I am trying to take notes about my garden this year. What works...what doesn't work...and what looks really bad next to a light pink flower. I am not afraid to dig up and move things but I can never figure out what should be moved in the fall or the spring. Of course, I move things and forget and weed them out the next year.
I love the colors this time of year but I am having issues with the different heights. What advice can you offer to someone with a strip gardening bed rather than a nicely shaped plot?
What do you do with these daisies after blooming? Deadhead or cut back? My gardening books offer little information after the bloom.
This moon plant is so much fun to watch. A friend of mine gave me a moon plant as a gift 5 years ago. It didn't survive the winter. I read that they sprout late and I waited and waited but nothing happened. Two years later I purchased another and it took over the garden. The plant spread for about 10 feet and I kept cutting it back. The next year...no plant so I planted other things in the space. About July, up pops the moon plant. I put it in a pot and kept its growth in check last summer. I wintered moonie over in the cellar and planted him again this year. Slow grower at first but once the flowers are out it starts to double in size. It blooms at night and the flowers last only 1 day. The flowers reflect moonlight brilliantly. If I enjoyed going outside after dark I would cover my yard with these plants. I think I will leave it in the ground this winter and see what happens.
The coleus and white impatiens under the pear tree still looks good. I hold my breath when Ian mows around the tree. I am sure the white flowers used to be thicker....
I filled three hanging planters with coleus, vinca vine and these gentle white flowers and another plant with small maroon flowers. these planters still look gorgeous. I am going to try to figure out what the unknown plants are and do these again next year.
I was trying for maroon and white annuals this year so the circle is filled with so many new and different things. The coleus kept its color and did well in this spot. To my surprise, the alyssum also thrived in this spot. Might try different colors of alyssum next year. I am not happy with the million bells at all. They got really woody and are mostly dead stems with a few flowers hanging on. I have dug up most of them at this point. The petunias also got died back. I am done experimenting with the wave petunias. I planted them in the circle the first year and they did great. Last year and this year are poor showings. Little leaves and flowers left...mostly long, ugly brown vines. The site gets morning sun until about 1...but too much sun for impatiens. Anybody have any thoughts for next year? Or any ideas about planting in this spot for the next month or 2? I hate looking at a pile of brown dirt and since Chandler is in rehab he cant use it for a pitcher's mound!
Yowza! That's a lot of questions for one post! My petunias did not last all summer either- maybe too much sun? they are really leggy and the stems are brown. The plants appear to be dying although I am feeeding them regularly. I might pull them out and replant with mums. You should have seen the flowers in London- gorgeous!! They had huge hanging baskets on all the lamp posts, and most of the pubs were spectacular floral displays. Perhaps they water them with beer? Must be all the rain and the cooler temps!!
ReplyDeleteI dead-headed my daisies, and they blossomed a second time. I don't think they'll go for a third though.
Have you considered hollyhocks and/or glads for something tall close to the fence? They are middle to late summer bloomers I think and are my favorites.
Good luck!
I agree with Diane - you're garden is enviable. My wave petunias started out horrible and have turned into gorgeousness and they are in full sun, so....
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