I purchased several Mertensia virginica a couple of years ago. They flourished, reproduced and then, sadly, this year, I only have one plant. What do you think happened? I don't want to repeat the mistake whatever it is.
Please advise.
Mertensia v. Problem
I have never planted mertensia because blessedly I inherited a flourishing colony 20yrs ago which seems to be entirely on auto-pilot. Since we live in similar climates, all I can offer is a description of the situation where they seem to thrive. Mine are in a very shady understory woodland situation. Lots of leaf cover, but they push through in spring without difficulty. I have a big wooded lot and the mertensia always are in just one area, not sure why. But in that one area, I have hundreds of plants so they surely like that spot. I don't know what the magic ingredient is that makes them thrive.
I talked with the Co. Ext. person yesterday. It was suggested moles ate the roots. I do remember finding two dead voles in the lawn very early spring. I don't seem to find any tunnels, however. I have them under three dogwoods. They were happy last spring. I have ordered some more bare roots.
Your bluebells are gorgeous. Is that Celadine Poppy that is yellow. Combo is nice.
Yes, it's celandine poppy - another gift from mother nature. It's a little too rambunctious, so I have to pull up lots of babies. But I like the combo w the bluebells since they bloom synchronously. Native hellebores also join in the mix.
I started mertensia a couple of years ago in a weird microclimate on the south side of my house that is actually in shade about half the time, so I get more sun than Wee. They are thriving, much to my shock. In the second picture you can see some of the seedlings that came up since last year.I had four plants, and now with seedlings I have about ten. I'm in heaven - I always wanted this plant.There were hostas against the house but nothing else so I started adding all kinds of plants I had always wanted. Geranium Bevan's Variety goes nuts, but so do white martagon lilies and gautheria (wintergreen - which likes acidic soil so I add soil conditioner). The geranium does so well I dig up sections of it and move it around my yard. It's one of the few that is evergreen.
The martagon lilies in white came from Old House Garden. They were originally $15 each, but at that price they were hard to sell, so they were discounted. I paid $38 plus shipping for five and got EIGHT!!!!! Why are people so nice to me? I paid for three viburnum plicatum tomentosum 'Pink Beauty' and the lovely man from Plant and Gnome (Chris, the Brit), and he was worried about one of the plants so he sent me a fourth small one - which has now caught up with the others.
And for goodness sake, I have myosotis. I could never grow that!
I used to envy people who could grow mertensia. It is REALLY weird to go out and see a bunch of them developing. I was going to buy some more but I can now see that I don't need to do that.
Do try again. They are such lovely plants, and if they are happy they reproduce very quickly.
Boy, Donna, your mertensias are way better tended than mine. Mine's a jungle.
I've killed myosotis ten times at least. So what did you different to keep it alive?
I've got a new one this year which I haven't put out yet - I'll take your suggestions.
Hey Wee!
I put my myosotis in a part sun/part shade location near two viburnum trilobums. For the first few days I made sure it was watered. One of the reasons it is near the trilobums is that they get watered, so it makes it easy. I could never keep it alive in my old garden. I think I had too much clay, and I read that this puppy likes well drained soil. So they are near a brick walkway (read drainage) but near a water source. And I think that's the secret.
At last. By the way, my original ones came from darling Neal - Gemini Sage. He sent me blue and white ones at my former home, and I felt terrible when they keeled.
I think it's easier for me because my plants are clustered - it means you can care for them without going nuts. My wintergreen likes a different kind of ph than the other plants in the bed. So I give them soil conditioner 2-3 times a year to keep them happy. I have learned that by doing that you can keep plants with very different needs alive even when they are only a foot apart.
I'm also fussy as all get out!
My Metensia v. were doing quite well and multiplying. Then, this spring, one plant. I think it was voles. Disgusting.
I don't have Myositis, but I thought it was an "easy to grow" plant. Is yours annual? Or perennial? I've been seriously thinking about starting it from seed. You can't buy it as a plant.
I go to a Gardening program given every year at a college in a neighboring community and I always purchase plants from one of the vendors as a gesture of support. A vendor had pink and blue myosotis. The blue was 'Victoria'. It's supposed to be perennial or biennial. Some sites call it invasive. I plan to avoid deadheading it to see if it returns.
It appears to be quite long blooming. It was in full bloom when I got it weeks ago and it is still perfect. I paid $3.00 each so I got a nice deal.
Neal (Gemini Sage) gave me some years ago, but it was in a full sun location in clay. He said to me later that he has trouble holding on to it too. I will be forever grateful to him because in exchange for some lilies he sent me blue and white myosotis and, more importantly, Geranium 'Biokovo', amongst other geraniums, and 'Biokovo' has become an important part of my garden. It hangs out with old garden roses.
Yes, I have G. 'Biokovo' also. It's a fun plant. So cute.
I have done quite a bit of research on "filler" blue flowering plants. There's several to choose from.