I can only find one T, tanacetum parthenium. It self seeds quite a bit. Most get weeded out, but this one escaped.

Trollius:

Like the colour and flower shape of Trollius chinensis 'Golden Queen'.

Find one advantage of globeflowers is that they help to fill a slow time in our perennial flowering, namely the end of spring.

Not many pictures of the Thalictrums. Think the reason is that they tend to be unfortunately hidden away at the back of the perennial beds.

The taller one should be 'Black Stockings' but the stem's the wrong colour. The shorter's probably species T. aquilegifolium, which along with T. rochebrunianum seems to last for ever.

sunnyborders the Trillium with the Primula is such a great combo! A large patch of Trillium is always a beautiful sight. Deer have strange eating habits from one herd to another & one location to another. Pity they munch yours at the cottage. They leave them alone here, knock on wood, since they are too busy trying to eat the rest of my garden. Nasty beasts.

north53 I have always thought T. p. to be such a pretty plant. Some seeders are just worth having and I am glad this one made it through the cull and on to this page. So cheerful!

sunnyborders I could not agree more! I am a big fan of 'Golden Queen'.

Despite the fact that it might not be 'Black Stockings' it is a standout. It has such a rich colour and great foliage. Yes, now that you mention the longevity aquilegifolium has been in my garden for decades. I have never grown rochebrunianum but love the look of it. Have you grown some that were relatively short lived?

Down here, Peren, I now find that the worst problem is rabbits; notably eating the flowers off spring bulbs and the like. We need more foxes to keep the rabbit population in check.

I'm certainly not a Thalictrum aficionado, Perenn, but have planted, over 20 years, a dozen different Thalictrum species or cultivars in our garden. Most are gone; the most recent was T. kiusianum, which was good for one year! We have paid attention to watering, in the past, but the Thalictrums have almost always gone at the back of flower beds, where it's not always so easy to keep an eye on them. I would say that, at least our T. rochebrunianum, is too tall for gardens such as our one. It's also too lanky, with a relatively small amount of bloom, right at the top.

Yes, we need those checks and balances. For several years Ottawa (about 45 miles from me) was infested with rabbits. In my rural locale we have a healthy fox population that helps. I rarely see a rabbit.

Deer on the other hand are a different story. There are 3 major deer yards surrounding me. People hunt the coyote and feed the deer. There is no reason for either. Vehicle/deer collisions are common and about the only regular control there is. A few years ago it was so bad that the police & insurance companies were strongly urging the Ministry of Natural Resources to issue double hunting licences to anyone applying. They did not.

I can see why you purchased T. kiusianum, I know I would have had I seen it. What a shame it did not make it. If it did not survive for you it would surely perish here. Part of what makes this Forum great is others experiences, good or bad.

I’m a thalictrum fan! I have it in three places here but no photos. I have Black Stockings and really like it.

Sherry

Sherry it it is a beauty! I am a double fan of this one because it is a Thalictrum but also because I am a fan of dark stems. I think the dark stems add so much interest. Ooh I hope you get pics this spring. Perhaps you can start a post when it/they are at their peak?

Love the Tricyrtis, Peren.

Very useful fall bloom time. But unfortunately felt I had to get rid of it because of the orange lily beetles. That was about ten years ago, so perhaps it's time to try again.

Thalictrum "Splendide" this past mid September:

sunnyborders it certainly fills a gap at a time when the garden is winding down. The lily beetle has caused problems for so many. So sorry you were among them/us.

Chipmunks ate just about all my Lilium bulbs at the time the beetle was becoming a serious issue so I no longer have a problem.

I do hope you revisit this wonderful plant. I am endlessly fascinated with their intricate blooms.

rouge so happy you have joined in! Ah, the marvelous 'Splendide' was well named. That is a great shot of it with the sun rays highlighting it, though every pic I have seen has been splendid. I have thoroughly enjoyed your journey with it. I do hope you are able to fulfill your quest for 'Splendide White' at some point.

Rouge, I’m with Laurie on this, I so look forward to seeing your Splendide! I really should find a spot for it here.

Sherry

Thalictrum is one I need to take more pictures of this year

oursteelers that is so pretty! I adore plants that have great foliage like Thalictrum. After bloom is finished they still bring so much to the garden. You do need to take more pics of this beauty!

I find apart from being able to share images it is also a great way to keep track of how they do throughout the season and from year to year.

As per Peren; I find images an invaluable tool in keeping track of what plants are planted in perennial beds and how individual plants are doing, year-to-year.

