Spring/Summer Gardening 2013 Let's share pics and stories

Stu ~ Thanks for all your wonderful info about Sedums!! So many people seem to grow them, but with my limited full-sun areas, I never bothered.

I'm not sure if I would have gone with 'Autumn Fire' if I had compared the bloom times before purchasing, though. They're very pretty, but while looking in Bluestone's catalog, I noticed some others have longer bloom times.

Over watering is definitely not an issue. I rarely over water anything since we usually have water restrictions in Summer (not indoors, except one very dry year, just for landscaping). I'm amazed that it hasn't started yet. Normally it starts in mid-May, but we've had a lot of rain this year. I'm expecting to see it any day, though. We have a rain barrel, but if the rains stop coming, that won't last long.

Cindy, amazing that you remember all those Rose names! Does the root stock on Pink ones have a tendency to be hardier, or do better in slight shade, or is it just what was available when you bought them?
I've also had some plants (and bulbs) that were supposed to be "highly" scented and weren't. You had to stick you nose right up to them to even smell anything.

Pretty Hollyhock, Juhur!! I agree about the last few seasons being odd, at least temperature-wise. But this season has been the strangest...incredible rains, some late migrating Spring birds, many plants that disappeared (or drowned) while others are having a bonanza season. Congrats on the Lupines, by-the-way.

huggergirl, those new Hellebores definitely are expensive, but it sounds like yours is really happy. I'm going to have to give them a try. I see you also still have Aquilegia 'Canadensis' (Native Columbine) blooming. Mine are still blooming as well and I even have some new buds. This is the longest they've bloomed since I planted them. They're normally gone by now.

Yay...it's pouring out!! Plants getting watered and rain barrel filling up = Win, Win! Delphinium flower stalks nearly laying on the ground = not so good. Note to myself: Stake up Delphinium when it dries out.

nuts - just finished with rain here. Not too bad. Went out to shake off a few flower clusters so that they're upright again. I only know the rose names because I keep a spreadsheet, adding new acquisitions but always forgetting to edit it for those that I killed. I bought all of my roses (except one or two) from the Rosarie, mail order, years ago. The premise was that if the tops died off in the winter that whatever resprouted would be the same plant. That's worked for me. Just a coincidence that their listing (at the time) for shade-tolerant roses was predominantly pink ones.
I need to check my rain barrels. I had to break down and add some bleach to them a few weeks ago due to algae and the awful oak tree flowers in the gutters making some real stinky water.

No rain so far here , real humid .. something to go with all the stinky water ,,
Flower lovers here also
You've all just been slimed ...pic below... lol ) yeah well , it is Friday !!


huggergirl , some plants do get there ,that's not bad for a good one that lives though .. lol

This message was edited Jun 21, 2013 10:51 PM

nuts,Thanks for the ID....I also have Deep Purple ones almost done blooming now..I have no Id on the Purple either. I winter sowed a bunch of Columbine this year Blue Star,Barlow mix I had 2-3 small Barlows bloom this year McKanas giants,William Guinness,Harlequin mix,dragon Fly mix,...I got them all planted in HUNKS...LOL...I also Mixed all of the seed when I sowed them...Hoping for Small blooms maybe next summer

also started some Heirloom Dianthus Clavelina Allwoods Fragrant Village Pink, Im excited to see it bloom its about ready...It was soo cool growing it from seed,I grew quite a few different dianthus from seed this year..I must have pitched those seed packets...I hate it when I do that...Grrr..LOL I buy a lot of those 10 for $1, 4 for $1 seed packets ..then I direct sow a lot and cross my fingers.....Fly By The Seat Of My Pants...I love it...

Im posting photos of my Delphinium Grandiflorum Blue Mirror,It looks huge and beautiful,but the flower buds are kinda look like they got Frosted ...I know that didn't happen ...It must be from all that rain we had...
Photos 1-3 delphinium ,Yess Im lazy about staking up my plants...easy and fast
4-5 Spiderwort ,I have Lavender and white and purple....They look slightly different from each other the lav looks shorter (gets more shade) Puple much taller ..more sun

Tradescantia X Andersoiana someone asked what to do after they bloom...Cut them down almost to the ground,and a new crop of leaves and blooms will soon follow...They are soo cool

Pouring again this morning. I managed to quickly stake up my Delphinium yesterday afternoon. I'll do a better job when it dries out some, but I had to get it off the ground before it got destroyed.

