Deadheading Revisited

Some posts back I talked about the importance of deadheading if you want rebloom on many perennials.  Phlox is a great recipient of deadheading and responds with a new flush of bloom.

Franz Schubert Phlox reblooming after deadheading

Blue Paradise reblooming

Laura getting ready to rebloom

I am also a proponent of deadheading plants that do not necessarily give you new blooms but do put up a flush of new green leaf growth.  It prevents that tired look at the end of the growing season where everything turns a shade of brown.

Arnie's Choice Daylily sprouts new foliage after being cut to the ground, plumbago, a fall blooming groundcover underneath.

Becky Shasta Daily sprouts new foliage after being cut to the ground.

Certain plants, at least in my zone 5 area benefit by being left to stand during the winter.  They can be deadheaded but should not be cut to the ground as we do with many other perennials.  Agastache and Centranthus are more reliable if they are not trimmed to the ground, lavender also should only be trimmed in the spring to new growth.

Agastache Rosita benefits from deadheading all summer, continual flowering.  Leave this plant standing for the winter, cut down a little for neatness but do not cut to the ground.

Agastache Blue Fortune

Centranthus Alba can be deadheaded all summer for continual bloom, trim in fall but not to the ground.

Gaillardia Mesa can be deadheaded all season for continual bloom.  This plant can be trimmed low in the fall.

The above plants are all waterwise and are some of the plants from the alley garden.  They have done very well obviously because they do not require much water and love the heat.

Most other perennials and grasses can be trimmed to the ground in the fall without any ill effects, unless you want the winter interest of seed heads.  I would not recommend leaving the Miscanthus grasses up for the fall and winter.  They do not hold up to the snow and become quite messy and labor intensive the following spring.  Even my Carex on the north side of my house is a major problem to cut back if we do not do it in the fall - it becomes mushy..  Panicum Northwind is the exception in that it turns a tan in the fall and stands very well through snowstorms and most of the winter until March.  This grass is not a problem cutting down in the spring.

Panicum Northwind can be left standing for the winter.  It becomes tan in the fall and can withstand snow and ice until March.

Miscanthus Udine will flop if not cut down in the fall.

Pennisetum Hamlin does not need to be cut back for the winter.

Carex Ice Fountains requires cutting back in the fall

If you have hydrangeas that bloom on old and new wood you can leave them dried on the stems for winter interest and cut them down in the spring.  Limelight, Endless Summer, Unique, Pink Diamonds are just a few varieties that bloom on old and new wood.

A Sunday Cabbage Hunt

Well, I was not just looking for cabbages but I thought that if I could find a few more of my Let's Dance Hydrangeas at one of my favorite nurseries I would also pick up some large decorative cabbages.  My concrete planters in the back of my home have put on quite a show this season, but they just couldn't keep up with that western sun in the afternoon.  They look really spent so I thought I would just put in some cabbages if I could find them.

There are areas of containers, benches and fencing throughout the entire nursery.

Well, we arrived mid morning and hardly anyone was there so one of the salespeople spent quite a bit of time with me trying to find a plant that would replace the one I had asked for  (which they didn't have).  I finally thanked her for all of her time and expertise and went in search of my cabbages.  I spotted a frilly tall one in a container but was told this was the only one they have received so far.

I love these tall pots in the middle of a very casual garden.  They are unexpected because they look so modern and streamlined.  A garden should always have something unexpected!

More great containers and ironwork

Mums were on two long tables, tightly budded and from a Minnesota grower.  They looked wonderful, softly mounded and just a peek of the color ready to explode.  I dismissed them because I know if this weather continues mums will be a plant of the past by mid September.

This was a great display of Miscanthus, plenty of room!

I have frequented this nursery for the past twenty-five years, and it is a nursery, as they grow most of their own plants further west and truck them into this location.  They also buy some of their shrubbery and perennial stock from Proven Winners and of, course, their annuals are also bought from a distributor.  Although, they do grow some unusual annuals each year like Amaranthus, Love Lies Bleeding and Nicotiana Alata and many others that are difficult to start from seed.

There were many gardens labeled with the types of plants that would do well under certain conditions.

Pond Plants

Great dog items in both concrete and ironwork

I have purchased decorative iron fencing here as they are one of the few places that I have found locally that stocks a wide array of fencing, arbors and gazebos.  No cabbages this weekend but it gives me an excuse for another garden trip next week!

Summer's Last Stand?

Don't we hope?  Ninety-six degrees today, watering wilted and shriveled plants, mostly in the containers and the baskets to no avail.  The children are going back to school, the the pools are closing, oops - our pool was forced by the community to stay open until labor day, and jackets were the mode of attire in the morning hours a year ago.

The border has done well even in this heat, however, the roses have taken a break - very short on bloom this year.

