Perennial Flower Garden Blog
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In answer to the question, "What have you done for me lately?" :-) Here it is.
All the new articles fit to print.
Jul 4, 2008, Agastache
In looking at my seedling trays in late March, I see the Golden Agastache has popped up. This is much to my surprise I note as I’ve never grown this plant before and I wasn’t sure how it would grow. To be sure, I’ve grown the old-fashioned lovely Agastache (pronounced Aga – sta – cheee)
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 4, 2008, Plant perennials around holly bush
Hello, Is it sufficient to have 12 -17 inches between the stem of a holly bush and a perennial plant i want to put in it's vicinity? Thanks, Taruna
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 4, 2008, Astilbe Doesn't Bloom Properly
I have grown Astilbe in the past, with good success. I recently moved and have cultivated a small shade garden. It is actually on the south side of
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 3, 2008, David Austin Roses
David Austin roses are named for the breeder (David Austin who else?) :-) and this rose class is sometimes also referred to
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 2, 2008, Something is eating my Jacobs Ladder
I planted 3 Jacobs Ladder plants this spring. Something seems to be eating them, one of the plants is almost gone and the other two are showing signs
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 2, 2008, How to keep daylilies alive in vase longer...
I inherited a beautiful daylily garden but despite cutting stems at an angle and immediately immersing in water my lilies' blooms fold in by the next
Permalink -- click for full blog postJul 2, 2008, Hollyhock transplanting
We found some old hollyhock plants around an old farm house and we are wondering when we can dig them up and transplant them into our garden. Doug
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 27, 2008, ornamental herbs
Can ornamental herbs be used as culinary herbs? Doug says that an herb is an herb. And they all can serve multiple uses in a garden - ornamental as
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 23, 2008, Floppy, sloppy-looking blue lyme grasses
Last summer while having our yard redone, the landscaper planted 3 very pretty blue lyme grass plants. This summer they are not standing up but are
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 17, 2008, Unhappy " Becky" Shasta Daisy
I have planted two shasta daisy plants, one is doing wonderful the other is obviously unhappy. The plant is druping and the leaves have started
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 13, 2008, Do You Trim Dianthus pixie
Do you trim the dead flowers after bloom? Doug says - yes. Simply prune or pinch off the dead stems as low to the rest of the plant as you can. If
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 12, 2008, Perennial Hibiscus
I live in Georgia and planted by Hibiscus last year. After a while, the leaves on the stems looked like they were short of water .... I watered and
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 12, 2008, Perennials after flooding
Most of my perennials appear to be dead after recent flooding. Will they grow again next year or should I replace all of them? Doug says - that I'd
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 10, 2008, Myths of Ground Covers
The first thing you have to understand aboutground covers is that they aren't always what they're advertised.
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Jun 6, 2008, fish in compost
Can fish and shrimp remains be successfully put in a compost pile? I remember reading in elementary school that the Indians taught the Pilgrim's to
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 6, 2008, Tree Peony
I have 2 small tree peony plants. At first I didn't know what the ugly dead branch in the garden was. So I dug it up and it came apart in pieces. I
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 3, 2008, Moving Perennials - Moving Houses - Winter Move
I plan to move in 6 months (December in Montana, very cold, frozen ground). Have you heard of moving perrenials to plastic pots in the spring and
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 3, 2008, How do I help my Purple Fountain Grass survive the winter?
I live in VA in Zone 7. I just planted a whole lot of purple fountain grass. Is it possible for this plant to survive over the winter in my area?
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 2, 2008, mums
i bought a mums plant . i want to know if i can plant it outside thank you Doug says you can plant it outside for sure but it isn't
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 2, 2008, Crown Vetch
I have this growing in my soybean fields and I cannot kill it it keeps coming back. Will Roundup or something kill it before the soybeans pop thru the
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 2, 2008, Straggly purple cone flower
I planted purple cone flower from seed last year and they grew tall and leggy. This spring some are much bushier, but some are still straggly and
Permalink -- click for full blog postJun 2, 2008, Invasive weed
When we purchased our home it came complete with a rock garden. However, there is an invasive weed that I cant seem to get rid of. It spreads very
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 27, 2008, pruning foxglove and coreopsis
I am hesistant about pruning my foxglove and coreopsis because of such succesful growth this year. Perennial planting has become a bit of an
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 26, 2008, how does an Oak tree affect the soil in my garden?
Hi. We have had an oak tree in the middle of our garden that was planted 27 years ago. Last weekend we finally transplanted it far away from the
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 26, 2008, Hosta growth problems.
