The Long View 2009 - 2

lovely, Dog doesn't like flowers?

Andy, even your camera uses a tasteful font! I was looking today at how so many places in whatever they call that big mess of Natick/Framingham where it's one big strip mall with rt 9 in the middle and access rds and junky stuff blechchch. Anyway, every place with a patch of land to landscape has the obligatory 2 or 3 struggling Stellas and some pinebark mulch. I felt like ripping them all out. But Andy, yours are perfect!

Iris, Sarah knows where she can go. Stay out of the flower and berry garden, the veggie garden is OK with well defined paths..
Carrie, Stellas are a fine commercial landscape plant. cheap (now), easy and tough. I bought 3 way back when they were new, wow an ever blooming Day Lily.
Here is what a thoughtful landscaper did around the parking lot for a new medical building, wildflowers of all kinds with Poppies in bloom this week.
Andy P

I snapped a bunch of individual poppies Saturday morning. They are so pretty. Can anyone tell me if these are Shirley poppies?
Andy P

I think I was mostly objecting to the acres and acres of asphalt and chain stores, not so much the poor Stellas, they looked like they were lonely in the middle of all that exhaust. I would be. Those poppies are beautiful.

They look a lot like Shirleys...grab yourself some seeds when they're ready...

Thanks, 3G. Are they perennials? That was all planted last fall. Blue bachelor buttons were prominent last week. I wonder what will be next.
I intend to snatch a few seeds next month.

Weezingreens says in PFs, "Shirley poppies were developed in England in the late 1800's when Reverend Wilks of Shirley selectively pollinated species rhoeas poppies and came up with single rhoeas with a white edging. Since then, doubles have been developed, and though not all Shirley's have the white edging, they are certainly beautiful."

I think so, but I don't really know. I'd say they're definitely annual poppies, but beyond that I don't know.

They make great cut-outs.

They are annuals technically but they seed themselves so well they might as well be perennial.

Thanks again, 2G. That would explain why they were not in Taylors perennial guide.
Andy P

Glad that Sarah knows her stuff. Maybe she was unhappy because you were not playing with her, but with the camera.

Carri! I dont like the lollipops and the multiplying just makes it worse.
Sarahskeeper,
Shirly poppies are annuals but re-seed so they will come up the next year in the same area and beyond if they find a place to grow. They do not come up from the same root every year like perennial Oriental Poppies do.Nice patch by the way.

Great shots, Andy. Daylilies really are pretty in a mass like that. And I absolutely love the poppies.

GE, I love my Lollipops.
Andy P

How tall are they, Andy?

And how did you keep the JB's off of them? Mine are all pretty much decimated...I'm losing the war this summer.

yours are lovely

They get about 3 feet tall. I snapped a better pic yesterday that needs to be downloaded.
I started with one bulb 7 or 8 years ago, I now have 4 clusters like that.
No problem with JBs but the Red lily beetles are a constant threat that requires daily hand picking and SQUISHING. Eggs & larva, too.
My Japanese beetle problem is passed thanks to Milky Spoor. I scattered that all over the lawn 10 years ago, still working.
Andy P

I think my milky spore is starting to work too... I actually put it down last year and the year before... in the past I would even see them digging holes in the garden... this year only one... I would say that it has improved with it

It takes a year or two to get up to strength. You can not use pesticides on the lawn any more or it will kill the Milky Spoor.
I used to have skunks come by to turn over the rootless sod to eat the grubs. I remember sitting on the patio watching the lawn erupt with new JBs, thousands of them, yuck.
I still see them here and there but very few. They like the grape and blackberry.

grose

Great pics Andy... good to know about the Milky spoor... I have not only in the grass but every time I dig the beds to plant anything I find those horrible gruuuuubss... oh I hate them... do you think I can just apply some directly around the roses??? gosh I need for my entire garden....

another long view...

lovely Kassia!!!.... if I were you I would put that stuff around all over

good... I will do that.. thanks Allisson!!!!

Yes, put it all over your entire property, but it has to go into the ground. You can't sprinkle it on the plants.

Its beautiful Kassia

Kind of a long view
I had to stand on a bench to get the view on the other side of my chain link fence.

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very nice Jen

Just caught up on this thread and there are some very fabby views!!! I'm getting great ideas. Does anyone have a buddleia davidii in part shade that flowers? I have to move my little one into more sun now that it's roots have developed but does it need full sun to flower? Some say yes, some say no.

Looks great there, Jen!!

That's a great question, Dahlia!!!!

I have many buddly seedlings that are getting big enough to get planted.

I think that they need a spot where they are protected.

Do they die all they way back in the winter for you.

Here they don't die all the way back, but I think that depends on their protections

Yupper WNYwillieB dies right back to the ground every winter. It is three years old now so I think it's established enough for a more open spot but it will only get 1/2 day sun. I don't have any full sun yet that isn't open to killer west winter winds.

I have the horrible dilemma of having to decide where to place 7 hydrangeas. ^_^

(3) Nikko Blue, (1) Mathilde Gutges, and (3) Pinky Winky

I don't have a lot of really sunny spots.

Thanks Ge.... I have to buy tons of milky spore !!!!!! I will do it!

drooooool over the hydrangeas.

Kassia, everything has really grown. Looks great.
The Milky Spore is applied by tablespoons in a checker board pattern every 3 feet. It works itself into the lawn, grubs eat it and move away to die which spreads it.
Dahlia, Butterfly bushes like sun, the more sun the more flowers. I don't have die-back in winter because I prune them way down in winter.
I also have small spring bulbs under some, they bloom and mature before getting shaded out.
Andy P

After the Crocus come the Chionodoxa. This is a very small portion but the only pic showing the pruned B'Bush.
Andy P

Thanks Sarahskeeper. I thought that might be the case.