OT Peony Poppies with roses - good idea in theory, but...
They aren't supposed to grow 5 ft are they? I mean... What the heck?! It is at least a foot taller than my Love Song rose tree standard! I grew them from seed and at least this one is the color it is supposed to be, but whoa they are so weird, tall and gangly looking! Anyone else out there try peony poppies with your roses? They really are cool looking, but I won't be trying these again this close to the roses. Maybe in a different area where they can grow this tall and gangly without looking out of place. This is my first time trying peony poppies and I just wasn't expecting something so freakishly tall and alien looking!
Here is another 5 ft one about to open. Aren't they weird? I thought they were supposed to be 2-3 ft!
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Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
7 years ago
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
7 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)Related Discussions
What are your theories of landscape design?
Comments (50)I started mine with the image of a butterfly, whose body was a path covered with arches. Somehow it never looked right. The wings were not even because they ran into obstacles like fences. IT was too formal a design for my manufactured home and I did not want to mess with boxwood edges. Last year I started rearranging it to uneven rounded shapes bysected by the large grassy path under the arbor. I find it much more pleasing now but wish some of the beds were bigger. THey are basically and loosely arranged by color(I need a much large blue section now that I am into The blue tone roses), and some roses still need to be moved to accomplish that. When I started really moving them some were flowerless sticks that were not doing well and the labels had been lost. Now I have pink Peace in the middle of the apricot bed which does rather startle the eyes in a nice way. This year I am Trying to get them all relabled and mark the ones to be moved this fall, while they are in flower. I have mixed in a lot of perennials for early and inbetween blooms...nothing formal here except the copper arches of the path...and have one more to go where the path opens out at the end. atleast I have the climbers growing for it(Abraham Darby And Polka) (2 Graham Thomas,) (Night owl and Don Juan),(Porlandia and Grace). I started with a lot of Austins and have them planted on the arches and along the driveway fence. THe others I mostly moved to a seperate English Rose Garden that is for cutting mostly. (I sell flowers) I would not be without Teasing Georgia, Graham THomas, Abraham Darby , Pat Austin and Windrush as my "High" givers however. When they bloom, my friend refers to my garden as "Obscene"! Now they are resting and I am encouraging the hybrid teas and floribundas to get on with the program! I mix in perennials where ever I can find a spot. My Garden theme? Generous and Blowsy! And Fragrant. And do not ask for photos...I have not found one spot on my flat ground or low porch that can take a good photograph...but you should smell the garden on a sunny evening! I take lots of closeup shots of the individual roses. OH yes, the back drop is Nw forest of Madrona and Douglas fir and big leaf maple. The Central Path wanders on through the grass garden and into the raspberry patch and the orchard. EVentually part of the garden (The pink Bed) will wander into a very quiet Asian Serenity garden. which was the MOon Garden where the Moon never shone on the front of it but alway as a back light....who would have thunk it!...See Moreopium poppy seeds wanted
Comments (46)Caroline, my poppy seedlings this year are still tiny and they have come up very thick. All I do is wait until about January, then I scatter the seed where I want the poppies to grow, as I haven't had good luck transplanting poppies. I don't cover the seed or even tamp them down. I'm still kind of new at growing poppies, this being only my second year, and I did worry about the birds coming along and eating the seed so at first I covered the bed with some old curtain sheers that I keep for use in the garden. But at some point one end came loose from the edge and I watched closely and didn't see any birds coming to the raised bed to eat, so I took the sheers off and just ignored them until early spring, when I was out one day and noticed lots of little seedlings up. They have ridden out numerous nights of freezing temps and the only thing I did was to water from time to time during a dry spell. It may be that planting in the fall is too early to plant? Maybe they broke dormancy too soon and then dried out, or maybe the birds ate the seed? Maybe they were covered too deep in the soil? At any rate one would think a few of them would've survived, from planting that many. You should have seedlings up by now if they've been out all winter, though. You might try stirring the top layer of soil up a little. When something doesn't germinate for me, I have a spot in one of the raised beds where I spread the dirt from ungerminated plantings. Sometimes things come up the next year out of that dirt!...See MoreOT: the true joys of gardening
