IntenseDebate - gardenofaaron

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Hello, November! :) · 0 replies · +1 points

Rain? Oh yes, I remember that wet stuff that used to fall from the sky long ago. Seems like a dream... :P

I go back and forth on the chokeberry. As you say, the berries are pretty. And it's a tough plant. I may just keep it. Perhaps I'll try to limb it up so it doesn't conflict too much with the hydrangea.

I'll keep an eye on those chokeberries to see if they attract any avian visitors. I did see a mockingbird pecking away at the American beautyberry today, but haven't seen any action on the chokeberry plant... yet...

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Hello, November! :) · 0 replies · +1 points

It certainly makes the chokeberry more decorative for a while!

American beautyberry is also quite ornamental. The birds here peck at the berries, but they don't immediately devour them. Even the arrowwood berries hang on the shrub for a few weeks (though the dark blue berries are less ornamental to start with).

I think American beautyberry could probably survive as a die-back shrub in Chicago (i.e., would die down to the ground most winters and act as a perennial. At least that's what I've heard).

I was a little surprised that blue mistflower has done so well in a hot, dry location too. Sometimes plants surprise us with their adaptability! I think it helps a lot that the soil is almost solid clay. Even though the surface bakes into concrete under the sun, I think that hard top layer actually acts as a moisture barrier and the clay soil below has the capacity to hold and absorb an awful lot of moisture. (So much so that I don't feel I can plant anything that needs good drainage.) I doubt the mistflower would be able to handle the same conditions on sandy or gravely soil.

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Hello, November! :) · 0 replies · +1 points

Ah, always good to hear from you, Tammy!

I know you've said (and others have too) that mist flower loves moisture. I have three patches - the one shown here, another one that fell over early in the year but is still blooming pretty well and a third that looks dried out and mainly dead, but I'm hoping it's just dormant.

No matter what, I plan to plant a lot more mistflower. If a moisture-loving plant can survive in this crazy drought year, then I can't imagine how much it would thrive in a wetter year (or even a year with normal precipitation).

And since I'm always looking for groundcovers - especially natives that support wildlife - and have a lot of ground to cover, I don't think I'd be upset at all if this beauty ran rampant.

(Have you tried cutting back mist flower early in summer though to see if you can control its height that way. I don't mind a 2-3 foot tall groundcover, but just wondering if it's possible to keep it at say 12 inches tall?)

Balloon flower seems super tough - at least in partial shade. I haven't tried it in full Southern sun. Not sure if it would appreciate that.

Darn right on those tart chokeberries. Which berries do the birds in your garden like the most?

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Hello, November! :) · 0 replies · +1 points

I really, really do love the mistflower. It's incredibly tough and beautiful. I understand that it spreads a lot for some people. To which I say, "Please, please spread for me!" :)

I have three patches of mistflower. I showed the healthier and most vigorous one of course ;-)

Blanket Flower does seem fine in dry conditions. Both of its parents (G. aristata and G. pulchella) are native to dry areas in the West, with G. pulchella being native to hot *and* dry areas - Arizona, New Mexico, most of Texas. So I guess it's no surprise that Gaillardia is able to thrive and bloom with amazingly little water.

Still, as you say, pleasant soaking rain would be a blessing about now.

Sadly, no rain in the 10-day forecast. :(

The Tennessee Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?TN) shows that we're now in 'Severe Drought''

Thinking it's probably time to buy a bird bath...

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Too Many Cats on the F... · 0 replies · +1 points

Hm. That's odd. Well, perhaps if some of these cats become butterflies they (or their descendants) can fly over to your garden and start the next generation on your fennel! :)

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Wild Senna and the Hid... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks Jason.

I think it's actually the caterpillar of a sleepy orange butterfly - https://the-natural-web.org/tag/sleepy-orange/

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Groundcover Review - H... · 0 replies · +1 points

Hi Yvonne (and anyone else reading),

Just a quick update to say that I have not yet succeeded in removing hardy blue plumbago from the garden.

As I said in my last update, it was hard to get all the roots and I was sure I'd missed some pieces.

Sure enough, mixed in with other plants in the bed (sweet alyssum, wild strawberry, a couple kinds of Ajuga, a Japanese plum yew, etc.) I've spotted a few stems of hardy blue plumbago. When I find them, I try to pull them, although they usually do break off at soil level.

I imagine I'll be battling this plant (at low intensity) for months or even years to come...

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Groundcover Review - H... · 0 replies · +1 points

I hope it works for you!

I do believe that the roots probably will help with erosion control.

(Although if you live in a cold climate, keep in mind that the plant stems will be bare for 5-6 months or more, which means rain could still hit the soil directly and wash it away...)

Still, hope it meets your expectations. Please come back sometime and post an update as to how it did on your property! :)

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - Hide and Seek... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks :)

9 years ago @ Garden of Aaron - How to Make My Lawn Lo... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks for sharing your method, Deb!

Is this the weed-and-feed you use from Gardens Alive - http://www.gardensalive.com/product/granulated-wo... ?

I've tried Iron-X. I think it works pretty well for certain weeds (dandelions, thistle) but I had very poor results with other sorts of weeds (especially clover).

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