Happy Birthday boojum!

Thanks, Patti-great bulbs! We have a lot of the same taste. Wish I could grow more tulips but when those voles ate 99% of my heart's delight, it really was like losing one's heart's delight so I can only do narcissi now.

Beautiful pictures, Patti

In your first group of pictures (non bulbs), third row from the top, middle picture, with the siberian irises, do you know what the yellow flower to the left is? The tall one. It looks very nice with the sibs!

Polly what picture is to the left or right of the picture in question or the first one with a name? Mine may not be in the same order. Cause the one with the sibs is a yellow spirea shrub. I may be confused. Patti

Looks like lime foliage to me. Sibs are on the rt foreground with a stone path up the middle and the foliage is in the top left.

If it is this one it is the shrub Spirea 'Goldmound' I hate the pink flowers with foliage,so I cut them off. Patti.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80627/

Other similar options-I used to have a caryopteris that was lime near my irises but it died last winter. Now I have lime japanese grasses. You can also use lime hostas or heucheras, polly.

Polly, here it is in a month later in July summer. Color doesn't fade or change much all summer.

Boojum, What lime grass and will it take over the world? Grass scares me! I adore that lime caryopteris, but mine croaked last winter too. Patti

Doesn't that spirea re-seed all over, Patti? You can use Spirea thunbergii 'Ogon'. Fantastic shrub and no seeding. Stays light all year and has great fall color and wonderful early spring white flowers.

Victor, Not one ever. Am I lucky? I have a small spirea in a different spot that is suppose to have white flowers. Oh, do I hope it does well, so I can swap them. But this one was one of the first shrubs we planted in the 80's so it is special except for it's ugly pink flowers. Patti

Patti, we must both be lucky then! Or maybe unlucky, because I would like more of them. I've had spirea gold mound for 7 or 8 years now and never had a seedling of it even though I don't cut the flowers off. I'm with you on not liking the combination Patti! I just don't get around to getting rid of them.

Thanks, Patti. That's the one.

If Patti is cutting all the flowers off, that would stop the seeding. Mine seeds but not invasively, just a few here and there. I've had some for years and years too. I like the combo of the spirea and iris. Good eye, Patti. I don't care for the pink flowers, either.

Polly, I miss a few flowers, no doubt. But none of my many spirea have been a problem. The only problem is they are so easy to grow that I keep adding them to the garden and they are a bit boring and need to be pruned after flowering or they look nasty. Plus they then will rebloom, but I don't love the big pruned shape. Dilemma. I just planted a Daphne 'Briggs Moonlight' that has creamy golden leaves next to some Siberian Iris which should be a good combo. Patti

I figured you could not possibly cut every one. They do re-seed quite a bit for me. That's why I love the thunbergii, which is a better shrub overall anyway.

I thought that was a vine? Need to go look that one up. Always playing catch up. I really prefer salsa. Patti

Thunbergia is the vine, I think.

No - Spirea thunbergii 'Ogon' - a great shrub!

Oh, I have that one too. Thats the one I hope I can swap out with the pink flowering one. Avant Gardens Spring order 2007 Long Bed east end.

The description has a mistake. It flowers after it has leafed out, which is a nice effect.

Help can't remember the japanese grass name. I'll look in plantfiles. I am afraid of all other grasses, too, Patti!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54890/

I have tons of the hakonechloas, and they do not spread at all. In fact it takes forever to get a good size clump.

Thanks Boojum and Polly. OK, I planted two of them last spring after seeing a picture of, guess who's, lower Hudson Valley pond last summer. Hakonechloa Albo Striata and All Gold and they have grown very slowly this summer. Patti

Actually I have no problem with any of the grasses seeding. I sell grasses locally to landscapers. The warmer zones may have the problem with miscanthus, especially, seeding. But I have never had, and I just love them.

My hakonechloas have never even flowered. I love that All Gold, Patti.

I think grasses add a lot to the border. Here is miscanthus Gracillimus and calamgrostis Overdam in August.

Same shot in the winter.

Polly, Those are truly lovely, especially in your winter shot. Patti

Thanks

If you ever want to try any Patti, just let me know. I really do not believe they are invasive. I have over 10 varieties of miscanthus, and lots of others. One of my favorite, that makes a real statement in the garden is molinia Skyracer.

http://www.monchesfarm.com/Molinia%20%27Skyracer%27,%20summer.jpg

I love Karl Foerster because it does not flop in the rain. It's slender and moves in the slightest of breezes. It also gets its 'flowers' early on. That molinia is pretty. I was bummed that I had to dig up my hakonechloas when the pond became full sun. I would like to get some again for my shade areas.

My miscanthus has never flopped in the rain. I think the trick is to plant closely with them. Winter snow pushes them down. Mine are still up perfectly this time of year.

The molinias are gorgeous. Skyracer gets about 8 feet tall with the inflorescences.

Here's one of my former miscanthus after a rain. True, I did not have it packed in though.

Yes, not so pretty. Especially showing the brown center. I've never seen them look brown in the center like that before.

My picture above of the miscanthus was taken this year in late August, and we had a really dry spring, and it was still nice and green.

Ornamental grasses certainly aren't for everyone, though Victor.

Oh I do like them. I'm just picky about which ones. I love my gigantic miscanthus and I like a few of the pennisetums, in addition to the Karl Foerster. Also like the low ones - hakone and others.

Patti, I would love some of those peach HH seeds. What a beautiful HH! I love it! I planted one this year, a Russian (Alcea rugosa) one that is yellow and grows to 6-7 ft. It's supposed to be more rust resistant than the rosea types. Here's a link with a pic and description:

http://plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/04469.html

Polly, I love your Miscanthus gracillimus. I have one, too, and have had it for a few years now. Have not had any problems with it seeding in as yet. That Skyracer looks nice! Would love to get that. I, too, have not had a problem with mine flopping in the rain.

Karen

Patti, I just looked at your slide show from this past summer. Very nice! I will have to come and see your gardens someday. I haven't been to Nantuket yet.

Karen

Karen,
I've had the rugosa for years. It's a winner! It does spread babies though. I just plant them where i want.

Kathy, Happy belated birthday! Just caught up with the threads tonight. Hope you got all your wishes.
Thanks again for the flower seeds at the roundup. Especially looking forward to the canada lily. Cyndie

Nice winter shot, Polly! I like how the pine glows in the low sun.

Hi, Cyndie. Thanks! I hope the Canada lilies do well for you!

Babies of rugosa are good, Kathy. More to share with friends!

Karen

Thanks Karen, and Willie.

I love my ornamental grasses for sure. I tried to talk Boojum into a couple a few years back, but no go. Like I said to Victor, some people just don't care for the look.

But it my semi wild borders they fit, and make a nice statement.

Gracillimus is a nice one, isn't it Karen? They've come out with many new miscanthus, but it's a good old standby.

Karen you shoud try the Skyracer. The inflorescences stand up all through the winter, way above the snow line. They are super hardy too, like to Z2 or 3.

Wow, then Skyracer would be a good one for my sister in Alaska. She's in a zone 2. I may try that one next year. Another thing to add to my wish list. In fact, I have very few ornamental grasses and have been wanting to add more.

Karen