Pretty, Pirl.
Victor, what other groundcovers do you like?
End of season report card
I really love hybrid hellebore for shade / part shade, though they grow slowly. Hostas work well for the same conditions, though they are deer food. The hellebores are not. Another favorite is golden creeping jenny. Real tight, weed-choking form and you can walk on it without much problem. And it works from full sun to full shade. Ranunculus 'Buttered Popcorn' has worked well for me, but is sporadic in its growth. Some sedums are decent as well for full sun.
Thanks Victor,
I did get some nice sedum from a lovely person here on DG this year, and some ajuga. I will look at the ranunculus.
My biggest area to cover is the beardless iris area. It is in full sun until late spring/ early summer, when the plants grow tall enough to shade the groundcover. Then through the summer it's pretty much full shade. Hard for most groundcovers to adapt to that. And creeping Jenny is beautiful, and I have it, but it might be too aggressive for that application.
Debilu - you asked why I didn't care for the geranium....it was something like Johnson's Blue I think. I just found it looked raggedy and after it bloomed I cut it back and it didn't come back as nicely...still raggedy and floppy looking. I guess it just wasn't the look I was going for?
Hmmm NO Victor I didn't replace it with another clematis cause I planted that in front of the two clematises I planted in the place of the dogwood LOL.....however I replaced it with coreopsis....hopefully that will look nice.
I have not found the golden one to be too aggressive and it's not hard to pull out. Same for the ranunculus, which is also good for full shade (greener) to full sun (gold). Since the area is shaded by the time the hot weather arrives, you might consider hellebore or hosta, if the heights work. Vinca works in those conditions too, but I'm not crazy about it. Same for pachysandra.
I feel the same about vinca and pakesandra.
Lamium is another ground cover.I love White nancy which is blooming now.
Thats White Nancy on either side of the red coleus
oops wrong picture
Better view
This is the first year for all these plants
Victor.
How do you succede with Ranunculas?
DD planted bulbs ,forced in the house this spring. They grew but pitiful and didn't have flowers. We crossed them off by June.
DD and I were just looking over pots to clean up for winter and there are the ranunculas popping thru the coleus.
What did we do wrong?
These are not the common ranunculus (I don't care much for them - just too many petals!). This is it:
http://www.naturehills.com/product/buttered_popcorn_ranunculus.aspx
People in PF have complained that it's a thug, but that's not been my experience at all.
Victor, I think the height of the hellebores might be a little much, but I sure do have enough I could use them. I really need something I can dig around, too. When I dig up the irises for sales. I think that would disturb the hellebores too much. I'm not crazy about vinca, either, but that might be a good idea..
Ge, I love the lamium. Pirl warned me it might be too aggressive for what I want though.
Would thyme work?
I'll check into that. Thanks IrisMA.
So far I am liking my Little Henry. It is amazingly easy to root as well! I think this is my last year for an heirloom tomato 'Brandywine'. I got 1 tomato off of it. The other I lost to end rot. My favorite tomatoes were Cristal and Harlequin. I have such luck with the border dahlias from seed. I saved some seed this year. I am curious to see if they will come true next year.
My dahlia's from seed were very nice too and less hassle....will have to try them again next year but start them earlier I think.
I always have to many tomatoes. I only plant 3-6 plants but end up having way more than I can eat!!!
Rose 'Joseph's Coat' which was bought this year was an amazing bloomer. I just cut off a stem of rose buds from it yesterday and brought it inside as I knew we were in for a frost this morning. This would of made it's 3rd flush since I got it in May.
I think of Polly as I keep pulling out Lamium seedlings. Haven't had the actual plant in years and yet the seeds keep coming up so they must remain viable for a very long time, as those morning glory seeds do.
OHHH Muh gawd
I planted about six of them and transplanted two from the huge plant at the start of my garden walk.
Just had a thought, transplant to the neighbors border where the hostas are planted.
