Oh I Like that!

Beautiful area Ju;ia. Looks like that fence did not get up fast enough. I see they got a few leaves on your Hostas. At least they left you a few leaves. My deer are not that kind. They eat every leaf before they leave the garden.

Just a bit of an update ...

Due to the drought all of my plants are coming out of the hot temps of summer smaller than when we have normal temps. I had to shade the heucheras daily during July and August to reduce the amount of leaf scorch.

The dogwood tree, which was supposed to supply shade, is also water stressed and did not have as much foliage as it has in the past, so I didn't get as much shade ...

The good news is that they are all alive. Temps are still in the mid 90s, but I do have more afternoon shade in the garden. I am not expecting to see fall colors for another month. I have two new ones to plant. I sure hope they make it.

Amethyst Mist & Silver Scrolls



Autumn Leaves



I noticed that the garden center did not get many heucheras in this year, so I guess the drought impacted the producer, too.

Smiles,
Lyn

Our garden center did not have much in the way of heuchera this year either, Lyn. They had 1 Tiarella. It was a Tiarella Tealon that was marked as a variegated iris - go figure. Anyway, I did buy it. I love Tiarellas.

Carolynn ...

This has been a brutal summer. I managed to keep everything alive, but my garden does not look very good.

Last winter, I had to pull a hose out from under the house because we did not get any rain or snow for two months. I am dreading the thought I might have to do that again this winter.

It's just as well that I don't have a lot of new plants to put into the ground this fall. I am working outside more now that the temps have dropped a bit. There is so much to do that I couldn't get done while it was so hot.

Smiles,
Lyn

Carolyn22 said:Our garden center did not have much in the way of heuchera this year either, Lyn. They had 1 Tiarella. It was a Tiarella Tealon that was marked as a variegated iris - go figure. Anyway, I did buy it. I love Tiarellas.

My garden center did not carry many either. I do think this plant will end up as a fade of gardens past. It requires a lot of special care and even with the amount of special care it is not long lived without dividing and babying. Those types of plants fall out of favor once the novelty wears thin.

My nursery said because they guarantee their plants for one year they were not happy with the returns and credits that have to be done for these plants. I noticed the ones they did get in were from the local grower.

If the developers do not get a handle on viability, it will be gone soon. But as things go now a days they will snatch the profits as fast and as long as they can. I have stopped buying them unless they are 3.00 or less. If they are not the cost of an annual I refuse to pay perennial prices for a annual plant. Some places were charging 18 - 20 dollars for them. I refuse to be used and taken when they know they are not viable.

Okay my rant is done. I am sorry.

Cinta ...

I agree completely. I did not like to have to shade my plants daily, but we are in a period of extreme drought so I have had to take extra measures with many of the plants I grow.

If this is truly the "new normal", I won't be replacing a lot of plants that need the extra care. However, my area of the state does go through periodic cycles of drought and I am prepared to deal with that kind of weather. That said, I have never gone through a drought period as extreme as this one and am certainly not prepared to deal with this kind of weather from now on. I'll have to make some changes.

I do know that I want to garden with plants that I don't need to fuss with every day.

Smiles,
Lyn

Lyn, you have the drought and I have severe winters. Granted last winter was the worst I have seen since I was a kid but even mild winters some did not survive. I think what they are doing is using the the home gardener as their test contestants. Some you cannot even find retail anymore. If a plant disappears from the trade that tells me it was a dud and they just keep breeding more duds.

I think that's a big part of it. I agree that they are not testing them long enough.

Also, I am beginning to think that they are not giving the proper instructions on how to care for the plants. I know that is true of many of the nurseries now selling own root bands of roses. If you follow their instructions, I have no doubt you will have more failures to succeed and it will takes years to have a viable plant ... in many climates.

It's clear to me that I don't have enough shade for these plants.

I am at the age where I can't just keep on experimenting and need to plant things that have passed the test of time.

Smiles,
Lyn

Well my buying season is over I went back to see what I brought this year.
I am doing winter hardy pots so I can cut down on the annuals for my patio arrangements.

I did not pay more than 3.00 for any of these. I just noticed I purchased 13. I guess I should go and buy one more so I do not have the unlucky 13. Guess I could hit HD and get another Kira since they have them on sale for 3.00.

Confession time what did you buy this year?

This is what I purchased.

Delta Dawn (New to me)
Obsidian (New to me)
Tiramisu (had it before it lived 2 yrs then did not show up the next yr)
xvillosa Circus (had it last year it did not survive the winter)
xvillosa Kassandra (New to me)
Two Southern Comfort (Had this for 3 yrs. 4th yr did not survive winter)
Two Melting Fire (New to me)
Kira (New to me)
Caramel (Had before lived 3 yrs. 4th yr did not survive the winter)
Miracle (New to me)
Beaujolais (New to me)

I have not put the winter pots together so I still have them in their shipping containers. I really like the Fall colors of xvillosa Kassandra.

This is what it looked like when I received


Now

Those are a bunch of nice ones. I have not had luck with Kira, Tiramisu or Circus for some reason. My friend down the street grows beautiful Tiramisu. Good luck with all of these they are wonderful looking plants. $3.00 WOW great buy!

Frosting on the heauchera this morning.

The pictures are nice , I have always liked the way frost looks on them.

It was so beautiful this AM with all the frost and sun.

The winters we seem to be having these last two years it is good you like to see frost on them.