Highly recommended perennials

[Weeterrier]

'course you do Plocket ;D

[Plocket]

The clems are well established now WeeT and I've since put a Hamamellis in front of them too! ;D

I had to laugh today - we went to David Austin Roses and the lovely non-rose man was trying to sell me a clematis to go with our rambling rose. We were discussing the merits of a clematis to go with the rose and I told him clematis were more my thing. He showed me the lovely selection they had, but I had most of them!! He very kindly said that he would try and get me anything I was particularly keen to get hold of

[nightowl]

Mar 24, 2008 15:30:48 GMT Weeterrier said:

I have no success with Japanese anemones. They grow, but quite pathetically. However, one of the gardens that I tend, grows them like weeds. She has heavier soil than I have. They are so pretty The white one is my favourite.

I don't have any joy with them either Wee, and i've got very light sandy soil. I buy them, pot them on and they're fine. Then when they're big and strong I plant them out...and wave them goodbye....

[Weeterrier]

Mar 24, 2008 16:25:58 GMT Plocket said:

The clems are well established now WeeT and I've since put a Hamamellis in front of them too! ;D

I had to laugh today - we went to David Austin Roses and the lovely non-rose man was trying to sell me a clematis to go with our rambling rose. We were discussing the merits of a clematis to go with the rose and I told him clematis were more my thing. He showed me the lovely selection they had, but I had most of them!! He very kindly said that he would try and get me anything I was particularly keen to get hold of

They should have offered you a job. ;D

[Plocket]

Hahaha! The clematis man is new so I don't think they need me! I'm tempted to see if he can get C. Vit. Caerulea Luxurians for me though - it would save me the postage

[Weeterrier]

And you could put the saving towards another Clem.

[Plocket]

Now why didn't I think of that??? ;D

[Chuckles]

Well I like all the recommendations so far.

Goat's Rue is on my list and we have a few places close by that sell wild flowers so I'll keep an eye out for that.

Japanese Anemone I just love, I have some pink ones in the garden that did start to take over a bit, grow quite tall too. White ones I just love and have some Whirlwind ones to plant out. Now last year I managed to get a couple of bits from a friends garden of a small flowering double pink one, have about 3 pots of it maturing until they are big enough to plant out.

Not sure what plants I would highly recommend as I like most perennials It's great to read what others like though, trouble is like you Amo it gives me ideas ;D

[Weeterrier]

Here is another favourite of mine. Yes, it is straggly and needs a good amount of space, but it flowers for the whole summer, and overwinters with a pretty clump of feathery leaves. Roots easily from cuttings too.
I am not sure however if this is Anthemis tinctoria 'Mrs E.C.Buxton' or if it is 'Sauce Hollandaise' which is paler. But both are fabulous.
This is one plant.

[Pip]

Another plant for my wish list. Every time I come on here I add to it.

Lovely Weeterrier, thank you for posting about it.

Pip

[Deleted]

Well, I'm still a novice so don't have too many recommendations - but if anyone is looking for something tall (around 6 foot) and utterly spectacular, Malva 'Magic Hollyhock' is hard to beat. Unbelievably easy to grow from seed - I sowed mine last year in latish April, and they flowered for months:

[Weeterrier]

I like really tall plants CC, thanks for that.

[Rosefriend]

Diptamnus albus perhaps better known as the Burning bush is one of the loveliest perennials I know. It is actually a perennial herb.



I suppose the pink variety could be called the most beautiful although the alba variety certainly has something rather special about it.



The pics are from my garden and I have had the plants for many years. Not one of the easiest plants in that they can take up to three years to flower from seed, they do not like being moved and can cause skin irritation if one is a bit allergic to the ethereal oil that the plant produces.

I have never had any problems and the lemony type smell is very intensive. This is the party piece plant on a warm summer evening - I have often set the plants alight just to smell the oils. It has even been suggested that this could be the "burning bush" described in the Bible.....

Diptam used to be grown for medicinal purposes, many years ago but these days is very rarely used except as a perennial.

The seed capsules can be used in dry flower arranging and if left on the plant do open and the seeds fly all over the place......needless to say that in all the years, I have never had a seedling but when one remembers that I can't even get Buddleia's to seed here - well no more needs to be said...

RF

[Deleted]

Those look gorgeous, RF, especially the white one - I suppose, like most herbs, they need sun? I'm getting tempted but my sunny bits are all taken ... cheers ...

[Rosefriend]

Hi CC - yes they do like sun but I do have seeds if you want them (pink as well) - may I suggest a small tub until they decided to flower in a couple of years!!