What would cause hosta to grow in a scattered pattern rather than in a clump? The centers of the plants don't seem to be emerging this year and the
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 22, 2008, shade perennial gardens
Great shade perennial gardens are one of the wonders of the garden world and here are two tips to make yours better. These are the most relaxing of gardens...
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May 22, 2008, perennial geranium
Here's how to grow the hardy perennial geranium, not those tender cosseted plants that have usurped another's name...
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May 22, 2008, christmas rose, hellebore
The Christmas rose is one of the easiest and longest-blooming shade plants to grow if you follow these suggestions...
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May 22, 2008, hibiscus in the South
My hibicus has long and spindely limbs and the limbs have very few leaves. They are tall and somewhat bare. What can I do to correct this? I
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 21, 2008, transplanting lotus
I need to transplant my lotus and there seems to be a long runner coming from the tuber that has about 9 sprouts, each with it's own root. Can I cut
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 20, 2008, Where are my black eyed Susans?
My newly planted black eyed Susans bloomed beautifully last year but I am still waiting for some sign of life this year. It is the middle of May and
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 20, 2008, Have I KILLED my hardy hibiscus?
I beleive I have a perennial hardy hibiscus. My son bought it from XXXX where he works and gave it to me for Mothers Day. I live in Lyndhurst, NJ
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 20, 2008, Hollyhock Trimming off the top
If I trim the tops of hollyhocks will I get flowers and what will happen to the plant? Doug says - you want to trim the tops off your hollyhocks?
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 20, 2008, pond rock garden
What would you suggest for the edgin of this pond in Minnesota? Doug says that if you want a rock garden here, then you're going to have to start by
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 16, 2008, flamingo phlox, coneflowers and clay soils
I had some flamingo phloxx and coneflowers last year and they did not do so well. They are in clay soil that gets moist often. Could these conditions
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 15, 2008, best ground cover for sandy soil
I have an area above a retaining wall that leads into woods. It has sandy soil and I am wondering if creeping phlox would be the best grown cover or
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 15, 2008, Ground cover for a rocky, clay slope with some erosion.
Doug, I hope you can help me find a fast growing ground cover for my very infrequently traversed backyard. I live in Missouri(zone 5 I believe)on a
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 13, 2008, hollyhock leaves are yellow
Of my three hollyhock plants, one has yellowed, anemic looking leaves. All were in approximately the same soil and sunlight. What's up with this?
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 12, 2008, Broken Purple Fountain Grass
We were planting and one of our fountain grasses broke off right at the soil line. Should I return it or can it be saved? Thanks, Anna. Doug says as
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 9, 2008, Invasive vining plant
I live in Indiana.I planted two Loesener Bitteersweeet, Celastrus rostbornianus. I was told that Oriental bittersweeet, Celastrus orbiculatus is
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 8, 2008, Do Nematodes Hurt My Garden
Do Nematodes carry Virus & Bacteria and will they infect my perenial garden? Laura B.in Ma USA Doug says that there likey hundreds of species of
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 8, 2008, Planting Beneath a Cedar Hedge
I have an area beneath cedar trees that I would like to put something green and beautiful there. The cedars are very well established, so their root
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 8, 2008, Building a full sun perennial garden
I am building a full sun perennial garden that is about 3m in length and 2m in width. I was wondering if you could suggest a few perennials that have
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 6, 2008, Cottage Garden Design, Cottage Garden
Cottage garden design books have always given me a bit of a giggle. I know, I know - you're not amused but hang with me...
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May 6, 2008, Cottage Garden Plants, Cottage Garden
Choosing cottage garden plants is a fairly simple and straightforward affair.
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May 6, 2008, Hummingbird Gardens, Hummingbirds
Please understand that this is not an exhaustive list of plants for hummingbird gardens but just the most common plants.
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May 6, 2008, placing sun-loving perennials in shade
A friend bought these wonderful flowers for me. I have no idea where best to put them. The 3 areas where I have flower-beds are mostly shaded with a
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 6, 2008, Perennial Garden Design, Garden Design
Perennial garden design is the ultimate skill in the magical world of gardening. While my garden isn't bad, what I really...
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 5, 2008, Plants in shade in Florida
What kind of plants will grow in complete shade under a big oak tree? Doug says that he's not a Southern gardener and really can't advise you on
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 5, 2008, SELF SEEDING PLANTS
Will cleaning up the perennial area in the fall limit the self seeding process of the perennials that drop seed which blooms in spring? Doug says if
Permalink -- click for full blog postClick here for gardening questions
