Teresa - it was the Houttuynia that the gal wanted. I know I've seen pots of the Aegopodium for sale but can't say I've ever seen anyone actually purchase it and don't blame them.
Arlene
If you plant this, you'll regret it
Turtle- I have Aegopodium in my yard that will not spread. I am irritated. It's been there for 3 or 4 years, mixed in with some Irises.
Ivy, check out my thread on the offering of Becky Lynn daylilies that had Aegopodium all through them. If you want to trade I can throw in some of it for free! I hope this photo shows how it looked before I attacked the area.
Becky and Aegopodium combine for the mess to the right of the hose.
vinca major variegata and liriope muscari are trouble in my yard. Both came with the house. The variegated vinca is lovely, and I was attracted to it when I 1st saw it; likewise, visitors to my garden always ask about it and want cuttings. But it is spreading faster than I can cut it back. It pops up 5-6 ft away somewhere, even in cracks in concrete. It's long runners tangle around and choke the weed-eater so I have to cut and pull by hand.
The liriope was originally planted as a border along the beds, walkways, etc. Now it is taking over the beds and spreading out into the lawn.
I like that idea of painting with herbicide. I think I'll try that on the liriope this winter.
Sorry, Beth, but I don't have a car, and I'm getting too old to lug packages of arum two miles down the highway to the post office. Besides, if I try digging some up for you, it'll release all of the little bulblets on the big ones and I'll have 50 new plants for every bulb I dig up.
Someone in the neighborhood (right next-door to my house, drat the luck) planted one Arum about 30 years ago. It has taken over acres and acres of land. It ends up everywhere -- pathways, flower beds, containers, even hanging containers. It starts coming up in September and gets to be 2 feet tall in the sun and 3 feet tall in the shade, and nothing below that height in our gardens is visible until the Arum dies down in March. Some of my neighbors have sold their houses and moved, solely to get away from the Arum.
Levilyla, I've always had long hair, so when I had to go to church and didn't have a hat, I used to tie my hair under my chin and no one seemed to notice it wasn't a scarf.
I like the hair hat disguise Zuzu. Bet you had it before men started this ridiculous "comb over" unsightly "do". It's such a "don't".
I once worked at a bank and this idiot was made president (I won't even use a capital P for that jerk) and he had a God-awful comb over and sprayed it with hair spray. I'd never have known it but on a very windy day as a bunch of us were headed out, he was coming back in and held the door for us. These strands of hair were blown by the wind and stood in this huge wave above his head! We almost wet our pants!
That's hysterical. It sounds so Monty Pythonesque. On the other hand, it must have been the only one you ever saw that was a surprise. They're always so obvious. Men get away with so much, though. I loved the 1960s because it was the only time men had to watch their weight as much as women always have had to. When those tight, tight pants were in style (remember the early Beatles?), there was noplace to hide even minor flaws, much less beer bellies.
I love, liriope muscari!!!!!!!!! I just tried to bid on some on ebay and lost!!! It must be the difference in the zones maybe................or I will find out!!! Mikey
Scutler...are you talking about the large variegated vinca or the small. If the small I think it it considered quite choice around here. the large is just used pretty much as an annual for hanging baskets etc. (if you are so inclined). It sometimes comes back but mostly not. I have a little variegated small vinca that has never really done anything much. I would much prefer it to the all green which is becoming an invasive.
Zuzu: I meant that the hairspray was a surprise: the combover was so pathetic. I could have made life easier for him by using a Sharpie on his head but couldn't tolerate his attitude following such a great guy as former President.
Jolene was kind to write to me and put my fears about Tovara to rest. Obviously with lots of sunshine and regular watering it might get out of hand, here in New York. Mine is in dry shade, watered once a week and just gets the earliest morning sun.
Now I'm just down to three areas of Aegopodium and 40' of the beautiful but dreadful Houttuynia Cordata Chameleon.
I have sprayed my Houtt. with roundup several times and it just does not seem to do much good., withers a little and doesn't go away. How are you getting rid of it?
Obviously, levilyla, I'm a failure! Otherwise I wouldn't have 40' of the da*n thing! I've been digging it out of paths and ripping it out when it's tightly woven between plants. It's in with all the daylilies and other people love seeing it but THEY don't have to rip it out - the stink is reminiscent of the hysterical 'Blazing Saddles' campsite bean dinner!
