What are your THREE most favorite Perennials?

You know, Sequoiadendron, for the most part I don't like them either. I thought they were drab, especially (forgive me for saying so) the native and near native ones, like Dale's Strain, which I grew for a friend, who was grateful and thrilled, but I still didn't get it. Several were placed in my garden and they all died, which hardly endeared them to me. Then I saw a cultivar named Cherries Jubilee with flowers that color. I kept buying them, and they kept dying, and over the years the price went way up.

Then I saw, in a JL Hudson catalog, the seeds for these. I thought it was too good to be true, but they were really easy to grow, and if they heave in the winter, they survive. I just slap some compost around them. And as they get bigger, I pretty ruthlessly cut them in thirds and spread them around, and within a few months the sections bloom. No pests, animals leave them alone, they bloom again if you deadhead the spent flowers, give some vavoom to the shade, and best of all, don't cost $13.99 each (the price I balked at).

It's my only heuchera. But since it's the only one that really floats my boat with its pretty leaves and knockout flowers, it works for me.

Yeah they're very nice! I guess they're easy to grow from seed?

I have a bunch of Tiarella cordifolia 'Susquehanna' and the leaves look so similar.

I keep nauseatingly complete notes. They are really easy. They germinate on the surface of soil, and bloom the first year. I love plants like this. Here is an abbreviated version of my notes.

In one of those Gardeners Supply APS (accelerated propagation systems ) trays, the ones with 12 cells, I did this:

January 19, 2009
16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) 4 seeds in 4 cells, surface

January 30, 2009
2 of 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) 4 to 4 cells, surface, (11 days to germination)

January 31, 2009
5 of 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) 4 to 4 cells, surface, (12 days to germination)

March 14, 2009
Potted up four Heuchera Firefly into four of a six cell seedling pack (started January 19)

April 19, 2009
Seedlings pretty much good to go:
4 of original 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson); 25% of January 19 start, so about 3 months.

Below are the plants in May of 2009, 2 in a shady spot, and June of 2009, 2 in a sunny spot.

The last three pictures show one of those original guys divided to provide two additional plants this spring. By July of this year, they were looking very good.



May 19, 2009
Installed final three Heuchera Firefly that I grew; two in north bed; one in north bed along with that I installed earlier. The north bed one sitting alone is blooming, and one of the newly installed ones is blooming.

So plants started from seed in January bloomed in May. So now I know that if I want them flowering before summer, I know when to start them.

Wow, you certainly did take detailed notes!! Good notes to follow for these guys :)

This way I don't have to figure out what works or how long it takes.

Ok, really, I'm a little kooky when it comes to stuff like this.

What a good project to be "kooky" about! :) Off topic: but do you put these notes in a computer program or in a physical notebook?

They are on my computer, which makes searching easy. The first one I started in 2000, and it runs through 2007. The second one starts at 2008 and goes through the present day. On a given day, I will write what I do, perhaps over the previous day or two. It doesn't take much time, but wow, the data builds up! can spot what I try and what works, so when I am growing plants from seed it becomes foolproof in terms of when to start. What I learned over the years is to start later. There are exceptions. I started a mass of balloon flowers in January one year, and they were mature enough to be planted out in July, and bloomed in October.

I can go back to a given month and know what to do. I used to record temperatures. That can be really helpful in a freaky year. 2000 was a freaky year. On February 22nd it was 37 degrees. The next day it was 50. On the 25th it was 40 in the morning and 60 in the afternoon. The next day it poured rain. It never really got cold again, except for a couple of days in March. It meant the data cold not be used the next year because everything was ridiculously early. But I pulled it out a couple of years ago when we had a very mild winter and an early spring, because I could know what to expect.

But the most useful data I have is an Excel spread sheet that displays about 90% of the plants I bought and from who, and when. VERY useful for plants that fail. I have had 7 to 8 year old peonies replaced by two companies because I could pin point when I bought them. And I know which companies I will favor in the future. And, sadly, the ones that have gone out of business.

This message was edited Sep 15, 2014 6:14 AM

Wish I were this dedicated and disciplined. Good for you.

Wow, that's great Donna! I've been thinking that next season I'm going to start taking notes. Up til now it's all been in my head and sometimes that can leak information....

Leak information! LOL!

Yeah, I have the memory of an old man but I'm only 31....it's pretty sad.

This is hard to decide. I love creeping phlox (some folks call it "thrift"). We have a lot of it which blooms at least 6 weeks.
Spider lilies, part of the group called "naked ladies."
Goose-necked loosestrife.
For damp/shady areas I likecardinal flower, hardy begonia and impatiens.
We have a vine here that grows wild called Sweet Autumn Clematis. They are covered with tiny white blooms and if they grow on a shrub, it looks like it's snowed on the shrub.
I love roses but have too much shade here so my daughter has them all now.

