Garden Talk?
Some general clematis questions
Fine. Thanks for the help. Now I just have to remember it!
Pirl....your yardens are so pretty. Please continue to share your pics.
Thank you for the nice words. Honestly that photo was taken from my neighbor's yard, not mine. I think maybe I'm too close to see the plants. Here they're in my face but I do appreciate the compliments.
Very nice Pirl Girl, I like my nickname for you. LOL
How long has she been working on that? What are the pink flowers in the upper right? See, that is what I would like to do. Put so many flowers in that no weeds can come up.
Does that sound like a plan?
I didn't see any pictures of your party. Bet it went off without a hitch didn't it? I think there is a thread for pictures. Some of the others have put theirs on it. I'll look.
Jeanette
Jeanette,
The Garden Tour is this coming Saturday 7/9 and we're almost ready. Just dressing the scarecrow, putting up a birdhouse and bird, etc. Little stuff. And getting delphiniums (already purchased) in someplace: out of room!
Astilbe in background and different astilbe in foreground, which is my favorite one. Don't you dare ask a panicky woman for a name for it.
We rarely get weeds in the garden. When we find them they're 4' tall.
Mostly in the paths by the old Colorado Spruces: did 200' of weeding there yesterday.
We're both looking forward to a nice cold drink at 5:00 on Saturday!
Pirl girl (I love it - thank you!)
I'll start a new thread under Garden Talk on Sunday morning, complete with photos.
Have one for me Pirl. I would love to go on your tour and then stop and have a tall cold one with you.
Jeanette
Jeanette - you can have the guest room for the night! We'd love to have a cocktail with you after the tour. Scattered thunderstorms are expected in "the afternoon". Please, dear weatherman, delay that forecast!
Rain date is Sunday.
Arlene
I'll hold off that rain for the tour!!
Jeanette
Pirl girl is quite impressed with Jeanette!
In high school, our senior play was Jeanette and her wooden shoes. My oldest sister was in the same play, same school, 9 years before me & same spot on stage!
Thanks for the positive vibes: Super Karma!
That is so cool!! I never heard about Jeanette and her wooden shoes. Wonder if my mom did when she named me. LOL
Are we all ready for the tour??? Are the delphiniums planted? Or did we decide on the pine needles? Or both?
2 more days and counting. Actually one where you are.
Jeanette
You have to HOLD a bit stronger here Jeanette. We got up at 6:00 to just finish and the rains began. They're predicted, with thunderstorms, through tomorrow. Sunday's forecast looks wonderful, almost. At least there won't be rain on Sunday, the rain date.
We're feeling pretty darn good about the rain: we can rest and not look like two old fools rushing around!
I bought a beautiful 3' trellis with stained glass inserts when I bought more plants yesterday. Perfect for the new clematis to get a good start. A friend dropped over and as I went to show it to her and show her the 'Blue Moon' when I noticed it came with one of those ugly metal trellises. God bless our friends: Lynn said, "Use it as an ornament". It will be beautiful - as though I don't have enough "ornaments". A few more and we'll have cars pulling up for a yard sale! :-))
Get used to this thread-- I decided I'm going to resent each of my new clematis as they bloom . . . today the first flower is about to open-- a Markham's Pink. Will get a pic tonight when I get home . . .
>
Wow, what a baffling little typo . . . make that "Present" . . .
Either way, we want photos! Lots of photos! Close ups and ones further away! Come on Howard!
Pirl Girl,
How did you know that hoa_rd in Chicago was Howard? I have been wondering what that was.
When you guys take pictures will you please take pictures of the whole plant besides a close up one. The way that Pirl does. Like her Clemtis. I want to see what to expect if I were to go buy a plant like hers.
Jeanette
Without further ado: My first ever clematis bloom (Markham's Pink):
Close-up (really starting to think it's time to buy a "real" camera-- this is with zoom feature on an Olympus D-90:
"How did you know that hoa_rd in Chicago was Howard? I have been wondering what that was."
Pirl and I go way back :-)
Long story how it evolved to hoa_rd . . . the shroud of mystery is fine with me though.
Howard: Lovely clematis. You'll be totally addicted soon enough. Just remember if you buy them in the cardboard cartons that sit in the sun the photos get bleached out. My lavender is a very purple, The President.
Howard: Let's not tell anyone how I knew your name!
Jeanette: There's a good reason for the closeup: I didn't want anyone to know I hadn't planted it yet! I felt very guilty!
Pirl!! You stinker. LOL
Jeanette
Jeanette: with your wooden shoes you could have helped me get through the 'Blue Moon' hosta and the asilbe 'Pumila' to squeeze it in. Nobody noticed!
Did the same thing with 'Sour Grapes' penstemon. Too many light colored Asiatics so I just set it down (in it's pot) and not a person commented. DH asked, "Where did this come from?" and I wonder if he thinks I stole it! Where could it come from? I bought it!
Arlene*
*Why don't you get a pair of old wooden shoes and fill them with flowers by your front door?
Pirl, that would be really neat wouldn't it? But I would need to know the story. Also, I have old logging boots with succulents planted in them like hens and chicks. Don't have them by the front door though so the wooden shoes, if I could find some, would fit right in.
