lincolnitess,
I have been wanting some Monarda for a long time. Have never had any, but it looks beautiful. And I love your pink. How tall do they get? I would love some when you divide it, if possible!
Sherry
Favorite Plants in the Cottage Garden
lincolnitess, great pics of Abe Darby. I just ordered it yesterday from Merrygro Farms sale (60% off everything, mostly roses, if anyone's interested). also got 3 other roses. I'm going to try wintering them over in pots in my unheated garage. it was too good to pass up for my new rose garden that I am putting in next spring.
i've put in a lot of new perennials late summer/fall, but I do have some favorites from this year. one was Russian sage. such a great background plant and a long bloomer. this one is a dwarf..Little Spire. you can see another of my favs here with it..shasta daisy Highland Dream
here's my coneflower Ruby Giant at dusk. the flowers almost glow. I've planted some of the Big Sky series this fall, Sunset & Twilight, but I suspect Ruby Giant will still be my favorite.
Congratulations, everybody. Your gardens are lovely.
By the way, Valerian drops have long been given in
Europe to sick children as an aid for sleeping. My mother
gave us a few drops in a teaspoon with some sugar.
It has an unpleasant taste on its own. I have read
somewhere that it can be addictive, but I think that would
be if you relied on it heavily.
Suzy, your daffodil collection sounds fantastic. I know very little about daffodils and had no idea there were that many types. do you have photos of some of the rarer ones and also of your garden when they are blooming? I'd love to see them. I should have some Heleniums that will be ready to divide next fall. In fact, I divided Flammendes Katchen this year after only one years growth and got 5 nice pieces. I think it is the reddest one I have. The others are copper, yellow, and red/gold mixed.
grampapa, I think you will be very happy with Abraham D. Be sure to give him plenty of room. Mine gets as tall as 7' and 4-5 feet in diameter. I get 2 heavy flushes of blooms with lighter blooming during the hottest months. I am going to have to try the Ruby Giant coneflowers. I have one of the Big Sky ones. I think it is Sunrise. Did really well it's first year, so I decided to divide this fall. Now I just hope I didn't kill it. I had Razmatazz and it had a great flower, but did not make it through the winter. A friend of mine who bought it lost hers too.
Great photos each and every one of them. You all are so lucky to have that kind of green and growth potential. Yeah, yeah, I couldn't live where you are because of the cold, but what you grow couldn't live here because of the heat. Therefore, I'm a little jealous of your plant choices, despite worries about mildew etc.
Yesterday, my first bed was dug and mostly prepared, have more to do before anything can be planted but we have started and progress is being made, finally. The list of plants I'm colledting is growing and growing so I will undoubtedly need more and more beds to accomodate all of them..........what a terrible fate that is (lol).
Your gardens mean encouragement, research on each named plant to determine the possibilities that it might survive the desert and then adding or not to my list. I'm ordering some, checking local nurseries for others and dreaming BIG.
Jude, Looks like you are well on your way to good Cottage gardening. Be patient it takes time. Not many of us start out with good soil, I battle clay, is it a lot of hard work getting the soil ready to accept and support the plants we want.
Susan, I need to get you kooked on daffodils, they are my spring favorite, they multiply easily, you can plant early, mid and late blooming to extend the bloom season, the squirrels, chipmonks will not eat them, and they come in lots of veritiy.
Chris
Grampapa, Ruby Giant looks like one I should add to my collection, do you have any thoughts on Ruby Star I know I'll be able to get my hands on that one.
Another daf pic.
I do grow a few daffs. Just not 800 kinds like Suzy. Mine are old reliables that I'm not sure I know the names of anymore.
Oh, sorry Susan, I wish I could grow 800 types too, just not enough room or energy to dig all those holes. LOL
Chris
Wow Gram, I really like Ruby Giant. I don't have that one.
Oh, shoot! No one has ever asked me for pictures before and this week I've had twopeople ask!
The only picture I have of the daffodils in the garden is one where there is 6-inches of hail and all the stems are bent down, and the flowers are all shredded! Lol! Not sure that's what you want to see, but I can't find it on my harddrive, anyway, so it's a moot point. Next year for sure!!!
Here are some --
Geometrics 1990 (so still relatively new since daffodils take 7 years to grow from seed), this is one of my very favorites:
http://daffseek.org/query-detail.php?photo2=324bd8b6eb20958e73586d03fa026fdc
And one from 2004, Biometrics, very reasonably priced:
http://daffseek.org/query-detail.php?value1=Biometrics&lastpage=1
'American Heritage' - $100.00 a bulb when it was first introduced and I think it's still over $50.00 a bulb now:
http://daffseek.org/query-detail.php?value1=American%20Dream&lastpage=1
Suzy
Ruby Giant is my first and only coneflower, until I planted some new ones this fall (Sunset & Twilight), so I don't know about Ruby Star, Chris. If you are growing in clay, though, I have to say Ruby Giant is growing in my awful clay with no amendments and doing great. the reason the soil wasn't amended is that my landscaper planted a bunch of perennials for me when this bed was first put in because I wasn't well enough to do it myself. I had no idea the soil was as bad as it is.