Wood, truely stunning in mass!!!!!! Wow, just love it........

Yes, how gorgeous!

My #1 favorite. I rest my case. :)

My three would be PERSICARIA, CLEMATIS, PHLOX and THALICTRUM ;).

Loooove your math :-)

Also your choices!

This message was edited Sep 21, 2014 11:40 AM

The creeping phlox are magnificent! I love mine when it blooms but have nowhere near the spread you do! Lovely!!

This message was edited Sep 22, 2014 8:40 PM

So many wonderful choices!

Creeping phosphorus Val?? Looks like auto correct got the best of you ;-P

Creeping phlox is nice for expanses but I found myself cutting some of it out of our garden over the weekend to make room for other things. Yours are beautiful Woodspirit!!

Creepong phlox is good. You can cut it back when it's crowded, plant something else in the spot, and then when those die, the phlox will fill back in.

This message was edited Sep 23, 2014 8:45 AM

Oops sequoia.....fixed my last post....hate auto correct sometimes!!

Lol...yeah that happens to me too so I have to go back and read it to make sure it makes sense! A lot of times when I'm typing on my laptop though, I wish it would autocorrect. I guess we don't have the best of both worlds yet :)

Still oohing and ahhing over those creeping phlox. ♥♥♥

THIS IS SOOOO HARD. So many beautiful plants. I'm going to have cheat and name 3 for sun and 3 for shade
Sun - Sedums (special favorites are Class Act, Red Cauli, Autumn Charm); shrub roses - mine bloom for me June-July, Sept until frost, Nepeta.
Shade - Hakonacloa grass (all cultivars), heuchera (special favorites are caramel, snow fire, autumn bride, fandango), dicentra Gold Heart.

Peony Bartzilla,
coreopsis
sunflower
chrysanthum
Phlox

just three was tough! But here are my choices.....

First, amsonia hubrechtii. I have for years thought it was the finest perennial there is. I have not changed my mind. Different and beautiful in each of three seasons, extremely long lived (mine are now 16 years old), other than cutting the dead foliage back in the spring they are literally care free. I haven't even given them supplemental water since they've been established. Not once. As deer proof as they come and no disease problems. Yep, well deserving of #1 for me.

Second would be heuchera, Beautiful, interesting leaves, lovely shape and a convenient size that allows them to be tucked in lots of places, especially since they thrive in all types of growing conditions They don't need flowers to be spectacular.

Number 3 was close. There were several candidates that were right in there but I finally decided on Dianthus 'Firewitch'. When I first read about this plant I didn't think I would care for it. Blue foliage with hot pink flowers sounded gaudy to me. Then I saw one in full bloom. I was in love . With the long bloom time and the rebloom with deadheading, I understand why it was named Perennial Plant of the Year

I have tried several times to download some pictures but have not been successful. Oh well

Sounds like three winners. I'm not sure I would pick Heuchera.....

Oh, amsonia! Nice! It always reminds me of the three perennials that seem most like shrubs - amsonia, dictamnus (gas plant) and baptisia. All three take some time to develop, but all three are worth it. I was trying to decide between the three (heaven knows why because I ended up with 8 baps when I could have done them all) but it does call to mind that if I could add a fourth favorite it would be baptisia australis. The third picture is a young one at another location at my former house.

One of my favorite uses for them was hiding lily stems at my former house. The fourth pic shows before (Silk Road is gorgeous but the stems, at least to me, are NOT PRETTY!)

The fifth pic shows after, with the lily in bloom. I had such fun with this. I am establishing the same combo at my new home.

I have to add Grasses to the mix. I've just removed a 3rd year LEAPING Helianthis Laetiflorus, and it's being replaced with Miscanthus Morning Light. The two big clumps there now were planted at least 20 years ago. ML will go in the back right hand corner. Over the last couple of years I re-shaped the bed with daylilies and a few other smaller plants in the front, with the idea of reducing maintenance by naturalizing the area. I added Pennisetums Karley Rose and Hameln, which are beginning to fill in, and I've ordered more.

The rambunctious sunflower will replace a stand of rampant weeds in the far back between the rocks, where it can go as far as it wants on 3 sides. The mower on the 4th will keep it from taking over the world. It will certainly look better than what was there before, and when it blooms we'll see it from our favorite window.

Donna, can you ID the two existing large grasses? Is the tallest one a Miscanthus? Also, I ordered 3 ML's. Do you think that's enough? Too many? I don't know how to judge how long it will take to get a significant showing, since I've never used them before. Pics 4 &5 show where the sunflower is planted now, and the space for the new grasses.

Pam, the tallest one is definitely a miscanthus. The shorter one with the white blooms might be 'Adagio'. The height is right. When it bloomed was it the color of picture 1?

And is it now the color on the right (looks like it)?

