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2020 gardening thread
- Thread starter Monique
- Start date
I inherited a garden which I’ve been neglecting...
It has a few random assortment of plants in haphazard locations.
What are these plants?
Perhaps some of the more experienced gardeners can tell me what they are before I rip them out
(Sorry some of the pictures are sideways. Don’t know how to rotate them)
It has a few random assortment of plants in haphazard locations.
What are these plants?
Perhaps some of the more experienced gardeners can tell me what they are before I rip them out
(Sorry some of the pictures are sideways. Don’t know how to rotate them)
Attachments
The second photo looks me like a daylily, and I'll bet my lunch that the third one is a hydrangea macrophylla. The other two will be a lot easier to ID when they come into bloom.
Speaking of identification - my pansies are covered in caterpillars. We have a whole lot of moths this season, so my guess is they are moths-in-waiting, but I don't really know.
Can anyone tell what they are, and how / whether I should kill them?
I bought the pansies because I like them, but I wonder if it even matters because they might die in full sun as it gets warmer ... that area gets very hot, and air temps are high 80s to low 90s right now.
Can anyone tell what they are, and how / whether I should kill them?
I bought the pansies because I like them, but I wonder if it even matters because they might die in full sun as it gets warmer ... that area gets very hot, and air temps are high 80s to low 90s right now.
Hopefully in a few weeks we will move into our new home, with a yard and a planting area. We havent had a yard in many many years. Looking forward to mowing the lawn and planting some plants that produce some fruits, veggies and spices/herbs for cooking.
Ski&ride said:
I inherited a garden which I’ve been neglecting... It has a few random assortment of plants in haphazard locations. What are these plants? My comments in red below each image.
View attachment 103710
Those tall thin leafed plants will bloom. There would be no reason to have them if they didn't, as the foliage is unimpressive. Lots of plants look like these with tall thin blades for leaves. People buy them for the flowers. I suggest you put these back in the ground, water them, and you'll find out what you've got when they bloom. If the leaves droop and turn yellow after you plant them, they may have already bloomed. Many spring bloomers shoot up early, bloom, then die back. They come back the next year bigger (hopefully) and do the same thing again. If these have already bloomed and the leaves go yellow and limp, pick them off and leave the below-ground parts in the ground. Next season you'll find out what they are when they bloom for you.
View attachment 103713
That looks like another bloomer. My guess is it's a daylily. If so, it will keep its foliage all season, and if happy it will grow in width and number of blooms over the years. Wait until it blooms to find out what it does before tossing it. You might find you like daylilies.
View attachment 103714
That is definitely a hydrangea. It will bloom; people buy it for the blooms. You won't know what kind of hydrangea you've got until it blooms, so wait. If those bare branches you can see right now are crispy and break off easily, they are dead. Break them off and toss them. Hydrangeas bloom later in the season. This one will probably leaf out a lot more than what you see now. This is probably a macrophylla hydrangea, which produces blooms on old "sticks" from previous years. That's why owners leave the bare sticks sticking up. Three-year old sticks will be dead, two-year old sticks will produce blooms, and the plant will graciously produce new "sticks" from the ground up all season long. You can call those the one-year old sticks in the fall. Some hydrangeas that do this also produce blooms on the new growth. You'll have to wait to find out which you have.
View attachment 103712
More bloomers, maybe daffodils, maybe something else that has already bloomed. Wait to see what they do. Same instructions as above.
Perhaps some of the more experienced gardeners can tell me what they are before I rip them out
It appears that your previous owner liked flowers. If you choose to keep these plants but want to move them, situate then in full sun. Full sun means 4-6 hours of direct sun. That will be sufficient for them to bloom for you. EXCEPTION: The hydrangea. It should have morning sun but not afternoon sun. It will wilt daily in hot afternoon sun, then perk back up as the sun goes down. That's annoying to watch and stressful on the plant.
Where are you? What state?
I inherited a garden which I’ve been neglecting... It has a few random assortment of plants in haphazard locations. What are these plants? My comments in red below each image.
