Smallanthus uvedalius

Triodanis perfoliata

Desmodium canadense

Delphinium exaltatum

Lespedeza violacea

Jay, are there going to be labels on the pictures?

Skip, you are really moving! There is always something to hold us up, isn’t there? Hope your viburnum will be fine. Don’t see why it wouldn’t. Do you have any seedling from your wintersowing coming up yet? Or is it still too early?

I mulched for a couple of hours. Love how clean it looks (if only for a little while) and the smell of it. My back does not love it. Might need a family sized tub of arnica cream for it before I am done. Planning on cleaning up the flower bed around the mailbox tomorrow and mulch it. There is a hickory growing out of a shrub there. Would love to dig it up and plant somewhere, but I doubt I will be able to get it out with enough roots.

Jay, the Salvia lyratas you mentioned yesterday is a plant I had identified on the Name that plant. I think last Summer. Could have just asked you!

Mine are still alive. I checked them yesterday. Wow do I have a mess to clean up! I like Salvia lyrata. Some people think it's a weed.

https://youtu.be/5VgbvAj7Cpk

Jay-the Amorpha fruticosas do not make for good shrubs, they're more like a stick in the ground with a bit of foliage on the top. I'm trying to think of what would be a good woody shrub. Viburnum dentatum maybe, providing it's pruned back every year. Or Lilac Miss Kim but then that is a foreigner. I can't thin of anything that's small and woody around here. Anybody have any ideas?

Forbs are another matter. I'm using Aralia racemosa as a hedge for where used to be Ribes. But I was worried about my White Pines so I ripped them out. The Aralia really fills in nicely. Grows inches per day in mid summer.

Did you grow your Aralia racemosas from seed. I was wondering how big they get in the first year. I think I might order a couple more Aralia spinosas. I love the thorns!

Hey Iris its still a little early for seedlings, but saturday will be almost 70 and there are no freezing nights forecast after that, so I should hopefully see some sprouts soon. You had a huge pile of mulch to move, I know how that goes! I usually just load up the wheel barrow and dump it where I want, then spread it around with a rake. Or I dump it from a bucket for between plants. I got like 12 yards between a neighbors tree removal and the town compost yard last year. I really dont want any more mulch

I made a dent in my pile. It’s not going to be nearly enough. I think there are a lot of Mexican hat seedlings popping up in one of my flower beds. I had plants in the next flower bed, didn’t find them yet. Probably under the bee balm. So I thought your 7a is probably not that far behind my 7b.

Dandy I got a promo email from Prairie Nursery recently with small shrub suggestions-

Comptonia peregrina Sweetfern, Ceanothus americanus NJ tea, Diervilla lonicera Bush Honeysuckle, and Symphoricarpos albus White Snowberry. Theres also Hypericum prolificum and Ilex verticillata Winterberry Holly off the top of my head.

Iris I think 7a is a little optimistic, its more like 6b that was changed to 7a somewhat recently. I think we get a lot more freeze/thaw than SC too.

It’s going to go down to 35 tonight. High on Saturday is going to be 76. My milkweed is probably confused. Non of them are showing yet. Last year there were Monarch eggs about this time.

Jay, what is the location for the shrub you are thinking about?

Iris, are you for sure that the senna obtusifolias will get at least 4 feet? My hebbacarpas do and I use them as shrubs. I tried growing sweetferm a couple times, it's very difficult. I don't think the bush honeysuckle gets very high. There's about 7 Viburnums growing on the shady side of the house. They never bloom and I'm not sure what species they are. I've always wanted to grow winterberry for the birds, but never got around to it. Do any of you grow Sisyrinchium? Not only is my old garden a complete overgrown mess and rat's nest but I just saw yesterday that another whole panel of fence got knocked down. It's in the spot where the Aristolochia and Dioscorea vines are. I'm glad your saving some cudweeds Iris, I want seeds from every kind you find. Skip, I'm growing the cudweeds to see which plants the butterflies prefer. I heard these cudweeds were great magnets. I want to check it out myself. I was wondering if my seedlings could cook in their bins if they germinated early from the added warmth, but then heated up on a freak hot, spring day with the lids on. Hopefully there wont be a warm spell followed directly by high, gusty winds lol. Take off the rocks, loosten the tops, put back the tops, put on the rocks, there's over a hundred bins lol! Never a dull moment.