Cindy, I always start charts and spreadsheets with great intentions, but I never manage to keep them up. I do try to print out info and pics on all the plants I buy (rarely on annuals) so I remember what I have in the future and what it should look like. It also helps to remind me of care techniques that I might forget about. Usually I print the pages from Bluestone's website, PlantFiles or other websites...where ever I can find the info I want.

"One-of-these-days" I'll scan them into my computer to cut down on the clutter.

juhur, it's been really hot and humid here, as well. The rain has helped the plants a lot, but according to the forcast, the heat and humidity is going to continue.

Edited to say: huggergirl...we cross-posted.
Your Welcome on the ID. I love the Native Columbine because the blooms have such a "woodland" look to them.
Your flowers look beautiful! That's so cool the way you plant your seeds. Then you get a real Spring Surprise...Love it! By next year they'll probably cross-pollinate and you'll have a whole new surprise.


This message was edited Jun 22, 2013 7:10 AM

Nuts...... I take the tags they come with and tape them into a spiral notebook. Many have pictures on them now. If I have more than one, I'll tape in the front and back, then leave any left over with the plants outside. Helps me with what I have and often where I got them as many have the nursery's name on them now.

Aww Thanks Nuts...Im leaving shortly to go on a Garden Walk...Taking the Camera...Hope the rain holds off for a bit...But we do need rain...I will take an umbrella...I`ll be back later to post photos. Have a Great day all

Stu, GREAT TIP...Im going to do that with all my tags....instead of the Ziploc baggie I now use...LOL

This message was edited Jun 22, 2013 7:24 AM

That's a Super idea, Stu...Thanks!!

Unfortunately many of my old tags have gotten destroyed (tried to stick them into the ground as "temporary" plant stakes).
I finally sprung for some really good, heavy-duty plant stakes from "Lee Valley". My husband and I usually place at least one or two fairly large orders from them every year. He gets mostly woodworking tools and accessories and I get mostly garden or kitchen tools plus we get other assorted items. They have lots of great quality products and their customer service is wonderful.

The plant stakes I bought are not cheap so I bought one pack of 25 to try them out. I'll have to pick-and-choose where I put them, but they'll be permanent stakes that I won't have to worry about breaking or losing.

Ooh...huggergirl, enjoy your garden walk! We expect pictures!

hugger - thanks for the tip on the Tradescantia. 'Sweet Kate' is done blooming and the foliage is starting to look a little sad. I have to move it as well since the Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls' that I planted next to it is now overtaking the space. I like your lavender Tradescantia. I have one ' Osprey' that I like a lot - white with a lavender center.
Too muggy and wet to do much of anything today except deadhead roses and be on the lookout for more JBs.

And the book is portable so I don't double purchase. If it dies or doesn't come back up, I mark that in the book at the tag so I don't buy again ( unless it was my own fault ). I've had those V-8 head slapping moments when I get home and realized 'been there, tried that... oh well'.

Hugger.... Several garden walks here this and next weekend, but too much to do at home. Will have to wait till next season when the perennial borders around the house are better established and I set my sites on conceiving new beds.

I didn't get to go on the walk....We crossed wires...Im not Happy....and she wouldn't answer her dang Phone...... So I Cleaned the garage...OH BOY OH JOY.....

This year I started making a 2nd marker,I keep the original and make a mini blind marker and I use a Grease Pencil to write on them GP`s don't fade in the sun

We got no Rain so I will be watering today...

