Perennial geraniums for sunny bases
Haven't grown these in years. tested one or two last year at the base of clems....actually a couple of feet away. sunny area. i like the look. they are so easy to grow, cut back , divide.
need something easy with clems, all my time and effort go into the clems.
so ordered 15 different bareroot varieties of perennial geraniums..so many new types. been years since i looked around at flowering perennials. will start them in little pots and grow them on this way till late april, then plant them a foot or two away from the clems.
Impatiens for shady bases
one or two impatiens from a flat....also break off a piece and stick it in the ground as you plant, which makes another plant.....impatiens are easy, bloom all the way to late oct or early nov here in my zone. 3 flats of white impatiens covers a lot of clem bases. and the white is a nice foil to the darker clems. these go much closer to the clem base, maybe 8 inches. maybe a flat or two of a pink or purple impatiens to put at the shady base of white clems........
best of all both are inexpensive.
what else are you planting this year?
As for perennials I don't think I will be buying any this year. I always buy a few annuals for my pots. I always buy impatiens for the front yard which is more shady......
i'm not buying much this year. already have clems on order (piggy me),and the perennial geraniums. if i take care of everything i have i won't have time to go to the garden store.
dividing my hostas will create tons of new plants ( and some work) too.
my shopping list will be
mulch
fertilizer
bug stuff
a few flats of impatiens
soil amendments (this is essential)
want to root some cuttings of ivy and euyonimous (sp). and sedum.
of course this does not include any of the clem work...so i better get busy early as soon as it is warm enough.
I have ordered:
From the Buried Treasues Co-Op
7 Cajun hibiscus
1 Mandevillia
6 Gloriosa Lily Tubers
Something else, I can't remember
Many Coleus from the Rosy Dawn Co-Op
Many Coleus and SPVines from the $1 starter plug Co-Op
A Peace Lily from Lowe's (an inside baby)
2 Holly bushes for along the drive
Some Amaryllis bulbs
And I am sure I have left some out! I also bought twenty 2 cubic feet packages of Miracle Grow Lawn Soil, some compost, perlite, and some sphagum moss.
Yay!
I saw "sunpatiens" in the Park Seed catalog. They are impatiens for the sun. I thought I might try six of those. I love impatiens too. I have ordered red and white cannas to put around the flag pole under Old Glory. Of course the clems I have ordered. Thanks for that idea of impatiens under the clems Niobe. I will try that.
Also have more calibrachoas coming. I love this plant. They mound and self clean. Three small plants in a 12" pot grow into a huge mound like in the pic below. These are in the GH right now. I have red and white ones coming.
I am planting at least eight brugs. I have a mandevellia that grows in a pot. Have to overwinter it in the workshop. Will be planting mgs all over the place. Have a Carolina Jasmine, Nandina, chinese fringe, windmill palm, two butterfly bushes, two crape myrtles, hmmmm I know I'm missing something. Any way, enought to keep me busy. Oh yea, the hydrangea. I'm trying to reduce my pots so I'm not killing myself to water everyday. Last year I broke my ankle in July and couldn't get out to water like the plants needed. My family begrudgingly watered every few days for me. I don't want to have to worry about that again. So a lot is going into the ground this year.
My fav flower is the petunia. It smells good, the hummers and bees love them.
Hostas, hostas & more hostas! XD
So far I've ordered:
Lakeside Masterpiece
Georgia Sweetheart
Lakeside Cranberry Relish
Praying Hands
Cheatin Heart
Lakeside Dimpled Darling
Barbara Ann
Faith
Oh Cindy
Roller Coaster Ride
Stained Glass
Adrian's Glory
Liberty
Sweet home chicago
Revolution
Great Expectations
Maraschino Cherry
Whirlwind
SunPower
Mini's:
Chinese Sunrise
Dixie Chick
Hope
Hydon Sunset
Janet
Lakeside Lollypop
Lakeside Ninita
Pearl Lake
Radiant Edger
Stiletto
Some of these I ordered 2 of because they are just so nice!
I know I should be ashamed of myself but I'm not! lol
Dh is going to pass out when he sees all this stuff. lol lol
3 new coneflowers
a bunch of dianthus
hardy hibiscus
14 roses (already in)
2 clematis
blazing hot poker
liatris
glads
dwarf butterfly bush
coreopsis
santolina
more I can't remember
I hope I get past April 15th before I have to plant most of them! Lots of tax returns left to do.
we certainly are a bunch of ambitious folks aren't we? My body is groaning already, how about yours?
That is a bunch of hostas 2racing.
I love the butterfly bush. Mine aren't dwarf. They are BIG. There are three of them. They are practically carefree in the ground.
Of course if I happen to find Betty Corning around here this spring I will purchase her and no one can stop me LOL!!! I might even try one of those shorter variety clematis....one of the patio ones....
