We cleaned up some trees and took out one Japanese maple so I am really hoping the increase in light and decreased root competition will really help quite a few areas of hosta,roses and peonies.

Otherwise I’m super excited to see how my rose tunnel looks next year. It had the possibility of looking really good last year but the deer hit it hard and it never reached its full potential

'Throwing it into the composter' isn't really the same as re-using. Surely I am not the only cheeseparing gardener on here? Or cheapskate. I note the 'frugal gardening' forum is a bit moribund so I guess I must be.

I do feel I must applaud the long ago poster who enquired about the possibilities of pigeon droppings as fertiliser though.

I'm looking forward (with cold weather having just arrived like yesterday?) to dreaming some of what I'd like to do, but it hasn't happened yet.

In a sense, it has..because I have my seed order in from Jellito (in fact doing cold strat on about 1/2 of things that I needed to get going fast in the fridge), and most of the rest needs stratification outside soon. Much of this is what I have found to be successful and just want more (economically), plus the fun of growing novel forms from seed.

But, surely I can still dream and maybe come up with some more good ideas, when I get the time. It seems (despite not working any more) that still time is booked for something or other.

@rosaprimula I leave potting soil in pots for as long as possible, usually around five years. Since most of my pots have shrubs and perennials in them it is a LOT of work to take them out and replant them. And I’m a very lazy girl. When I do I toss the used potting soil somewhere in the garden, often over cardboard.

The few annual pots I have get changed every 2-3 years and their soil also gets tossed somewhere in the garden

I fully did a redo of one bed and am looking forward to seeing it mature especially the Thalictrum rochebrunianum. Oenothera macrocarpa impressed me so much since it did not make me wait for the large blooms that just kept on giving for weeks on end. They had only been planted perhaps 3 weeks prior.

I dug out 4 different areas and will plant in spring. One of those areas had Daylily fulva so I know despite a thorough dig that some will return. I did plant a Persicaria a. 'Firetail' in one of those areas that was moist and am planning to add Veronicastrum virginicum to that same bed.

A friend gave me a couple of bags of tulips. 20 Pink Impressions & 20 Negrita. I had to really look for a spot for them but did get them planted, so I will be happy to see them come up.

Very excited about getting Spigelia marilandica.

Some natives I am looking forward to receiving are Goodyera pubescens, Claytonia virginica, Mitchella repens, Caulophyllum thalictroides & Actaea pachypoda.

An itoh Peony 'Clouds of Colour' will also be arriving along with Hosta 'Lipstick Blonde'.

eta - Asclepias t. 'Hello Yellow'

The trouble will be finding room!

'Throwing it into the composter' isn't really the same as re-using.

For sure @rosaprimula. I didn't mean to give the impression that I reused it in containers...but rather just telling you what I did with the spent stuff.

I leave potting soil in pots for as long as possible, usually around five years.

I am impressed @oursteelers 8B PNW! I'm thinking this practice would be problematic in a colder climate as many of our pots would crack if I left them outside still containing water/snow collecting "soil".

@peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada, I love so many persicarias...good luck with the 'Firetail'.

I had a relative a few years ago that wanted to get rid of her Missouri Primrose and stupid me I declined the generous offer as the two plants were such healthy productive specimens.

Veronicastrum (virginicum) are one of my fave plants....love the size, the flowers and its ability to attract bees.

I will never by another tulip as I find it impossible to keep them away from squirrels and the like.

Very excited about getting Spigelia marilandica.

You might recall that I go on and on about this plant. As of today I have 8 individual plants. I was so pleased that 7 of the 8 survived last winter. I am always nervous each spring wondering which SM hasn't survived. Just when I think a SM has been established for a couple or 3 years it "flies the coop" :(.

(Just curious where you are going to source them as they can be a little tricky to find.)

Thank you rouge. I have been trying to find P. Golden Arrows (I hope I am remembering the name correctly) for years after you posting it. Since I could not find it I thought I would try Firetail.

I think that O. m. falls under the shoulda, woulda, coulda lol! Great plant.

I wish I had planted V.v. this fall but the area was not ready for them yet. I know they will be a fav of mine too!

Yes I am concerned about the squirrels getting the tulips. I would have felt guilty not planting them though since they were gifted. I have a few red and some yellow that have been hanging in for years so here's hoping.

I am nervous about the hardiness of Spigelia knowing you have lost 1 of 8. I have a local friend that has had hers for a couple of years but it is very discouraging to hear of your losses after a short time. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. They are so lovely I just have to try! I am getting them through DeVroomen Bulb Canada.