Sorry about the garden walk, hugger. Bet you were looking forward to it, too.
I gave up on garden markers a long time ago as they'd get lost among the fall/spring cleanup chores with lots of oak leaves.
We did get a light, short rain yesterday morning but that was it for the day.
It's hydrangea time here. Have 5 different ones getting ready to sport their colors - mainly blues and whites. 'Tardiva' is lagging behind but at least it's got flowers forming. I think this is the 3rd time it's bloomed in 15 years. Obviously, I had it spotted wrong for the first several years and then it just took some time to get settled in. Have to pull out an ailing old Penstemon - stems are dying even though in bloom.

hugger, sorry the walk didn't work out.
I've used mini blinds with grease pencils and they work pretty well, but they haven't always been available. We might be replacing some which would give me a good supply, though. I've tried some of the stores where they cut them, but that's also a "hit-or-miss". I bought the Lee Valley stakes cause I just wanted to give some really good ones a try.

I'd really like to take pictures of the beds, then either print out the pics and write the names of plants or leave them in the computer and do the same thing. The only problem is it would require really staying on top of the picture taking each time I plant something new or move plants and I'm not that energetic.

We had heavy rain again on Saturday morning, none on Sunday, but the next few days could have thunderstorms.

Cindy, congrats on all the hydrangeas! I think I'm jealous!

Here's some pics of assorted plants I've taken over the last few days:

1) Delphinium - forgot the name, will have to look it up, but it's very Blue with slightly Lavender inner petals.

2) Close-up of same Delphinium

3) Veronica 'Giles Van Hees' just barely beginning to bloom, but I lost some of them this year. Very pretty plant...only about 6" tall.

4) Heucherella 'Stoplight'

5) Heuchera 'Georgia Peach' (right) and Heuchera 'Smoky Rose' with other assorted plants.

Just a couple more right now.

Both pics are Spiraea 'Neon Flash'. It's just beginning to bloom.


This message was edited Jun 24, 2013 11:24 AM

Beautiful pics! I've always wanted to grow delphiniums but I have the impression that they might need to be staked. The spot (sun from 1pm on) gets west or southwest wind that funnels between the houses. So, no morning sun and exposed to wind. How do you have yours sited, nuts?

Thanks, Cindy!!
I only have one Delphinium. It should have another tall flower stalk, but it got chomped off when I got lazy about my Liquid Fence as new buds started growing. When I bought it three years ago I didn't know anything about them other than what was on the tag in the pot.

I got a whole bunch of quart-size perennials from Menard's (a home improvement chain). One of their stores near me had just gotten in a huge shipment of gorgeous, healthy perennials and they had an unbelievable selection. They put them on sale for $2.00 each...yes you read that right!!

Most, though not all, of them were for full sun and many were natives. I wish now I had bought a lot more, but I really didn't even have room for what I bought.

My husband helped me to dig out and amend an island bed (actually, he did most of the work). I put the Delphinium and a some of the other plants I purchased from Menard's and later added some from Bluestone.

It gets some sun, though it's mostly filtered. It kind of alternates all day between sun, shade and filtered because it's surrounded by trees in our yard and our neighbors. I have to lightly stake the tallest Delphinium flower stalks (one bamboo stake), but this isn't one of the super-tall Delphiniums.

We may eventually turn this into a raised bed as it gets really soggy in early Spring. I've lost some plants because of it and some have gotten smaller. The funny thing is several of the plants have thrived because of, or in spite of, the sogginess. The Delphinium is one of them. After a super-soggy early Spring, (try to say that 10 times fast!) it looks better than it ever has! The same goes for several of the other plants I bought at that $2.00 sale.

I like those ,the old $ or $$ dollar sales , neat,, just like years ago , That pink larkspur is as close as I can or have gotten to plants like that ,
I guess I should be happy with the late lupines lol , for now
Grandma still is thrilled by the liatris , enjoys the winter interest from the left over spikes or the ice balls that form on coneflower stalks when they are left ..
Oh well , back to trial and error that I am really to old for !!!

I've gotten a bunch of stuff at Menards on the grand openning of theri new superstore last month and a when I walked in on a $2 qt sale a few weeks ago. Then I walked in on a $2 qt sale at my new favorite nursery in Grant Park two weeks ago. Boy, got some really nice starter perennials there that I held off mail-ordering due to the costs. It will take longer for them to fill in, but they will eventually. I kinda like the plants like this to mellow in the beds rather than have larger greenhouse grown specimens that get more shocky having been raised longer in greenhouse conditions.