Our neighbor down the block has it throughout her entire huge berm and is now at the point where she intends to have her hired man remove the plants, dig out all of the soil and bring it to the dump and replace with new soil. If just one root remains on any of the roots of the plants removed she'll have it back in force in a years time.
She has had success wounding the leaves (cutting with a scissors) and then applying Round Up with a Q tip. Talk about patience and endless work!!! I think that's why she's giving up the fight. It's cost her $40.00 in Round Up and over $400. in labor. Good luck.
I think I'll stick with the round up..LOl I'm the only labor here but would not want to pay $400.00 to someone to get rid of it. we know someone who lives across the lake who has alot of help and she also has it dug up and put in plastic bags.
This neighbor also tried laying the heavy duty black plastic down on top of the area where her man pulled out and dug out the miserable weed. When the lifted it, after a year, it wasn't a week until they all popped up again!
What a thread, covered almost everything. I have grown all the above spreading pests, mostly at my other house where i lived for 50 years, so learned not to plant here. I posted a picture of my little clump,( more than 6 years old) of Arum italicum seed stalks on the Photo forum yesterday. So far I have no problem with bad spreading.
I do have lots of Lamium, several colors, but don;t fight it too much. Does make a good ground cover. Good luck to all. Have to go out to the garden and irrigate, Was 92 degrees here yesterday, but no humiidity. I still can't work outside when over or near 80 degrees.
DonnaS
Arlene,
I got perilla magilla from a member of my rock garden society chapter
last year. She said that it was NOT that nasty invasive perilla we all hear
about. So I took the cuttings and now have some really pretty hanging
baskets with the stuff.
Tam
Mikey,
About that liriope, you can have mine for shipping cost! I have tons of it! Mine is regular, solid green, lavendar flowers, dark berries. I think it IS the zone thing. Everything grows like crazy around here. It's hot and very, very humid - practically subtropical - with the heat index it is 113F today! Also, in winter we only have maybe 3-5 nights that dip to upper 20's. Even then it is usually back up to 70's by the next day, so things don't slow down too much in winter. I won't be digging up any liriope until it cools down, but if will be glad to send it then. Let me know. Sheryl
levilyla, I have the large variegated vinca (major). I actually have a little of the var vinca minor; so far it (small type) is behaving very well. Again, I think it is the Zone issue. It is very, VERY hot and humid here. I have a split leaf philly (house plant) that lives in a pot at the South side of my house year round (outside,it's been there 4 years), so it's pretty much sub-tropical here. The vinca does not die in winter here - just keeps growing and growing and growing. As mentioned, when I 1st saw it, I thought it was beautiful. Likewise, visitors to my garden always ask about it and want to take some with them. The problem is it sends runners underground which pop-up 5' or more away somewhere in the lawn or in another bed. I pull tons of it up each year to keep it from colonizing other areas. And it drives me crazy when I try to trim it back with the weed eater - the long vines spin around the head of the weed eater and choke the thing! I spend more time untangling than trimming! Also, here the stuff grows maybe 12" tall. It also grows through the siding on my house and through the crack between the patio and the house (where it comes up at the back door and starts heading into the house).
I did a search on this post and was surprised not to see it listed yet. Other people in my area warned me that I would live to regret having it. Oh, and about the liriope, again, my gardener (I couldn't keep up in front yard anymore) said that he had removed the liriope from his yard and that he would never again buy a house with that stuff in the yard (in this Zone, of course).
Sheryl
This message was edited Aug 21, 2005 5:07 PM
You must be talking about Liriope spicata (which runs) instead of the clump forming kind. Well I have the LARGE all green vinca and it is hardy here and does the same thing as your variegated. LONG runners and can't seem to get rid of it. I can understand it getting caught up in the weed eater.
I thought it would be fun to see what happens with a sweet potato vine and planted it to hide the cement portion of the basement that shows below the siding, in one garden. It did fine for a while and then grew out on the terrace with a 10' runner the week that we were totally housebound with the high humidity. Last week I went out and saw how it had taken over and ripped out the entire thing and threw it away: much too much! I'm after lower maintenance and this did not fit the bill.
Me also Pirl..I am getting to the point I want always neat looking plants that always look good and are not invasive..LOL I seem to have just the opposite! I also want to ask you Pirl...you had mentioned in another thread that you (or your husband) put down a weed preventer .. when do you do it and how much and how does it work???
