What are your plant and seed challenges for 2008?

Sitting here and hoping for no more snow, ice or cold weather. Every gardener likes a challenge and it seems we usually add some new or different plants to the melee each year.

I have a few different ones that I am growing for the first time. Some I have added are narrowleaf mountain mint ~ Confederate rose in a single white bloom ~ rose leaf salvia ~ Uruguayan firecracker plant and variegated yellow loosestrife ~ Lysimachia. I have also added a couple different alliums ~ curly allium and white flag. I have a few other new plants, some not ID'd yet and also sorting thru the seeds to get started.

I always find it exciting to begin the growing season with new challenges and wonder what will be new and different in your garden this year?

What will your "poison" be this year??!?

This message was edited Mar 14, 2008 8:27 PM

Penstemons!!! I don't expect them to make it, so I shouldn't be too disapointed.lol

I do tend to fret over where my next batch of "stuff" for the compost is going to come from more then the plants themselves.

My poison is to be patient and allow the stuff to come up or come back naturally ... before rushing off to the nursery and buying enw things to plant. I'm getting better, but still find it a real challenge to give the plants time to do their own "thing." :-)

Carla

I have the same problem, Carla!

BTW, if anyone is looking yet, I went to Rohde's yesterday. I usually go by there later in the spring when things are more picked over. But I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of perennials they had in stock.

I'm trying to be patient ... and you have to mention my favorite nursery, Pattie!! :-)

Carla

Carla, we are in the same boat on that issue! I get an empty space and I want to fill it right away.

I have picked up a new gardening technique from our dear friend, Mitch. I noticed every time I get a plant from him and I ask him "Do you think it will survive?", he ALWAYS says without any doubt "Sure it will!". I think he wills his plants to live, so they live. So, I am trying to change my outlook on gardening to become more positive. The old broncbuster would plant a tree and say "I hope it makes it but it probably won't knowing my luck", but the new broncbuster plants a tree and says "This tree is going to not only survive, but remain healthy and become abundant". So far, it seems to be working!

That reminds me, TJ .... I don't know what special ingredient was in that chicken manure you gave me at the fall RU!! I cleared a little patch of flowerbed last fall and readied it with some of that manure, in anticipation of planting Lantana there come springtime. Well, I dug up the area last weekend and OH MY GAWD the earthworms were enormous!! They were super duper DUPER earthworms. I can only imagine how enormous the Lantana is going to get!! I am now singing the praises of chicken manure to all my friends, who of course think I am insane.

Carla

Yes!! So glad it worked out well for you! When we bought our place 2 1/2 yrs ago, the soil was virtually untouched. It was a combination of pasture and limestone escarpment. Since we've added the chickens and their glorious poop, the worm population has grown by leaps and bounds. The best part about chicken poop is it doesn't take alot to make a HUGE difference.

On another note, you know the cottage pinks we've discussed in the past? Well, last night I was watering everything and as I approached the bed with the cottage pinks, I saw 2 baby cottontails dash to safety under the mat of bluegreen foliage. Turns out there is a nest under there. Now if that is not a testament to the density of the pinks, I don't know what is! Now, I am debating what to do about the critters. They used to not bother me, but now that I have daylilies and hollyhocks, they are becoming a bitof a nuisance.

TJ, please, I want some of that manure!

How cute -- baby bunnies in the Cottage Pinks. As far as them eating hollyhocks and daylillies, I guess you're just going to have to plant more so everyone will be happy! :-)

Carla

phygelius is my new poison this year. and...i am going to make those new coneflowers grow here if i can figure out the best time to introduce them to texas.
just to keep this positive...one of my new things last year...non blue agastche...i got 2 kinds and both came back up.

Ok, Pattie, I'll bring you some tomorrow.

:: beam :: Thanks, TJ!

PB....on rohde's....what esp. was wonderful?

there is another nursery that dawn took me to the other day. it's off 635. they are having an open house on sun. and supposed to have new plants in at that time. anyone that is interested lmk and i will ask dawn the name of the place.

mama, ask Dawn. I may be through Dallas Sunday. I'm trying agastache this year too, what is returning?

Baby bunnies in the Cottage Pinks...OMG, my head would pop off my shoulders at that cuteness!!!