I LOVE 'Morning Light', but you have to be careful because the blades are really sharp. Also, it takes a while to mature. If you put in a bunch of miscanthus it will be the last to mature - it can take 3-4 years. It also is just about the last to bloom - in October. It didn't get blooms at full height for a couple of years. But, I've got to tell you, it's worth the wait. I had five. It's ridiculously magnificent. Here it is in October a few years back at my former house. And it's a gorgeous backdrop even out of bloom, as it is in the fourth picture in July, although I had to stake my lilies to keep it from cutting them. And once it finally gets around to starting blooming (for me it was five years from planting, if I recall correctly) it then blooms reliably - and stunningly - every year.

I had to have it again. I planted three. I don't have room for as many grasses, so I carefully chose what I would grow. I think three works well, but five made the most gorgeous "wall". The variegation makes it just gleam. It's your choice. If I had room for five I personally would buy five again. Some grasses are nice. This one takes your breath away.

Gracillimus and Graziela are interchangeable. I found great 'Graziella' samples, so I bought 3 and put them in a circle to grow together. I bought three 'Huron Sunrise', because the only mistake I made with that grass at my last house was buying only one. It is starting to bloom now. It is described, I think accurately, as the most floriferous grass, with stunning burgundy blooms, rather like 'Morning Light' but blooming a month earlier and blooming as a very young plant. I strongly recommend it. It's neat having grasses that bloom at different times.

I also got a giganteus to use as a block. And a single strictus. I got adagio and discovered that it doesn't survive in walnut exposed soil.The one grass I would get again in a heartbeat is 'Bluttenwunder', but I can't find it. Take a pass on Silberfeil (has a slight tendency to die out and I replaced several that were installed for me with other grasses), take a pass on Silberfeder (a landscaper's delight that inevitably flops) and take a pass on Zebrinus, which looks like the fantastic upright strictus but flops incredibly.

Does this help? I have tons of data on these guys and I am really happy to pass it on.

Donna

DonnaMack, your baptisia are magnificent. That was a strong contender for a spot. I love them for sure. I have Australis, Solar Flare and Twilight Prairie Blues. I also have a miniature one that is just new so I can't really tell you about that one.

I also adore my ornamental grasses and I love your pictures, pfg. I think I will try to find 'Huron Sunrise'. I must have a place for that somewhere.

This is a great thread. I love all the ideas.

Thanks,, Donna, I knew you'd be the one to ask. In fact, it's a great deal because of you that I chose Morning light for that corner. I've been looking at your grass pictures for quite a while now, from both houses. This spot faces east, south and west. I just may have to get up early enough to watch ML come to life with the sunrise

It seems to me that you must be right about the smaller grass being Adagio. This pic is from 9/2 this year.

Meanwhile, my order came. Very nice plants, both from Lazy S, which I knew to expect, and Santa Rosa, first time using them. If I'd realized how slowly ML grows I might have tried to find bigger plants locally, but this way I can easily deal with H laetiflorus if it isn't completely gone from the bed. One thing I will definitely do is put thick layers of newspaper under the mulch when I plant!

Now if I can just find a place for Huron Sunrise...

Edited to correct auto- correct

This message was edited Sep 24, 2014 2:09 PM

We cross posted, Robin-- great minds think alike, lol!

Whoa, rteets, Solar Flare and Twilight. Those are gorgeous. I've seen them.

I purchased my Huron Sunrise from Romence. First year plants that arrived this spring, and they are in the midst of blooming. Romence is a top 30 in Garden Watchdog. They consistently provide some of the largest mail order plants I have seen, for reasonable prices.

And here is a "blurb" on the plant. Every word is true. If I could have ONLY ONE miscanthus, as much as I love many of them, this would be my choice!

http://www.perennials.com/plants/miscanthus-sinensis-huron-sunrise.html

This is a fun thread! I'm really enjoying it. So many great ideas from fabulous people.

And we crossposted, Pam!

Pam, we crossposted twice!

Definitely look at Romence. I bought GALLON containers for $11.95 each. Gallons! Who ships gallon grasses at that price? I have ordered grasses from several companies and Romence's grasses are really spectacular. Probably because they are a garden center. I got three Morning Light from them too. And several perennials. I don't know how they do it, but their plants are great.

And Pam, I am really honored that you seek me out to ask these things. You are a marvelous gardener and it's really gratifying to give information to someone so gracious. And fun too!

This message was edited Sep 24, 2014 12:27 PM

Pam: Be sure to get your ornamental grasses in the ground as fast as possible, especially the small ones. I have had great success in planting most perennials late in the season, but not so with ornamental grasses...

That from you is a huge compliment! I've always admired your taste and expertise as well as your gardens. I always learn from your posts- you've got a great brain to pick! Thanks!!!

I looked at Romemce. Yikes! I thought I was done for the season, but I see already that I was wrong! I'll have a good browse on their site over the next few days and see how much more trouble I can get myself into, lol.