Jay, mine did. The ones that are growing wild by the brush pile without any watering stayed at about 2.5 to 3 feet. The only picture I found is pretty bad and from June of last year. They certainly were not done growing at that time. I really should take more pictures of whole plants instead of close ups with bugs.

As for the cutweed, there will be plenty for the caterpillars left. Mine does not really grow as upright as most internet pictures. You think over the years they learn that’s the way to avoid the mower? Lots under the trees. Don’t really do any weed whacking if there isn’t anything obvious. And you can’t really see under there if you are not looking. So all is safe.

The person I live with doesn't want me to dig out the privets but I don't care, they're history! He says they block the road and that's bs because they've been dying all the way to the ground for the last 4 years. I'm the one who always cuts them back and cleans out the dead wood. I was debating putting something taller there to act like a small screen for the cars and trucks going by. The solution is a no brainer to me. Just plant a few tithonias in that spot they'll grow tall in no time. Anyways I said I would plant sunflowers as a screen and he freaked out about planting sunflowers in the front but maybe he was picturing a bunch of Helianthus annuus in his head. I never clarified that I meant Mexican sunflowers, which he likes and he's Mexican, not the green thumb type though. I could plant the tithonias there or the Sennas if they get 3 feet taller or more. It's near the front door so I want something that I can watch pollinators on. I'll take some pictures tomorrow. In the front there are 2 beds. One on either side of the sidewalk. One bed is nothing but stell de oro daylilies, the other bed has the 2 privets and a spirea. I wanted to plant a lot of annuals and other pollinator plants in these 2 beds and have them tie into all the other prairie plants that I'll have, growing close by in the yard. In these 2 beds I'll have Zinnias, Cosmos Gomphrena Helenium Phlox, Mexican hat, Yellow coneflower, Polytaenia, Thaspium, Mentzelia, Monarda citriodora, Agastache foeniculum, Erigeron formosissimus, dill cilantro, anise, edible chrysanthemum, Cnidium monnieri, Oenothera pillosa. Maybe a milkweed or 2, or 3 lol!

Iris, I'm not sure yet what those fuzzy leaved plants are, but they are not Plantagos. Are these seedlings growing near a similar leaved parent plant? The leaves seem to be changing, maybe in about 3 days it might be easier to get an ID. I keep thinking mountain mint, but I don't know why.

You mean the ones three pictures up? Pretty sure they are Mexican hat.

They are Mexican hats!

Sedum pulchellum, native.

Sedum ternatum, native!

Sedum glaucophyllum, native!

My seeds are in the mail. No idea what I am going to do with apparently really tiny seeds.

Jay I think Aronia would have been a good choice to replace the privet but I guess you dont want to deal with any root suckers? Physocarpus opulifolius is a clumping shrub that gets pretty large and can handle just about any soil and moisture conditions, but it is kind of sloppy looking. Cornus sericiea/stolonifera is a popular landscape plant too if you dont want to push your roomate too far out of his comfort zone.

I hope the Sedum seeds I sowed germinate ok. They are tiny seeds.

Sedum pusillum, native, but only to South Carolina :(

Sedum pusillum, South Carolina.

Jay-your comment:

"I got a promo email from Prairie Nursery recently with small shrub suggestions-

Comptonia peregrina Sweetfern, Ceanothus americanus NJ tea, Diervilla lonicera Bush Honeysuckle, and Symphoricarpos albus White Snowberry. Theres also Hypericum prolificum and Ilex verticillata Winterberry Holly off the top of my head."

Don't know what that Comptonia is but I have all the others. NJ Tea is nice, I had great germination last year and will be moving them out this spring but have never seen it in bloom yet. Bush Honeysuckle is too small. I transplanted some in with my Aralia hedge and the poor things got smothered, But they do well in dry shade. My white snowberry is crude looking, and sorta spindly. Winterberry is big and tall, 6' or so but wants to be on the wet side. The St Johns Wart might be ok but smallish I think. My latest Prairie moon catalog has a list of shrub heights, water needs, and sun. Look thru there.