Please excuse an Aussie intruder, but I just want to thank you podster for that first pic ...please what is it? ...I have tried to get an ID and failed ...it is one that was planted outside many years ago and I could not remember the name ...do you know the name please? is that the firecracker plant (that rings a bell) can you tell me if it grows from cuttings as I have many friends who would love a piece. In all the years I have had it (I forgot it was there because hubby parked a car wreck over it) it has remained untouched! and has spread like mad making a great ground cover ...I would like to put some into the proper garden. Hi to everyone! hope you all have great success with your garden plans this year :)
chrissy

Hello, Chrissy! Nice to have you!!

welcome to you chrissy. what's your temp. now? is it about to be fall where you are?

cocoa,,,if you try those penstemon in texas shade but make sure that the drainage is perfect it might work. i have even read that small pebbles scattered around the base of the plant helps as rain can rot the crown i think was the reason. also, seeds might come up better as apparently that's how they grow in their native spot. although, i know wash state people grow these out the wazoo and i thought it rained there all the time. and i may only be talking about the rocky mt. penstemons.
the agastache that's returning is apricot sprite and one called acapulco salmon and pink.
and it would be so fun if you could meet us there. i don't have a phone right now but will find out later today.

i just scared up a baby bunny hiding in the passiflora and leaves. poor baby.

Hi thankyou for your welcome ...I have been told we are just like Texas ...right now (just after 9 am Sat morning) ...in my area it is70F been that temp all night, it is very humid (I think you are familiar with that word huh :) ...yes we are in Autumn (Fall). I have grown those lovely Penstemon too ...beautiful things. We grow almost everything in built up beds (over red heavy clay) and in a very sandy mix for good drainage ...just as well or our gardens would have drowned this past Summer only three sunny days . Usually we are in drought with the odd flood here or there ...this last season was all flood ...from what I have heard you all know what I mean.
happy weekend gardening up teas way ya'll :)
chrissy

the place is brumley's. exit plano rd. go south from 635. it's on church rd. there will be a live band, beer, wine and snack foods. and we are hoping they have some nice plants. dawn says they have a web site so you can find directions on that site.

yep, christy, you sound a lot like us. texas experiences drought and floods on a regular basis i think. g'day. that's the only australian words i know. lol.

Barb, you had to ask, LOL. I got there 15 minutes before they close, so I went through really fast. Now I'm having a senior moment and can't remember much. There were a lot of different salvias--just about every kind that I've ever heard of, and more. They had ligularias, which I've never seen anywhere around here. They had rock penstemons--ditto for those. What else? I just can't remember. But they had lots of things on my wish list, and I never even made it past the first greenhouse.

I went there for shrubs. Besides those, all I bought was a couple of four-nerve daisies. Okay, well, that's because I have 800 cuttings arriving next week, and that's all I can handle this month. But I was still way too good. I'll guess I'll just have to do something about that.

Wow! I spent the day at work, got home and stayed out till dark. I have missed out on some reading today!

I got seeds for two different penstemons which I will be trying this summer. I am anxious to succeed as they are a butterfly magnet. Do tell me what cultivar your penstemons are or were please?

Chrissy ~ so glad you joined in. We all have an interest in your country and gardening down under. I do hope you will stay with the Texas forum! You are right, the plant you asked about is Uruguayan firecracker plant ~ Dicliptera suberecta. I was given this plant in Oct by Riverland from the MidSouth forum. She shared a division of it. I have no experience with cuttings or seeds of it. As it was a crazy fall and winter here, I left it in a pot and set it in the plant shelter. Blooms opened in December and it is still covered with blooms. I am in love with this guy. It is also supposed to attract the hummers. We'll see...

Mamajack ~ what the heck is phygelius? Sounds like a trip to the Dr. LOL

Anyone here grow or ever heard of Golden Thryallis? I got seeds and am hoping for success.

Repeat after Mitch ~ sure, it will survive!
Patience my behind! I'm getting antsy this time of year. 8 ))


This message was edited Mar 14, 2008 9:25 PM Thank heavens for edits!

