildflowers. I get my Monkey Flower and Cardinal Flowers from them. They aren't as lilac as this. It's a subtle cool color just above white. This was taken with the practice digital, so I need a better photo next year.
This message was edited Nov 21, 2006 4:30 PM
Good idea! Be sure to post a link to it here :)
It reminds me of penstemon hirsutus. These are penstemon hirsutus with some carnations blooming.
(I can collect seed next year for anyone wanting them. I got the original seed from North American
Rock Garden Society as Pygmaeas but I think they aren't as small as they are supposed to be. Maybe
8-12")
Tam
edited to correct goofy spelling erros
This message was edited Nov 21, 2006 5:35 PM
Beautiful grouping!
Tammy, they are close, mine have fairly large blooms. They were a good foot, foot and a half tall. The color is closer. (Love the cat!) The Dianthus and Penstemon work really well together! A beautiful restful bed!
billyp - nothing perks up a garden like a kitty walking around. (or a chicken or peacock. LOL)
Tam
LOL!
Franz Shubert Phlox really shows up in the shade and is pretty hardy. I don't think it mildews either come to think of it. Lythrum and Red Shirley Poppies. I know, Lythrum is bad, but a neighbor gifted me and I do like it. Franz must have given me two seedlings this spring. Only one stem bloomed and was a pretty pink instead of a muddy purple. The other stem didn't bloom.
Love all the pictures! So many plants I've never seen before, too.
Tammy, that cottagey collection is wonderful....uh, is that cat really, really big, or are those plants really, really small? LOL!
Suzy
I've just got one kind of penstemon now (P. smallii, shared with me by Gerris2), but now I'll be looking for more. Tammy, your garden bed and your *big* grey fluffy cat are lovely!
Check out the thread on dormant cuttings over in the propagation forum... there may be more "life" in your deutzia than you think, LOL I guess with what you're saying about not knowing the peonies, my only option will be to beg you for a peony division as well as deutzia cuttings at some point...
I think there's going to be a lot of spring trading as a result of all the info and photos being shared in this forum! :-)
Yes to the spring trading, and for those of you interested, if you go to www.usps.gov and click around, you can find a 2nd size FLAT RATE box which is shaped like a shoe box. I think it's a better shape to ship plants than the flat box you can find at the PO, and they're free. Theycome only in packs of 10 and take about 4-5 days to get after you order them. Flat rate postage is $8.10 to go to any zip code, no matter what the weight, so somehitn g like plants would be ideal. I have my boxes all ready, oh, and they also have labels -- free, too! LOL!
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&top=Y&categoryId=11820&parent_category_rn=&top_category=
and here's the link to the dormant cutting propagation thread, Tammy
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/669060/
Suzy
Are we about to all agree a cottage garden needs at least one animal? Chicken, peacock, cat, whatever?
I've got a cat! :-)
I also have fish.... but they're not allowed to go outside for walkies...
I have three cats!!!
And, Suzy, thanks for the link to the USPS for the free boxes - will come in handy for a lot of things (i.e. Christmas gifts to grandkids in another state)!!!
You know, when I think of "cottage gardens", I think of Beatrix Potter's books, so animals are a definite must!
PrairieGirl, you've pinned the tail on the donkey with that one.
What do I win? Tee hee.
Bigcity your knautia is beautiful...
Thanks for the Jade info...
Connie
You win the right to compost! Yay!
Then sheep sure would come in handy for that, brigidlily. LOL
I have three stray cats that have adopted us. I'll pack one up along with the deutzia & peonies for the first
three takers. :-)
Suzy - I'm a rock gardener so I am an avid collector of small plants. Rest assured that's a normal sized cat.
Did you guys see my most recent garden "ornament?" This guy is a bit on the large size.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/661625/
Ooooh, purdy! I have a picture on my wall that looks just like him -- says it's a Partridge Cochin from the Biggle Poultry book in 1913.
To be honest, your photo is better than my picture! Love the rock-brick? wall in back of him and the wood post. Does this mean you can't sleep late? LOL!
Have you ever heard of a Partridge Cochin?
Suzy
That rock-brick is the wall of the barn - its an old stone barn. I guess someone painted it years
ago. And the wood thing is a roosting box my DH made for the chickens. They rarely lay eggs
in it but it does collect a lot of poop. LOL And I'll have to look up partridge cochin. I love cochins.
(That means they have the fuzzy leggs & feet).
Tam
Definitely partridge, your Elvis, though I don't know about cochin. He really is gorgeous. I want some chickens so much. But never having had them, I wonder if they'd eat the yard bare. I don't really guess they'd run out of bugs and stuff, though.
Oh, yeah, my picture does show some bedroom slipper-style feathers -- I thought is was sort of artistic interpretation -- never seen those before. LOL! Well, if I ever get a rooster, that's the kind I want! He's wonderful! I shall remember Partridge.
Does he make a lot of noise?
Suzy
My Elvis sings to his girls every day. All day. LOL
you ain't nothing but a hen dog...
clucking all the time...
you ain't never caught a beetle
you ain't no friend of mine...
;p
ROTFLMBO
Oh this could be fun!
Heartbeak Hotel
Well, since my chickies left me,
I found a new place to dwell.
It's down at the end of lonely street
at Heartbeak Hotel.
You make me so lonely chickie,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.
And although it's always noisy,
you still can find some eggs.
Where broken hearted chickens
do lay away their gloom.
You make me so lonely chickie,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.
TOO funny! How does he play the guitar?
He clucks it ...
ROFL good one crockny
I've heard he's not too good at the piano. Just hunt and peck...
LOL... Now you've got me remembering an episode of The Golden Girls where Rose is taking care of a very talented, piano-playing chicken -- "Count Bessie" if memory serves....
I remember that one! I never watched it when it was on prime time, but I had a bad bout of flu a few years ago, and the girls saw me through it. I think a little piano in the chicken tractor would be ever so cottagey!
ROTFL over the change to chickens! I've been off for awhile and am just getting caught up!
Oooops... I'm sorry folks! I thought this was the Poultry thread on "My new rooster". LOL
And now back to your regularly scheduled program...
We haven't talked about using clematis to clamor through shrubs. How about this lovely
Henryi climbing in an ancient rose of sharon?