I have Sysyrincium here too. It's on the delicate side and won't survive unless it has its own private room! I grew the Aralia racemosa from seed in outside bed in fall. Musta had 500 seedlings following spring. I'm still trying to find room for them all!

The Componias are hard to grow. I read that if you take them from the wild they always die. Maybe they need some special kind of beneficial fungus or something but they are beautiful and their aromatic amell is awesome. I'll try them again in the near future. I know they like dry, sandy soil. I thought the bush honeysuckle was too small also. I'm growing Triosteum perfoliatum. It's in the honeysuckle family but it only grows to a couple feet too. I'm not really looking for shrubs. I have the New Jersey Tea and I'm growing the buttonbush. I might have ordered the vining Lonicera flava if Missouri Wildflowers had, had it in stock. The reticulata is a cool vine too. I've been growing the sempervirens for years. I'm going to reach down with my hori hori and sever those main arteries on those nasty privets! I don't really want to replace the privets with more shrubs. There will actually be more screening happening from all the other prairie plants in that area. The walkway itself I want lined with all the colorful, annual, pollinator flowers. I think there really is a huge benefit to using mycorrhizal fungi with milkweeds. All the ones I've used it with are very healthy and have strong root systems. I really like Aronias but I don't want to deal with the suckers. I still need to clean up my Amelanchier. I have to remove all the landscape fabric circling it and then root prune the suckers. I read on orher sites that the Senna obtusifolia gets a lot taller than 21/2 feet. I don't understand why Illinois Wildflowers says that.

I ID'd the Viburnums that are in deep shade. They are Viburnum dentatum. I'd like to move a few of them into sunnier areas. They haven't bloomed in years and they hardly grow anymore. The Diervilla honeysuckle sounds interesting. I need plants for dry shade.

Viburnum dentatum

Viburnum dentatum

Viburnum dentatum.

Viburnum dentatum

Viburnum dentatum

Viburnum dentatum

The berries on my Viburnum dentatum aren't blue like that. Those pictures might be from some cultivar. The ones growing in my yard popped up on their own after the oak trees came crashing down(the chainsaw massacre!).

The bottom pic looks photoshopped. I vaguely remember the ones here having fruit like the one in the middle pic. I think this oak covered hill I'm on used to have a lot of wildflowers, but the only plants still holding on are the spring beauties.

The 7 sisters!

https://youtu.be/IQk4tZrCMSM

Cosmic background radiation peacock spider.

Matelea, Illinois native

Exotic Stapeliad.

Microloma.

Matelea, Illinois native.

Jay, did you take pictures of the area you were talking about last night? I didn’t get as far as I wanted today. Doesn’t help to stare at plants and trying to decide if they are good or bad. Didn’t get the little Hickory out either. That little thing had roots! Bummer.

I took a picture but it wouldn't upload. It's ok to use Tithonias. I could use an Aronia where the red barberry is. I had an Aronia once before. I raised a Cecropia cat on it.

I am just thinking that this will be blocking the view for just a short time. But long enough to think if you want to plant a shrub there in Fall, I guess.

Did you have to cut the hickory down then Iris?

I might have some time tomorrow to move my Clethras from the front side yard along the road to the shade in the back yard. The Clethras werent doing so great in mesic clay in full sun anyway. I have some big bluestem in containers I can plant in its place. The Rudbeckia laciniata will look better peaking up behind the grass too.

I bought 2 new machetes. One has teeth. Got to get all the power cutters and saws ready! Already have the brush killer lol.

The nice thing about growing a lot of species is you get to find out all the plants that do well in your area all in one season! Very time saving.

I sharpened my limb saw not too long ago. I usually use pruners/loppers and the saw, but a machete sounds like more fun. In a couple weeks Ill have a whole day to tackle the brush. I'll fire up the brush cutter and chainsaw if necessary.

I did. I just have two very small hickories. One shagbark and one mockernut. They didn’t really grow any the two years they have been there. Would have loved to have another one.