Think my first overall conclusion, from the images, is: how many plants hardly earn the title of being "perennial"; namely, don't survive more than two (or maybe three) years. And that, even when planted in a number of different locations within a garden.

It's obvious but you may read "treat as annual", but you don't read "perennial, with luck".

So true sunnyborders. Even when I have researched exhaustively through books and the internet, planted several in various ideal spots and still fail, I know the zonal info is off. I believe my first experience was with a series of Penstemon touted to be hardy to zone 4. Info years later came out that they were actually only hardy to zone 7 & above.

Proper first year care to growers & the public of the new Echinacea years ago turned me off them for the longest time. I blame a lack of proper trials and breeders wanting to get their plant(s) to market quickly. Make a quick buck and sour the public, illogical.

You do need to take more pics of this beauty!

Agreed!

(Which variety of thalictrum is the one shown in the picture...rochebrunianum or aquilegiifolium or? How tall does it get? When does it start flowering in your area?)

I have thoroughly enjoyed your journey with it.

I so look forward to seeing your Splendide!

You gals are always so kind :) as I know I blather on about this particular specimen every season.

You mention penstemons, Peren. Think I've lost more different Penstemon than cultivars of any other group of herbaceous perennials. Of two to three dozen different Penstemon cultivars which I've planted over the years, the majority lasted no more a few years.

As said previously, the only successful Penstemon for me have been: Penstemon digitalis ('Husker Red' and 'Dark Towers') (thinking 'Pocahontas' may work out well also): P. hirsutus 'Pygmaeus' and P. barbatus 'Coccineus' and also species, Penstemon pinifolius and P. constrictus. These all survivored well over five years and we've had a block of P. 'Husker Red' for almost twenty years.

rouge I love the way you keep us updated . Like Sherry I look forward to seeing it this coming year. It is something to look forward to and I would miss it if you stopped!

sunnyborders yes, three cheers for Husker Red. I have had mine about the same time frame. P. glaber has been a success here for years.

I should look into some you mentioned especially cvs. of P. barbatus & hirsutus. I moved away from the genus after so much disappointment.

My T’s are pretty much tulips. Sorry, I’m not good at keeping track of names; I think the light pink ones are Angelique:

These orange ones start out yellow and turn orange:

Faith it is wonderful to have you join in, such nice tulips you have! Angelique is very pretty indeed and the solid pink with them is a very nice shade.

I am fascinated with the ones that change from yellow to orange. I am a fan of orange and that it transitions from yellow is super interesting. They have such impact in a grouping like that.

What a great array in your last pic. The creamy white ones are a lovely tie in. It is always nice when some are in bud while others are fully open. So glad you shared!

Telekia speciosa (Buphthalmum speciosum)

Yes. It is supposed to look like this, lol.....

More Trollius

Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'

Tomato 'Sunsugar' these are pretty, too!

I planted thalictrum and trollius, but no photos or flowers yet.

sandyslopes I really like your Telekia, it is a plant we don't see nearly often enough. Bold foliage, large flowers and it looks great with the Monarda. It makes a nice hot colour combo.

No wonder T. 'Golden Queen' is so popular with us, it is such a wonderful plant. You really highlighted the unique structure of it. Love it with Hosta.

What nice patches of 'Spring Symphony'! I adore the quiet beauty of all Tiarella.

Those 'Sunsugar' are adorable and I bet they taste as good as they look. Having edibles that add colour and beauty is a major bonus.

Jenn 'Sugar and Spice' is an outstanding Tiarella! The bold variegated foliage adds so much interest as well as the leaf shape. We have all shown it with Hosta which I find to be a perfect companion.

Another wonderful patch of Tanecetum parthenium, great shot!

'Gilt Edge' adds another layer to the beauty of the flowers with that gold edge. Very nice!

'Don Quichotte' is a really good looking pink. Thalitrum & Trollius are great additions to any garden. As you can tell many of us are very fond of both!

Yes, the tiarella looks fabulous. I need to have a talking to with mine. It always just looks fine, nothing great

Very good looking Tulips Harold! They are already a beautiful flower and the variegation on the yellow is a wonderful touch.

Wow that Tithonia bloom is a gorgeous saturated orange! As I have mentioned quite a few time I like orange very much. Some dislike it but clearly you and I are in the same camp on this. I understand it is available in yellow as well.

oursteelers what a shame it is not performing the way you would like. I have threatened on occasion to show my underachievers pics of ones that are doing well!