Nuts. Sound like you found some of the perennials that like to be more on the moist side than dry. I'm careful with that as I really don't want to suppliment the plants once established during drier times. but if I have a place that stays wet, to be sure that I'd be planting the mositure-lovers there. That also should help keeping the area drier in general.

Boy the storms last night...We lost a Very Nice Maple tree...my shade tree for my HOSTAS....OY VAY

$2 sale and I missed it...dang..I Love Menards...LOL

Nuts I have not marked but a few plants as of Now...LOL Im still hoping...

My Delphinium blooms look like they were frosted ... ??? couldn't be possible...too much water too cool of nights ???

Sorry about the maple tree. Looked like it was situated perfectly, too. Any way to salvage what's left? Luckily survived the storm last night pretty much intact although Hydrangea 'Annabelle' sure looks beat up from the wind. Didn't lose any of the oak trees so counting myself lucky. It's already pretty steamy outside and no breeze yet so I think I'm indoors today (except for maybe picking up sticks from the storm).
I have a Menard's right down the street from me. I did get a beautiful Pulmonaria (can't remember name) a couple of years ago really cheap but haven't availed myself of the $2 plants due to lack of space. I did check out the new Menards in Schererville just this past weekend - the largest one in the world - really! Two floors with an elevator and a special escalator for shopping carts! Seemed though that they primarily had annuals (in dire need of watering) and not too many perennials - maybe since they just opened. They might have a little more variety later in the season.
juhur - you're never too old to learn something new in the garden. Speaking of Liatris, mine finally are looking like photos after years in the ground. I think I have 'Kobold' from BS. Might even get some decent blooms from them.
Stu - I think I have to agree with you on purchasing the smaller plants. I've been disappointed with a few purchases over the past couple of years of the larger perennials, used to growing in pots for a while and then getting shocky when planted in the ground. I wonder if the plants don't get over-watered and overfed to keep them looking good while they're at the store, only to be ill-suited for life in the real garden.

So sorry about your Maple tree, huggergirl. Mother Nature can be ruthless sometimes. Thank goodness it didn't hit your house!

We got a small portion of that storm, but I guess most of it passed us by. The wind gusts got unbelievably strong, but it didn't last long.

That's strange about your Delphiniums. I wish I could help, but I know so little about them. I've read they're heavy feeeders, but I haven't even fed mine other than sprinkling a little compost on it now and then.

juhur, it's all about the enjoyment you get at any age. And you grow some beautiful flowers so I guess you must enjoy it!

Stu, I haven't stayed on top of Menard's perennial sales this year, but the times I've checked their perennials they didn't have as many as past years and they didn't look as good. We have Menard's all around us so I tend to go to at least three of them fairly regularly, but I go to the closest ones the most.

The fairly regular rain we've had this year has kept most of my plants happy, but we still have July and August so we'll see what that brings.

Cindy, OMG two stories and an escalator?? Unbelievable! That special escalator for carts sounds like the one at IKEA. You put your cart on and it grabs hold and "down it goes".

I also have Liatris 'Kobold' (Blazing Star, Gayfeather) that I got at that same Menard's sale. For anyone that doesn't know, it's a "Native". It's in the same bed as the Delphinium and has done well from "day one". What I noticed when I bought them, was all of those plants had healthy root structures so they took off immediately after planting. Mine is getting close to blooming.

hugger ~ I just discovered this cool thread on Delphiniums. It appears to have been going for a while as this is Part 2. Why don't you consider posting your pics there and asking about the problem with yours. Maybe you'll find some answers.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1249610/#new

The Schereville Menards is the one we use. Stopped in yesterday and, yes, mostly annuals now. guess between the sales from the store opening and the start of season, they had more. No a great selection, but for the openning sale and the $2 sale, they must have brought in a better assortment. The plant part of the garden is probably a second thought for them. They are more interested in the building materials of the hardscapes. Their stock has become stragley and dry.

Haven't looked at the landscaping effects of the storm from yesterday, but on the way to work in Hammond and Munster, a LOT of downed trees.

