No, not money, but that would be nice..lol...I am sort of new here, so I thought I'd just jump right in....I was wondering what plants you have that you are most looking forward to seeing again...this winter is dragging for me, and now that spring has arrived, I find myself longing for my black columbine! I miss it so much, I played with it in my photo editor..lol..
I can't think of a favorite but when the ferns start to open, i know the weather has broken... so that is always exciting.
for color, i'd have to say my creeping phlox (many of which the voles destroyed this winter)
then there are my clematis (or is multiple clemati ? I have 3) and my roses.
well, i was looking for a different flower garden image, but this one jumped out at me....
(tweaked the color a bit... )
That didn't help my ache for plants any..lol...too pretty! I have a clematis Niobi that is destined to die...squirrels chew it, kids mess with it, and yet it bloomed, finally, and took my breath away.
You just made me want more more more!!!
Hi, Astilbe,
I can't think of one favorite plant that I miss the most. I miss them all. Thank goodness for pictures. I can really relate to how you feel, though.
Here's one that I love--bleeding hearts in mid-May.
Loretta
So pretty! That reminds me- I left my white bleeding heart at my previous house, and never went out for a replacement...one more for the wish list!
Funny, when you take 'your favorites' when you move, you realize too late that they are ALL your favorites!
Oh, such beautiful pictures! I'd have to say I choose daffodils in spring for two reasons - first, they are so magnificent and bright after the gloom of winter, and second, each year I am surprised at where they show up. There's always more each year and I LOVE that! Here's a pic of a morning that was magic for me last year in late April. The sun wasn't up yet, and the daffodils just glowed! For once, the camera produced a picture that was actually what I saw! Dax
the pictures are so nice. I have to say that in spring besides the daffs and tulips that are common to bloom in my yard and area some of my favorites are the mertensia, brunnera, pulmonaria, scilla, and woodland poppies. everything seems to pop out in the woods where they are.
Dax, your yard is gorgeous! It has a 'park' feel.
Backspace- I am looking forward to my brunnera, also. My mother gave me a silver one late last year, so this is my first spring with it! I'm excited.
Can someone tell me when brunnera generally start to emerge? I got two last fall and planted them, just like you, astilbebain, and am afraid they died oer the winter. Don't see a smidgeon of them yet - could they still be OK? Dax
astilbebain- do you have brunnera Jack Frost by any chance? I love my brunneras,they are an effortless plant for the fact that they reseed all over.
Dax- it looks like we are in the same zone. My brunnera are all up. depending on the weather in our zone they start appearing around the first of April. Did you mulch them over the winter with them being a new plant? Did they have enough time to get established before winter? I would give it a little more time.
Yes, Jack Frost...I couldn't remember the name. :)
astilbebain - sounds as if you have a woodland garden. Don't know if you have already but a nice addition for the woodland gardens are dodecatheon media, shooting stars. They are zoned 2-9 and reseed themselve also. I have both varieties, pink and white. The plant is 6"-8" in height by 6"-8" in width. They are a welcome sight to spring. Another nice plant is pulmonaria. Many varieties. They also bloom in spring and are zoned 3-8. Woodland poppies are another favorite of mine,bright yellow flowers in spring.
Helleborus (many varieties) are nice and zoned for your area. One more and I promise I will stop. Podophyllum peltatum , mayapples with their umbrella like leaves and waxy white to pale pink flowers are also zoned for your area and worth trying. They are rhizomatous and will colonize in no time.
don't mean to babble on but thought you might enjoy this info.
Thank you, backspace...it is 90 percent shade in this yard..lol..I admit to a terrible pulmonaria addiction, and sadly left many of them at my previous address...my mother has a few hellobore plants for me (Yay!), but the others I do not have, nor have I ever..I'll go check the nursery!
Thanks, backspace, - I mulched the brunnera, but they may not have had enough time to get established. Also, we had some nasty freezing and thawing this year that might have harmed them. I'll wait hopefully, but I may have lost them - Dax
Astilbebain- Glad that I could be of some help. I am new to the sight but an old and avid gardener 25 plus years. well I at least think of it that way. I work at a reputable nursery in my area and one thing my position there is to help people with plants and ideas. brings me much satisfaction and joy. Don't forget the many,many ferns now available. one of my favorites are the nipponicum 'pictum'. In otherwords Japanese Painted Fern. They have bluish-gray foliage with hints of burgundy or maroon. Prefers moist well-drained soil. Check and see if they are zoned for your area. If they are they are really worth growing, along with other varieties. hope this helps and happy gardening.
Dax- for now keep your fingers crossed. If not just replace, plant earlier in the year , mulch, water and you are on your way to brunnera city, I promise. Good luck, keep me posted.
This was one of my Lady's Mantles on April Fool's day, before the cold snap hit. I miss it all ready. My Brunnera have yet to show themselves, probably a good thing.
The azaleas and the polygonatum and tiarella are all blooming.
I'm still watching every hosta to break ground. I think that I'm lookiing forward to the ligularias. The get so big and wild looking so quickly. I put three new hydrangeas in last year so that should be fun. I'm also hoping that my silver lady ferns will come back. We had a big freeze here and I'm pretty concerned. Some are beginning but five show no sign. Here's a photo.
dax080, did your Jack Frost Brunnera ever come up? I had two that I planted last year- one that I moved from a container late in the season, and one in the ground from early summer. There is no sign of either one of them, and every other plant in the garden has at least started to peak out, so now I'm concerned about those two.
This message was edited Apr 29, 2007 2:58 PM
My brunnera are just starting up now, and they're in a one of the shadiest parts of the yard. Peg
My Brunnera Jack Frost has been fantastic this year!
That is very pretty, Galanthophile. There is still no sign of either of mine. I'm still waiting, but don't really know what to think if they are goners. The were each in different locations and they seem to be the only two plants in the yard that didn't make it thru the winter. Just not sure whether to try again with it, if they don't come back.
I must admit at the beginning of spring I was beginning to worry as there was no sign of mine but all of a sudden it emerged. It's in a pretty dry area but is obviously doing ok! Hope yours comes up. If not do give it another go - it's fabulous.
Mine hasn't bloomed yet...I can't wait!
I'm excited that I found a source for the ferns (pictured above) that were toasted in the freeze. They came in the mail yesterday and I'm so happy! I looked forward so much to my ligularias too. I cut off the flowers because a yellow daisy in a shade garden looks dumb - at least I think it does.
