General questions about mixing in other perennials

14 years ago

Well, my gardens are quite green now. The Russian Sage is blooming and has gotten huge in one year and flops over everywhere.

Q.#1 - How can I get my Russian Sage under control? Cut back in early July?

My echinacea (purple cone flowers) are still blooming in my daylily bed as well and my pink coreopsis which is a bit purpley. I just went to 2 garden centers and there were almost NO perennials blooming. One had some tall daisies blooming.

Q.#2 - What perennials can I add that will still be blooming (or start blooming later) in August? I'm in zone 6. I have mums and sedum waiting to bloom.

I have black-eyed susans blooming, but not in my daylily beds. I'm afraid they will take over.

Thanks so much!

Natanya

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Comments (7)

buyorsell888
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I usually cut my Russian sage back by half in late June. It does help. As does less water but since mine are near daylilies and clematis and roses that isn't really possible.

'Rozanne' hardy geranium is a long bloomer that is purple and still blooms in fall for me. It does billow throughout the bed, got a lot bigger than I expected, not the neat little mounds that it was the first year.

There are various upright sedums that are late bloomers. I have 'Autumn Joy' but there are newer ones with purple or variegated foliage, darker flowers and that are shorter too.

I have hardy fuchsias and caryopteris too but I don't know if they'd make it in your zone. They bloom long and late for me.

I've had bad luck with Echinaceas.
justmetoo
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I use a wide range of perennials, annuals, shrubs and various hues of foliage to pull the garden thru the season.

With only about 25 different daylilies currently still giving blooms I depend on things like hibiscus, hydrangea, various coreopsis, heuchera, angel thrumpets (don't do that with your kids, they are dangerous to them) moon flower vine , hardy geranium, rudbeckia hirta, butterfly bush, different salvia, lantana, daisies (Becky is blooming), the cut back nepeta is up and blooming again.

You might try the dark sedums with darker foliage and purple stems and a few of the dark heuchera if you like foliage but don't want just green--too much blooms and no foliage or various texture sometimes does not give the eye a rest. I've added some 'mini' type shrubs that bloom spring or summer and then have leaves turn color in the fall in the borders and like a couple various dark leaved ninebarks in yet another area as a backdrop.

There's lots of stuff available out there, but it usually takes a few years to really get things going to get the mixed border from spring to fall. My 'jungle' , as my family calls it, went up in stages over a course of a number of years, I just had to be sure every time I stopped that it looked 'complete' and not half done.

Over in FAQ section at top of Perennial forum is an old archived "Little Known Plants For Fall Gardens" that has some August/Sept perennials. We use to do one of those a year over a few years but that is the only one I saw readily.

One thing to keep in mind if you decide to mix things in is to look-up a possible and research a bit to be sure it does not have runners, terrible reseeding ect. You'd not want anything to take over your daylilies or any other beds/borders.

I use a shorter Perovskia/Russian sage "Little Spire" , it's a bit easier to control and if all else fails I dig out the skinny green pea sticks and fishing line, it blends right in.

Since Rita pointed out Westbourne daylilies I'm going to order some from there that are their latest bloomers and see if I can't get some bloom from them mid-late here. While I have a number of lates here, they were all bred by regional growers, except for a few by Apps, Darrow and Bristol. I want some new daylily faces in the August/September garden.
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shive
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My Hakone and Mariesi balloon flowers are still blooming, and my Becky Shasta daisy has blooms through September. Aster Viking Star starts blooming in August and continues through October. Garden phlox bloom through most of August, if you keep deadheading. Caryopteris shrubs and Heliopsis are nice for late color.

Debra
blue23rose
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Some of what I have, you have already mentioned and others that I have may be bigger than what you are looking for. Even though we are both zone 6, I am not sure if NJ winters are harder than southern IN. Here's what I have that is blooming or getting ready to, and as you can see my daylilies are done for the most part:(

I purchased two CARYOPTERIS (Blue Mist Spirea 'Dark Knight') last year and they have gotten 2'Hx5'W this year. Some hard wind twisted the one in the back of this pic and it split in the middle but is still blooming. It is propped up with a little fencing. Shown with DOUBLE KNOCK-OUT ROSE.

BLUE MIST SPIREA close-up

Another pic of Blue Mist Spirea with NINEBARK 'Summer Wine'. Ninebark bloomed in the spring, but I love the dark accent in the bed.

HARDY PERENNIAL SALVIA - many varieties, some bloom in spring and if cut back will bloom again like "May Knight". List of different Salvias: http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/specials.specDetail/recID/33/index.htm

MEADOW SAGE 'May Knight' (Perennial Salvia). This one blooms in spring, then I cut it back by half and now it is blooming again.

BLACK-EYED SUSAN and a hint of Blue CORNFLOWER on the right. I have found that these do re-seed easily, but are so easy to pull out, I can be very selective about where I want them to grow and where I don't. Same with COSMOS, RUDBECKIA, BALLOON FLOWER, and GARDEN PHLOX.

I also like RUSSIAN SAGE and have about six plants, but like you said, they are getting kind of rangy. I didn't know they could be cut back in June. Will try that next year.

JAPANESE ANEMONE "Prince Heinrich' is new for me last year, but it made it through the winter and it's getting ready to bloom now. Lots of buds so am looking forward to seeing it.

LAVENDER. I am not sure how hardy lavender would be for you. I have Hidcote and Munstead. One of them did die, but the other three came back.

COREOPSIS 'Moonbeam' blooms very long and if I cut back the 'Zagreb' variety that blooms in June, I can usually get a decent rebloom.

SHASTA DAISIES 'Becky' is blooming now and I keep the spent blooms cut so it will go a little longer.

LIRIOPE (Lily Turf) is a nice low grassy ground cover that is starting to bloom here. I like it because it is only about 6-8" high and can be put in front of so many other plants.

CRAPEMYRTLES do well here and I have six that are all blooming now. 'Pocomoke' is a nice rounded variety that is about 3x3' and I've had it about 5 years.

ASTERS is the one thing that has not bloomed well for me, but it is a fall plant.

Love the Perennial website linked below because you can search by zone, color, season, and characteristic.

Vickie

Here is a link that might be useful: www.Perennials.com
njmomma
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for the pics and everyone's suggestions! I do have coreopsis moonbeam as well, just not in my daylily bed. I divided it this year and gave half to my parents. I'll wait till I can divide it again to add it to my other beds.

I also have salvia and it's reblooming since I cut it back last month. I just got it this year and it does grow fast!

You have more room than I do so I can't go for the bigger things, but I love your double knock out roses.

Thanks again! I'm off to look all these up!
Natanya
sann777
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like to use Mealy Cup Sage (Victoria Blue) I've had a few
plants at my mailbox for several years now. Also, Blue
Plumbago is low growing and a pretty blue. I also have lots Garden Phlox. Here are pictureshttp://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss212/sarahanngipson/DSC04532.http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss212/sarahanngipson/DSC04532.jpg
sann777
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry - I'm new At This Posting Pictures Ugh

General questions about mixing in other perennials

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buyorsell888

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General questions about mixing in other perennials

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buyorsell888

justmetoo

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