Buyer Beware

Just a reminder-"Still Too Early" for annuals and tender plants. Don't be fooled with the warm weather.  Frost is still a threat until mid-May in our area.  I see the garden centers loading up on these plants that will not survive a good frost so if you decide to purchase, do not put them into ground until after the last frost. Leave them in pots and put outside when its warm and bring them in at night. You can see the sign "annuals" in background, at this point they just wanna make a buck.

"Perennial" weeds

I enjoy my Perennials, but there a few that have become such a nuisance, I feel the yard is doomed when they are introduced.

Rose campion, gloriosa daisy, and non hybrid achillea flower are the "Big Three".  They are growing within grass on front lawn and anywhere else.

   Gloriosa Daisies

 Rose Campion

 achillea flower

                                                                           



On the other hand,  perennials that I like that take over are bishops weed, bee balm, evening primrose, forget-me-nots, columbine, creeping jenny to name a few.  


BTW if you like these flowers, I have them in bulk at no cost.
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Hens and Chicks

Here is a little photo of some Hens and Chicks that basically grow in rock cracks with little soil.

    Some creeping phlox and grape hyacinth are mixed in as well.  These hens and chicks are all from a small batch my dad gave me a few years ago, probably about five plants. They have spread out along this rock formation with my help transplanting babies along the way, where it cannot be seen from this photo. An amazing versatile plant it has become. During growing season I am picking plants out of ground and sticking where ever there is a new spot for them to spread.

Catnip Seeds from Pet Supplies

     I found that if you have a cat or two around the home, you probably have some old catnip.  Within the dried up shredded leaves you will find, black tiny sphere shaped seeds that can be separated and germinated.

    I experimented last summer and threw the seeds around a Dahlia I had planted in a pot.  The seeds sprouted like weeds everywhere in the pot.  I never really gave them the chance to mature larger than a seedling , but my intuition was satisfied.  Some seeds can stay years in storage and lay dormant.  I see this as another wonder of Nature and understand the patience she has. 

Canna Lily Growing Tips

If anyone in my immediate area is interested in some red canna lily bulbs let me know.

This amazed me, the following picture is the result of me giving a neighbor of mine 5 pickle size bulbs. 

I usually only grew these in giant containers, and found out that wasn't enough for the rhizomes to spread.

better off growing them in the ground like they did.

I helped dig them up in the fall and could not believe the yield of rhizomes.

I should have took a picture of each cluster. I have hundreds of potato like babies just from those five I gave them and from potted ones I grew myself. 

They are being stored as I type this in a basement in large pots filled with peat moss.

These will not survive most winters so you must treat them like a spring bulb.

This next to Bee Balm, in my opinion, has to be the number one attractor of hummingbirds.

"Plant them and they will come".  

I have also successfully grown these guys from seed.

If interested in some seeds which I have plenty of as well.  I will ship or drop you off some along with Germination/Planting instructions.  

I just started a small batch of seeds from last years plants and they are germinating already.

Purple Amaranth--Personal Favorite

If anyone is interested I have thousands of these seeds and they grow like weeds.  Amazing accent color plant for your garden.  

This specimen is roughly 4 feet high and yielded to me my seeds I have now. 

May self seed over the winter and make a come back. 

*Feel free to contact me for seeds*

Identifying weeds in early Spring

These are just a few for starters.  Will be adding pictures as I spot more.

we all know by now the wild onion weeds, dandelion and chickweed so I refrained from taking those pics.

I know the first two pictures are a thistle plant, but of the weed variety.

 

These other ones from past experience I know are an unwelcome guests.

Pretty sure if you look close in above picture, that white flowering small leaf plant is chickweed, if not, pull it out as well if its in your garden.

 

Bamboo Forest-Edith G. Read Sanctuary, Rye

This is a neat trail of bamboo my Uncle Peter and my Mama introduced me too

This is my Mama standing in front of Bamboo.

Has to be at least 40 ft high. 

*More Pictures too come*

Dividing perennials-- Part 2

     I divided a few other perennials and I will use their common name instead of the Latin description.

These next three pictures are Globe Thistle. Books and articles recommend not dividing them or digging them up but I have a problem with listening.  Like I mentioned in the past, don't believe everything you read!

You can find these guys around fresh sprouting plants in early spring, like right now.
Here is a group just coming up which I am about to dig up.

I have been digging these guys up every year and their root systems go so deep that I somehow don't get all of it and they come right back up every spring.   

Bees simply love these guys and they are quite a conversation starter.

Above photo is just about in full bloom which I love that iridescent look. 

Below is a picture of Globe Thistle in full bloom.

Monkshood is another perennial (below) that I feel you can divide every year in the right growing conditions.

It has a rhizome-like root system.  I dig up clumps and take each individual tuber and plant 6 inches apart.

If you have enough monkshood in one spot, spacing distance will keep these high growing perennials supportive of themselves.   

*Note that pictures taken are from my own garden unless otherwise noted *

Here are newly divided Monkshood in pots.

 This bottom picture is a clump of Monkshood I dug up trying to figure out what to do with.

If anyone would like a baby let me know.

     I dug up a huge clump of Shasta Daisies, I drove a large shovel down on top and quartered clump.  I did same act with ligularia except just in half. I took four separate new clumps and planted elsewhere because I didn't like original spot where plant was growing.  I was given a package of seeds as a gift and I started them and planted seedlings not expecting them to take.  The plant was in a very sunny and dry spot where it thrived in those conditions and was the twice the size of a head of lettuce in two years-incredible!

    

This picture below is Bee Balm, which is my personal favorite. I just scoop the matted perennial parallel to the ground as deep as I can get and treat it like a piece of grass sod.  Below is what a nice mat of bee balm looks like this time of the year.  Just dig same similar shallow hole where bee balm is to be transplanted.  

Lay mat of bee balm down, push in dirt around plant and water one gallon per square foot.

Same can be done with Garden Phlox, Bishops Weed, Forget-me-nots. 

Other Perennials can work but depends on soil which will determine root growth pattern. Plants in moist soil will be easier to dig up and roots wont be digging deep for a water source.  

'Jacobs Cline'

Just found this great link below for further information.

 http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/dividing-perennials.aspx

Mint Garnish Propagation

     I recently dined at a restaurant and kept the mint garnish from an entree. I brought it home and submerged the stem in water for about 3 weeks in a well-lit area inside. You can see the root development and now its ready to be potted. 

 I potted the seedlings in a rich potting soil mix and I will transfer them out into my unheated greenhouse. The seedling should make its way to a mature plant as long its given some TLC.

 

I have just found out from my father this same method can be done discretely by pinching off shoots growing off tomato plants at certain large home supply stores where the plants displayed. 

You can see here in below photo I just stuck the two sprigs in a shot glass and will wait for roots to develop for transplanting.