Species tulips:

Tulipa urumiensis

Tulipa praestans 'Unicum'

sunnyborders those T. urumensis are absolutely wonderful! The bee really puts their diminutive size into perspective. They fit the old adage "Good things come in small packages." Love them!

'Unicum' is extremely attractive too! Great foliage along with terrific blooms.

Have these been long lived for you? We all know some come back reliably for many years and others - well not so much.

sunnyborders - I had to look up your Tulipa urumensis because it looks like what I call Dasystemon tarda - apparently they are the same thing. They are part of one of my favorite spring combinations - with the 'Ivory Floradale- tulips, I call them 'essence of sunshine'! They've been blooming together for almost 20 years now - both gradually multiplying in the driveway border. This picture is from 2008 and I have posted it here many times :-)

Many of the other T plants listed above are ones that I have tried to grow without long-term success (e.g. tiarella). Trilliums are important in the backyard and have been multiplying over the years - the white ones are much more vigorous than the red ones! There is a nearby woodlot that is carpeted with white trilliums in May every year. That is what I aspire to - someday we might have a carpet of them....

Rabbits are a problem here - they used to be not-too-bad - until coyotes killed off the foxes! Coyotes are obviously not as good rabbit hunters - plus we keep them out of the yard because one attacked Cole a few years ago. The foxes never bothered the neighborhood dogs so the foxes were welcomed in yards - not so for coyotes!

Some Tulips....

Mona Lisa

Marilyn

Pink Impression

A bouquet type that is a single now...

Tubergen's Gem

woody I love that combo so much! No wonder you call it "essence of sunshine", they would both be beautiful separately but together they are magic! I knew sb's looked somehow familiar.

I recall fondly seeing the Trillium in your garden, they are very happy there. They are all over the forest here too. Sorry about the rabbit issue, I remember the coyote going after Cole and the way you coyote proofed with the angled section at the top of the existing fence. We do love our animals!

sandyslopes be still my beating heart, those are fabulous! I like each and every one and would have a hard time picking a favorite but I especially like Mona Lisa & Marilyn. The view though to your rock wall is a real treat. You have an incredible garden!

Interesting about the coyotes, Woody. We've noticed fewer foxes around here. I never used to dislike rabbits.

In checking, suspect you noticed that I omitted the 'i', but have now corrected the spelling of Tulipa urumiensis. Whatever name's used, that tulip has survived longer here than any other.

Thanks Peren. Afte repeatedly ordering tulip bulbs which only lasted one year I gave it a shot to buy a cheap box at the grocery store. 7 bulbs quickly turned into 15 last year. I also like the variegation on the yellow one. And I really love the orange flowers of the Tithonia. My plant had about 60 blooms and was covered with butterflies and hummingbirds. I do not care much for their Yellow Version as it is a creamy yellow. I have bought the seeds for the dark red one but have not planted those yet.

I too gave up on hybrid tulips. The only tulip that has done ok here for long time is Angelique. I would be open to trying some species tulips at some point. Gave up on tiarella too. Not sure if they didn’t like the winter here or where I placed them. One thing I did learn about tiarella and heuchera is that fall plantings don’t work here, I’m guessing good root development takes longer in my gardens.

One question about species tulips, how does the foliage look through the season?

Sherry

In my case, Sherrygirl, can't say. They're quite low compared to the hybrid tulips which bloom a bit later. By early June don't notice them, covered up by taller perennials.

Yes, Harold & Sherry mine are not fancy but they have been in my garden for decades. I had tried others that did not last.

Sherry I am certainly interested in trying species tulips too.

Wonderful that 'Angelique' has lasted for years in your garden. It is a beauty!

What a shame you had troubles with Tiarella. Yes, early fall planting is generally good here but we quickly discover some plants do not take to it. I have had Heuchera heave completely out of the ground if fall planted so I agree with you about lack of proper root development in our colder zone gardens.

'Angelique' has largely petered out here. 'Queen of the Night' (which I planted as a companion to 'Angelique') has lasted longer. 'Ivory Floradale' is still going strong after 20 years. That's been the most successful naturalizer of the larger tulips. There's a clump of orange tulips under the oak tree in the backyard that have been coming back for many years - I call those 'squirrel tulips' because I never planted them; I assume the squirrels stole them from a neighbour :-) There are other tulips that have come back for years - I haven't planted any tulips for at least a decade but there are still tulips in the garden! Some - including some 'botanical' tulips disappeared but there are enough left to give us enough to satisfy us in spring. All the 'big' ones we (as opposed to the squirrels!) planted were planted 10-12" deep and I think that helps. I'm not sure how deep the squirrels plant them :-)