My favorite box store for perennials and some bushes is Lowes. Their buyers, I found, tend to think a little outside the box and are receptive of requests. They have perennnials season long and the assortment changes as the season advances, and they have the year guarantee. They will bring in the occassional rarely offered things to see how they do and to satisfy the more advanced gardener wanting something different. Have gotten some beautiful things there. Prices not too bad and they have the guarantee.

I have grown less encouraged by Home Depot over the years. They tend to stay with the usual oh hums and their variety and quality doesn't seem any longer to compare to Lowes, the latter having growth in their offerings. It may be reflective of their failing economic picture Still, I look at their selection periodically.

Still, I lean towards the nurseries that I've been discovering for their diversity outside of the box stores. Just mainly staying with the ones with a good selection of perennials and bushes as annuals don't usually do anything for me.

Hugger. Did you get the hail storm a couple of weeks back? Could be from that.

Storms haven't been bad here , earlier in the year a few trees came down , not on me though ,,

Here ya'all go ,, have a laugh here . my first Agastache . About as exiting as passing gas ,, my opinion .. so far anyway

BUT ,,, I am as happy as a plum about these ! lol good with the bad ....

You also might notice if you view the pic's in reverse ,, they seem to be disappearing .....

Very nice Agastache...and it already has blooms!! Did you Winter Sow it? Those Plums are beautiful as well. They look yummy!

Hi nutsaboutnature ' Thank you , That is a fall planted "firebird" from a cutting , That and another half the size were real slow to return after winter , but they did .
I am being told I should be happy they survived winter at all , I find that interesting.
Rain woke me up , so I am typing here now rather late , I made a rock setting for the other , that worked it seems with a big shovel full of dirt to move the smaller one , I will make another set for the one in the pic , only no moving until it is done blooming . Might keep a cutting or two if they get large enough or if I have the space and patience ,
Many of these or a clump might "look"? some.. You know , nice red color . Can't tell about scent though , they are too near the catnip .lol

I`m not sure what we will do with the rest of the tree, it will remain as it is for the rest of the summer. We did get it all cleaned up...Oh Me it was HOT yesterday....

A 2 story Menards...WOW Cool...LOL...I do love Menards and Lowes...I would love to go Looking I do have room to plant ...I have to resist ... We are taking vacation soon , going to be gone 16 days..I hate leaving this time of year...We normally take a September vacation. But My nephew is getting married in Cresent City California, Im the only Family he has that can make it there ..His parents are both deceased...So the DH and I are standing in for Mother and Father of the groom. My sis passed in 2001 and her 1st hubby passed when Troy was only 5...I have only 1 brother and 2 nephews...Left now...But getting excited about a Train Ride out west.

Nuts I`ll go check out the thread ..Thank you very Much, I need a kick every now an then, to get moving in the right direction...LOL...seriously..

Juhur,nope no hail...I did prepare for it tho,moved pots inside . I will go ask .. beautiful plums...yummy...
I love agastache...I have golden Jubilee...pink pops were a no show this year,and someone bought all the agastache seed our stores had here...Oh well

Just some shots of the tree ,and my Lily bed that's blooming nice,and others starting to bloom....Im going to miss the rest of the lily`s blooming : {

Yes indeed yesterday was really Hot !!!
I have some stumps I have been cutting from when our trees went down a long time ago now ,,
Power was off last night ,then was on a little while when I typed that last night , then it went out again the for the rest of the night .
huggergirl That was Stu that asked you about the hail . We got a few pea size for a few seconds , hardly any at all , good thing too !!!

Big storm floating in now here , difficult to garden in T -storms .. lol

Was walking took these bee-balm , bumble bee on a milkweed .. Milkweed has scent ,, wee what perfume ..