Will have to watch the garage sales for some. Jeanette
OK, here comes number two.
It's supposed to be a Macroptalma "Jan Lindmark" but I either got the tags mixed up or the wrong plant . . .
PS sorry bout the poor focus . . .
Here's a happy discovery-- included in this shipment was a bubble of 6 Sweet Autumn (don't worry-- they were cheap):
But one of them is clearly not like the others-- any sharp eyes care to make a guess at an ID from the foliage alone?
Sorry, Howard, I can't tell the difference but they REALLY want something to climb on: poor babies! See how they're struggling! Do you intend to keep them in the container or plant them? Sweet Autumn will cover a house and barn in one summer!
You can't tell from the picture but that container is full of large branches cast off by my Sycamore tree.
I'm wondering if that flower might actually be a Jan Lindmark, but the blue is so much paler than the tag . . . the foliage looks about right after looking through plant files.
Back from a week vacation . . .
I finally got a chance to get everything catalogued, so here's a complete list of what I received in that order. Photos from this morning. If you see anything that doesn't appear to be as labeled, give a shout.
2 Bees Jubilee
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/bees724.jpg
Close up of the blooms:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/beesclose724.jpg
1 "Belle of Woking"
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/belle724.jpg
1 Haku Okan
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/haku724.jpg
1 Integrefolia "arabella"
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/integ_arabella724.jpg
1 Jan Lindmark
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/janlindmark724.jpg
1 Jouiana
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/jouinana724.jpg
2 "John Paul II"
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/jpII724.jpg
1 "Louise . . ." Louise something . . .
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/louise724.jpg
1 Nelly Moser:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/nellyfar724.jpg
Closer:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/nelly724.jpg
I picked up that cage/stand at a yard sale for $2 . . . pretty substantial.
1 Tibetana
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/yellowunk724.jpg
2 "Hagley Hybrid"
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/mobley724.jpg
One died, the other is sort of stuck, but the new sprout from the base is encouraging.
2 Markham's Pink:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/markhamfar.jpg
Closeup of the bloom (now spent-- this is from 7/9):
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/markhamclose.jpg
Not pictured-- 6 Sweet Autumn (one turned out to be something else as noted in a previous post)-- here they are when first arrived:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/sweet_autumn.jpg
(warning-- larger file)
I definitely am starting to feel like I got my $80 worth . . .
Here are all the rest when they first arrived:
(large files ~500k)
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/bees_louise_belle.jpg
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/jouinia_integ_arabella.jpg
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/tibetana_nelly_jan.jpg
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/hagley.jpg
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/jpII.jpg
Hmmm . . . I seem to recall knowing that I had 23 plants, but this all adds up to 22-- a mystery . . .
And here are a few others that weren't part of this order, but came from Michigan Bulb about 2 months ago (pics from this morning):
This one was sold as "double pink":
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/dubpink724.jpg
This one was sold as "double blue"
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/dubblue724.jpg
Close up of the blooms (they're rather nice)
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/dubblueclose724.jpg
And a Jackmanii that I'm probably more excited about than all these unusual varieties:
http://www.bikechicago.info/pics/Garden_7_24_05/jackmanii724.jpg
hoa_rd,
You sure have a lot of clematises. While by no means an expert on growing flowers, especially clematises, I will pass on some information that our city "Expert" on the radio told me several years ago about them.
I had a clematis that I had planted for 3 years and it was not blooming. I talked to her at the county fair and this is what she told me to do: Dig the plant up and dig the hole deeper than it had been planted. Then plant it back in the hole and fill the dirt in around the stems of the plant. Mulch it good.
Clematis like their feet cool and sun on their top. That is the only time I remember being told to do that with a plant. And, yes my Nelly Moser is blooming.
Jeanette
Thanks, Jnette!
Eventually they will all get that treatment . . .
I'm not worried about blooms yet since it's barely 5 weeks since I've had 'em, and they had a significant recovery period . . .at the rate I'm going it looks like I'll get 1-2 new bloomers every week for the rest of the summer.
Jnette - thanks for that great tidbit of information.
Many people simply won't follow directions and plant the crown of the plant 1 1/2 to 2" below the soil surface. They really will grow and really will send up shoots. People just won't do it. A neighbor way down at the end of the block swears she can't grow it. She can't plant it correctly so I guess she's right.
OK, OK, I believe you now!
I actually did bury the crowns a bit, but wasn't brave enough to go 1 1/2 inches. When they're sturdier I definitely will. I wasn't sure any would survive when they arrived . . .
Everyone feels that way. You just have to force yourself to do it. Sort of like giving birth!
Hey Pirl Girl, haven't talked to you in a time. I was going to tell Hoa_rd 3 inches but didn't want to give anybody heart failure. But, I wasted 3 years before I found that out. LOL, I "ll settle for 1 1/2 inches. Hoa_rd said "eventually they will get that treatment". That is not just to get them to bloom. You are just suppose to plant them that way.
I got some good advice on a small Niobe that I got a while back. I am going to find the thread for you Hoa_rd and I want you to read it. It made a lot of sense.
Stay tuned . . . . . . . . .
Jeanette