Hi There! I am looking for some honest advice - When I was at Lowes this week I was so excited to see
this gorgeous new (for me) blue salvia that I hurried and bought about 7 plants and spent a couple days digging them in.
I usually research first but for some reason didn't even notice that although I'm in zone 5 these are a zone 7! I'm a little upset that they are selling those
in the perrenial section of a zone 5 at best region -but, silly me I know I should have done my homework better!! Anyway, I'm wondering if there's
a way to treat these as a perrenial with mulching or protecting them somehow or should I cut my losses and pull them now?
Has anyone else run into this at their local nurseries?
Thanks for any help!
Is there a way to keep mystic Spires Blue Salvia in zone 5?
I found a link to the distributor who says it's good down to 0F.
http://www.ballhort.com/Growers/plant_info.aspx?phid=054900001016396&dispmode=
If it was me I would pile 6" or a foot of mulch on them and hope for the best, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch on the zone.
That's really maddening Lowes is selling something as a perennial in your area that really isn't without extra care and luck! You could always dig them back up and try to return them if you still have the receipt and the pots.
Good Luck!
Thanks for the help - I would love to try mulching and see if they make it! Sounds like you don't think it's too ridiculous of a stretch to give it a try? I agree, I think it's a little confusing that they had these in with all the really hardies like coneflowers and russian sage?
I'm in a suburb of Chicago so you're not that far away, and it looks like maybe you're close enough to the lake to get quite a bit of snow? If so that always helps insulate plants for the winter.
Also I always look at the updated Arbor Day Foundation zone map when I'm thinking about "stretching" zones for a plant. What used to be Zone 5 is now more like Zone 6!
http://www.arborday.org/media/Zones.cfm
If you like them a lot no use pulling them up, might as well take a chance you can get them through the winter with some extra care. But as you know it's always a crap shoot how bad the winter will be and what makes it through and what doesn't!
Wow thanks for the link to that new map - I didn't realize that. I am right inside the edge where we get alot of that lakefront snow too - Do you also? I know right where Mt. Prospect is - were originally from the South suburbs. Would you cut them all the way back then and just load them up with mulch? Thanks so much for the help - you've made me feel alot better - I was pretty bummed after spending all that time planting, plus they're very pretty! I'll baby them and keep my fingers crossed
Generally not much lake effect snow here, I'm too far away.
I never cut my perennials all the way back in the fall because I think the dead stems and leaves help give some insulation. But lots of people do, so I think it's just your preference or what works best for your particular area.
Crossing my fingers for your new salvia too!
I saw those at my Lowes too, yesterday. I didn't buy any thinking that they weren't hardy here.
Interesting - you too? Too bad they're not hardy but they're already in so I think I'll mulch and hope for the best but I'll watch that closer in the future!
I do want to find an up right one or two. My Echinaceas have been hit hard by asters yellow disease and I am going to need to replace them. I want somethin that will attract butterflies and maybe hummers too.
A deep mulch right after the ground first freezes might work, if you pull it off first thing in the spring to allow the ground to warm up and, more importantly, to avoid crown rot. There's a decent chance if you're willing to work at it. A heavy mulch when it's warm will suffocate the crowns.
>>I want somethin that will attract butterflies and maybe hummers too.
Nanny -- are you talking perennials specifically, or will Butterfly attracting annuals do ?
I'm having luck with zinnias and scarlet milkweed.
I think last year i saw 2, maybe 3 monarchs all season ... i have quite a few now and even had my first Easter Tiger Swallowtail. I even found a Swallowtail Cat today.
but the monarchs are all over the zinnias.
Peonygirl -- wishing you luck on your sage. I saw a Mystic Spire for the first time -- and it is such a beautiful color.
I am think about trying annuals for now... try some new things!
cone flowers [p] and zinnias [a] will for sure attract monarchs. and their "host" plant are milkweeds ... the Scarlet is very pretty and easy to grow. I had A LOT of cats this summer on my Scarlet MWs.
I have got to say - I put those salvias in last week and you would NOT believe the butterflys - I'm literally bumping into them when I go into my garden, they're everywhere - two or three on a plant! I hope those plants can make it here. I have coneflowers, butterfly bush, russian sage etc but I have not seen a butterfly group come in this much before. I'm wondering - do the hummingbirds like it also? Nanny - another one for fall I've had luck with is the sedum plants, they really like it
Which sedum do you have? I only have Vera James and it is not a draw for anything here.
I have purchased a perennials at Lowes only to discover they were not my zone the next spring when they did not come back. . Keep your receipt they WILL refund your money now or in the spring.
When I questioned them about selling ''perennials'' not good in our zone they said they get plants that are purchased for a whole district and some stores are further down south.
They have almost no control over what they receive, and it is not worth their time to sort and remark , they would rather just refund.
Nanny - I have autumn Joy sedum and they have loved it this fall - I was surprised. What kind do you have?
Vera James... it is a short one. I almost bought a Autumn Joy or the other one...is it Autumn Fire or something like that. I need a taller variety anyway.
Okay - I just thought I'd update this that yes, even though I protected the salvia not a one came back. Just thought I'd update the thread to remind us all to be suspicious when eyeing all the beautiful blooms at our local home improvement stores this summer (personally I've sworn to only buy from my friendly local nursery no matter how hard it is to resist lol).
They even started a "sustainables only" collection featuring all native plants which I think is great. Good luck out there!
The update is appreciated. That's good news about retailers offering sustainables. It pays to be a lilttle cautious there because sometimes sustainable can translate into invasive.
I hadn't thought of that! I just bought bee balm and alliums the other day. Are you meaning that they'll spread a lot when you say invasive or do you still have to worry about them escaping and crowding out plants in nearby woods etc? I'm having trouble with that idea as a matter of fact right now because I'm also searching for a good ground cover. I was wondering if it's possible to have a nice ground cover fill in a lot of space between new perennials without choking out what's there and becoming rampant.
It wouldn't hurt to do a little homework on them since some natives are probably not as good for growing in your garden as others, but for the most part I suspect they'd be fine. And if they're native to your area, then by definition they're not invasive in the sense of getting out into the woods and crowding out other plants--that would be their natural habitat and they're the ones getting crowded out by the invasive species.
There are exceptions to even that sometomes ecrane3. Tradescantia ohioensis is native here. However, it is the very devil to control in the garden. It defies digging and Roundup. I had to solarize to get it under control. It's become a problem at the botanical garden where I volunteer, nearly taking over the childrens' garden. They've made no decision yet on how to handle it as they are loath to remove any native.
Maybe my post wasn't clear, that was what I meant when I said that some natives are not as good for growing in the garden as others and it wouldn't hurt to do some homework before planting them.
Oh, sorry ercane3, I did misread your post. I thought you meant natives were the safer choice. Homework, even for natives, is always reccomended. You're right, as usual!