Stu- glad to know it wasn't just me having ho-hum thoughts about S'vill Menards selections. And I agree about HD having the same thing every year. I worked for a wholesale nursery one summer, visiting 10 Lowe's stores/week and we did work hard to bring different things in throughout the season. There are several MI nurseries that supply the box stores in this area but I only worked with Lowe's.
Pretty heavy rain again this morning. And a big oak limb fell on my Hydrangeas yesterday from the storm the day before. The Hydrangeas survived with little actual breakage but they're not as upright as they were. Poor 'Annabelle' is flopping every which way. Maybe a dry spell would help the branches straighten out a bit.
Still waiting for my darned 4 o'clocks to develop flower buds to help with the JBs.
I do have my fav daylily starting to bloom - a short, double lemon yellow called 'Double Cutie'.

Great pic's of the flower beds ,,

My weed patch has this now also,(PIC below) Came traveling in on the the wind , as far as I know
Larkspur .could be from seeds five years ago ?
love in a mist Shows up randomly
and this one of last years un id'd blooming now .


Guess I will have to clean around this too ,now ..

I forgot two things , that is a California poppy


Cindy , thank you for the compliment about the Larkspur I missed reading that sometime a while back .. ooops ..
Only as it happened as an "at random" I did not earn the compliment .
Thanks again ,, and a really great thing is .... I get brand new seeds to try a few more !!! grrrrreat !!!

If I remember correctly, you have to keep larkspur seeds a little on the cool side when germinating. I also stratify mine (if that's any help). Love that poppy!
Ugh! Mosquitoes. Thought I'd get out and tidy up the garden this morning before it got hot - spent flowers, storm-bent stems, etc - but the mosquitoes drove me indoors. Hoping the wind will pick up to kinda blow them away. All of the wet foliage is sure making those suckers happy. I'm trying to find more information on spraying a liquid form of Bti on grass and foliage as an experiment to keep the population down.
Other than annuals and some late-blooming Astilbes, the floral display here kinda winds down heading into July. Still have some daylilies to bloom and the occasional rose but not that full-on spring explosion. I'll be focusing more on any seed collection and my few veggies.

Big surprise! I have two Amaryllis blooming. I try to force them every year for the holidays but some of the smaller bulbs just didn't want to cooperate at that time. I put the pots outdoors in the summer for the foliage to grow and store some energy/food.

juhur, so much rain! It's been pouring almost every day here, as well. My Delphiniums were back on the ground yesterday morning after an unbelievable downpour in the middle of the night.

Pretty Milkweed! My Bee Balm is getting close...any day now (although some kind of insect has nibbled on several of the buds). Lovely Poppy, too!

hugger, very pretty blooms! I especially like the color combinations in pic #3.

Enjoy your vacation & the Wedding!!
The Northern California coast should be very pleasant and much cooler than the temps we've been getting. I lived inland (Redding) many years ago (after growing up in Southern CA). I haven't been there for a very long time...Redding has increased in size dramatically since I lived there...but I always loved driving to the coast of Northern CA and Oregon.

Cindy...Oh my gosh!! Thank goodness your Hydrangeas survived! But better to have a little flopping than "broken".

juhur - we had golfball sized hail and it was failry prolonged. Really did a number on many of my newly planted annuals and burned 3/4 of the leaves on a newly planted dwarf spirea which is, fortunately, now coming back. I've been in hale, but not this big of a size with the strogn winds. Sounded like tons of baseballs hitting the side of the house and thought they'd break through the skylights. We lost power for 12 hrs as it blew up a transformer or substation nearby (we heard the blasts).

I had a big long typed thread here and it timed me out , so I am trying again .
Ours went out again for a few hours you could hear three relay boxes burn up or out , boom . boom . wait a while and boom ..
Hail here back in 2008 or 9 broke every other windshield and you had never thought all the dent cars and trucks would of been possible ..
Besides that ice hurts if it hits you , it really stings ..
Last time in the1990's three big shade trees came down here a few months later the fourth and last came down , those 80 year old maples and poplars make a mess when they fall ..
Wel Stu you look after yourself and everybody there , good luck with the plants , they will put their selves back together given time ,, That would be good trick for us if we could ...
Well the Agasache is planted anyway as I changed my mind , and the other from the same root has mutated it looks like a catnip , but still is an Agastache

The thinner leaves is the red blooming the thick leaved the mutant .. oh yea hybrids ,,