View attachment 103710
Those tall thin leafed plants will bloom. There would be no reason to have them if they didn't, as the foliage is unimpressive. Lots of plants look like these with tall thin blades for leaves. People buy them for the flowers. I suggest you put these back in the ground, water them, and you'll find out what you've got when they bloom. If the leaves droop and turn yellow after you plant them, they may have already bloomed. Many spring bloomers shoot up early, bloom, then die back. They come back the next year bigger (hopefully) and do the same thing again. If these have already bloomed and the leaves go yellow and limp, pick them off and leave the below-ground parts in the ground. Next season you'll find out what they are when they bloom for you.
View attachment 103713
That looks like another bloomer. My guess is it's a daylily. If so, it will keep its foliage all season, and if happy it will grow in width and number of blooms over the years. Wait until it blooms to find out what it does before tossing it. You might find you like daylilies.
View attachment 103714
That is definitely a hydrangea. It will bloom; people buy it for the blooms. You won't know what kind of hydrangea you've got until it blooms, so wait. If those bare branches you can see right now are crispy and break off easily, they are dead. Break them off and toss them. Hydrangeas bloom later in the season. This one will probably leaf out a lot more than what you see now. This is probably a macrophylla hydrangea, which produces blooms on old "sticks" from previous years. That's why owners leave the bare sticks sticking up. Three-year old sticks will be dead, two-year old sticks will produce blooms, and the plant will graciously produce new "sticks" from the ground up all season long. You can call those the one-year old sticks in the fall. Some hydrangeas that do this also produce blooms on the new growth. You'll have to wait to find out which you have.
View attachment 103712
More bloomers, maybe daffodils, maybe something else that has already bloomed. Wait to see what they do. Same instructions as above.
Perhaps some of the more experienced gardeners can tell me what they are before I rip them out
It appears that your previous owner liked flowers. If you choose to keep these plants but want to move them, situate then in full sun. Full sun means 4-6 hours of direct sun. That will be sufficient for them to bloom for you. EXCEPTION: The hydrangea. It should have morning sun but not afternoon sun. It will wilt daily in hot afternoon sun, then perk back up as the sun goes down. That's annoying to watch and stressful on the plant.
Where are you? What state?
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I thought the light looked good this evening. In the foreground is rodgersia aesculifolia with canada ginger underneath, behind it viburnum fragrans and heptacodium, and tanyosho pine in the background.
In the thread about projects during the pandemic, I mentioned inheriting from the previous owner some straggly plants in the side yard and moving them into my back yard.
Here is one of the failing-to-thrive perennials I moved:
The plant in the center is a cherry bush. That's new -- only its 2nd season. It produced a cherry last year. One cherry ... $34.99. What a deal!
The plants to its left and right are hellenium. It was a single plant in the front/side yard. And ugly. Once transplanted, it grew so fast I thought it was a weed. When it bloomed, I took a sprig to a garden center for identification. Hellenium is a late-blooming perennial. It supports pollinators when most other flowers are long gone, so I have to love it.
I split the one plant into two last fall and moved it yet again. It doesn't care. It is now 12-15 inches tall. If I don't trim it, it will grow to 4 feet tall and produce hundreds of blooms on very sturdy stalks. Like this:
Late summer last year, this plant buzzed when I walked by -- so many bees attracted to it.
The peony, far left in the first photo, was also failing. It was about the size of my hand a year and a half ago. Moved into the sun in the back yard, it now spreads almost two feet in diameter.
@Ski&ride -- If those unidentified plants flower, don't hesitate to take a cutting to a local garden center and ask if someone can identify it.
Here is one of the failing-to-thrive perennials I moved:
The plant in the center is a cherry bush. That's new -- only its 2nd season. It produced a cherry last year. One cherry ... $34.99. What a deal!
The plants to its left and right are hellenium. It was a single plant in the front/side yard. And ugly. Once transplanted, it grew so fast I thought it was a weed. When it bloomed, I took a sprig to a garden center for identification. Hellenium is a late-blooming perennial. It supports pollinators when most other flowers are long gone, so I have to love it.
I split the one plant into two last fall and moved it yet again. It doesn't care. It is now 12-15 inches tall. If I don't trim it, it will grow to 4 feet tall and produce hundreds of blooms on very sturdy stalks. Like this:
Late summer last year, this plant buzzed when I walked by -- so many bees attracted to it.