Ah, I know that, Rouge. Anyway, the terms 'potting mix' (and 'compost') are always so impossibly vague it's hard to know what we actually mean.

I really have to rethink what I am going to use for my little plant selling venture - not spendy John Innes 3 loam, that's for sure. I need to do some sneaky investigations into what nurseries use as I already buy shedloads of loam at £6 for 25-30 litres (or a single tomato pot)

So c'mon Danny. I'll show you mine if you show me yours (unless you don't fancy typing out dozens of plant names. I only have 14 in (so far) from SpecialPlants...and another 12 from Jellito on the way. O, then the HPS, where I can order up to 40 varieties (but probably won't).

I am doing the quick fridge stratification this year too. Always makes me a bit anxious though.

I have almost nothing on my wish/acquisition list.......primarily because there is little to no room for anything else! And I still have an assortment of waiting-in-the-wings and to-be-planted stuff as well that needs a permanent home. Somewhere :-)

I managed to kill my Grevillea this summer. Yes, it was bone dry for months but as one of the most drought tolerant of plants I grow, I figured it could handle it. Got the same watering frequency as my JM's and containerized hydrangeas did so I am perplexed. And disappointed. Shall I replace?? Dunno.

If I can find starts or seeds easily, I'd like to grow a castor bean plant. Otherwise, I'll seed in a few annuals (sweet peas, nasturtiums, cerinthe, poppies), get a tomato or two and call it good. That doesn't mean nothing else plant-wise won't find its way home to my garden :-) I can be a sucker for impulse buys just as well as the next person!!

Like GG I have nothing on my wish list other than to have time and energy to get all of my edges cleaned up/fixed. Long hours at work left me with little energy this year to work on my ’list’. I was able to get a bunch shovel pruned early on, then my work hours kicked up.

I have quite a few areas of edging that need the grass dug out...as I have extended them a bit...again. So this is my big plan for next year along with mulching....ugh.

Looking forward to seeing lots ’leap’ next year as they will be in years 3&4.

Nothing whatsoever on my wish list...unless of course I see a tree or evergreen that I just cant live without! I’m thinking I could squeeze one in somewhere : )

I saved up and will replace an old, flimsy, rusty climber rose trellis (the kind you walk through which is placed across/left n right of some way or path. When we took over our alottment it was already there, already flimsy. Well, now I found a very sturdy, simply designed one, not made in china, and will order it soon, after 10 years or so.

The rambler roses are mid sized so I can tie them back when putting in the new trellis.

and that is a great excuse to get another Clematis to pair with the second medium sized rambler...

edited for some typos

If I can find starts or seeds easily, I'd like to grow a castor bean plant.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) it should be way easy to come across some seeds. Such a 'fun' plant to have each season.

pics please, linaria. Always pleased to hear of another allotmenteer...and with roses!

This plant, spigelia, seems to get quite a few people excited. Why so? My local(ish) plant nursery (Plantsmans Preference) has it. Looks like an interesting plant but somewhat modest.

I was astounded to discover that one of my grasses was a US native - oryzopsis miliaceae. Nothing particularly special, but it does look nice with the sun behind the inflorescence. Have never heard it mentioned on here. Is it a weed?

Fridge stratification - what do you use. I tried paper towels (Deno) once but never again - a nightmare of sticky shreds and damaged radicals. This time, I was just going to use damp vermiculite cos I need to be able to separate seeds from substrate. A bit frazzled though.

Apols for random musing/queries/waffle.

I've used towels, I've used sand, I've used perlite, I've used potting soil. It depends on what I think best at the time. The worst was this year when I used paper towels on a rudbeckia triloba attempt. I forgot them, they sprouted and rooted into the paper. Pretty much a complete loss (both because of getting them out/established) and slug predation afterwards.
I like spigelia, but it always seems to me (correct me if anyone can), that's it's a fairly short lived perennial (3-5 yrs). Maybe it requires just the absolute right spot?

This plant, spigelia, seems to get quite a few people excited. Why so?

The shape and colour combination of the flower is quite unique. And in my neck of the woods it is rare to see a SM in another garden although the last few years I am starting to see this plant a little more readily available at some independent nurseries as there seems to be new varieties or maybe more likely new 'catchy' names for it e.g. "Little Redhead" and "Ragin Cajun".

When we have a visitor invariably they will ask about this plant. It is definitely eye-catching.