Comments (11)Jackie and BirdsLoveRoses, cyclamen are classed as "florist's"--tender varieties bred from C. persicum--and "hardy" kinds. The ones you buy in pots for winter display are the non-hardy kind. Specialist bulb suppliers often offer hardy cyclamen corms. The hardiest and commonest is C. hederifolium, alias C. napolitanum. This is a great cyclamen, though scentless, handsome, vigorous, and seeds generously. After it, in hardiness, come varieties like C. cilicium, similar to C. hederifolium, C. coum (blooms later winter to spring), C. repandum, which I don't have, but is naturalized in parts of Great Britain, and our native Italian C. purpurascens, fragrant, reputed to be fussier than these others, and which I don't have. I may try it one day. By the way, I've had some limited success in carrying florist's cyclamen through to the next winter. I believe I killed one last year by over-watering in during its summer rest--probably best to let them dry out--but have had another for several years. This winter it didn't bloom for the first time, and I suspect I need to repot it entirely, rather than just topping up the compost. I've heard about fragrant florist's cyclamen, but apprently scent is rather hit-and-miss, and generally hasn't been bred for. Thanks for the mention of 'Victoria'. Breeders of florist's cyclamen may be discovering an interest in fragrance. About violets, there are American species, too, though I don't know much about them, or whether your violet might be a western species. One small, dark, scentless as I recall, American violet is V. labradorica, which I remember seeing naturalized in western Washington. I just checked the Wikipedia entry, and it says V. riviniana, a European species, is often sold as V. labradorica. Oh, the confusion. I recall V. labradorica as lower-growing than most violets, with dark blooms and foliage flushed violet, and a great spreader. My violets occasionally get disease, too, including the curled thick leaves, but they outgrow it. And they bloom like mad. The only scented violet I know of is the sweet violet, V. odorata, common here and wonderfully variable, though we have other wild species locally. I had a named sweet violet in my garden in Olympia, probably 'Blue Czar' or 'Royal Robe'. It lasted for years, bloomed regularly, and smelled really great (the whole plants smells like violets, not just the flowers), but I don't recall it seeding, as my sweet violets here do. It might be worth trying sweet violets, which ought to be available from specialist nurseries. BirdsLoveRoses, 'Sulphurea' is a classic variety: you should be able to find it. Ooooh, interesting: while browsing about looking into buying oppportunities for 'Sulphurea', I noticed that it evidently is not a single clone, but a seed-grown type. So my "Daughters of 'Sulphurea'" fall right into gardening tradition. This entry is getting really long, so I'll stop, though I would like to take up peonies later. Two last notes, though: while browsing around double-checking my facts while writing this, I found a blog called LaidbackGardener, which had an excellent article on keeping florist's cyclamen for years. Also, the violet disease question. This wouldn't apply to native American violets which are adapted to local weather patterns, but violets native to Italy, like Viola odorata, are used to wet cool winters and hot dry summers. They might object to regular summer water. I never water any of mine except for a while after transplanting. Actually, so might western native violets, which would likewise be adapted to summer drought....See More(OT) The garden in early April
Comments (8)Hello, bart! It's good to hear from you. For the hay, we asked around. We bought forty tons one year early on, after everybody cut their grass and then it began to rain and didn't stop for five weeks, and all the hay was spoiled. That was a buyer's market, goodness. For a few years we got old hay, that stuff you see rotting in the field, from various suppliers, finally settling on some farmers up in the mountains. They collect the hay, from whom we don't know, and deliver it to us by tractor, moving the bales around to where we need them in the garden. We pay, or have up to now paid 240 euros for fifteen 400kg bales (the price may go up with recent inflation). The hay itself has no value to anyone but us; we're paying for delivery. This supply may keep us going for a couple of years. The environmental advantages are clear: the old hay is locally sourced and is sustainable, and is a resource for us while it's just waste for everybody else. About brambles, the only way I know to deal with them is the hard way. I approach them with pruners, and a lopper for really large canes, cut as much of the bramble as I can reach, drag it off, and chop it into bits with the pruners, then scatter the bits as mulch. Repeat. I've cut down quite sizeable areas of brambles this way, though it takes time. The good thing is that, once cut down, brambles struggle to come back: grass sprouts where they grew, and, although the brambles return the following year, they're much weaker and can be cut down in a tenth the time it took before. You have to keep them from building up strength again, though. I suspect you already know all that about brambles. I imagine you'll get better advice than I could offer from your husband about suitable postures and positions from which to work. I think we watered once since planting in the winter, in the warm dry period in later winter, I think it was. We got an inch or so of rain several days back, and last night a most unexpected episode of hail, and this morning the air is fresh and the ground, to my surprise, is damp. So I hope we'll be good for some days to come. How are things going in your garden? How's your weather? I think your, my, and Sheila's garden motto is "Sempre in salita" (Always uphill), but then some plants do well here and there, and we see positive changes to the soil and the flora, and we feel pretty good about what we're doing. Would you consider writing a description of your garden? I remember that several years ago, exceptionally, I wrote an essay, with photos, of ours, for the forum here. I'm curious about your garden, as I've mentioned before....See MoreCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoHere's another opening. The flowers are bizarre and beautiful. But the plant is just weirdly gangly. I agree with you Bart!