As long as you like them there's no problem in growing them in your garden. It's when they overwhelm an area, and just won't quit with the reseeding, that it's a problem for me but might not be a problem for others.
Thanks Pirl.
Another favorite - Knock out roses! I can't get over the bloom power! And the scent on the one I purchased this year. WOW! It's in a container. Anyone have experience with that?
Celestial Celebration was a great rose for me this year---it's still blooming, smells fruity, the dogs run over it & through it! Some of my dahlias--Plum Crazy & Dutch Explosion---were wonderful--both still blooming heavily--others, not so great, so I won't save them. Have planted bunchberry for a partial shade groundcover---it hasn't done a whole lot --how about partridge berry?
The annual form of silver mound is still with us--was a great buy. In front of it nemsia has a stalk with purple flowers at the top-so far so good--both will probably go at the first freeze along with the last batch of impatiens.
The impatiens have been strange for the last week. Those up high in window boxes must have been hit by cool night temperatures over a week ago but those in the ground are as lush and wonderful as can be. This photo was taken before they were hit.
Beautiful, Pirl!
Not any more, Victor!
Thanks.
I don't know if I can give an accurate report card, but I will try...lol.
All of the new EE's (for those that are new here: EE's=Elephant Ears--Calocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthesoma) I purchased several new ones, some will be giving me pups, some rooted cuttings, and others babies almost like how spider plants give you babies...interesting how sometimes within the same Genus how things multiply! I purchased the "Giant Elephant Ear" from Logee's, it gets massively huge, they aren't kidding. It needs to be planted MINIMALLY in a 1/2 whiskey barrel planter (or larger) to grow to its true "Giant" nature. 'Nancy's Revenge,' was stunning, once it took off. 'Black Magic,' small tiny bulbs, but put on a great show, 'Milky Way,' bought it late in the season, but is awesome looking, 'Pink China,' the stems are a bright pink, really neat contrast to the light green leaves, Alocasia hypnosa is a stunner, and grows like gang busters, there is another new one I got (forgot the name) that was a shiny black colored one, that grew very well also.
The 4 roses I purchased from Chamblee's pretty much bloomed off and on all season long, 3 Iceberg and 1 Lagerfeld...all were in their pots all season long...so I'm going to assume next year will be stunning!
All of the hostas did amazingly well EXCEPT for one, and it was one of the more expensive ones. 'Stitch In Time' which I had concerns with in the beginning of the season, flopped big time. I think it was dying upon receiving it. I have contacted the seller and they are promising to rectify the situation in the Spring time with my first order from them. If there is one thing I don't like it's a relatively carefree genus that has a member that bombs...lol.
All of the DL's that I bought, that bloomed, are spectacular. If anyone is looking for a truly different DL, that is garden worthy, stands out, is relatively cheap, and should be readily available, pick up 'Trahlyta' I hope I'm spelling this right. I had this in the holding area with about 40+ newer DL's, and this one stole the show! I can't brag enough about it.
There were a few bombs...Wigeila 'My Monet'...don't spend your money on it. It may look good in its 10th year, but I've had it in the ground for almost 3 seasons now, and I'm not impressed with it. I did notice that it's not really being "sold" as readily as it was 2 seasons ago.
There were 2 Echis that I bought that I wasn't impressed with, will have to go through the tags for them, but at the same point there were several that were really nice!
I will never try to grow Datura's from seed again. I dmailed with a fellow NE Forum member, we received seeds from the same vendor, the germination rate was abysmal for the Datura's. The two that did bloom were stellar, but nothing compared to the Brugs...lol.
The one plant that Paul was most impressed with, and I can't even begin to tell you how difficult that is, was the Banana Canna. If any of you want a very tropical looking plant, that grows relatively quickly (it's sort of slow in the beginning, then I think you can hear it growing!) this is the plant for you. Banana Canna grew to about 10' or so, didn't flower, but at that height, I didn't really care...lol.