Here are 3 along the border in this picture from this past late June:

And up close:

Come on @rosaprimula...get one!

I'd like to plant a couple more trees along the west property line for more privacy and to block the (dirt) road dust.

Also would like to stay on top of staying on top of fruit tree best practices -- tree fruits are very labor intensive but so worth it, you just can't buy flavor like that in a store. I bought a fruit tree growing book from a board red (The Holistic Orchard) but haven't made too much of a dent in it, I really need to make an effort to better educate myself.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to putzing around outside during the season and enjoying the process. My labor is paying off -- my perennial beds are relatively low maintenance. Of course there are always spring and fall chores but for the most part I don't do much of anything during the summer except occasional watering if needed, which isn't often except under the maple tree right off the patio, which is easy to water because I run the sprinkler right off the patio (I HATE watering and double-hate dragging the hose...). I do have to fuss with the roses a bit, but I've only got 3 that need fussing and for the most part it's just fertilizing in the spring, deadheading in the summer, and winterizing in the fall. They're not huge so deadheading isn't constant, so really not labor intensive at all.

Also looking forward to the vegetable garden and eating all that food!! I have on my list to order a canner and finally (finally!) learn how to do that.

I used to really really look forward to poring over seed catalogs over the winter and plotting and planning. Stokes catalog was my favorite. Without fail it arrived around Thanksgiving time and officially kicked off "the season" for me -- I so very looked forward to that catalog! But, time changed things, as we all know, and Stokes is no more -- no more selling to home gardeners, and no more flower seeds. Also, this will be the first winter in about 25 years that I won't be growing seeds for my gardening buddy, she died over the summer. So there is much sadness there, and I really don't even feel like doing seeds this year. But I will, and hopefully the joy will come back.

"I like spigelia, but it always seems to me (correct me if anyone can), that's it's a fairly short lived perennial (3-5 yrs). Maybe it requires just the absolute right spot?"

Nope, not short lived. I still have the original clump I bought when I lived at my other house, took it with me when I moved, so probably at least 9 years old and thriving.

Funny story: I bought more of them when I moved here then decided a year or two after I planted to move them, one of them was dormant and, unbeknownst to me at the time, I planted it upside down. I thought it was a goner and kinda forgot about it, but when I was digging for another purpose what did I find in the spot I planted it in? That poor little Indian Pinks root was trying to send up shoots from beneath itself but just never got those shoots long enough to break ground over some two seasons, it apparently just kept trying -- Now that's a will to live LOL! I planted it right side up, has grown into a lovely clump. :0)

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z6a), finding seeds for castor beans is not as simple as expected :-) I would have to mail order, as no local supplier carries them. And I only want one plant, not half a dozen or more so cost of 50+ seeds and shipping makes for a very pricey annual!! If I had my druthers, I'd purchase a started plant........but in all my years gardening and visiting every nursery and garden center within a day's drive, I have never see Ricinus communis for sale locally!

And I can attest to the appeal of the Spigelia. After seeing one on a local garden tour many years ago, I was on the hunt for this plant. Great coloring, well behaved habit, deer resistant, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. But east coast natives with a limited natural range were not common in west coast garden centers and I had to wait until just a few years ago for my quest to be filled. This is really a great plant and provides reliable and welcome color to my midsummer shade garden.

This is really a great plant and provides reliable and welcome color to my midsummer shade garden.

I agree whole heartedly but 'gg' I have found through trial and error that these plants can take lots of sun i.e. even full sun (in my location) and thrive.

I have never see Ricinus communis for sale locally!

Interesting as I can usually see these plants available at couple of nurseries in my neck of the woods; not early but by June they are there. (After planting one each year for the past several, I skipped last year. Your post has reminded me to get one for 2023 :)).

" I have found through trial and error that these plants can take lots of sun i.e. even full sun (in my location) and thrive. "

I don't doubt that for a second! There is just no full sun inground planting area in my garden. If I want sun, it has to be in a container and then shuffled around to chase the sun over the course of the day.

mxk I'm so sorry about your friend - I do recall you saying that she was ill and about to pass. I hope you can find joy again in seed-starting - maybe in her memory or perhaps by growing some plants she loved. The wonderful thing about gardens is that they are truly places of healing. And there are still so many good seed companies and wonderful catalogs!

