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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 3, 2009 17:23:54 GMT -5
So far, here's a list of the plant tags I've found in our new home. I'm only half way through the one perennial bed.
Hosta
Trillium
Red Hot Poker
Primrose (2 colours)
Impatiens
Campanula
Sedum
Columbine
Hydrangea
Yunan Meadow Rue
Toad Lily
Obedient Plant
Soft Shield Fern
Golden Nugget Barberry
Red Valerian
Heartleaf Bergenia
Bear's breeches
Monkshood
What's on this list that is NOT frost hardy/perennial and unlikely to come back??
I also have several bulbs coming up like Tulips, Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths
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Post by pugs on Apr 3, 2009 22:59:59 GMT -5
Blue,
To tell you the truth, I don't know. They would all be hardy here where I live. The columbine for sure, hostas most likely. Red Hot Poker is from South Africa, I think, so it might be iffy. Primrose and Impatiens I doubt they will be up again, espeically the impatiens, they aren't even winter hardy here. The rest, I just don't know.
Pugs
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Post by flowerpower on Apr 4, 2009 5:32:50 GMT -5
Primrose is a perennial here. Except for the impatiens, they all should come back. You will really like the toad lily when it blooms.  |
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Post by plantsnobin on Apr 4, 2009 6:08:11 GMT -5
Sounds like you have a good start there. Some of them are shade plants, do you have a lot of shade? Around here we can grow hydrangeas, but of course there are many different species. We easily get bloom from oak-leaf hydrangeas, and climbing, but the macrophyllas don't usually bloom. We don't get snow cover to protect the bloom tips. If you will have small children around, warn them about the monkshood. And if you are messing with the plant and you have a cut on your hand, you are supposed to wear gloves. Though I have divided and transplanted it plenty with scratches on my hands without trouble. The bears britches is another one that may live, but not give you bloom.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 4, 2009 6:16:27 GMT -5
Karen, I'll have to read up on Monskhood. Sounds like it's supposed to be Poisonous? No small children here on a regular basis. But there were small children here for the past 10 years so it's either a recent addition to the garden or they weren't bothered with it or by it.
Lots of shade here. Too many trees really, which is why all these shade loving blooms on that area of the property.
Toad Lily huh? Better look that up too. Does it bring little toads? I just adore baby toads...
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 4, 2009 6:28:12 GMT -5
Look what I found! An article about poisonous perennials. museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/default.asp?id=85§ion=speciesActually I'll be the one who has to be careful. I have a terrible habit of wiping the dirt or hair away from my face when I'm weeding. Have to make a conscious effort not to do so when I'm cleaning up that part of the yard or I'll have welts on my face (again). There was a weed on the farm that made my eyes puff up every time I touched it and then waved my hands anywhere in the vicinity of my face. Perhaps it was a member of the same botanical family? Fortunately, this perennial bed is in a corner of the yard and not in a spot where it would be likely to get 'traffic'. |
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Post by plantsnobin on Apr 4, 2009 19:28:05 GMT -5
The toad liles are tricyrtis-they bloom mostly in late summer/fall. There are many different species, but almost all of them have blooms an inch or so. There are many nice colors, and some of the most interesting mottling is actually the result of a virus. Doesn't kill the plant, just gives it the mottled look to the bloom. Not a problem for me, but I guess it would be if you had some varieties that you didn't want to become infected. I wouldn't worry much about the monkhood really. It isn't like it gets berries that children might be tempted to eat. In olden times it was used to poison wolves, mixed with meat, hence 'wolfsbane'. I bet you are in for some nice surprises as the year goes on. Sounds like whoever lived there had some good stuff. You never know what will come up.
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Post by ceara on Apr 4, 2009 20:43:02 GMT -5
I am in Zone 4. Here's what survives in my flower beds out of your list
Hosta
Trillium
Columbine
Monkshood
As far as the rest, either they won't survive here or I never grew them and so know nothing about them.
Monkshood traditionally was used to make poison darts!
My Columbines always get a funky beetle on them once the seed pods start forming. They never seem to hurt the plants but are always in the way when it comes time for seed saving. I never found out what kind of beetles they are.
I have a Trillium, but absolutely no idea which kind it is to be honest. It has the tell tale 3 leaves but the flower is underneath instead of above like most Trillium leaves. It's a wild one, right beside a wild Solomon's Seal.
Other stuff that survives in Zone 4 are bulb Lilies (Asiatic, Trumpet, Oriental), Iris, wild type Geranium, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Lamb's Ears, Sweet Williams (these are like weeds now - I can't get rid of them!!), Lychnis "Maltese Cross," Snow in Summer, tall Phlox, Jacob's Ladder, Pansies, Johnny Jump Ups, Mugwort, etc.
Anyway that's some of the kind of stuff grown in my flower beds. If they can survive here, chances are they will be OK in yours.
Depending on what kind of tulips you have there, they may or may not return. I've noticed some tulips will peter out after a while. So the last ones we bought were the "Darwin" hybrids, supposedly long-lived. We shall see. This will be their 3rd spring and I won't see them until May.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 5, 2009 8:33:53 GMT -5
Ceara, there was an increasing problem with some kind of beetle on lilies the past few years in Eastern Ontario. One of the girls I used to work with had an incredible flower garden and she was plagued with it. Sorry, but I can't remember what it was? I'll see if I can't find out for you.