The peony, far left in the first photo, was also failing. It was about the size of my hand a year and a half ago. Moved into the sun in the back yard, it now spreads almost two feet in diameter.
@Ski&ride -- If those unidentified plants flower, don't hesitate to take a cutting to a local garden center and ask if someone can identify it.
That reminds me of the Crocosmia I inherited in Portland -- stiff, upright foliage, shoots are spread apart instead of clumping. It was so hardy, it was easy to ignore. Then I decided any relationship that easy should probably be nurtured!What are these plants?
I decided to grow tomatoes this year, my being of delicate age where travel is not advised.
My pre-grown tomato plants:
One is a cherry tomato. The other, a small slicing tomato.
I was planning to buy plants, cages, soil, pots. But I can't be trusted with them. For me, those items are like cereal and milk. Y'know, you have cereal and milk. Then you just have milk. So you pour more cereal. Then you just have cereal. So you pour more milk. That's how I am with plants and soil and pots. Next thing you know, friends or family are posting photos of this plant syndrome. Right, @David Chaus?
So I opted for safe tomato-ing this year.
My pre-grown tomato plants:
One is a cherry tomato. The other, a small slicing tomato.
I was planning to buy plants, cages, soil, pots. But I can't be trusted with them. For me, those items are like cereal and milk. Y'know, you have cereal and milk. Then you just have milk. So you pour more cereal. Then you just have cereal. So you pour more milk. That's how I am with plants and soil and pots. Next thing you know, friends or family are posting photos of this plant syndrome. Right, @David Chaus?
So I opted for safe tomato-ing this year.
It's hard to tell from the photo, but it's kinda looking like a Variegated Fritillary. they do host on pansies.
Variegated Fritillary
www.butterfliesathome.com
Patience! That first year is rough for fruit trees and bushes.
Explain "pre-grown"? Can you actually buy everything all together?
Also, with the cereal comment, I have never felt so seen!
It's hard to tell from the photo, but it's kinda looking like a Variegated Fritillary. they do host on pansies.
Variegated Fritillary
I wondered that as well. I'll try to get a close-up, and also there's a "what's this bug?" Reddit thread if I can bring myself to post there ...
Yup. I bought those tomato plants just as you see them on the deck. Got them at Lowe's. Home Depot's were not as nice.
The label on them says these are good in containers, that there is no need to transplant. I've had them for just over a week. Each plant already had a bloom or a baby tomato on it when I got them.
You have no idea......but, yeah.
Oh, good call! The habit and the lay of last year's foliage looks a lot like crocosmia. If so, it's a keeper: tough, pretty, loved by hummingbirds. They do best in full sun, and they spread over time. Whenever someone asks me where they can buy it I just cut out a chunk from the patch, put it in a bag and tell them to stick it where they want it when they get home. The stuff's bulletproof.
My garden is up now. It's mostly a shade garden because we are surrounded by mature oaks. I've been taking pictures, so here goes. Below, some of the irises are in bloom. The surrounding plants are hostas, which are now unfurled.
The hostas will continue to get bigger through June. For those of you who aren't familiar with hostas, they grow in shade and people put them in their gardens for their foliage, not so much for their blooms.
Hostas mutate. They also get cross-pollinated by bees. On the left below is a junior seedling from the mother hosta (lancifolia) on the right. Lamium is the ground cover below the seedling. I like its blue color, which comes from a waxy coating on the leaves.
Three non-native ferns, Autumn fern, Japanese Painted fern, and Ghost fern. I've grown fond of ferns. New England is fern country.
Here's my Japanese magnolia getting heavy with leaves. Its branches will droop under gravity as the foliage continues to grow. The yellow groundcover is creeping jenny. The other plants are hostas.
I have rock ferns on some of the big boulders along my driveway. They really do want to grow on bare rock. Odd. Pachysandra below.
Here's the "flat bed." I wanted an English cottage garden mixed bed, but with everything low to the ground. Dianthus and variegated ajuga are blooming pink right now. The fragrant dianthus is intoxicating.
Hostas in the back, ajuga with pink blooms, yellow hosta with the larger leaves on the right, purple and yellow heuchera, gold oregano. Dianthus is the grassy stuff, and blue rug juniper is the low green needled plant. Yellow sedum at the bottom, slowly filling in its spot in the flat bed.