I canned for a few years - it's a LOT of work, but I think it's worth it when you open a jar of your own sauce in January. I didn't can the last few years because I downsized my vegetable garden considerably. Not necessarily out of choice, but because of the pandemic and being jobless (i.e broke) and apparently everyone in the world discovered gardening lol, which led to seeds being sold out quickly! But even if I do grow big again, I will likely supplement my tomato canning by buying in bulk from local farms, as I have in the past.

Lovely pictures, rouge!

:)

Dee

So sorry you have lost a friend, mxk. But yes, as Dee says - there are not many better affirmations of life than sowing a seed - hope and potential in a tiny package. Anyway, it's in your blood now - you won't be able to resist.

Fruit trees and bushes are just so worthwhile. I rarely bother with vegetables at the allotment but my guilt is totally absolved by the numerous fruit trees I have. They are far less labour intensive than broad beans, that's for sure. Smaller currants require hours of picking and prep but strawberries and raspberries are a joy. I grow half a dozen apple cordons because I like the variety and they take up little space, plus almonds, plums, and am getting a couple of pears to replace the hazels I cut down. Cherries are a pleasure too but they do need netting. Smaller rootstocks make fruit growing a lot more accessible these days.

I wish you the joy of having an orchard area...and as a bonus, there is blossom.

I don't do the canning, preserving and storing either. Horrid memories of days (weeks, months) of moiling and toiling over a boiling jam pan. Shudder. I manage a dozen jars of redcurrant and blackberry jelly these days and the odd pot of January marmalade. The birds are fat and happy although there are hazards from drunken yellowjackets.

Yep, the exact same over lockdown, apart from still managing to work (outdoors). Still broke though and every supplier of seeds and compost sold out (and passed on some absolute rubbish).

I enjoy this thread, reading about what everyone is hoping to do next year and what they've been doing already!

GG - I remember a GW member who has posted photos of huge Castor Bean plants. It's Tapla on the houseplant forum. Maybe he would do a trade with you for the seed. And I have often thought of putting sun lovers in pots and ‘chasing the sun’ for them, but I don’t have a deck or a solid surface patio to put them on rollers and move them around easily. It does seem like a reasonable way to increase your area for sun lovers and having very little sun for your garden is very motivating I imagine.

Peren-all - I remember some of the photos you've posted of your large property there and I just love reading about all the plants you are able to use! You seem to have lots of conditions for so many different plants. All the sun and the shade. You can grow large swaths of plants. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Linaria - I love that … “ I saved up….” I always thought saving up for something you want is such a great practice to have and must be rewarding too.

I’d be interested to hear where you found your new trellis. I am trying to find support for a tall rose for next year. I’m going to need something free standing though.

GardenHo - That is at the top of my wish list every year - enough time and energy to get work done! And edging and mulching is pretty work intensive but really what feels better than looking out over well mulched, crisply edged garden beds?

rosaprimula - I’m fascinated to hear you grow a lot of fruit trees and bushes. I don’t have enough space or full sun to try to grow fruit trees, but also I always think they require chemicals and I grow organic, so I avoid them. As for bushes - thanks for posting your experiences with currants and how much it takes to pick and prep. I will cross that off my list. I don’t grow strawberries or raspberries. I haven’t had good luck with disease resistant varieties of strawberries and I feel intimidated by the pruning requirements of raspberries. Maybe I should reconsider. Why are you getting rid of hazels? You do mean hazelnuts? I hate having to throw netting over anything because it never fits right and it gets all tangled up. I’d have to be able to build a box of screen around a shrub to make it manageable I think.

Wow, it’s obvious I need some Proton Energy Pills!!!

Next year I am going to weed and mulch my gardens (which I say every year and never get around to the mulching part so end up watching the weeds grow). I do plan on making one bed smaller (which I say every year and somehow they get bigger). The deer have come in, so I’ll be taking out the Lilies and Phlox. I have some fantastic Big Daddy Hostas (2 metres wide) which take up a lot of space, which I really like, but will have to figure out what to replace them with.

Stokes seeds is online.

There is a youtube channel (Plantsman’s Corner) - British- and he reuses his potting soil. He does a lot of propogation and swears a lot.

I use the frig to stratify seeds in plastic ziploc bags with some success. I usually wait until after Christmas, then put any seeds I want to grow that need stratifying in moist soil in plastic bags in frig. Then on the first sunny day in April I sprinkle the soil containing the seeds thinly on top of a flat with drainage holes and a clear plastic lid. Low and behold, in a good year, when I'm attentive, perennial seedlings on the way! Occasionally things have sprouted in the frig.

