Message Boards

I'm trying for the first time (from seed):

-- Amaranthus (on the recommendation of a woman I met a a flower show. She raved about it)
-- Hollyhock
-- Larkspur

Comments? Tips?

==============================
Returning plants I recommend are:
-- Cosmos -- Zinnia -- Guara (perennial)
-- Phlox -- Cleome -- Tutrlehead Chelone
-- Asiatic Lily -- Celosia -- Hardy Hibiscus
-- Portulaca -- Crocosmia -- Butterfly Weed (Asclepia)
-- Coleus -- Daylily -- Lenten Rose
-- Astilbe -- Hosta -- Amaryllis
-- Agapanthus -- Peony -- Sdeum (Autumn Joy)

Shrubs: Wiegela, Butterfly Bush, Euonymous, Nandina (firepower)
Foundation evergreens: Winter Gem boxwood, Blue Star Juniper, Arborvite

I've ordered these from Burpee. I never did this before, so we shall see what happens. They're on their way here, but it's still way to early to plant them.

I think.

Okay, that's not a flower.

I'll try the link, since it won't let me copy the picture.

http://www.burpee.com/perennia....html?catId=cat20052

I've never done coneflower. But they're often recommended in books I've read.

I think they -- in a bed with black-eyed susans -- which I think look similar, with different coloring -- would look very nice.

Let us know how the coneflowers do for you.

Red fountain grass, Japanese lanterns, and red and yellow mini-zinnias. The ones I planted last year grew too tall for the pots.

found this Drift rose at Lowe's... fell hard for it... it's by the folks at Knockout, so I'm hoping it's as good.... cute little thing....

http://www.conard-pyle.com/ind...ant_id/596/index.htm

trying to put MY picture up, but it's not co operating....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Toots,

For the first time I have planted a Bing and a Ranier cherry - both dwarf. And I can't wait to see what my rose will look like. It takes A LOT of appeal to make me want to plant a rose!!!! I haven't had one in over 30 years...

http://www.waysidegardens.com/...0eyeconic%20lemonade

The coneflowers showed up yesterday. I came home last night and they were in the driveway in a tiny little box! I thought I was getting six four inch pots. Nope, it was one of those little six packs! And, all the plants fell out of the pack. I put them back and watered, so we'll see what happens. Maybe by the time I retire they will be full grown.

for $20 I think I could have bought two large ones instead. Oh well, live and learn.

Iris and Daylilys. Nettiejay got me hooked on the latter when she posted a beautiful apricot colored one she'd seen out on a walk. as a result, I got hooked and put in 9 plants in last fall. they are coming along beautifully.

about a dozen iris are leafing up good but i'm not sure if i'll be lucky enough to get flowers this year. that's ok.. i am patient and can wait. i have been dumping the bird's used sunflower seeds, with probably some good seeds left in, into the iris bed... hoping some will germinate. no luck on that yet tho. i plan to get cosmos this year for the iris bed to have something flowering there.

can't do much gardening this spring as i am recovering from hip surgery. but i have a good friend who helps.

bana... you do know that sunflowers, seeds and hulls have a 'no grow' effect on other plants?...."The seed hull of the black sunflower is allopathic, containing chemicals that inhibit plant growth."

http://highcountrypress.com/we...2005/12-15/birds.htm

much like having a black walnut tree in the area... some plants can tolerate it, most cannot....

What if they are composted pretty well and not fresh from the feeder ground?

hot composting destroys the chemical compounds that inhibit other plants growth, but cold composts leave them as is, and that could interfere with new growth if the compost is used where young plants will be growing... especially if there's a lot of the hulls in the compost... they take a long time to degrade, too....

http://plantfacts.osu.edu/faq/...display.lasso?id=171

http://www.icangarden.com/foru...ad&chatthreadid=7271

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Toots,

Thanks Toots!

Any lessons you've learned yet about the new plants you're trying this year?

For me:
Well, now that I've had the Jacob's Ladder I talked about above for about three months I've learned:

-- that my 20 inch pots that I thought would be big enough for any plants I'd ever like to try, aren't that big at all.

I have ONE Jacob's Ladder in a container, and because of it's foliage-type (which flares out wide around it), seems to be taking up the entire pot.

When it was smaller , 2 months ago, I did plant some zinnia and larkspur seeds around it. And those seeds have come up and those plants are managing to grow and make their way up despite the jacob's ladder in the center of the pot.

I planted seeds around a gaura (which also has foliage that fans wide and shades the soil around it) , and it looks like none of them are coming up.

Bad seeds, Too much shade from the main plant's foliage, over-watering? Don't know why certain seeds didn't make it...

I'm no help with any of those three but look forward to seeing your Amaranthus pics - that's one plant I've been planning to grow from seed ever since I saw some lovely pics on another forum. Good luck with the Hollyhocks, I've tried them from seed and from plants and they don't do well here and have no idea why. Haven't grown Larkspur altho can grow delphinium here so haven't felt the need.

Haven't found anything new at the garden centers yet that I want altho bought a boatload of annuals, mostly the same old, same old that I can't resist for containers and edges altho some different colors this year. I did buy several iris and what I think is Gaillardia pulchella 'Lemon Ball' at a charity plant sale. It was identified only as 'Lemon Ball' and the leaves look like Gaillardia.

Have tried to restrain myself from buying too many plants altho certainly went overboard on the annuals and still have some to plant.

New for me a ~~ Queen Josephine Hosta !!! & a pink Japanese Anemone. Hardly any space left to plant!!! LOL

I am trying the Japanese Anemone, with dusty pink flowers. It comes in several colors of pink, and white, it is airy and has a beautifully textured leaf. I got a couple of plants from a plant swap....we'll see.....

I'm planting several large house plants in my containers in the shade. In my area, the plant centers are doing more of this. I'll see how this turns out. I have several new daylilies some from Florida which I am looking forward to seeing the blooms.

Besides adding about 25 new varieties of hosta to my collection, my new things this year are a Sambucus Sutherland Gold, tansy, several heuchera, a cute bumpy leaf ajuga, butterfly bush and Stella D'Oros in my parking strip. I also added a couple of new Pixie Japanese Maples, a Pink Stellar Dogwood and a Chinese Fringe Tree. Oh yes, and for our grandbaby's memorial garden, a Nishiki Willow with beautiful dappled pink, green and white leaves.

Boy, it seems like a lot when you start listing, doesn't it? And I have SO much more to do...sigh...