Actual planting for the 2013 season

I just finished putting in the ground a "Green Filigree" Japanese Maple, a Eleutherococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus' and two "Liberty" Hosta. As well I moved a "Wildside" Lutea (blue flower) and one "Blue Cushion" Lavender.

It does feel satisfying doing real planting.

So what have you put in the ground so far this 2013?

I scored a whole bunch of last years perennials at the garden center for 50% off. Still putting them in, but I got a nice selection:

'Dr. Ruppel' Clematis
Echis 'Daydream' and 'Pink Double Delight'
Goldcrest Foxglove 'Waldigone'
Persian Cornflower 'Rosea'
Veronicas 'Royal Candles' and 'Purpleicious'
Strawberry Foxglove
Rudbeckia 'Henry Eilers'
Salvia 'Caradonna'
Spiderwort 'Blueberry Sundae'

I wasn't really paying attention when I was wading through those plants. I ended up with three spiky, purple plants. At least I have a couple of different beds to spread them out in! Thanks for the recommendation on the Royal Candles. I googled it once I got home and am really looking forward to it!

Nice work. I have 'Dr. Ruppel' getting ready to bloom and also R. 'Henry Eilers'. I really like both of those.

But for 2013 ... have more Baptisias ('Midnight' and 'Twilite Prarieblues'), three old-fashioned roses, more lilies (among them 'Red Dutch'), Clematis ''Midnight Showers' and 'Duchess of Edinburgh', and hopefully several more things that I can't remember at the moment. :)

I looooove spiky purple plants... Actually, I love lots of colors of spiky plants: Veronicas, Lavenders, Salvias, the more the merrier.

After last weekend, I'm ready to start planting. I have tons of perennials from seed and a few from co-ops, more coming. But so far I've done mostly prep. One huge area that was half filled with tall grasses, daylilies and weeds, and the other half with weeds, got re-arranged and cleared with the help of a strong young man. I did the weeding around smaller plants I wanted to keep, and all the mulching, with a few layers of newspapers underneath to help keep it weed free until I'm ready to plant.

The un-mulched area has some grasses and other plants which have not yet emerged enough to be sure of, so I'm waiting to see what grows there before making changes.

Wow Pam, you are doing some huge new beds! Your seedlings look a lot like my pile that I've got out on the porch for hardening off. I'm having some foundation plantings pulled out on Sunday, so everything is at a standstill for the time being until those beds are free. I kinda want to swing by the garden center to see if they've "discovered" any more of last years orphans but, then again....

What are your favorite part/mostly shady perennials? I have a North-facing wall on my 10' x 12' shed that has a small bed at the foundation. I've been planting coleus and impatiens there, but it's time for me to start looking at some perennials. It's a white shed, so some tall plants for the back row would be great!

Tall Perennials: Astilbe Straussenfeder, perennial (2), and biennial Foxgloves (4), Lilies. Thalictrum (3), Angelica Archangelica (1), Lobelia Siphilitica (5), and Monkshoods, Cimicifuga for later, just a few...

Short: I love Cranesbill Geraniums, all types, Heuchera, Heucharella, Tiarella, Alcchemilla, Campanula the list goes on and on.

Also, if anyone will see them before the weather gets nice in the spring, Hellebores and Daphnes are wonderful, along with early blooming bulbs.

Have fun with your new project, I always love learning about new kinds of plants!

Everyone's plantings look and sound great!

I have put in...
Heliopsis 'Sunburst'
Papavar 'Royal Wedding'
Penstemon 'Dark Towers'
4 Hemerocallis 'Spanish Glow', 'Alpha Centauri', American Revolution' and 'Quiet Whisper' and I also did a trade for a fan of my 'Lady Elizabeth' for 'Catalina' and 'Absolute Treasure'
Neophilia 'Flamenco'
Clematis integrifolia 'Mongolian Bells'
Prunus glandular

That's my whole year budget for plants! I can't wait to see everyone's results.

Those all sound so wonderful Pam. I didn't realize that foxgloves and lilies could handle that much shade. I happen to have acquired both in swaps!

Kwanjin, what's Neophilia?

Ha! That's what I get for trying to do 2 things at once. I was having a text discussion with a friend about us being geeks and sci-fi fans. Neophilia is the state of being excited about things new and novel.

The above was meant to read..."Knifophia 'Flamenco'" I also misspelled 'Papaver'.