I'm planning to try more blue himalayan poppies that way this year. I have a new area that a few years ago have laid cardboard and arborist woodchips and the soil is awesome now and, having lost a few spruce trees to the spruce bark beetle, there will be more sun... my nemesis is the equisetum which is indomitable, so that has been a big challenge with establishing new perennial areas, the horsetail beats me to it.

Ah, Blue poppy envy. I have managed tp. grow them but not to keep them...even after disbudding. I have some of the tall paniculatum seeds I might try again (hope springs eternal).

Most seeds are having a warm period in vermiculite at the moment. Second week of December, they are going in the fridge. I also sowed some in pots to stay in the greenhouse all winter. I love growing plants from seed. Just waiting on the HPS seed list.

So, I have ordered a spigelia from Hayloft...and also have also bought 3 veronicastrum from a local nursery, so the hose is going to be featuring whatever the weather, next year.

O yeah, Malcom. Gargamel. My eldest is a fan. I sometimes watch too.

Prairie Moon, did a long post and accidentally deleted. Will do another when I am back from the wood.

I love reading others’ gardening plans, thanks for starting this thread!

I’m mostly looking forward to see all my Spring bulbs come up next Spring. This fall I planted another 500 tulips, a mix of 400 small bulbs (Scilla, crocus) and about 100 camassias.

My 10 year old helped me plant the tulips, so many of them probably ended up upside down. It will be interesting to see if they come up. If they do, my son’s teacher will get nice bouquets! :)

As for plants I’m hoping to buy, I will yet again try to procure thalictrum Splendide and echinacea Sunseekers Rainbow. I would also love to try out astrantia, but a dark color, not a white one.

I planted a lot of perennials over the past 4-5 years, and finally started editing this year and removing the ones I’m not in love with. That meant all the white flowers. I don’t think I kept a single one! My garden is under snow for a full 6 months, so I decided that white is no longer allowed! Lol!

I will yet again try to procure thalictrum Splendide

Ya @mazerolm_3a! You can get it! Dont rest until you have tracked it down!

My garden is under snow for a full 6 months, so I decided that white is no longer allowed!

That is funny :).

Oh, enjoy your bulbs, mazerolm. I did quite a few but mostly teeny ones. 500 tulips is definitely worth looking forward to, and 100 camassias should make a good show. I bloody love the deferred pleasure of spring bulbs, after a long winter. 6 months of snow though...blimey.

I seem to have gone a bit overboard with white. In fact, for the first time ever, the word restrained could possibly be applied to my garden. Still early days though.

I am creating several new gardens that I am planting with natives. Started last year and added to the native trees already in place as well as native perennials Now adding moreshrubs and more perennials. I am planning to remove some non-native hollies out front and will replace with Myrica pensylvanica (Bayberry) and/or Morella cerifera (Wax Myrtle). I believe they are both native here, but I have to check.

I am really looking forward to all the changes!

I just got a Bartzella Itoh Peony (bare root) and four different kinds of Helleborus (first dance, blushing bridesmaid, wedding crasher, spanish flare). They are all starters/bare root and unlikely to bloom next season but I am excited nonetheless :). I have never grown an Itoh or a hellebore so..I am also trying for the umpteenth time to grow some spring bulbs, including checkered fritillarias for first time. It has been a disaster with next to no blooms and/or bulbs rotting every time so far. This time growing out on the balcony in a little plastic green-house so maybe...

Like a few others have mentioned, there’s nothing I’m really looking to add to the garden. What I’m really looking forward to doing is things I’ve worked hard on over the past few years to get better at - pruning and editing. I’m not as scared as I used to be of getting in there and hacking with a vengeance. In addition, I am looking forward to a year without major construction work going on - which has been happening for the past 4 years and through the pandemic. I’ve also been in a major decluttering mode, and the idea of going through all my gardening stuff at the start of spring and getting rid of things makes me absolutely giddy!

I did finally order myself a mulberry tree from Stark Bros -- I've been hemming and hawing for a couple years now, figured might as well and ordered it for spring delivery. I've given up on blackberries after multiple attempts, mulberries will hopefully taste similar enough to blackberries to satisfy me.

Mulberries are much better tasting than blackberries. I am envious.

^^ That is good to hear! I can't recall ever having one other than the one (one...) I picked off a tree by the street when I was taking a walk -- and of course somebody saw me and asked me what I was doing LOL! I told her I just wanted to taste a mulberry, she didn't care (wasn't her tree) but I was too embarrassed to reach up high for any more LOL!

