Put in Some Giant Perennials

Looking for pictures/seeds/sources for melianthus major and found this great article that lists a bunch of giant plants. How many do you have?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/pacificnw/2005/0123/plant.jpg&imgrefurl=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2005/0123/plant.html&h=288&w=433&sz=102&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=WSvQpQSdXajRuM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmelianthus%2Bmajor%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den

I have melianthus major and Antwan's blue and cosmos's. Great plants. Heidi

I thought this article would appeal to you, Heidi. Hey, does anybody ever sell Devil's Club? Or did I hear that Gordon had some growing on his property (short memory).

Heidi, how's Butter doing?

I have some great devil's club!Just took this today. Theres more in the back. I was serious when I said they were about 8' tall and who knows how wide it would get with room to grow. This one is taking off! LOts of flowers and I saw bees on this one, tried to get a pic, but he was too fast.
I have gunnera, big lef maple, melianthus and a few other big leaf guys. The foxglove came up huge, followed closely by the delphinium.

Gordon, I think you need to have all the plants listed in the article, don't you?

I've got Cardoon, Digitalis, Aconitum, Verbascums, Cephalaria (new this year), Rudbeckia nitida, TALL lilies, Melianthus (new), Lobelia tiupa (croaked), Eupatorium red, Angelica gigas, Inula - had, want another, Fennel (never again....).
This is why I like to grow so many shrubs - I get to grow tall plants! Fun stuff and makes me feel like a small child again.

I'm with you on the Fennel, Kate. When it goes to seed you're doomed. I have to say, though, that I love it fresh. While I was waiting on the ferry last Saturday, I found a fennel plant that had taken up residence not far from the sidewalk. I had a little dessert while I waited!!

Cardoon is one of my favorites!! And Echium should be right up there, too.

When does the Eupatorium begin to show life? I'm waiting on mine . . .

My class has an Echium plant that is just starting to sport little purple flowers all along the stem. One plant made 2 very tall stalks that are now leaning over in different directions. If it makes seeds I will have plenty to spread around.

Here's the flower.

That thing is huge, and love the flowers.
Good job, 3 thumbs up.

My Eup's are just about 4 - 6" high. Good thing I remembered where i planted Big Red - almost dug him up!

Hi There Butter is fine she is a drama queen. Her brother Oscar has terrible little sores where his canine teeth come over his lips and bad gingivitis I have to swab out his gums and mouth with meds and he is on antibiotics. Him and butter both were born with plaque. I don't think that is right. I do have devils club but none for sale. cool plant. Heidi

Glad Butter is okay. She's so sweet.

Poor Oscar - he's lucky he has such a good mom. Where do you find the time?? I have some whose teeth don't need much attention and others whose teeth aren't looking so good after 5 years. I think it's partly genetic, like with people. Hope he gets better soon.

Heidi please give Oscar a kiss for me, oh give them all kisses from me! Scrappy is 43 pounds now. This weekend he is going on his first camping trip with us, should be alot of fun!

Have you guys participated in this month's vote on the biggest plant yet? There are some cool plants included in there.

I didn't vote because I have never heard of any of them. I must read the wrong stuff.

Where do you see this section?

If you go to your home page and scroll down a ways on the right side is the place to vote and then it takes you to the thread.

Pat - I voted and had no idea - just voted by name. It was a total guess for me as I think it was for a lot of people judging from the comments.

I'll try and get a picture of my flowering ornamental rhubarb in next couple of days. I'm leaving for a week and they are just starting to bloom. I live in eastern Wa. and we don't have many huge plants like this. This one is my only real big one since my yard is so young.

I bought a new one today and it is really lovely called Angelica pachycarpa. Very nice. Only 3 X 3 at maturity. Mine is just a baby, but very glossy and pretty.

Ooooh - I just got an ornamental rhubarb this year and I'm looking forward to seeing what it does. I'd love to see your pictures.

How do you keep it moist enough in Spokane?

It is tucked in a corner paritally under the deck that never really dries out. So it stays moist. Last year it didn't bloom. I am so happy to see it this year bloom since we added roof over our deck I was afraid I'd have to move it and we've had a dreadfully cold spring. Another one that I'd moved is also blooming and is in a lot of shade. The third one that is totally under the deck is not blooming so I know I have to move him. He gets zero sun. So he is off to a new planter. But the other two are doing great. I got a fourth one that I haven't decided where it will go. I love this plant. When they go, they go.

I'll get a picture in the next couple of days when it flowers full on. Check out the other plant I mentioned. It is really cool. I found it at a nursery today. I am hoping it is just as nice.

The angelica is neat. And it's fragrant. I didn't realize that.

Echium flowers opening up more. They are so delicate looking on the huge, fuzzy-rough stalk.