Even when it grows less gangly and like it is supposed to (at least I think this is how it is supposed to look), it is still strange. Please excuse the naked Paradise rose bloom. Just defoliated it.
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoHuh. It's opening very slowly in a vase inside with the AC (didn't singe it since I didn't know I should do that when I first cut these).
Outside it opens up FAST and looks like it wants to blow fast.
I definitely find these curious. I will have to save some seeds for next year for sure. I hope I can find a better spot for these because they do add some drama and bizarre interest to the garden.
Embothrium
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked Embothriumsultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoEmbothrium
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agobrytanica1
6 years ago
ArbutusOmnedo 10/24
6 years agoI love them! I have some with roses and others in mixed perennial borders. Annie's has loads of fun poppies. I'll buy one plant and have tons of seeds for years to come.
Here's a Pink Peony form that is mixed with Statice, Jupiter's Beard, and others. This particular plant is only 2.5' I'd guess. 'Drama Queen' always pushes 4.5'-5'. 'Lauren's Grape' tends toward 3.5'-4'.
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked ArbutusOmnedo 10/24Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoArbutusOmnedo 10/24
6 years agoLauren's Grape from a few weeks ago.
Drama Queen from several years ago. That border extends beyond where the photo cuts off and most of the lawn is gone now.
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked ArbutusOmnedo 10/24Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoI do like this combo with the purple, pink and Paradise.
They like the heat we have been having and don't seem to need water at all... so I have decided they can come back next year. I like them in this spot with the waist high raised gardenbeds. It's a good place for their height.
The antique pink ones are really pretty.
Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill Country
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked Lynn-in-TX-Z8b- Austin Area/Hill CountryCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Dingo2001 - Z5 Chicagoland
6 years agosultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
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Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley ORCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoDiane unfortunately it seems that none of the other pink poppies came up... only that one (which I think is the antique rose), so we can't compare pinks. But... a black one just bloomed and it's a deep, dramatic purple-black!
It's the most gangly looking thing though! 5 ft tall and awkward!
Wonderful in the back of a bed I think, with lots of other stuff I front and around it. Next year that's where the seedlings will go.
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoOh! Maybe with sweet peas around in addition to Phacelia. They seem to all bloom around the same time in my yard. I think these dark ones would look good with the "black" peony poppy.
Next year this gardening experiment will be much better I think. The poppies that Arbutus has look wonderful in his garden so it seems to be worth trying again.
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
6 years agoEmbothrium
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoCori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy
6 years agoArbutusOmnedo 10/24
6 years ago
I love a very full, cottage look, so I tend to actively seed poppies in areas I know will be more densely planted come spring. I loved how the poppies emerged from drifts of Jupiter's Beard, Statice, Lomandra in shadier spots, and some other plants in the front yard. It helped limit the sight of the lanky plants certainly.
Amidst the roses that are grown in a more traditional way, the poppies stand out like sore thumbs. However, I love the flowers and it's not a public rose garden, ha. I can grow lanky poppies and not feel one bit worse for it. I tried some of the 'Erewhon' and 'Blue Shift' Sweet Peas from Annies in that area this year and they were beautiful! Great cut flowers. It's probably a bit cooler here though. I had them on lattice amidst other climbers. 'Jeri Jennings' is next to some volunteer dark purple sweet peas. The picture above shows some sweet pea foliage, but the flowers mostly finished before 'Jeri' started blooming recently.
Right now I've got Nigella springing up in an area that is almost exclusively populated by succulent/drought tolerant plants. It's a strange look, but fun until I consider that I'll need serious gauntlets to rip out the dead Nigella soon. Puya are amazing until you weed around them and I'm mostly growing the smaller types like P. mirabilis and alpestris. A lot like roses actually!ArbutusOmnedo 10/24
6 years agoAnd Diane, that is exactly the sort of thing my mom would do. She has been planning to dedicate a small area in her backyard just to black/brown flowers. We both have Bat Flowers and I'm always on the look out for oddities in that realm.
nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
6 years agoArbutus, that is the best looking bat flower I've ever seen (in a photo, since I've never seen it "in person"). Are they hard to grow? I want one!
Cori Ann, you might try Lauren's Dark Grape poppy---be sure to get the DARK Grape seed. There is a difference. Lauren's Grape is much lighter. Diane
Lauren's Dark Grape Poppies and Rosemoor Clematis
Lauren's Grape--see the difference? They're both great, though.
Cori Ann - H0uzz violated my privacy thanked nanadollZ7 SWIdahoArbutusOmnedo 10/24
6 years ago
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