" Mulberries are much better tasting than blackberries. "

I find that statement to be a matter of opinion :-)) I don't think mulberries and blackberries taste at all alike and I find blackberries - especially wild blackberries - taste infinitely better than any mulberry. Better consistency and texture, juicier and with a much more intense flavor. To me, mulberries are pretty 'meh' in comparison.

THB, I would not give a mulberry space in my garden. But I do allow the wild (and invasive) Himalayan blackberry brambles to grow as close as they like without actual encroachment. The berries they produce are delicious beyond description!

Wild blueberries (at least the ones that grow here in the mountains are delicious too. To be honest, my comparison is between the blackberries I but at the store here and mulberries that grew on trees)shrubs in the neighborhood I grew up in India. I am going to guess that a pampered selectively hybridized mulberry growing here may not taste the same as one growing uncared for in a park in arid parts of India.

A matter of opinion, indeed --wild blackberries are just a mouthful of seeds and little else. The ones that grow here in MI anyway. :0)

Our native wild blackberries are much like that - tasty but tiny and very seedy. The Himalayans - Rubus armeniacus - are completely different. Big, very sweet and juicy and with a taste to rival any cultivated variety. Even though they are an invasive species here, they are tolerated in many areas because they are so incredibly delicious and free for the taking, as they tend to colonize cleared public land (like roadway verges) as well as wooded areas and greenbelts.

Wild blackberries are absolutely delicious but I have never ever had blackberries from the grocery story (fresh or frozen) to have any flavor whatsoever

Those berries look luscious -- you guys in the PNW are lucky to have those growing here there and everywhere. Ours are just the tiny seedy kind. So mulberries it is for me.

Like Cyn, I am also starting several new garden areas, with wildflowers, and xeric plants, prioritising water-wise gardening and wildlife (especially pollinators at every life stage). I am insanely excited about this as I have never attempted to grow so many different, and often entirely new plants. I think I have 70odd new seed species, as well as all the saved stuff from my own gardens. Cripes, now I have written this down, it is a lot of sowing (and immense amounts of pricking out and potting on etc.etc.

However, I am almost retired from pro-gardening and am planning a little plant stall. Not expecting to do much more than pay for my hobby and I am also terribly nervous about this venture. Dealing with the public and selling stuff is going to be a challenge.. I always grow more plants than I need but used them in clients gardens and gave away a load to my offspring. I can't do any of this as daughter's garden is full, D-i-Ls and youngest is about to become not theirs and eldest has become puritanical about only growing edibles. . Seemed like selling some was a good solution...in theory. I really hope you don't mind keeping me company (and holding hands) during this undertaking.

I would like to try Persicaria 'Red Dragon.'

I really hope you don't mind keeping me company (and holding hands) during this undertaking.

For sure! (As long as you keep us abreast of this exciting endeavour AND submit lots more pictures when you post ;))

What am I excited about? I planted a patch of Wine Cap mushrooms last spring, so I hope they will produce something this coming spring or summer. I also inoculated some oak logs with Shiitake mushrooms, which should also start to produce once the weather warms. I've also been adding to my native perennial pollinator patch. The previous plantings should be more developed, and I've sown many more plants to add to both shady and sunny areas.

Martha

My offspring did that, docmom - inoculating various logs with oyster mushrooms. They were really quite productive and quite an exciting venture. We have planted some hazels in the wood, which have been inoculated with black and white truffles, but this may (or may not) take a few years before we can try the spaniels on them. Hoping your pollinator patch is effective and beautiful, Martha.

I planted a patch of Wine Cap mushrooms last spring,

Very interesting @docmommich!

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/persicaria-orientalis-princes-feather-cleome-1178383066

I came across this pic...which is exactly what I am planning for my rose 'fedge'...only with umbellfers instead of cleome. Of course, this also depends on successfully germinating the persicaria orientalis, currently stratifying in my fridge. I have found this seed to be frustratingly difficult (unlike, say, persicaria tinctoria which comes up like a weed), but have pinned my hopes on Jellito seeds.

The plants shown are mostly annuals...so a good demonstration of using them in a garden. Yep, I know this is the perennial forum but there are quite a few annual fans here because what else is so gratifyingly available? I am going to use a shedload of larkspur too (I have already pricked out the first bunch).

@rosaprimula: Wow, that is one tall persicaria! i think your combo will look even better than the one pictured!!