Suzy, you are a real daff collector aren't you? they are one of my favorite flowers, but I haven't had very good luck with them and I'm not sure why. I have different kinds in different places around my yard. the only one that has done well is a double (white lion). I have some minis (Narcissus obvallaris) that I still have to plant this fall. they will be going in full sun. any other tips?
gram
Gram,
I can't imagine why your daffodils don't do well unless it's too much water in the summer or they're in a low spot. They rot when they get too much water at the wrong time, so it's wise to only overplant with flowers that don't need extra water in the summer.
Obvallaris needs to be planted right now -- it blooms really early and needs to get those roots down.
Suzy
Suzy, I haven't really overplanted them (yet). and they are all in raised beds with good drainage. I have some Jonquila 'Sweet Sue' planted with muscari (about 3 yrs). the muscari have multiplied and done very well while the sweet sue are gone..I may have had one last year, if that. in another spot I have Narcissus 'Rip van Winkle'. Twice a year it sends up beautiful foliage that takes forever to die down, but never blooms.
I planned on getting those obvallaris in a couple of weeks ago but things get in the way. this week for sure.
Gram thanks for the tip on Ruby Giant , if it's a clay buster like you say it is, it's a must have for me.
Chris
Suzy, we'll just wait in anticipation for pics of all those fabulous daffs in spring! Daffs are among my favorites and the 60 or so varieties I have hardly fill my craving. I love phlox too, and 'Natasha' is lovely; I highly recommend it. Its a P.maculata and I believe it is more resistant to mildew than P.paniculatas. Mine blooms about a month earlier too and makes a nice season extender. It takes up less space in the garden too.
Murmur, being a fan of the scent of vanilla, have you grown and experienced Clematis montana rubra? Mine had its first blooms this spring and the fragrance was delicious!
PG, we're gonna turn you on to roses before you know it, lol. I'd wait till early spring to move your climber; thats when I have the best luck moving roses-works well for northern gardens.
Thanks Neal. I think it will look nice climbing the backyard fence. Only problem, there's a competing vine on the opposite side, I don't know what it is but it's invasive, so we hack it back about twice a year. My neighbor's property is a rental, I don't think they know or care what they've got growing, so I'll have to identify the culprit before proceeding. We need to move the rose from up by the deck, because it blocks the view of the swimming pool in summer.
I also have a Rose of Sharon squeezed in between two saucer magnolias, I want to move that as well. To my eye, these are perfect for a cottage garden, they provide structure and holly-hock type flowers in summer, swelled buds in spring, and interesting dried capsules in fall.
I like rose of sharon too, but now I only grow sterile varieties, so no seed pods to enjoy. I've had terrible problems with the singles reseeding invasively in the past.
Oh that's good to know. Mine is a double, Lavender Chiffon I think. I imagine in your wooded hollow it could get out of hand. Back at my old house behind the garage, they went nutso! I really want Red Heart, might take my sister's befor she sells her house.
poppies for spring :
Gemini, I will definitely look for that clematis - sounds like it's right up my alley!
I've got to get busy planting bulbs - I have the day off, but it's a bit chilly for me . . . need to get tough with myself and get a move on!!!!
another beauty I don't want to do without is the Knock Out rose. It has bloomed nonstop since spring and is still going strong !
and the needleleaf amsonia is beautiful most of the year. In April it has these beautiful blue blooms all over it, then the rest of the season it has beautiful,delicate needle like leaves. Now, in fall, it is a golden yellow. Stunning !
that amsonia is great! I wonder if it would survive here, will investigate.
corgimom I really like the looks of the needleleaf amsonia. I have never grown them, but may give them a try after seeing your photo. Lovely poppie too and I have not forgotten about your MG seeds. Will get them sent soon.
Susan
Gram -- Nobody can get 'Rip Van Winkle' to bloom but the Dutch growers....same with bulbocodium conspicuus and also 'Canaliculatus'. Chuck them LOL! Sounds like you like the shaggy ones. I don't know 'Sweet Sue', but I do know the double jonquils and they are a tough bunch. The Californians I know can hardly get it to bloom. I bet 'Sweet Sue' is in the same catagory.
Geminii -- Where did you get 'Natasha' , do you remember? The reason I ask is that this spring I had trouble finding it.