I did get the boxwood trimmed somewhat.  I had to be careful not to cut off the coleus.

My poor Amaranthus Love Lies Bleeding trying to survive under the Miscanthus.  This was not a good choice for this lovely plant.

Euphorbia Diamond Frost is an annual and has really taken off in the heat although it also will survive in the cooler weather.  It is a great plant to bring inside and pair with Pointsettas for the holidays.

Corydalis has bloomed all spring and summer with the Wintercreepter on the north side of the house.  It is somewhat invasive, but I left it alone this year for the color it added to all of the green.

Normally, it would be too late to trim annuals, but you know what, I think I am going to go for it.  Who knows, we may have this weather for another three months.  You cannot put in mums and cabbages in this weather.  I'll bet Home Depot will hold back on their big deliveries this year.  Costco had a small sampling today, and I wanted to tell the lady buying the huge pots of mums that they'll be done in a week with this weather.

Dicentra Eximia growing on the north side under Solomon's Seal has been blooming all summer.

The New Guniea Impatiens in my concrete planters have performed better than ever in this heat.  Of course, they also like water every day!

Echinacea Mango Meadowbrite

I am having a fireplace screen installed on Monday, because it gets so cold in our family room with the downdraft, what do we need a fireplace for?  Right now I am turning the ceiling fan up a notch in the same room.  This is the time of year that I usually have the furnace man make a visit to check things out, but I am wondering if we even need a furnace!  I know the heat is really getting to me, but it is hard to imagine coolness after almost fifty days above eighty, nineteen of them above 90.

I hope you enjoy some of the flowers that have survived.

Thinking Spring

I know, we can barely think of summer being over, with fall hot on it's heels, but this is the time of year we have to think of our spring garden.  I order my bulbs online from http://www.johnscheepers.com/ or http://www.vanengelen.com/ depending upon the quantity.  Scheepers deals in smaller quantities.

A couple of great daffodils that performed above and beyond last year in my garden were Itzim and Rinjveld Early Sensation both early bloomers and long lived.  Remember to think of tulips as annuals but I have had luck with many of the emperor tulips coming back (not quite as large).  If you want a specimen garden, I would order new tulips each year.  I do this with the Monte Carlo tulips because I want to make sure they bloom around my tree in front of the house.

Itzim Daffodil

Rinjveld's Early Sensation

Early Sensation on South Side

Orange Emperor Tulip

Sweetheart and Orange Emperor

Hyacinths many times will not bloom in the tight bud form as when first planted, but will split into several stalks of florets.  So, again if you want specimen plantings, put in new ones.  Muscari comes in many different varieties, one of the best being Blue Spike.  I have several varieties and colors, Valerie Finnis very nice up close, but you want some impact when they are at a distance.

Muscari

City of Harlem and Pink Pearl

City of Harlem Hyacinth and Sagitta Daffodil

Monte Carlo Tulip

I am also going to order some lilies as they were great during this very hot summer.  These companies also sell amaryllis and paperwhites for holiday planting (inside of course).

The Neglectful Gardener

Usually I wouldn't think of myself in this category, but lately all I can do is water the drooping containers before it gets too unbearable to stay outside.  I spritz a japanese beetle once in a while and prune an overhanging plant as I retreat to the house.  I see many more chores I should be doing but just can't stand the heat!

The single Knockouts have performed much better than the doubles this summer.  They seem to be able to take the heat with normal sized blooms whereas the doubles had very small blooms most of the summer.

Pink Mediland Rose has just begun reblooming after a season full of japanese beetle damage.

Pink Beauty has bloomed sporadically but has also been susceptible to the japanese beetles.

I have pruned only three of the seven boxwood that line my patio, maybe if I did one per day it would seem like less work.  Some of the grasses need to be cut back on the outside edges because the rain has put them over the pathway.  The Rhus Aromatica has been sheared about seven times this year (usually two is sufficient) and it has the scale back again.  I am ready to yank them and put in something more carefree, what?

Just one bloom on Nelly Moser - take note of the bites!

I am not even sure what this one is anymore, hopefully not Polish Spirit which I pulled out.

Rainbow Knockout just opening up again after an onslaught of the beetles

Mulch is piled up by the shed to lay on the north side path.  Who even wants to slit open the bag not alone distribute it in this weather?

Angelonia

Fibrous Begonias and Impatiens

My husband asked me if I get discouraged around this time of year.  He is not a gardener, but he even noticed the mundane nature of these daily garden chores.  He has taken on the job of watering the hayracks on the north side fence and I think he is becoming depressed over the way they look - half dead!

Nicotiana

Why do we do this year after year?  No other endeavor can I think of, except gardening, has the ability to bring the earth back to life, nurture it, replant it, beautify it and live off of everything it supplies.