My combination garden diary, plant list & photo page... because I've got to keep track of it all somewhere.
The Flowers...
Posted 04-18-2012 at 10:24 AM by CanadaSue
There, an hour or two extra sleep helped tremendously - I feel downright perky... shudder.
I'd mentioned the first year or two in terms of plants, I'd thrown in everything but the kitchen sink. That never turns out as nicely as you want. Instead, the garden looks cluttered & the eye doesn't know where to go next. It's not calming, especially when damned near every plant succeeds.
They shouldn't have as I have rather bizarre conditions. First, the main border faces east but looks to a 3 story building, (mine), that's between 10 - 30' feet away. The exception to that is the new section which is past the building... but is shaded by three mature, weeping firs. Those firs are located due south & save for mid June to mid July, the sun isn't above them. Behind the border is a 'perforated' fence - it shows up in photos.
Sun exposure is also 'odd'. The end sections of the garden get a few hours of sun in the morning & a few more in the afternoon. The big middle 'chunk' gets 3-5 hours of afternoon sun. Wind - ugh. The north end of the border is 10' or so from fence/wall to building, extending to 30' at the south end. Our prevailing wind in from the southwest in the growing season so breezes or light wind come in from the wide part of the 'funnel' & by the time they squeeze through the narrow bit, they're blowing at a good clip. The fewer taller things have down there - tall being relative - get staked to within an inch of their lives.
Water - I'm much of the way towards building a good, water retentive soil but the wind doesn't help & nither does the neighbour's trees. He has an ash, a small maple or two, firs & some shrubs. Save for a good, steady rain, they provide an umbrella much of the time & steal water in their own right. Right now, we're desperately dry for April but luckily are expecting anywhere from 1-2" of rain starting Friday & I watered the snot out of the borders yesterday. Most plants are becoming well established & will handle some dryness. When I have to water, I do so rarely but deeply.
Back to flowers - what do I have?
Geraniums - the perennial ones. They do very well & I've learned that if I hack them back to ground level after the first flush of bloom, they grow fresh leaves & I get another good show of flowers. I don't need any more of these; they've spread nicely & I've been able to cannibalize my own to spread out. I could be tempted into another tiny one or two - I've had great luck with my one little Ballerina cultivar & don't want to split it... just in case I give it a major owie.
Primroses - I'm having great luck with these & will be getting more next week. I have a half dozen or so polyanthas & 3 doubles: 2 reds & a white. I'd love to score more of those as they're truly stunning. I have one hose in hose where a flower grows out of the middle of another flower. I also have a couple of bunches of cowslip primroses & a few drumstick primroses. When I said I was getting more next week, I wasn't kidding. I love these things, especially the secnted ones & the nurseries will carry them soon. I'm going to stuff in as many as I can...LOL. Our downtown farmers' market has a few plant stands where Gardeners Who Really Know What They're Doing sell some of the more collectible ones. Now that I know my little plot will grow them, I'll splurge on one or two special ones - more doubles or other collecters' cultivars.
Delphiniums/larkspur: I have 6; 4 delphies & 2 larkspurs that have done well. They're truly magestic plants & I know where to get babies for under $2 each. I'm picking up a half dozen or so; some for a new grouping & a few others to complete groupings. They look better in groups of 3 or more.
Columbines: Utterly stunning flowers & they bloom for a good month. I'm adding more - lots more as they tuck in nicely into all sorts of spaces. Again, I know where to get them cheap.
Jacob's Ladder: I have 3 of those - they're a dependable, quiet plant & if the foliage starts looking ratty after bloom - mine do, I hack them back & fresh leaves soon come out.
Campanula: I have a few of the small ones; carpet types & a few clumps of peach leafed bellflower. I may try a few of the taller ones as well. They provide nice blues, white & sometimes pink tones through Juy.
Coreopsis: I have a couple of the standard lance leafed yellow ones - they'll handle naything & mine only get an hour or two of sun a few times a day. I've expanded into the thread leafed Coreopsis rosea - gorgeous. Mine aren't up yet - either I lost them or it's early; too early & that's probably it.
