Holy giant astilbes!!!

Last spring, I planted six red sentinel along a mostly-shady portion of my house. They did pretty well that first season, with a couple of nice plumes to start.

This year... holy moly they're HUGE! I can't believe how big and crowded they got already. I thought I'd given them plenty of space, but I think I'll have to separate them this year. They're also taller than I thought they'd be. Over two feet, and that's before the plumes (which are just starting to come up). I can't wait until they're in full bloom. Should look lovely.

On a related note, I need to move several other astilbe varieties from another area. We lost a few storm damaged trees, so the area went from mostly shady to full sun, and it gets very hot and dry there. Any tips for how to do this? I started to give it a go, but they must have some seriously solid and broad root systems. I'd actually thought they were creamed when the landscapers removed the trees (the ground was practically mauled), but somehow they survived.

I must say, I'm really impressed by how tought these plants are!

That is great to hear! I just started incorporating Astilbe into my gardens. I'm hoping it will provide some nice waves of color & texture in the gardens.

An added bonus to the blooms, the foliage is lovely.

Many of mine require a saw to get through the root zones though some others are much easier.

Use lots of compost in the planting hole and a few inches as mulch after you replant it. Keep it watered. It definitely wants moist cool roots (not drenching but moist).

Ptilda, good luck!

Mattsmom, I totally agree. I was even pleasantly surprised at the slight differences in foliage between varieties (some are a rich green, and others have a golden-reddish hue).

Pirl, thanks for the info. I have a small, sturdy saw that should do the job. Your divisions look great. Did you wait until the end of the season to do that? I wonder if I can do it now. I hate to have to water them all summer. The ones on the still shady side of my house are right near a faucet, so that's no problem.

I'd take the chance of doing it now and plunging them into water immediately and then into damp compost as I mentioned above. They are strong plants and should bounce back. Their ability to flower is said to occur from the previous year of growth so you should get flowers.

I just checked the date on my photo and it was 5/17.

Pirl- Were all of those divisions from one plant? It must have been huge!

I just bought a couple of astilbes to try again because, for some reason, they seem to hate me. Or, at least, I couldn't keep them moist enough to keep them happy. But I have different soil here than I did at my old house, and different conditions, so I bought a couple of plants and figured I'd try again.

The one plant I have in my new front bed seems very happy there with plenty of shade and some dappled sunlight throughout most of the day. Run-off from the nearby downspout seems to keep the ground moist, too. The one I have in back is still in its nursery pot because the weather hasn't cooperated for me to get it in the ground, but it looks like it's about to bust out of that gallon container and take over the courtyard. It seems to get bigger every day and it's in buds now. I'm tempted to make it a container plant since it seems so happy in a pot. :P

Maybe this year will be the year I have luck with astilbes!

mattsmom - yes, it was one huge plant.

Kayly - would the astilbe still get the runoff water if you potted it? If so it could be a gorgeous specimen plant. Just make sure you can get it out of the container when you need to divide it. Maybe if you put it in a larger black nursery pot and then into the decorative container (with a lot of compost as mulch) it would make the eventual dividing job much easier.

Pirl- I always enjoy seeing your gardens. They are always lovely!

Thank you!

Yes, Pirl, I agree that is a gorgeous garden in your pic. In addition to the lovely plants, I adore the shape of it. My garden beds were made before I moved in, and they're kind of hap-hazard (sort of round, not exactly, no rhyme or reason). I have a lot of work to do, but I don't mind! :)

It is that shape due to the problems my husband encountered in mowing and there was too much backing up and moving forward several times so he said if he didn't have to mow it the job would be easier - hence the shape of the garden!

In this photo you can see that by eliminating the section it gave him smooth sailing with the mower. The mistake we made was in not rounding the area behind the obelisk as well.

Pirl, your gardens are fabulous!

As for me, I'm pretty sure I'll plant the astilbe in my other shady front bed and not pot it. I just don't have a lot of luck with plants in pots because I'm so lazy when it comes to keeping them watered. ;)

The watering issue is what made me finally give up on all but one container in the courtyard garden. On the hottest of days the container plants needed the most water and, of course, standing there with a hose in the hot sun was the last thing I wanted to do.