I vote on the biggest flower, as A titanium, and then learned about Rafflesia, and was bummed it was a parasite and on only one specific vine. Bummer. I wanted one for my yard, so I could scare away door to door salesmen.

Is it Echium vulgare? I love it, Mauryhill! Mine is getting really big. It should put out huge spikes of pink flowers this year. It's Echium wildpretti, a name which I love! I have a couple of other varieties growing, but the names escape me. I overplanted echium seeds. What else is new.
I have had Melianthus twice and it apparently hates me and hates my garden. I thought I successfully overwintered it but it is dead. I may replace it with this lovely grass which is sure to grow.
I have the big Joe Pye weed which got to be 8 feet tall and then I had to move it. That set it back considerably but it's just now coming out. It's to the left of the gunnera, which I also have but don't know how big the leaves will get this year. It's putting out new crowns, and the leaves are smaller so far. At least it survived. Have a large ornamental rhubarb I grew from seed. It will need a new home in the yard next fall, probably somewhere that it will be a little less, um, robust. Also have Tetrapanax 'steriodal giant', which I got from Heidi. I think it likes its location, so I am hopeful. There is Fatsia japonica 'spider's web', which I had to have. It's growing in a spot near the Tetrapanax. Similar leaf shape, but completely different look. I am dedicated to getting the pokeweed the southerners are so fond of eating. I saw it in Tennessee in my MIL's neighbor's yard, growing as a weed, and fell for the color of the stems and berries. Maybe it's a weed for her, but I love it. Also have Angelica gigas. Should bloom this year - hurrah! I have seedlings that are coming along, I think, for next year. Love the color.
On the Hosta front, last year I put in two 'Komodo dragon' hostas. They are supposed to be huge. I do hope so! Huge hostas are so cool and almost primative.
I have the euphorbia wolfenii as well. It puts out seedlings in the nicest places. Not overly weedy as the red euphorbias can be (red martin, for instance, is extremely prolific). Just tall and stately. my kind of plant.

Maybe I'll try another melianthus and put it in another spot. What are the perfect conditions for overwintering this plant, Heidi? Speak, oh Queen of Tropicanna!

I don't know if I am the queen but I love the weird. I have been so bad the nursery looks like a jungle. I look for a warm winter spot so like the south side of your house or by a warm wall or tree. Good water and food. I also [lant the crown a little deeper. I mulch with dried fern fronds or maple leave or some fir branchs. Air flow when mulching is improtant. I have rotted some with straw. Does anyone know what this cool rose is,. I grew it from seed and it is too cool. Good luck pixy Heidi and Dragonfly

Don't know but a beautiful picture.

You talking about the flowers or the pretty blue foliage? The foliage is Rosa glauca, one of the roses that parent many of our hybrids. Beautiful blue foliage, pink single flowers.

I had my melianthus planted by a large cement structure I call garden art, in the front area of my place that gets the most sun, although nothing gets sun in winter. Maybe I'll try one planted in one of the cement walled gardens. If I put it up against one of the walls, maybe the banked heat will help it. I just love the foliage on that plant.

Great foliage, I do throw stuff on it in the winter. Just to try to keep the frost off with a little air flow. I am wondering the yellow flowered rose. It also smells great. Heidi

Okay, who has voodoo lily? Someone on the plantid forum is growing this in kansas, and just found out what it was. they'll have a fun surprise when it comes into bloom . . .

http://www.paghat.com/voodoolily.html

Why I have all kinds. They are wonderfull, crazy plants! They might get smelly for a day, but I could say the same thing about my son.A.bulbofier is just starting to leaf out. My shade garden is coming along quite nicely.

I have 2 of these, still waiting to see some real growth on them. They both have been 10-12 inches tall since I got them in march.

But if you guys want to a nice Gunnera, go on up the Everett Arboretum where there is a Gunnera that is flowering right now, and it is pretty good sized.

They have several giant plants in the front garden there. Including one that appears to be marked as a Carex, which is partially hidden from view by the plant. I can't name them all, as I am not good at all of them.

Echium pinninana, according to the tag.

I thought of you when I saw it, Gordon!!

Hi Katie I have some drunculus or voodoo lily for sale and sarumaentosa/ also a stinky one but very cool.

Might hafta be makin' a trip up there, Heidi. Do you still have fern leaf peony? I meant to get that one last time, but forgot.

So many plants, so little time.

When you going Kathy? It would be fun to head over with someone. I got to get more of the himalayan poppies, two is not enough!!

Yes, it'd be great to go over together. I don't have a plan. What's good for you?

I know you work M-F, so it would have to be a Sat. I have a grad party to go to late next Sat at 4pm. Do you think we could make it over and back in time?