Need ideas for perennial cut flowers for east facing bed
steve22802
15 years ago
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diggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years agosteve22802
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Things to do for preparing a perennial flower bed
Comments (6)I second ycmahesh's opinion on weed mat and on stone mulch - bark is a much better alternative. Just keep all mulch away from the crowns of the plants to avoid rotting them. A soil test is always a good investment. This is a case of "do as I say, not as I do", though, as lots of gardeners skip this step - I know I have not had as many soil tests done as I should have had. You did not mention which direction this bed faces - is it to the north, south, east, or west of your house? Is it in full sun, part sun, mostly shade? Are there gutters on your house, and what kind of roof overhang do you have - is part of this bed under an overhang? Please reconsider the depth of the bed - 20 x 4 is too narrow and may look surprisingly skimpy. If you can get close to a 1 to 3 ratio, and at least 6 feet deep, it will be much better looking and will allow you more flexibility to have a variety of plant sizes. The 3' closest to the house may be *very* dry, and you need to leave some space for access to the side of the house for various tasks like painting, residing, window glazing ... these activities wreak havoc on a garden, and contractors (or relatives) will not understand that they're breaking your heart when they tromp on the soil. Instead of plastic weed barrier, you can use newspaper under bark mulch; you can fold it up so pieces fit between newly planted perennials; when the time comes to move things around the paper will have decomposed. The newspaper will last long enough to smother the bits of grass that are trying to re-sprout, if you make them about 3 pieces thick. Since you don't have time for a lasagna bed, you may want to remove the sod with a flat spade and put it into a compost bin for later use. This works better than tilling it into the soil, because the clumps will resprout at an alarming rate. The depth to which you need to till will vary - here we sometimes have hardpan under the soil, sometimes not. If you run into fast-draining sand under your soil, you can leave it alone. I sometimes dig down about 2' but only if I'm including plants like peonies (which will be there for decades) or if I'm using plants that need really good drainage. This is about the maximum ever needed for perennials, I think, and you can easily get away with half that, maybe less. But! ... you get only one chance to start a new bed, so make the most of it. I don't use purchased top soil in beds, as it tends to be of uneven quality and full of weed seeds. I mix in lots of organic amendments with the local soil - aged manure, compost, leaf mould, coffee grounds, whatever I can get. Peat moss can be a problem, and you might want to research that before you use it. Keep us posted, please; this sounds like a fun project....See MoreBuilding new Perennials Beds and fountain care need suggestions??
Comments (2)I have about a dozen Phlox's but have never been able to keep Starfire alive - you might have better luck with David (pure white) or Bright Eyes (pink with a darker pink eye) instead. Also the lobelias need shade and moist conditions (the cardinal more than the blue). Becky has been the best shasta for me. Coreopsis is bullet proof and will bloom for a long time but the new red one, Mahogany something, is not hardy here. I personally don't like gaudy bright gold-yellow but wouldn't be without Coreopsis Moonbeam, a softer sulfur yellow. Be sure to add in some early and late bloomers too. Good luck. Louise...See MorePlanting ideas for east facing fence
Comments (6)Honeysuckle - be sure you get a native, non-invasive variety. Clematis virginiana - although native, some, including Cornell U., consider this plant "weedy and invasive" Trumpet creeper - I'd stay away from this one - take a look at the USDA/NRDC fact sheet before buying: http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_cara2.pdf Be prepared to control any of these assertive vining plants, including the passiflora incarnata (passionflower vine, a/k/a Maypop) ... I have one and it spreads underground, popping up all over, even 8 feet away from the parent plant. What I see as missing is some year-round interest. How about some deciduous and evergreen shrubs (either needled or broad-leaved), spring bulbs, fall color? There are so many; just a few: Leucothoe is a native broad-leaf evergreen with small flowers similar to those on pieris; it is available in green and variegated varieties. Fothergilla, deciduous, early spring small white bottle-brush flowers, bright yellow fall foliage. If you