If I remember anything else, I will add it later...
Great report, Thom. What color is that great DL? Photo?
The one surviving Datura still hasn't bloomed, Thom.
There are still a few hours...
Ha!
Here's the link to Thom's daylily, Victor:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/19936/
Thanks, Pirl. I should have done that! Lots of variation in those shots. How would you describe the color, Thom?
Trahlyta, own it...very unique DL.
'Trahlyta' in front, 'Bela Lugosi' in the back.
Victor, I think I planted the Little Honey early to mid September, hard to remember exactly as I've had a lot going on. The instructions recommended shade, which I followed. Also said it was a slow grower. Just got home late last night - will have to see what happened over the weekend - I think we probably had a frost.
Nice Celeste - thanks. Thanks Deb.
Victor...I will have to go through the endless pics of the DL shots. To me the outer parts of the petal were a different color purple than the water mark which was a different color purple than the eye, and the eye was a greenish/yellow! It has that open almost spidery UFO type of look to it...it's not a round DL, nor is it a spider, sort of it's own thing.
I had it planted near a few other purples, and the other purples where not nearly as saturated in color as this one was! And as with most DL's the color changed depending on the temp, light, and there was a difference between its FFO and the other flowers...but it is a stunner. I really can't think of any other DL's that I bought that bloomed that I ran to the back of the yard to be like, 'WHAT THE HECK is that?" The only other DL that shocked me when it bloomed, but it's gonna be a little pricey for awhile was 'Wild Child.'
Gonna go search for my pic of the DL that I'm bragging about...
Thom - that's exactly what I like in a daylily garden. When there are too many stars on stage it sort of blurs out but when the plainer ones have their place then, I feel, the stars can shine as they should.
Ok, found it...this took forever...lol. I didn't realize how many pics I have of DL's and Hosta...Holy Smokes.
Here's the 'Trahlyta' that I have.
Pirl, you couldn't have said it any better! By all accounts, especially the hybridizers descriptions, this DL should have just blended in with everything else, but honest, when this baby bloomed, I was on the deck, saw it, and was scratching my head...this particular area I had placed my Ensata DL order and my Oake's DL order which were going to be "filler" for the new bed. I, at the time, didn't think I would acquire as many DL's as what I did. This was blooming near 'Bella Serra', 'Flight of the Raven' 'Lavender Vista,' and a few other purples, but this one was saturated with color.
With me bragging about how saturated the colors are, I find it a bit funny that my second favorite DL to bloom this year is 'Wild Child.' Because, and I hope no one is offended, but 'Wild Child' is one messy (blank) DL...it's all over the place. The colors bleed, they are stippled, it's hooked, nobbed, and has teeth, the edge is all over the place, the petals and sepals are twisting or straight out, it is truly a 'Wild Child,' but, therein lies its appeal...lol.
That is a beauty, Thom - thanks. I like the purple tones.
Yours is much darker than mine.....is it in mostly shade or fun sun?
Full sun. No hope of shade...lol.
I had all of the DL's that I won or purchased in 1 and 3 gallon pots in the middle of what used to be my veggie garden...this area is smack dab in the middle of my backyard.
That's the one reason, besides many others, that I liked this particular DL so much. I know that some, not all, but some purple DL's tend to "fade" in the hot sun, this one did not. I have two other pics somewhere, I was looking for them earlier, one shows how bright the sun is on them, and the other pic was taken after a rain storm in the later part of the after noon. I think that is something that caught my attention now, so late in the game, is that I took multiple pics of this one DL! There were 3 DL's that I took multiple pics of, first was this one, second was 'Wild Child,' and third was 'Cinnamon Sunrise.'
I just hope that 'Trahlyta' comes back next year and gives another WOW performance! I believe I planted it near either the Dragon's Eye Pine, or the Abies k. 'Hortsman's Silberlocke.' So, that should be stunning when the bloom next year!