I keep getting this same notification to grow the Aronia. All right I'm growing it. Did you find any new mystery weeds Iris? Skip, do you grow blue eyed grass? I'll be moving some plants from the old place to the new place. The redbud at the old garden was cut down but new shoots have grown about 5 feet. I need to cut them down and paint them with weed killer. That's the area where the ephemerals are. A lot of plants need to be thinned and a lot just taken out.

Maybe you will get some of these on your hickories.

Those bugs are incredible! I wintersowed a whole packet of blue eyed grass seeds in 30 cells but I dont have any blue-eyed grass growing yet. I want to edge along my driveway with it, mixed with other short plants. I have 3 stumps with sprouts that need to be removed but theres really no rush. The sprouts can easily be removed or pruned to maintain size each winter.

Every day, Jay! The mulching has me worn out enough to have mellowed my attitude for now though. It’s more of a “and what are you?” Instead of a “what on Earth are you and should I get rid of you immediately?!” kind of thing. So many things with tiny flowers.

Um, the top one is interesting. It looks like chickweed or that family. I'll figure it out. The bottom, I don't kmooow. A plantain? They all look scruffy from the rain. Skip, you sowed flats of Sissyronchium? I know that ain't right haha, you don't want to know lol! You have blue eyed grass sown for this spring or last year? If for this spring, then why would you be expecting them to be germinating already????? :)

Sorry about my nonmenclature meltdown!!!

It’s ok, Jay. I will not figure them all out. There were some seedlings that looked like mint. Didn’t take pictures. They didn’t smell like it though, but had a very nice smell. Reminded me of something. A lot going on! I think my first plants should arrive week after next. Oh boy!

That reminds me to email a nusery I just ordered some medicinal plants from. I wanted them to hold off sending for a few weeks. I was going to try the medicinals from seed. One is an Astragalus propinquus. It was formerly Astralagus membranaceus. I soaked the seeds and rubbed a few with sandpaper, and they swelled up just like the popcorn cassia seeds. And just like the popcorn cassia seeds these never popped after 5 days so I really wanted these plants for my health and I just decided to order them all. While I was there I saw another one that I wanted but was going to hold off on but, it was a weak moment so I ordered that one too lol. Anyways it is what it is.

Iris, I have 1 other light I can keep plants under, but I'd rather get them when I can plant them. The plants under the light are looking like a jungle. I think the mycorrhiza made everything grow faster, had I known......

We a supposed to get rain for the next 3 days. It's good for the plants but makes it muddy. I need truckloads of mulch too.

I sowed the Sisyrinchium this past december, still waiting to see if they germinate. They should come up this spring right? I dont expect them to flower this year but at least I can get 30 of them, a small colony, in the ground growing and preparing to flower next year.

I wintersowed them in a flat last year too, but my row cover ripped and made like a chute that directed water straight into the tray, and a lot of the soil, and presumably seeds too, washed away. No germination from that tray.

In my garden they spread like garic chives. I was using them as partial edging, not a complete line. Mine are very tough plants. I moved them away from the ephemerals because they were getting weedy in there. I don't know what species it is, I never got around to iding it, but it's one of the popular native species they sell around here. Maybe one of these days I'll start collecting all the species lol. I have a lot of canopy I need to open up here! A lot!!! I hear thunder.

I just looked at that Ribes missouriense picture you posted earlier and I am 99% sure I ripped some of that out of my back yard last year. I remember being shocked when I first saw all the thorns but I thought it was Rugosa Rose. Now looking at the leaves on that Ribes, they look so familiar.

I guess to get a proper id. I want to pay money for it. My local (?) native nursery has that and the R. americanus that I want too. They also have Aronias and Prunus serotina and virginiana. They have a nice tree and shrub collection. They sell American chestnut.

https://www.possibilityplace.com/our-plants

I don't think I'm getting pictures anymore.

Nobody has put any pics on lately. Can you see these?

Nope!

I can’t see them either. I was hoping this lasts until your seeds are sprouting. It was 30 degrees last night. Hopefully the last time.

Ok, I'll start another.