This message was edited Mar 14, 2008 9:28 PM

Hi,
I am also an outsider and like to visit your forum now and then.
Podester--I just bought golden thryallis from TT this spring. I am not sure how it will do but may be we can compare notes. My gut feeling says that it won't handle AZ summers. So I am keeping it in a pot on a patio for this year. I see this plant in Hawaii and always thought it looked beautiful but it was always in a semi shady location there.

Hi ~ I have occasionally toured the Southwest forum but don't think I've run into you. Glad you joined us. Please don't feel like an outsider ~ not in Texas! Years ago I lived in Tempe, so tell me ~ what is TT?

On Thryallis, I bet you will manage to keep it going. I got my seeds from a gal in New Orleans. Hers was a pretty little potted plant. I was shocked to read up on it and find it was considered a shrub! If you read the information I saved, I would be surprised if yours "doesn't" make it! Keeping it in a pot will let you provide the conditions it needs. I would guess afternoon protection with shade. If my seeds deliver, we will indeed compare notes! LOL

How about a link on the info saved ~ Sorry! http://davesgarden.com/community/journals/viewentry/160826/

This message was edited Mar 14, 2008 9:27 PM

here's some phygelius
http://www.crownsvillenursery.com/phygelius.htm

here's another
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59535/

do you love 'em?

This message was edited Mar 14, 2008 11:07 PM

They are pretty and unusual but I think I'll wait till you testdrive this one Mamajack! Which one(s) are you trying this year?

The Crownsville nursery has some interesting inventory. I probably don't need to be looking but do you know where they are located?

Love your big sky picture, Chrissy!

Pbtx, what 800 cutting are you getting. Is it that company we talked about at Melva's that does mostly coleus? I'm very tempted to try them out.

I would like to how the phygelius do here. I've seen some stunners out in California!

Pod, I did keep very good records of the penstemons that died last year (none of them stood a chance with all the rain). And tried to stick with seeds I thought would be a bit easier here. I ordered different colors of these species, they are my attempt to fake a foxglove:0)
penstemon digitalis
Penstemon hirsutus
penstemon grandiflorus

Yes, we ordered a lot of cuttings from NC Farms. Several family members wanted some. We're also having a big garage sale and thought maybe we could add some to the sale. But today I have 200 caladium pots sitting in my dining room, and now I'm wondering what we were thinking. Where are 800 more pots going to go??!!!

Here is my phygelius last spring. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/164483/ . I managed to kill it by depriving it of water for 8 August days. :( It was one of my garden favorites. It grew very happily with a little afternoon shade, and bloomed cascades of little coral flowers all summer long. They are also evergreen, which is really nice along about January.

I got a replacement for it this year at Big Dipper. Forestfarm has some, and Lazy S has a pretty good selection.

Well, I have native Aristolochias that I'm trying to germinate. They are apparently hard to grow by seed, at least from previous experience with the native ones. I grow native penstemons and the only one I've had a problem with plants dying (not right away, within a year) is Rock Penstemon, P. baccharifolius. In the wild it apparently grows in "small crevices on sheer bluffs", in very, very rocky bluffs or vertical roadcuts, that is. I can't duplicate that habitat, but surely someone has grown it without having that. They are just so lovely in bloom, my head says not a chance and my heart says "Welll I don't care, I just want it!".

look at sweet nectar too. they are in the classifieds and this lady gives a real "personal" touch when ordering. if you order be sure and tell her that dave sent ya. lol.

The penstemon seeds I have are Gulf Coast (or Brazos) penstemon which should do well here in our heat and humidity. And another batch of penstemon from Mo and I didn't write down which one they are... duh! Will have to hunt it. This will be my first year.

Anyone in TX grow Clevelandii sage?

podster, that one does do well. but whatever you do just let it reseed itself. don't help it or it will be everywhere.

Which one? the Gulf Coast?

yes, P. tenuis. one year i took the seed and walked over my property justa sowing them. it seemed that every seed came up. and as much as you can like one plant when it is all you see it becomes a weed. but on it's own, while it does reproduce itself fairly well they pretty much do it in one place and you can easily pull the unwanted ones.

Thanks for that info. I appreciate the heads up. I will say I have never had anything deliver that success so can't imagine how bad it could be. Always a first tho. Thx ~ pod

well it was one of those years when the rain was just right and everything else was just right and they reproduced all over.

If I may, I'd like one of them here... LOL.