Viewing post #1133688 by Arico

dyzzypyxxy said:Lee Roy, truly, we've all been where you are before, but well, this is a site for gardeners, so of course none of us has given up (at least not for long). Gardening is nothing if not challenging and complicated. You must be pro-active and anticipate problems to prevent them, not wait until the bad stuff happens to react. eg. water more when the weather forecast says it will be hot, don't wait for the plants to wilt. We'll encourage you and help you all we can.

If I may be direct, from many of your posts I've had the impression that you have been starting with some pretty difficult plants. High maintenance, high water use, heavy feeders, tender perennial bulbs that you have to store over winter (you're not alone, lots of people have fungus issues doing this). While of course they're beautiful, you don't get a lot of return for your money and efforts with plants like that.

I'm saying I think you've started on the steep part of the learning curve. Try something easier, like some hardy perennials, so that you always have a base or "backbone" of your garden that comes back better each year, then add accents with your exotics once you have all that going. I'd also investigate the plants that are native to your area - these are plants that are resistant to the plant diseases and bugs that are endemic to where you live. Very dependable.

May I suggest you try some Bearded Iris like the ones shown above? They're very hardy, easy and bloom generously, then the next year the clump will be twice as big, too. (plus they come in every color, shape and size, take a tour of the Irises forum and you'll see!) Once you try some easy things, you'll be asking why you were so hung up on Callas and woodland orchids.

I don't really agree with what you're saying. I don't find these plants difficult. If anything, the ones I have at the moment, most of them are regarded as easy: Pennisetum, Lavandula, Geranium, Liriope, Hosta, Polygonatum, Iris sibirica and germanica, Salvia, Ferns, Lilium...Yes, I do have bearded irises, 7 of them and they're showing signs of virus. I blame it on the soil which isn't as free draining. But then again, most of the 'wet clay tolerant plants' are not to my liking; I just don't like the looks of them (Astilbe, Aster and what else...)

And I don't mind digging bulbs for storage. Okay, I'd rather have them to stay in the ground over winter, but that's mainly because I don't like to rummage around in a border too much and because I like the idea of the plants coming up in their own time in spring.

But yea.....It's been raining for more than a week now, almost constantly. Even the worms crawl up the walls to evade the wet This is actually worse than pests or anything: the wet weather. But nothing I can do about it....Atleast there's some good news: one of my three martagon lilies has shown up. Thought they'd rotted on me this winter, but alas.