have enough sun, winterberry holly will provide bright red berries for your visual enjoyment and the birds' sustenance through winter. You'll need male & female plants, unless someone in your neighborhood has a male plant. Ninebark (physocarpus) 'Diabolo' has deep red leaves that would echo your 'Forest Pansy' redbud. Digitalis is a biennial, so will die after its second year (or so they say ... I swear mine lived three), but will re-seed if it is happy. Herbaceous perennials, it's sooo hard to choose. Tiarella is one of my favorites, available in many varieties, some with red markings on the leaves; attractive leaves long after the delicate flowers are gone. Lungwort (plumbago) will form a nice groundcover in a shady spot; some varieties have silver-speckled leaves to brighten the shade; spring-blooming flowers start out pink and open blue, though some varieties will stay pink. Dicentras also - d. eximia is fern leaf bleeding heart, reblooms at end of summer when weather cools down; d. cucullaria is Dutchman's breeches. If you have at least half-sun, purple coneflower will give a decent bloom season and if you don't deadhead, birds, especially goldfinches, will really appreciate the seeds. Whatever they don't eat will sprout next spring. Native ginger also makes a nice groundcover in shade, and has the most interesting (if well-hidden) little flowers. There are so many to choose from - we are truly blessed here in the Garden State - I shouldn't even get started. I've left out tons of wonderful plants ... explore the web, local nurseries, public gardens (Mt. Cuba in Delaware and Bowman's Hill near New Hope PA are just two that focus on native plants). If you're anywhere near Monmouth County, stop in at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and check out the second largest horticultural library in the state (while you're there, ask for a copy of the list of Native Plants That Thrive in Monmouth County ... oh and the NPSNJ native plant list is printed out, arranged alphabetically by common name as well as by scientific name). I realize you want privacy, but try not to rush it - enjoy the process. The Native Plant Society of NJ has plant lists on their website - npsnj.org The NJ Invasive Species Strike Team has lots of information about all kinds of invasive species (plants, insects, mammals, pathogens) and a "Do Not Plant List" ... with so many invasives available commercially, I wish everyone had a laminated copy in their glove compartment! On his website, Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Dept. of of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, U of Delaware, has lists of the top beneficial plans for various regions. He also has an excellent essay on the importance of supporting wildlife through our gardening/landscaping efforts. bringingnaturehome.net P.S. Deep Cut Gardens is a county park, so no admission or parking fees. This post was edited by agardenstateof_mind on Fri, May 24, 13 at 19:18...See MoreNeed ideas, small flower bed, zone 4
Comments (13)Here are a couple of links that have recommendations for Clematis that do well in part shade. clematis tolerant of shade Clematis varieties that tend to do well in more shady spots What will do well in how much shade will vary some depending on where you are, so you might want to add that info to your profile so it comes up in your posts. (I've given directions below.) Edging plants for part shade that I've grown in my acid sandy loam: -Veronica Georgia Blue is low with tidy foliage, but wanders a bit nonaggressively in the garden so it may need occasional trimming back from the walk way. -Campanula 'Blue Clips' or 'White Clips' Any of the Hostas with Mouse Ears in their name Alyssum, a self-seeding annual Sunpatiens annual Begonia - in the shadier spots; nonhardy perennial, so you can dig or take cuttings to overwinter indoors. If you are going to widen the bed, I'd also either cut a V edge or bury to the very rim (so the grass will hide it) some of the black plastic rolled rim edging. Otherwise you will be fighting to keep the grass out. (Actually, I'd do this regardless of whether you widen it or not. Life's too short to fight grass in the garden!) Here are the directions for adding zone/location information: Go to Your Houzz in upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums along with a link to find your zone. If you add info on your state or the nearest large city you will get even better information since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures. Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing....See Moregullywash
15 years agosteve22802
15 years agobusylizzy
15 years agodiggerdee zone 6 CT
15 years agosteve22802
15 years agoprairiegirlz5
15 years ago
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diggerdee zone 6 CT