What have you lost?

I hate to start a 'negative' thread, but there could be some good come out of it. As things are waking up in our gardens, what things have not made it through the winter for you? The zone classification of plants is just a guide, because we all know there are too many variables in each of our gardens to expect that every zone 5 plant will do well in zone 5. Maybe if we post what we lost over the winter, there may be some things that we see that are not reliable for our zones. I know that some things are slow to break dormancy, so there may be some that I think I've lost that are still alive. I'll start...

Zone 5 plants that I lost this winter:

Dwarf Fothergilla
A couple of hardy geraniums ('Rozanne')
English Daisy
Gloriosa Daisy (2 out of 3 made it)
Clematis ('Nelly Moser' - and I'd had it for three years)
Persicaria ('Red Dragon' - lost all three plants)
Tricyrtis (lost 2 out of 3)

my mind

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well as most of my coneflowers are now up, I have no signs of life on the 2 Orange Meadowbrite varieties. Some that I got later in the year and will send in to have replaced soon are Harvest Moon and Fancy Frills Echinacea. Oranges and Lemons Gallardia also was in with that shipment that looks totallly dead.

On a side note my Smoketree that died back completely to the ground last year has buds all the way up - about 8' high.

No signs of life here with:
Echinaceas (orange meadowbrite, mango meadowbright, twilight)
Daylilies (SC Cranberry Breeze, SC Sharp Tooth)
Geranium Katherine Adele

If none of the new Echinaceas show up, I think I'll give up on them. The older varieties do great, Magnus, Rubenstern, even Prairie Frost, but this is the second winter I've lost orange meadowbrite.
Deb

Oh, I forgot about the coneflowers. I, too, have lost all but one. Lost are:

'Sunrise'
'Sunset'
'Kim's Knee-High'
'White Swan'

It looks like the only one to make it is the common purple one. I did save seed from all of them, though, so I'll sow that soon.

:-(

I just remembered and have to add my newly-planted Buddleia 'Bicolor.'

I do have these coming up fine for echinacea:
Sunrise
Sundown
Magnus
Fragrant Angel
Jade
Ruby Giant
White Swan
Pallida
Razzmatazz

All Rudbeckia fine, except semi hardy Autumn Colors

Too early here to tell what I have lost in the gardens.

So what's with the coneflowers? I think I lost mine too. They were well mulched and suppose to be good for my zone (Purple Magnus z4 and Kim's Knee High z3). Plus I didn't have the freeze-thaw problem that so many of you had farther south. Why aren't they making it?

It looks like I lost my pansy Etain that are zone 5, but that the nurserys are selling up here as being hardy enough for zone 4. Surprising, my zone 5 agastache made it; Golden Jubilee (Yeah!). The bumblers just loved it last year. Looks like I also lost 5 coreopsis; one out of 3 (Early Sunrise, z3) but I noticed standing water there this spring, 3 out of 3 (Nana z4 - no obvious reason) and my only Moonbeam threadleaf coreopsis- also no obvious reason. That one was so lovely last year. Not willing to give up on the hosta yet. Still too early.

It's still pretty early in the season so don't count those plants as dead just yet. It is very possible that those plants are just a little bit slow in waking up?

Several years ago, I had a clematis that I thought was dead, so I dug the plant up. Well, it was not dead, just slow in sending up the new growth. Digging the plant up killed the plant. If I would have left it a little longer it would probably still be around today. Oh well, live and learn...
Mike

Yeah, I know that some things are slower than others, but it depends on your zone, and when you've got five of the same plant and three are up and running and no signs of the other two, it's pretty safe to say those are goners.

I REALLY hope my fothergilla is just slow and not dead.

Well, I was out watering today and I discovered I definitely lost my Heuchera's 'Monet' & 'Creme Brulee'. When I was checking things out earlier I noticed they weren't looking good and thought they were goners and today I definitely know they're gone. Some of my other newbies from last year are looking really weak, however I noticed new growth coming so I hope they perk up. It was so dry I think they were just thirsty.

Those are the first 2 things I noticed,,,we'll see how everything else does. I go out with my hosta list, poke around and see if I can see or feel anything coming,,,as soon as I see it, the date goes on the list,,,LOL I know,,,,, Anal.

Yeah, last summer was definitely not a good year to give new things a good start. It was so hard to keep up with watering all summer, but I think I did pretty well. Still, it was a hard summer.

I just saw that some of my hosta are peeking through. So small I almost missed them. I watered today too and I'm wondering if it was enough. One of my daylilies is doing something strange. it has put up a flower stalk with one tiny little flower head. The whole thing is about 4" tall. Just about as tall as the leaves right now. Was thinking it might have gotten too dry. I hope we're not going into a drought.

beaker,
That's interesting about the daylily. Haven't heard of that before. Did you post over in the Daylily Forum?

It is too early to tell yet, although things seem to be coming up in an odd order.

I agree....those coneflowers seem to be the last thing to pop up around here....so don't give up on them!

Luckily I didn't have any losses outdoors that I'm aware of....everythings seems to be sprouting.....lost a few young brugs indoors, though:(

I spied some more hostas coming,,,now I have to get out there with my list and mark down the date.

I do know that I lost my H. 'Cat's Eye's',,,waaaaaaaaa

Nan,
I think I mistakenly pulled my Coneflowers out last year. I didn't see anything coming up but a lot of little *weeds*,,,later in the season, I realized those were seedlings,,,Duh. First rule of gardening,,,,know the difference between your flower seedlings and weeds,,,LOL

Kelly

lol.....'specially when the seedlings and the weeds are all 'run together' like mine!!
(I'm really, really bad at weeding!)