I did keep my 'White Wings' in a pot on my shaded patio for a year to see what it would do in terms of blooming. It did okay because it was exposed to the weather and in the shade but I did end up putting it in the ground.
Such big beautiful specimens! I am so envious of your soil and light conditions! I am trying very hard to remember to feed mine at least once during the growing season since I've been so negligent in the past.

We worked long and hard to get the soil in good shape. We used my old car to haul home 10 forty pound bags of mulch from the landfill and made 10 trips almost every day for an entire summer. Once we had our own compost bins working it was a pleasure to use that black gold instead of trekking to haul anything!

Thanks for the compliments! They were big beautiful specimens (one is now gone, on purpose) but require a saw to divide them and even strong men have a bit of a problem trying to simply dig up a chunk.

They are tough. I've used a pruning saw and my pruners in the past to divide toughies like that.
All of that hard work you did really shows. I need to mulch this year. I usually do it every other year. We're thinking about having some bulk stuff delivered but that means working the wheelbarrow quite a bit. I try to limit myself to 40 bags and that's just the beds in the upper yard. My "lower garden" hardly ever gets mulched.

It's almost eerie that we treat our gardens so similarly. The gardens furthest from the compost get the least and those closest to the garage (source of packaged products) get the liquid foods, Epsom Salt, alfalfa, etc.

Our long rear garden never gets compost (unless I'm planting something new) and never gets food.

I've moved these 'Purple Lance' astilbes since this photo was taken but they loved this spot since they got manure and compost because there are all clematises along the fence behind this area. They were about 3.5' tall.

The 'Purple Lance' is very impressive.
I am trying to make more of an effort to fertilize at least the Astilbes. The difference this year (even though it's early) after dividing and amending the soil somewhat along with fertilizer and a pinch of super phosphate last year is evidence enough that I need to take better care of them. I used up all of the leftover lawn fertilizer (always "starter" fertilizer for our first round) and other partial bags of stuff in the lower garden and save the Espoma for the beds up in the yard.
As for mulching my lower garden, I keep thinking every year that I'll just leave the previous fall's leaves in place for mulch but then I'm not crazy about the "untidy" (at least in my mind) look of things. I'm worried that I'll miss out on some of the self-sowers as well.

Pirl, your gardens are lovely. I'm going to have to look more closely at your photos when I get a chance for some ideas. Just lovely.

Thanks, pgt. I was out there again tonight finally getting a few more astilbe in large pots to see how well they do...or don't do.

I had to call Spring Hill about a couple of dead astilbes. They seem to grow fairly quickly. They sent me some young plants and the ones that have survived this odd weather are about 18-20' wide and about 8" tall.

OK, I'm obviously going to need to go outside and take some pictures of all these things...

Wow - that's quite a spread for young Astilbes (even assuming you meant inches instead of feet).

(Busy "stealing" more of Pirl's pics and putting them in my "garden ideas" folder.) I fell in love with astilbes last year after seeing some of Pirl's and a making a "virtual" visit to her gardens. Last year I had nothing ... was just starting out and seeking ideas for shade and sun.

A few weeks ago I finally planted my beloved astilbes in a front shade garden --- nine of them --- and can't wait until next year when they "fluff out" and show off. Three each of White Wings, Amethyst and Misty Lace.

Beginning gardens look so pitiful when you first plant them and I'm sort of timid about showing a pic. I am not happy with the way the brick edging looks and may tear it all up and try rock, as I had originally wanted (but listened to my sister instead who said the brick would look better in the front ... nah ... think I'll like the rock better, but wish I'd not spent a week hauling 150 bricks from the back to the front!) Here;s what it looked like last year ....

And here's the same plot a few weeks ago (still a long way to go) ...

Heck, that one doesn't show the astilbes. BRB.

Wow, Judy. That's a nice big area. You should fill that space entirely with plants and paths and other stuff. It would be your own personal paradise. My mouth is almost watering thinking of the possibilities.

I bet Judy doesn't realize how wonderful the first shot of her house is with the blank slate waiting to be turned into a garden look. It isn't always easy to visualize how plants will fill the area according to our addictions.

I'd vote for the stone as well. (Easier for when expansion is required!)

