Well, it's close to over. I thought maybe everyone would like to share the photos of their star performers of 2009. We all have those plants that are perennial pleasers, but each year there are often one or two that really come of age and surprise us with their beauty. Please show us yours. Show one or show many, all are appreciated!
This humble little red, white and blue Anemone showed up for the first time just before Memorial Day. It's lovely patriotic surprise, just tickled my fancy!
Pretty Anemone, Stormy. I like the surprises.
My surprise this year, started in 2007, I started Canterbury Bells, they bloom in their 2nd year. To my surprise they reseeded and this year I have lots of young plants getting ready to bloom in 2010.
Nice thread Stormy, Very pretty Ladyg.
My surprise this year was the Dahlias, I haven't grown them in years and I got a real late start getting them in the beds. Then these laid down and I never did get around to staking them up. Boy they looked pretty growing in with the alyssum.
Holly, Those are lovely Dahlias. I grew the seed dahlias, last year was the 2nd year, they seem to do better for me then the tubers, not as full and large, but easy.
Note to self: line the bed edges with alyssum, nice look and lovely scent.
Lady, Those bells are gorgeous. I bought some seeds for campanula for this year, but none of them were Canterbury. I'll have to try some of those next year. I don't like to buy mixed colors, and I think that's all I could find in the Canterbury.
Holly, Those Dahlias are gorgeous and they look beautiful with the Alyssum. I planted some "Basket of Gold" Alyssum this fall and I'll be anxious to see how it looks in the spring.
The Poppies just blew me away this year. I plan to add lots more, even some annuals as they will bloom a lot longer. Chris, do you grow Poppies? They should like your cooler weather.
I did get a few of the annuals ones to bloom last year, here is one I winter sowed, I tried wintersowing for the first time last year but I prefer doing the sowing in the basement under lights, I have better control. And I have been known to be a "Control Freak"
Lady, That's cute. Is it a California Poppy?
Stormy, I think it was Angel's Choir mixed, I have to do some searching to be sure.
Here is a white one peeping through other plants.
Chris, Are they Icelandic Poppies?
I found in my notes that I sowed Picotee Poppies Mixed, in plant files Picotee is listed as an Oriental poppy. Not sure where the seeds came from, may have been from a Round Robin as I experimented with a lot of those seeds last year.
Stormy did you plant "Basket of Gold" Alyssum seeds or plants? Is it a perennial? My alyssum is only an annual.
Oh,Oh, Oh I just thought about the Diamond Frost Euphorbia wonder how they would do started from seed? They were so pretty last year but I didn't like paying $4 a piece for them. Look how nice this looks with the seeds head from the Aaron that Stormy gave me. BTW that Aaron is looking good right now.
Holly, I have not come across Diamond Frost Euphorbia seeds. From what I understand you must propagate it by cuttings and the best method from what I have read is starting in water till roots are 3/4 to one inch long.
I guess we need to buy one more plant. It is a favorite of mine too.
Oh shucks, as my Grandmother would say! Funny I bought mine later in the summer I kept seeing them and thinking how nice they looked. How much they brightened up a shady corner. Then we did a Master Gardeners tour and they all had them in their yards and they looked great everywhere. So I had to go and get a couple. LOL
Holly, That Basket of Gold is a Perennial and I planted plants.
Nice thread....
I love the dahlias with the alyssum. Very nice combo.
Thanks Stormy, I looked it up nice looking plant. I'll be interested in seeing how it does for you.
The Night Phlox is a must near your entrance or where you sit out at night. The scent is heavenly. Tuck them in with your hanging baskets or in a porch box.
Lady, Does it only bloom at night?
Somehow there was a mix up in one of my bags of bulbs. These orange tulips came mixed in either a bag of reds or yellows. I loved them so much, that I bought 4 types of orange tulips this year. I would have never bought any orange tulips without this inspiration.
LOL Stormy, I have a bed of orange tulips that I would have never bought. Ric did! and I just love them, they look really good with the daffs.
Stormy, the Night Phlox does bloom at night. In the day time the flowers are closed up tight in a purplish-red ball. I use the plant as a filler, it doesn't take up much room, I'll put maybe 2 cells in a basket with my petunias and tuck in 2 or 3 cells in my deck railing planters. When the breeze catches the scent at night it make you want to get close and stick your nose up close.
The open flowers are about the size of a dime. I did not get a chance to look for seeds to save last year so I'll be ordering some.