I just can't wait for spring....however we still have tons of snow here....sigh......
hey Texas, do you have the yellow bushes? I'm wanting to attract a few hummers & butters this year and seems like I read somewhere that they really like the yellow butterfly bushes. What's your experience with that?
And if you think my "already ordered" hosta list is a lot, you'd pass out if you saw my "want - must have" hosta list! lol lol It's upwards of 200 at the moment. lol
Who knew there were so many varieties of hostas? Not me. My butterfly bushes are the bi-color. They are purple and apricot . The butterflies will like anything. I don't think color matters. My bushes were covered with butterflies and hummingbirds. Get whatever color you like. They'll feed off of it.
ok, great. I will get one this year. I've always wanted one to watch the butties. I just love them!
I saw a sky blue one Friday morn. When it warms up outside I get them in the GH feeding off my surfinias, calibrachoas and petunias. I get the blue mason bees too. I just stand in there with them. They are calming to watch.
Wow, some of y'all make me feel stingy with my purchases. I got a yellow Knock Out rose, two new clematis (Guernsey Cream), a Kentucky wisteria, and several other perennials I can't remember. But then it is early in the season and I'm sure I'm not done with purchases yet :-} Have to go easy so I don't shock DH's socks off!
NL - I know what that is like. However, I do find myself trading more and hitting the co ops more and buying less commercially because of the current economy......
oo,oo, I have more hostas to add to my list! tee-hee hee
stained glass
adrian's glory
liberty
sweet home chicago
revolution
great expectations
maraschino cherry
whirlwind
sunpower
CAN'T WAIT!!!!
Kristy - did you hit the hosta co op? That is one that I will have to look at next year. Spent too much this year on lily bulbs and dahlia tubers.
They are all from the co-op's. The first list are liners but the ones above are 1,2 & 3 gallon plants. Still decent deals. I'm pretty much all shade out back so I'm sticking to hostas for a massive trail.
Carolyn22,
I haven't tried the co ops yet--obviously you and 2racing are pretty pleased with the plants you got from them? I'll have to give them a try. I'm as addicted as everyone else when it comes to buying more plants for my yard :-}
2racingboys,
I'm envious of your shade--I have all sun. The only shade I have is along the north side of my house :-{ I do have shade down by the creek but the deer eat almost everything I plant there. All trees have to be fenced until the get tall enough that the deer can't reach them. The trade-out is getting to watch the deer come out into the food plot we put down there for them.
NL - You won't be sorry. I picked up a number of dahlias from anywhere from a $1.30 - $1.60 per tuber. Then the lily co op hit and I had been waiting for that one. I even have picked up a few extras that I can use to trade.
Kristy - I hope you will post pictures when everything is growing for you. I have zone envy for both you and NL.
I also have some areas that are shaded. One of my all time favs for shade are the heucheras. Last year, I put in 2 new beds for my heuchs. DH is breathing a sigh of relief that I am not buying any more clems. However, I did pick up 6 or 7 in the clem co op. I have places figured out for most of them, but still trying to figure out some spots for a couple of them. The best thing is that I have 4 or 5 clems that I sunk into the ground to overwinter last fall....... I find that one addiction leads very easily to another when it comes to gardening ^_^
carolyn - I have seen several heucheras (however that is spelled lol) that I like. I think I am going to try a few with my ferns and a couple of hostas. They seem relatively easy from what I have read.
Kristy - you won't be disappointed!
I do love living in my zone until it gets to be serious summer! Then it's even too hot to mow grass on the Zero Turn! It's great for growing things though :-) But then I've been up in your part of the country Carolyn and it's so pleasant spring through fall.
Marleine
Marleine don't know how far you are from memphis, but do you remember it being 110º last July? That was CRAZY!!! that month was the highest water bill I ever had. lol
Oh gosh--it makes me sweat bullets just thinking about it! We're about 4 hours from Memphis. It got so hot last summer I thought I was melting while mowing grass during July and August. It fried some of the veggies in my garden in spite of my efforts to keep it all watered with soaker hoses. Sure hope it doesn't get that hot again this summer.
lol, have you ever mowed at night time? I'm REALLY particular with my front yard, I have the hand-held electric trimmers I use to trim around things late at night. Then the next night, say 9 o'clock I break out the edger and mower. I have discussed it with my neighbors and thank goodness it's not a "noise" problem. lol I just cannot see killing myself in the heat of the day! lol
I always kill myself during the heat of the day because our deer like to slip into the food plot down by the creek in the evening and I just hate to run them off. I get the mowing done during the afternoon and then DH and I can sit on the porch and watch the deer in the evening. We just love it when they start bringing their little spotted fawns out with them. DH does help me (he uses the tractor) and he also does the weed eating. I had c-spine surgery just this last summer and can't manipulate the weed eater.
NIce that deer do not eat clematis......