'Scuse. Had to download some pics from the camera I'd forgotten I took. Here is a more recent pic. The astilbes are just babies and hidden behind the azaleas. But they should tower over them next year. Down at the end I grouped the three amethysts. In the back are sasanquas (pink) which should bloom this fall. The astilbes are in front of and sort of in betweem the sasanquas.Then Hino azaleas (hot pinky-red) which will bloom early next spring. Then a row of hostas (some of the names unknown because I'd just collected them when I saw one I liked and kept them in pots on my back deck) interspersed with three Japanese painted ferns. In the very front, just planted, are impatiens.

I found a fancy-schmancy bench I'd bought at an auction just sitting in the back yard so I hauled it around front and I like it there. You can just barely see the three amethyst astibles between the chair and the sasanqua. They are progressing very well and I'm pleased to see them growing so fast. I mean they were just little stems. Got them from Bluestone. The caladiums aren't planted and I'm glad because I really don't like them there. The reds are too dark. May plant the whites.

You are in for a delightful spring! Just keep giving them compost and keep them damp, not drenching, and you'll be spending a lot of time taking photos next year and for years to come.

I agree about the caladiums being too red. Miss Muffet adds a nice light touch without being overwhelming.

The bench is fantastic!

And this is a view from the bottom. It has a long way to go but looks so much better than it did before.

I really appreciate the comments, y'all. Pirl, you know how I have wanted this for so long. We talked about it last year. Should have gone with my first instincts on the rock border. I have some grass seed that's supposed to grow in shade but I haven't planted it yet. I don't really have any plans to expand this area ... but, you know how that goes :-) I did the front first because that's what people see when they drive by. I am being a little more particular about my selections. But even if my "rock" is only broken up concrete, I still think it will set the shade area off better. I'm saving my energy for when it gets a little cooler.

Edited because this newspaper editor misspelled "energy." Shame on me!

This message was edited Jul 18, 2010 2:09 PM

I should add that centered in front of the tree is a hosta (name unknown) that is very special because I received it at my very first roundup earlier this year. On either side are lamium (pink) which I know will set Pirl laughing because she put a hex on hers last year. :-) If it gets unruly, I'll yank it. But the little silver leaves are so pretty. I also have a dark red heuchera there (may pull that one up too and put in where it will be more visible). I had no idea this area get so much shade until I really started observing it this year. I was delighted when I discovered I had a shade garden on one side of the house (front) and a sun garden on the other. Here is the other side of the front .... trying to match colors, heights, etc. is challenging. These are knockout roses, with daisies, and petunias, and in the very back, green velvet boxwoods which are tiny now but will provide a nice backdrop later. Still have some time to fill in with annuals (but gotta hurry) because it doesn't get cold here until mid November.

That angle in the photo is wonderful.

The more anyone rushes to do a garden the more work it is and the less satisfaction comes of it, in my view.

Though many people feel grass is either a waste of space or a constant job or a drain on water supplies, I think it's lovely and it's rather like the frame of a picture for a garden but September seems a better time for seeding than now: too darn hot.

Very nice. Repeating the same plant or the same form or the same color is a rule some people live by but others don't.

As for the Lamium...enjoy it if you love it.

Also, check out Fine Gardening's articles online. They are excellent.

Remember, Pirl. I'm a rank beginner. Some have to learn their lessons by "doing." :-) I even have a color theme for the front --- rosy red to white with all the colors and shades of pink that fall in between. I may change my mind later but that's part of learning too. Mine is the only "garden" on the block and I want it to really look nice. My timidity is very much a hindrance. I proceed slowly and with caution. I need more guts! LOL

I love Fine Gardening and buy it when I can find it at the store. My favorite is Garden Gate and all of BHG's special interest publications. I check the store regularly for new garden magazines. I have stacks and stacks of them. Running out of room.

Unless we bought homes with gardens, we were all rank beginners at some time. The nice part of gardening is being able to change our mind as to what we want.

Don't think of your timidity as a hindrance. Some of the worst gardens are the rushed ones. The eagerness for full and lush often turns into disaster.

Here's a link to a full page of Fine Gardening articles and videos on shade gardening:
http://www.finegardening.com/Design/Shade/74926.aspx?channel=2

Many of us know, all too well, about the running out of room for garden magazines problem!

Wow, Pirl. What a great link! Thanks! That's one you could stay on for hours.