If you look at the lower right in the picture you can see the color of the back of the petals.
I really like the orange tulips, I think they really stand out in the distance. The next door neighbor had a few but now with the fence up I don't get a chance to see them from my kitchen window.
This message was edited Dec 29, 2009 8:47 AM
There is something about orange flowers..... This was one was on the top of my list last Spring...
Carolyn, That is very pretty. I love orange flowers too. This one is "Speaking Freely"
that is gorgeous!
Those iris are lovely. I have to admit I have a Love/hate relationship with iris. I think they are beautiful, but when I had to clear out a bed and separate them, it turned into an all day job. I just don't think I could do that anymore.
that is part of the 'fun'. I always have a thousand different things I decide I am going to do out in the garden and I might get only 2 or 3 of those things done in a day.....
Those are just beautiful.
LOL I'm like a kid with ADD when I get outside. I start one project on the way I stop and see something next thing I'm working on that. Then I remember that I really wanted to get that other thing done so I go back there and then get pulled away doing something else. Till the day is done I have worked on 3 or 4 different things and didn't finish any of them. Of course with gardens I'm not sure you actually do finish anything. One project always leads into something else. Holly
That anemone is beautiful Stormy, and I'm definitely going to try poppies this year!!
I had a new bed this year where I planted some roses bushes and some perennials from seed. Since I need to wait a while for blooms on the perennials, the dahlias saved the day with all the dependable colors and blooms.
I have dug them all up along with the caladiums and cannas. We'll see what happens when I put them back in. Hopefully my perennials will help fill in for those that won't come back.
Roses, your Dahlias should come back just fine. I dug and replanted mine for 3 years, with very little loss. I just got tired of staking them, they grew so hugh and wild. I had no idea of how old the tubers actually were as I bought them from a woman's garden on Ebay. It was a shoebox full of them. They were extremely hardy. I kept them in an unheated basement over the winter.
I heard back from Gita this morning. She switched her service to Comcast the beginning of the month and has had no internet access ever since. She is NOT happy and they've now put the ball back in her corner saying it must be her computer. She was writing from a borrowed computer.
I have been wondering about Gita? Good to know that she is OK and it is a computer problem I remember she mentioned she was talking about switching. Sucks having computer issues!
Still don't have most of my pictures back.
One of the plants I did the happy dance over.
Jack in the Pulpit ‘Arisaema Speciosum’
Stormy, Glad to hear you had contact from Gita and she is ok. Hope she gets things straightened out. I did a quick review search of Comcast and glancing through several sites, they do not get very good reviews. She should try to get out of the contract ASAP from what I read.
Holly, Jack in the Pulpit is one of my spring-walk-in-the-woods favorites, along with Trillium. I use to get so excited when I found a red trillium, I felt blessed the rest of the day.
Holly, Your Arisaema is beautiful. I confess that I still have the seeds that you sent me. I will sow them this spring, right in the ground.
This is an odd one, Arisaema Ringens. It never does unfurl. It fascinates me.
Cool! Stormy,is that in your yard?
I love the foliage too. It stayed green and healthy almost up until frost.
I have a few yellow and a couple of red Trillium. They don't seem like they are increasing very much.
Yes, Lady. I planted 2 of them and only 1 came up. The cultivated ones are so expensive and to lose one really hurts.
Oh, I like that. The ones I sent you Stormy are the natives from the woods behind our house. We transplanted several years ago when we first put in that front bed. The one in the Picture came from a Pacific Calla Co-op last year. I ordered 4 bulbs 2ea of
Jack in the Pulpit ‘Arisaema Speciosum’ and Griffith’s Cobra Lily ‘Arisaema Griffithii’ they were $4-5 each and only did get this one to come up. I kept it in a pot tucked into the bed and hope it will grow for me next year. I'd like to get some more and try leaving them in the ground over winter and see if they come up the next year. It looks like it isn't hardy to our zone but I believe RCN said it very well could be. What Hardy Zone is your Ringens
Holly, It is zone 6 hardy.. Holly, do you have a photo of the ones you sent the seeds for?
Every year I really look forward to this Aruncus. It's growing in one of the absolute darkest spots in my garden. I initially planted 3, but only 2 survived. I added a few more this year.
Stormy, That Aruncus is really pretty boy does it light up that spot. Can't find any pics of my Jack in Pulpit most of my pics are still not here. They were temporary downloaded in an extra drive and we still don't have them back. I know I had a really nice pic of them I'll post it when I can.