Centaura: has done really well for me. I started with a tiny clump of the basic blue one & it's now been split into 5 small clumps. I bought a start of the snorter gold leafed one 18 months ago - it was split in two & is good for front of the border. I may buy a white cultivar 'Amethyst in Snow' - just to say I did. I also have Centaura rosea - that has to be strictly controlled as it can turn into a bully.
Veronicas: or speedwell. I have some blues, reds & white - it does well for me, grows in anything but strict shade & doesn't require any coddling.
Asters: I don't grow the fall asters but instead the spring ones: Aster tongolensis & alpinus. They grow low to the ground & in almost any light.
Mums - I only have 2 fall mums - I really don't get any sun. Painted daisies do well in the light I have though.
Pinks - do extremely well for me. Hint: the 'annual' pinks sold by nursersies are perennials from zone 5 & up. Leave them in the ground & watch what happens next spring. My original flats of 4 plants for $1.19 are still going strong. I've also got Cheddar pinks & other more classic perennial pinks. I have thrift as well, balloon flower, cone flower & black eyed Susans for later in the summer, Cardinal flower & Great blue lobelia, lavender, hollyhocks, lupins & lungwort, pink & white scabious, gentians, oriental poppies, Golden loosestrife, blue eyed grass, anemone... that's pretty much it in terms of different species. I count all told & not counting spring bulbs...
41?
That's a LOT. Those are the plants in the main, perennial border. I'm thinking of moving the lupins, Golden loosestrife & lungwort to the other side... I just don't find them interesting enough & they're interfering with some groupings I'd like to do in the main border.
I mentioned we've been dry. We have a week of cloud with both showery days & days with light rain coming & over the week, will get anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5" of rain. I have to go downtown to run a few errands, then this afternoon, will move those plants, split & move a few treasured hostas & my bloodroot & sow some seeds. Then... let it rain!
I'll be at the nurseries between rainy periods as they open - the sooner I find & plant my new purchases the better. Right now, stock is pouring in. It's fresh & if I'm early on opening day, (rain be damned!), I'll get the pick of the litters.
I added 4 photos - the before shots from mid March & shots from 3 days ago after I'd cleaned up, edged & addedthe compost. I'll be using this blog to catalogue my best shots from the season. I'll add some early ones tonight.
I'd mentioned the first year or two in terms of plants, I'd thrown in everything but the kitchen sink. That never turns out as nicely as you want. Instead, the garden looks cluttered & the eye doesn't know where to go next. It's not calming, especially when damned near every plant succeeds.
They shouldn't have as I have rather bizarre conditions. First, the main border faces east but looks to a 3 story building, (mine), that's between 10 - 30' feet away. The exception to that is the new section which is past the building... but is shaded by three mature, weeping firs. Those firs are located due south & save for mid June to mid July, the sun isn't above them. Behind the border is a 'perforated' fence - it shows up in photos.
Sun exposure is also 'odd'. The end sections of the garden get a few hours of sun in the morning & a few more in the afternoon. The big middle 'chunk' gets 3-5 hours of afternoon sun. Wind - ugh. The north end of the border is 10' or so from fence/wall to building, extending to 30' at the south end. Our prevailing wind in from the southwest in the growing season so breezes or light wind come in from the wide part of the 'funnel' & by the time they squeeze through the narrow bit, they're blowing at a good clip. The fewer taller things have down there - tall being relative - get staked to within an inch of their lives.
Water - I'm much of the way towards building a good, water retentive soil but the wind doesn't help & nither does the neighbour's trees. He has an ash, a small maple or two, firs & some shrubs. Save for a good, steady rain, they provide an umbrella much of the time & steal water in their own right. Right now, we're desperately dry for April but luckily are expecting anywhere from 1-2" of rain starting Friday & I watered the snot out of the borders yesterday. Most plants are becoming well established & will handle some dryness. When I have to water, I do so rarely but deeply.
Back to flowers - what do I have?
Geraniums - the perennial ones. They do very well & I've learned that if I hack them back to ground level after the first flush of bloom, they grow fresh leaves & I get another good show of flowers. I don't need any more of these; they've spread nicely & I've been able to cannibalize my own to spread out. I could be tempted into another tiny one or two - I've had great luck with my one little Ballerina cultivar & don't want to split it... just in case I give it a major owie.