Prairiegirl - There is a great post by moi in the propagation forum -- you can take some cuttings of that Red Heart. Now's the time, it's easy, and you are practically guaranteed success. Things happen when it's not your property. And being the helpful sort, I would help out the owners of that rental behind you with a little round up on that vine.
Ever helpful,
Suzy
lol Suzy
looks like you're forgetting the code to close italics.
Suzy: Can you post a link to your propagation site post? It sounds interesting!
Re Natascha, DG lists 4 sellers: http://davesgarden.com/ps/go/81016/. Is the problem that they sold out fast last year?
Happy Mac, Hope this works better than my italics! LOL!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/669060/
I think the problem was that Bluestone was sold out and I never heard of the DG Plantfinder. (I joined in Aug 2006, and still can't remember it's there.). I forgot that Bluestone had it when I said that, or maybe I was looking for something bigger than what they sell (and I kill).
Suzy
Going back a ways - my Razz made it through the winter. I was suprised actually - for a flower developed for the cut flower trade.
Oh no, don't tell me that 'Rip van Winkle' daffs aren't good bloomers.... !! We fell for them at the Philly flower show last spring, and I just planted 100 in my parents' yard and have another 100 for my front bed! Dang, I guess I'd better pick up some 'Minnow' daffs to go with them...
Does anyone have suggestions for good companions for irises? I've been told not to mulch irises (the rhizomes can rot if too wet) and even not to plant an overly dense ground cover around them.... I planted some 'Orchid Frost' lamium between some irises this spring, and it really took off and looks great! It's got a fairly loose, low growing habit, so I think it's one companion that will work. I also put in a couple little Serbian Bellflowers, but they didn't grow enough yet for me to really judge them. I also ended up planting out a few new irises between some clumps of columbine, and that seems like it will work out.
I'd like some other ideas for the irises... and I'm generally interested in finding some good low-growing "fillers" or groundcovers to use between other plants.
One of my favorite plants this year was Penstemon smallii... I wintersowed them last year, and they bloomed this spring for the first time. THey bloomed right together with Dutch Iris 'Eye of the Tiger' and matched/echoed the violet color perfectly! I hope that timing works out again (that was the first year for the iris too, and bulbs sometimes seem to bloom later their first year). I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of them together, but here's the Penstemon:
I would try serbian yarrow (5" tall, tiny white flowers, ferny leaves), or ibiris.
well, ever helpful Suzy, that sure does help. at least I'm not alone. before I buy any more I think I'll check with you first if that's ok. man, what a waste of money. thanks, much. great to find you here.
tell me I'm not going to be sorry about the obvallaris
Suzy, I got P.'Natasha' from ForestFarm in spring '05, and it bloomed the first year. I think Bluestone sells their phlox as larger, 4"pots instead of the 3 packs.
Hey Jill! Bearded iris do like for their rhizomes to be exposed where the sun can shine on them. I like hardy geraniums meandering through the iris. I have lamium around some too, but it spreads really fast here and I have to keep ripping it away from the iris. I love Penstemon smallii too! They kept blooming for a really long time this year, and I found them to be a perfect cottage garden plant.
The Penstemon smallii is so pretty. I like how upright it looks, Many of my penstemons seems to like to fall over.
bigcityal, your Razz blooms look great. I did get a few flowers the first fall before mine died and really like the looks of them. they do make a long lasting cut flower.
I remember seeing some photos in a gardening magazine one time about a woman who grew annual larkspur among her Iris. The Iris would bloom first, followed not too long after by the larkspur. It sounds like as soon as they were done blooming, she would pull them, scattering the dried seeds among the Iris for next years blooms. The airey foliage must let enough light through to the Iris. I planted a bed of all Iris last year, and it was great while blooming, but ugly the rest of the summer. I ended up moving some of them around and mixing them into my other beds, and adding a few daylilies to the Iris bed. Guess next year will tell me how they do together.
One bulb I enjoy that has a very cottage garden look is the Giant Snowflake. This is a large clump I divided up and shared with a number of DG members a few years ago. I loved it, but didn't like the big hole it left near my sidewalk after the leaves died down. I have it in a number of other places now, but the clumps are not nearly this big.
Here is a close up of the little bell like blooms of Leucojum Gravetye Giant. The green spots on them are so pretty in the spring.
This message was edited Nov 15, 2006 8:07 AM
Critterologist: Was the penstemon foliage pretty the rest of the year?
I think Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' is the longest blooming plant in my garden. This photo was taken early June and it is still blooming today after a number of nights in the 20's here. It does need some deadheading, but makes such a nice airey edge of the garden plant. I also have grown white and yellow scabiosas, but this remains my favorite.