I have 3 hostas, I think, and I keep checking but nothing yet!

The bleeding hearts have really shot up in the last few days!

I *always* think my clematis are dead this time of year.....but they always surprise me with green leaf buds on what appear to be dead vines!

This message was edited Apr 17, 2006 3:43 PM

Same here with my Clematis'. I *think* I saw a bit of green on one of them. But I think I lost the other one,,,waaaaa

The only way I can keep up with weeding is to go through lbs. and lbs. of Preen,,,get it on before the little buggers have a chance to sprout. Then it's only a quick clean up of the runner varieties,,,grrrrr

Since I watered yesterday I have noticed a nice growth spurt today,,,imagine if it were rain. We are supposed to get some on Wed. and Thurs. I'm praying we will.

OMgosh....we got over 2" yesterday.....I was about to start building an Ark...it rained, literally *all day long*!!!
So you didn't get any of that rain?

I think that's why everything was 'popping' this morning......all that rain and then some sun today!

I've looked at Preen quite a few times but have never bought any.....prolly too late now!

Nope, no rain here. Wish we would have had some. Not too late for Preen,,,it'll keep any more weed seeds from germinating. And we're coming up on Dadelion season.

Lost almost all of my new daylilies and new irises that I bought last year.

Had some beauts from Daylily Auction .

Wonderful great hot pinks,huge reds and a whole bunch of big spiders .... boo-hoo :'(

Looks like the older stock made it though.

scooter,

I'm crying with you,,,that's terrible,,,so heartbreaking. Maybe they'll still come???? Just kinda slow to wake up?

We're just now putting our Preen on.

I dug some up , they are mushy. This was such a strange winter weather wise.

Well, I wanted to cut down , guess mother nature helped me decide where .;-)

I hate to show you this one Deb. I just happened to browse through here and thought this might be an interesting thread. I was reading another thread where a few were worried they have lost Rozanne too and I really thought mne was a gonner, but it has shown some good growth the last couple of days. It's still way too early for me to be looking for my hostas. I know I lost a few Heucheras that should have been divided last year and one new one, 'Pink Gem'. Most of my losses were critter induced. I'm still patiently waiting for quite a few things, but this was Katherine Adele almost as soon as the snow melted.

echoes,

What a lovely plant. Is that a Heuchera? Have never heard of that one so had to ask.

Kelly

Echoes, if you are seeing 'Rozanne' in your zone, I'm pretty sure I lost one of mine here in zone 5. One of the three is doing fine, another is struggling to get started, and the third one shows no signs of life whatsoever.

'Katherine Adele' is beautiful! I think I just might have to have that one!

Kylee

Kelly, that is Katherine Adele, a hardy(?) geranium. I only got it last year. Rozanne, I've had since 04.

Thanks echoes!! I guess it's not the zone with Katherine Adele, then. I guess she just didn't like it here!! Maybe I'll give her another try, in a different spot in the yard, if my nursery is carrying her again this year. I've got alot of other geraniums that are just doing great. Elizabeth Ann came back, so did Samobor, Lily Lovell, Katrina, Splish Splash, Buxton's, macrorhizzum, Party Purple, praetense, Biokovo, Max Frei, and Johnson's Blue. The only other hardy geranium I've lost was G. yoshinoi Confetti, that was sold as a zone 5 plant the first year it was out around here. I think the zone has been changed on it, to 6 or 7.
Beaker, I tried Etain, twice, and it never came back for me. The flowers on it are so gorgeous, that was one I was upset to lose.
Deb

echoes,

Thanks, I googled Heuchera Katherine Adele and kept coming up with Geraniums thought I was loosing it,,,LOL. Now it fits

Momcat, yeah, I'm tempted to buy it again, it was so nice and flowered for so long. I wonder if you can take cuttings or get seed for it. If it's not making it in zone 5, it certainly won't make it here. Fortunately, I have a guarantee from Linders for a refund or replacement. Now, where is that receipt....

The threadleaf coreopsis I thought I lost has made an appearance. Still no coneflowers or the other coreopsis I think are gone. All my geraniums are doing great.

I am still not counting any losses, there is still hope.

I don't know why we do this to ourselves (myself LOL) every spring. It would be so much better if I would just ignore everything until mid-May. Looks like my yellow Yokohama tulips will open in the next day or two. Hope it doesn't get too cold.

Hi guys,
I'm in Minneapolis. Does anyone know if Gallardias are generally later in coming back? I have lots of salvia and some campanula up but my Gallardia - new last year are still just woody, dead stumps. I cut them back to like 2 in last fall and now all that is there is the woody stump. I covered with hay and they were mulched- I hope they are just late since I have like 30 of them and none of them showing any green. Anyone know??? They are Gallardia Summers Kiss, but I also have some Burgundy and some Arizona Sun.

thanks,
Hill

Hill, my gaillardia never totally died here in zone 5b. And they were certainly not late in starting up again. But my mom, who lives 10 miles away from me lost all of her 'Fanfare.' Mine were 'Arizone Sun,' if I remember right. I know........not what you wanted to hear. But maybe they are just late for you up there.

Hill,
My gaillardia are varying quite a bit now too. Some are up a lot, some just poking through and a few not up yet. I think they self seed some so keep an eye out for stray seedlings.
Al

I've lost a few Gaillardias too. Large Burgundy ones that I started from seed about three years ago. Probably didn't help that they were moved last summer. Most info says they are short-lived perennials. Maybe that means three years, otherwise they'd be biennials, ha. One reason not to spend a lot of money on fancy ones. Yes, they are not difficult to start from seed.