Yesterday, after Friday's torrential rains, there were more bulbs coming up in the yard. This time, on the other side of the walkway. They'll probably get uprooted when I tear out the railway ties and broken sidewalk slabs but I'm not planning on changing the direction of the walk, just replacing it, so hopefully some will survive the upgrade.
Lilies....someone in this house hates lilies...wait til he figures out how many different types there appear to be growing here, LOL
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 5, 2009 8:50:08 GMT -5
The red lily beetle? I saw some on a fritillaria that I had in my garden. I promptly removed it and with regret my lillies as I wouldn't be around to remove the bugs. I really would like to grow some native lillies but I think if I do, I'll have to be vigilant about removing the beetles.
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Post by ceara on Apr 5, 2009 10:38:52 GMT -5
Toad lilies are really pretty. I wish I could get some to grow here but we are too close to Zone 3 and I don't want to chance it. But an acquaintance told me he ordered some to grow. But they are iffy since I have mostly seen them classified as Zone 5 plants. Red Hot Poker, sometimes called "Torch Lily," is a Zone 5-9 usually, liking sun. Bear's Breeches, zone 6-9 Obedient Plant is a Zone 4. Send me some seeds? *begs* hehe Fall bloomers and kind of look like pseudo Foxgloves. Red Valerian also Zone 4. Never grew these but it seems they are prolific self seeders. I don't mind taking some seeds off your hands. lol In exchange, I'll catalog all my perennial flowers and see if there's something you might enjoy, like Jacob's Ladder. That's one tough plant. Snow barely gone from the areas where it grows (seems to be everywhere) and it's already sprouting green with lovely ladder like foliage and nice light purple flowers in June. It's growing in shade and full sun and doesn't seem to really care where it's planted. Well I'm too afraid to jinx myself, but I have yet to see the dreaded red lily beetle. I have read just how nasty those things can be. Neem oil and hand picking seems to be the order of the day. We have probably over 200 bulbs now of various types. I did a lot of bulb scale propagation. I'm the only one within a few miles that even grows lilies and they put on quite a show all summer and lots of people walk on the road for exercise and always smile and comment on my flowers which is nice.  Now I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but self seeded Bachelors Buttons, Calendula and Johnny Jump Ups surround all the lilies, or that we live right across the road from a brackish water marsh and there are tons of dragonflies hovering around my plants all the time. Some of the dragonflies are strikingly beautiful! But I hardly have to pay any attention to the lilies other than split the bulbs once in a while. I did yank up some annuals one time because I thought they would be causing harm but noticed that the lilies did not perform as well without their little plant friends sticking around. Lilies like full sun on their heads but enjoy cool shaded feet. Hummingbirds too love all my flowers and fight over them which is quite entertaining to watch. We don't use any chemicals at all and this is bug heaven. We let nature take its course. Now with the Columbines, the beetles are tiny and black and move real slow. They seem to want the green seed pods only and are not interested in any other part of the plant. I do not see them on any other plants. Once the seed heads are dry, the beetles disappear. |
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 5, 2009 14:45:19 GMT -5
Columbine beetles? Nooooo! I don't seem to have any yet and I suppose they might help with the rampid self seeding. I do like the self seeding but they are on the edge of a bit too prolific. I have obedient plant - wonder if some underground stolons would survive the mailing trip to you? Certainly, you are welcome to seeds once they become available. It's not obedient when it comes to spread just to let you know but it's a fantastic flower.
Telsing.
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Post by ceara on Apr 5, 2009 15:39:18 GMT -5
That sounds great! I will have to expand the flower area a bit for it. hehe But end of April would be the best time to send it for me, but I do not know if it will hurt your plants to be messing about with its roots at that time. I can always wait for seeds, it's not a problem at all. Really appreciate the generosity! I will take photos of the weird Columbine seed pod beetles when they appear this year. Maybe I can get them identified then, or mail in a specimen to a bug expert. |
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 5, 2009 20:23:29 GMT -5
Ceara, I'll make a note about the Red Valerian for you.
I've only just listed what's under two trees. By the time I get the rest of the beds cleaned up and go through the tags, I'm sure there will be many different varieties..
Good thing they basically look after themselves
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Post by flowerpower on Apr 6, 2009 4:28:25 GMT -5
Ceara, I just got a HUGE book on insects for my bday. Very detailed and lots of pics, so maybe we can ID this beetle. The only problem with columbine here is leaf miner. No big deal.
Blue, so someone doesn't like lillies? lol Better keep an eye on him when he's mowing. ;)They might end up like my Iris-cut to the ground.
The spot where my Jacob's Ladder and Bleeding Heart are located is the very last area where the snow melts. I should be seeing growth soon. I am really allergic to the Oriental Lillies & I find the scent a little sickening, honestly. But my friend gave me about 20 bulbs last fall. She was afraid to dig and split them. I can only hope she likes the way I replanted them. I rearranged the colors a bit. lol
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