The paths in the main daylily garden had weeds one year and we both attacked it. It took 27 hours for each of us: way too much time to spend on weeding. After it was clear Jack lightly raked the path, then put down Preen and (this is the most important part) watered it in immediately. People think that the rain will wash it in, or the irrigation system will go on that night and think they can skip that step. They may as well have sprinkled dollar bills. It has to be watered in immediately. Then it releases a gas that kills weed seeds.
We now spend maybe two hours every few months on the same paths.
In that garden we have another invasive, Japanese lanterns. It pops up all over the place but is much easier to get rid of than my other pests. Same garden also has the wild violets! We dig them out. If neighbors have them, it's a sure thing you'll get them.
What you are saying is that we have to clear the entire area before we put down preen? OMG....Also when do we do this Now? I don't think we will be able to clear everything!!!!!!!!!!! Can't we just put it down and water it in on top of everything else?? Please say yes.
Hi, what you can do a year in advance, is spray round-up..good! and then put down plastic (landscape type) and leave on for the winter and then either pick up the plastic or poke holes and then plant.
Lots of weeds are annuals and will die with the winter. Preen should take care of next year's seeds. September is the time for us to put down Preen for the winter weeds like Poanna (sp). I just found out about that over the weekend.
And I hope chickweed! Well thanks for the advice..I can't put down plastic because my weeds are coming up and around thousands of perennials and bulbs.
I can't say yes to your request, Levilyla, or I'd be wasting your money.
Can you cover the perennials you want and do as jerry said and spray Round up? After it's all dead, rake lightly, apply Preen and water it in immediately. Good luck.
Pirl,
Thanks for the info on preen. We used it twice to no avail, but DH read the instructions and I guess didn't get to the "water in" part :) I should know better - he never reads all the instructions.
After we heard about the "watering it in" on radio, I decided to read the package. It's not a big notice about the watering, I'll tell you. I'm so glad we followed the directions: so much less to do.
I should walk around with the Preen strapped to my chest along with Sluggo. I'd be ready for whatever comes my way. I'd need the hose dragging along after me!
I've been very happy with a weeding hoe I got from A.M. Leonard's anumber
of years ago. Its a blade about 4" wide with one sharp edge, on a long pole.
It small enough to maneuver in flower beds and lets you cut the weeds off their
roots without bending. Its tough to get at grassy weeds with it but it does work
well for most others. I find it works best when things are pretty dry.
Tam
Wet or dry I do love attacking weeds. Just the pile for the dump does my heart good. While I'm in place I'm cutting back, scratching the soil, maybe feeding and trying to keep mulch down.
I found ranunculus (s p?) to be very aggressive. I stuck it in dry shade to try and tame it.
What are ditch lilies?
Ditch lillies are Hemerocallis fulva the orange daylillies you see all the time on the side of the road.
Don't know if it works everywhere, but here planting natives is a way to avoid invasive plants. I have all my 'pretties' in baskets or pots on the terrace, but our landscaping is based on planting natives and killing weeds. When we get the weeds under control, we even get some natives moving in naturally.
I'm learning to find native species of things we like, or at least getting things that won't compete. We're hoping in the long run it will be easier to keep up -- but it's hard work right now and is takes time. Good way to learn patience, waiting for Mother Nature to do her thing! :-)
The zone thing is certainly true -- I've got an evening primrose limping along that I wish would get a little more assertive.
Kathleen
Speak to your local nurseries: maybe the evening primrose typically has a hard time of it where you are. They may be able to give you very good tips to encourage growth. Here I rip it out but I do understand that you just may love it and want it.
Thanks Levilyla. Up here, most people seem to call those orange daylillies tiger lilies. Ditch is new to me.
The most invasive thing I've had to deal with is a Chinese Tallow tree. A neighbor gave us a "volunteer" about 15 years ago. We knew nothing about the tree - just that we needed a tree in the side yard. A few years later, another one came up by the driveway in a gravel area that didn't get mowed. By the time we got around to doing something it was about three feet tall and already had a root that we couldn't reach the bottom of. We have been trying to kill that tree for years. It has been cut down, drenched in full strength round up which just fed it, had gasoline poured on it, and on and on. We kept whacking at it and the trunk just got bigger and bigger, so we gave up - so that made two of those things. This year DH decided that he was tired of mowing that area and tilled it all up and raked out all the grass so we could just put in flower beds and walkways. We have since pulled up about a billion of those things. I HATE those trees.
We've had similar experiences, not at all as serious as yours, with two trees. I wonder if there is "the perfect tree"?
I don't have one but everyone says the Katsura tree is the perfect tree.