Primroses - I'm having great luck with these & will be getting more next week. I have a half dozen or so polyanthas & 3 doubles: 2 reds & a white. I'd love to score more of those as they're truly stunning. I have one hose in hose where a flower grows out of the middle of another flower. I also have a couple of bunches of cowslip primroses & a few drumstick primroses. When I said I was getting more next week, I wasn't kidding. I love these things, especially the secnted ones & the nurseries will carry them soon. I'm going to stuff in as many as I can...LOL. Our downtown farmers' market has a few plant stands where Gardeners Who Really Know What They're Doing sell some of the more collectible ones. Now that I know my little plot will grow them, I'll splurge on one or two special ones - more doubles or other collecters' cultivars.
Delphiniums/larkspur: I have 6; 4 delphies & 2 larkspurs that have done well. They're truly magestic plants & I know where to get babies for under $2 each. I'm picking up a half dozen or so; some for a new grouping & a few others to complete groupings. They look better in groups of 3 or more.
Columbines: Utterly stunning flowers & they bloom for a good month. I'm adding more - lots more as they tuck in nicely into all sorts of spaces. Again, I know where to get them cheap.
Jacob's Ladder: I have 3 of those - they're a dependable, quiet plant & if the foliage starts looking ratty after bloom - mine do, I hack them back & fresh leaves soon come out.
Campanula: I have a few of the small ones; carpet types & a few clumps of peach leafed bellflower. I may try a few of the taller ones as well. They provide nice blues, white & sometimes pink tones through Juy.
Coreopsis: I have a couple of the standard lance leafed yellow ones - they'll handle naything & mine only get an hour or two of sun a few times a day. I've expanded into the thread leafed Coreopsis rosea - gorgeous. Mine aren't up yet - either I lost them or it's early; too early & that's probably it.
Centaura: has done really well for me. I started with a tiny clump of the basic blue one & it's now been split into 5 small clumps. I bought a start of the snorter gold leafed one 18 months ago - it was split in two & is good for front of the border. I may buy a white cultivar 'Amethyst in Snow' - just to say I did. I also have Centaura rosea - that has to be strictly controlled as it can turn into a bully.
Veronicas: or speedwell. I have some blues, reds & white - it does well for me, grows in anything but strict shade & doesn't require any coddling.
Asters: I don't grow the fall asters but instead the spring ones: Aster tongolensis & alpinus. They grow low to the ground & in almost any light.
Mums - I only have 2 fall mums - I really don't get any sun. Painted daisies do well in the light I have though.
Pinks - do extremely well for me. Hint: the 'annual' pinks sold by nursersies are perennials from zone 5 & up. Leave them in the ground & watch what happens next spring. My original flats of 4 plants for $1.19 are still going strong. I've also got Cheddar pinks & other more classic perennial pinks. I have thrift as well, balloon flower, cone flower & black eyed Susans for later in the summer, Cardinal flower & Great blue lobelia, lavender, hollyhocks, lupins & lungwort, pink & white scabious, gentians, oriental poppies, Golden loosestrife, blue eyed grass, anemone... that's pretty much it in terms of different species. I count all told & not counting spring bulbs...
41?
That's a LOT. Those are the plants in the main, perennial border. I'm thinking of moving the lupins, Golden loosestrife & lungwort to the other side... I just don't find them interesting enough & they're interfering with some groupings I'd like to do in the main border.
I mentioned we've been dry. We have a week of cloud with both showery days & days with light rain coming & over the week, will get anywhere from 1.5 - 2.5" of rain. I have to go downtown to run a few errands, then this afternoon, will move those plants, split & move a few treasured hostas & my bloodroot & sow some seeds. Then... let it rain!
I'll be at the nurseries between rainy periods as they open - the sooner I find & plant my new purchases the better. Right now, stock is pouring in. It's fresh & if I'm early on opening day, (rain be damned!), I'll get the pick of the litters.
I added 4 photos - the before shots from mid March & shots from 3 days ago after I'd cleaned up, edged & addedthe compost. I'll be using this blog to catalogue my best shots from the season. I'll add some early ones tonight.
Total Comments 0