Most of my garden focuses on foliage. But the climbing roses are in bloom right now and demand attention.
Below is a new work in progress. It is to be a fern garden. Ostrich ferns on the right provide a barrier between this shady spot under a spruce and the upper back lawn. Sensitive ferns are over on the left. Behind them is a young rhododendron hedge. One day that hedge will be dense and since it faces out, it should bloom well. But not yet.
In the middle there's a clump of volunteer ferns that have shown up in the lawn over time. I transferred them here a few years ago, at first using this spot as a parking lot. I plan on separating them by kind one day now that this is an official "garden." The rocks around the spruce are what comes out of the ground when I dig a hole. New England is a rock pile with some soil mixed in. The huge stump is the oak that came down on my garage three winters ago, taken out by an even taller white pine that fell in a snowstorm. I was up north skiing.
Ostrich ferns are noble.
The crab apple is done blooming now, but it was magnificent this spring. This was early, as the hostas and the magnolia were just beginning to fluff out.
I have lilies, the common orange ones. A lot of orange daylilies. They line the driveway, along with ferns and pachysandra. Green is good.
Here are more lilies acting like a hedge at the top back of the garden. When all these lilies bloom, our world becomes sparkly orange. Behind these chairs is the woodland path that I cut this spring. We sit here in the afternoon, enjoying the birdsong and the hostas. Serenity.
More serenity out front. I like serenity.
The hostas will continue to get bigger through June. For those of you who aren't familiar with hostas, they grow in shade and people put them in their gardens for their foliage, not so much for their blooms.
Hostas mutate. They also get cross-pollinated by bees. On the left below is a junior seedling from the mother hosta (lancifolia) on the right. Lamium is the ground cover below the seedling. I like its blue color, which comes from a waxy coating on the leaves.
Three non-native ferns, Autumn fern, Japanese Painted fern, and Ghost fern. I've grown fond of ferns. New England is fern country.
Here's my Japanese magnolia getting heavy with leaves. Its branches will droop under gravity as the foliage continues to grow. The yellow groundcover is creeping jenny. The other plants are hostas.
I have rock ferns on some of the big boulders along my driveway. They really do want to grow on bare rock. Odd. Pachysandra below.
Here's the "flat bed." I wanted an English cottage garden mixed bed, but with everything low to the ground. Dianthus and variegated ajuga are blooming pink right now. The fragrant dianthus is intoxicating.
Hostas in the back, ajuga with pink blooms, yellow hosta with the larger leaves on the right, purple and yellow heuchera, gold oregano. Dianthus is the grassy stuff, and blue rug juniper is the low green needled plant. Yellow sedum at the bottom, slowly filling in its spot in the flat bed.
Most of my garden focuses on foliage. But the climbing roses are in bloom right now and demand attention.
Below is a new work in progress. It is to be a fern garden. Ostrich ferns on the right provide a barrier between this shady spot under a spruce and the upper back lawn. Sensitive ferns are over on the left. Behind them is a young rhododendron hedge. One day that hedge will be dense and since it faces out, it should bloom well. But not yet.
In the middle there's a clump of volunteer ferns that have shown up in the lawn over time. I transferred them here a few years ago, at first using this spot as a parking lot. I plan on separating them by kind one day now that this is an official "garden." The rocks around the spruce are what comes out of the ground when I dig a hole. New England is a rock pile with some soil mixed in. The huge stump is the oak that came down on my garage three winters ago, taken out by an even taller white pine that fell in a snowstorm. I was up north skiing.
Ostrich ferns are noble.
The crab apple is done blooming now, but it was magnificent this spring. This was early, as the hostas and the magnolia were just beginning to fluff out.
I have lilies, the common orange ones. A lot of orange daylilies. They line the driveway, along with ferns and pachysandra. Green is good.
Here are more lilies acting like a hedge at the top back of the garden. When all these lilies bloom, our world becomes sparkly orange. Behind these chairs is the woodland path that I cut this spring. We sit here in the afternoon, enjoying the birdsong and the hostas. Serenity.
More serenity out front. I like serenity.
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It all spells "sanctuary" to me. So lovely.
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