Penstemon (Dark Towers)
Strawberry Foxglove
Coneflower (Milkshake)
Blanket flower(Bergundy)
Monarda (Jacob's Cline)

Pic of Dark Towers

Penstemon Digitalis 'Husker Red'
Alchemilla mollis
Alchemilla mollis 'Thriller'
Campanula Bellringers
Mertensia
Geranium striatum
Geranium maculatum
Wintergreen

This message was edited May 14, 2013 6:11 AM

Additionally, I have added:
Penstemon 'Huskers Red'
Canna 'Pretoria'
Canna 'Richard Wallace'
Verbena 'Homestead Purple'
Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'
Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'

Well, I won't bore you with the exhaustive list of perennials that I purchased this year. I revamped several areas around my home. My tastes have changed so much over the years and we had major foundation and remodeling work done, so, out with the old, in with the new, I finally decided! Here's a few pics to show my newly planted foundation area. Yes, very crowded in areas, I know this! I have plans for thinning out in later years, depending on what does well (clay soil!) and how many plants cooperate with me! Some rows will disappear and be moved to beef up other areas, as bushes/perennials fill in. I hate the empty-waiting to grow look!

Here's the second area in front of our porch that I revamped. Everything looks so tiny now, but I think it will look great after we get through the sleep and creep stages!

One last pic, here is a pic of my work-on-sporadically-but-complete-in-the-fall project. Yep, that's english ivy in the back. It was all the way to the front when Spring started! Hubby loved the green so much, so I caved and let it stay. Yikes! Never let someone who isn't a gardener make gardening decisions! :)

Very nice color and texture ,, As you said ,some age to that and that should, and likely will, Look Sharp !!! Definitely a 3 Thumbs up like!!!!

Nice work, Carisa. You've been busy. Your yard decorations are lovely as well.

Thanks, juhur and cville! I really appreciate your comments. The general color scheme is buttery yellow, lavender and maroon with, of course, different shades of green thrown in for contrast. Dark blue sneaks in here and there, too. I think it's coming together, although the yellow doesn't show itself until early summer through to frost. I think I need to incorporate a spring buttery yellow with something that takes up almost no room! No idea what that will be, I don't like the "normal" spring flowers. The yellow layer I have now is moonlight coreopsis that is between and a little to the back of the glow girl spireas. They are small still (width-wise), but getting pretty tall and buds are now forming. To the very back is more maroon that will bloom summer to frost as well--Helenium Ruby Tuesday. Those are the two you don't really notice in the pics. I think I have enough shrubs/perennials that should be evergreen so that it doesn't look too empty in the winter, either, but looking forward to seeing how everything looks in each season for it's first year. Now, if the torrential rains will stop so it doesn't drown all of my new babies, that would be awesome!

Had to post this pic that I snapped today. It's rainy and yucky here, but I tell you, the glow girl spireas look awesome in gloomy weather! They really do glow when it's overcast! I got them as tiny, tiny sticks and planted them in January and they are doing so well, I am very impressed so far. The leaves are truly electric!

I am so tired after lots of planting so many annuals the last two days. But I did manage to sneak in a few interesting perennials

- 1 "Horatio" Aruncus
- 4 Dicentra "Red Fountains"
- 1 Penstemon "Delft Blue Riding Hood"
- 1 "Silver Heart" Brunnera
- 2 Actaea "Misty Blue"
- 1 rose bush ("Morden Sunrise" x "John Davis")
- 2 "chiastophyllum oppositifolium"

That's quite a list! I had to look up #5, it looks very interesting. I was particularly intrigued because we're in the same zone, and I'd never heard of it. I have a shady area where it could work... Have you had it before? Is it new to you? I'm quite curious!

Hi "Pfg",

I need some 'interesting' shade perennials and this particular Actaea kept coming up when I was net surfing this past winter. It will be an experiment.

Since Rogue sneaked in a rose I will too:
Tess of the D'urbervilles
Rose du Rescht
Constance Spry
Zephirine Drouhin

I had all of these at my old house so I'm thrilled. I got phenomenal own root specimens (gallons) from Roses Unlimited.

I was working on the clean-up of a prairie garden that had a lot of "invasive plants". None other than Penstemon Digitalis Husker red, so I took and planted five. It's not native. Highly desirable to me, and several other people there. Some of the best specimens I've ever seen, and the burgundy is both intense and stable! There were at least 60.

Some nice plants going in. I just received the Penstemon 'Huskers Red' in a swap. I have it in a large pot right now. Lovely plant. My roses are also blooming big time. Newer ones are Zepherine Drouhine, Secret Garden Musk Climber, and something else I can't remember at the moment but probably will as soon as I hit the Send button.