I have always thought that the flowers are similar to Alstroemeria somehow.

RF

[Weeterrier]

Those are outstandingly good RF. But I think I tried them once, not from seed, I bought plants from Bressingham Gardens. They died unfortunately, but that was on very heavy clay soil. Seeing your photos make me want to give them another try. My soil now is pretty friable.

[Amo]

I've just bought 3 from Beth Chatto and they are sitting in the cold frame waiting for better weather. Any clues to your siting of them RF?? I was hoping to put mine in semi dappled shade.

[Rosefriend]

Well I have mine in full sun but as far as I am aware you can put them in semi-shade, the first pic I ever saw of them was in a "light" wooded area - the one thing is that they don't like is to be moved.....

They would always be a must in any garden I had.

RF

[Ruthie]

Just picked up on this thread and I'll have to put my thinking cap on! Funnily enough, although my soil is light and sandy, I have a few established clumps of Japanese anemones, white and pink. The white one grows in my very poor front garden soil and spreads a bit more every year. I think it is absolutely beautiful so don't begrudge it.

Another thing which grows fairly well in the front (although better in the back where the soil is better) is Phlomis russeliana. The leaves are evergreen, although they need tidying up in the spring and the whorls of yellow flowers are a joy in June. In fact heres a photo.

[Weeterrier]

I like that one too Ruthie. It is the only Phlomis I can grow up here. The wet weather doesn't suit the others.

[torontotrini]

Phlox. You just got to have phlox in the garden. They are beautiful: mid-summer blooming, a fairly wide range of colours in the white-pink-red-violet range, subtle colour paterns on the petals for some varieties, bloom for a longer period than most perennials, some varieties are delicately fragrant, and some have lovely variegated foliage. You just got to have phlox. Here are a couple of mine from previous seasons of course, since they are nowhere near blooming here yet. I also have a beautiful white but can't seem to find a pic of it. I'm going to try and post individual pictures instead of a link. I've never tried that before and I'm not very techi, so stand back from your computer because anything can happen. ;D

[torontotrini]

Hey! Hey! It worked. I'm a star. ;D

[snowowl]

Well done TT ;D its much nicer to see a instant photo rather than a link.
Lovely Phlox they do seem to thrive in your garden.Have you got them in a sunny boarder?

[Plocket]

Well done TT, and lovely photos they are too

[torontotrini]

Hi SN. Yes, they are in sunny locations. The can tolerate a bit of shade, but they are really at their best in full sun, and they are very hardy. They can also handle a wide range of soils, but I don't know how they would do in chalk. They really are treasures in the garden.

[andy]

Anyone grow Acanthus spinosus....absolutely gorgeous

[Chuckles]

Lovely borders you have TT thanks for posting them. Love Phlox, I've got a couple in the garden both pink and white, white is my favorite, not a clue what the names are of the ones I have I like the variegated leaved one on your photo, what colour flower does that have.

Andy, I fell in love with Acanthus last year after seeing it in my neighbours garden. Needless to say I got some seeds and have managed to grow 3 lovely plants, I actually planted them out last week

[Weeterrier]

I agree, Phlox is a must have, the scent is gorgeous from them. A really good white one is 'White Admiral'. I like all colours though, except the orangey ones, I'm not a fan of orange anything.
I had the variegated one at one time, but it didn't grow well for me, o went. Not so for you TT, yours are fabulous. ;D
Phlox maculata is worth growing too, and it has shiny leaves as a bonus.

[torontotrini]

Hi Chuckles. The variegated one blooms a light pink. I have 2 variegated varieties, and the other one blooms a darker pink. I prefer the darker pink bloom - better contrast with the foliage - but I prefer the one in the photo because the plant itself grows nicer/fuller. The one thing about phlox is that they tend to be vulnerable to mildew. What I do to control that is to give them a good spraying with an environmentally friendly solution, I think it's sulphur based, - early in their growth phase, well before they reach the blooming stage. That does eliminate the mildew problem, but it limits it.

The white I have is "David". It's just wonderful when in full bloom. Another nice one is "Laura" or sometime labeled as "Little Laura". It is violet with a white eye. I'm not all that keen on the orange-red variety either. It's called "Orange Perfection". There is also creeping phlox - phlox subulata - that forms a solid mat/mound and blooms in late spring. Very nice, but you need to control its spread.

[Weeterrier]

I see that Crocus have 'David'. My finger is itching to press the 'BUY' button.