Perennials
May 1, 2017
As a brand new homeowner, we are trying to plant some flowers in our new yard. Since
all I have ever grown are a few containers and hanging baskets, I am not sure what
to plant. I have an eastern exposure along the front of the house and the south side
is open to the street. These are the two areas I would like to add some color to.
There are a few small trees in the front, but that is all. I would like both annuals
and perennials. Thanks for your help.
You have a myriad of choices, for both annuals and perennials. First decide on a
color scheme–either warm colors or cool colors. Then try to have something in bloom
during all seasons. Some heat lovers for the south side for annuals include: lantana,
cuphea, penta, petunias, and zinnias. For perennials, look at purple coneflower,
butterfly weed, daylilies, salvias, hardy hibiscus, liatris, autumn joy sedum, and
goldenrod. This is just the tip of the iceberg for flowering plants. Visit your
local nursery or garden center and take a look at what is available. All of these
choices should work for the eastern exposure as well. Make sure that you give them
room to spread and grow to maturity and group plants together that need the same conditions
as far as watering and fertility. Have fun gardening!
August 2012
The city of Little Rock has incorporated a plant into their landscapes and I need
your help identifying it so that I can include it in my garden. It grows to about
3 feet tall. The stems are woody and dark brown. The leaves are long and narrow. The
blooms are deep purple and the size of a half dollar. From what I can tell, the blooms
open in the morning and are closed by mid-afternoon. I have enclosed a picture. It
was taken in front of the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatics Center.
The plant in question is commonly called a Mexican petunia-- Ruellia brittoniana. The standard variety is what is in the picture, and can be a bit aggressive, spreading
to other areas of the garden. A dwarf variety, called Katie dwarf comes in purple
or white and is much better behaved in the garden. Both are very drought tolerant
and are perennials.
August 2012
I have a perennial garden that is almost 20 years old. It is in need of an "extreme
makeover", if you know what I mean. I have a lot of creeping Phlox that over the years
has crept over the driveway. When I tackle this project in the fall, can I dig that
up, clean it out some and replant it? I have noticed over the past 2 years that the
blooms are not a prolific as before.
Creeping phlox actually tends to do better in poor soil, than rich, well watered areas.
In my opinion, it is not the most attractive plant after it blooms. I do think you
can clean it up, and replant this fall, but I would use it as a border or edging plant,
and incorporate some other perennials and annuals into your bed. Diversity is a good
thing, and you want plants that can bloom in all seasons. If your perennials get too
crowded, it can reduce their vigor and their blooming. A general rule for perennials
is plants that bloom in the spring, should be dug and divided in the fall. Fall bloomers
should be dug and divided in the spring, and those that bloom in the summer can be
dug and divided spring or fall.
July 2012
Like a lot of people, I'm losing some plants this summer. You may know that here in
Maumelle, we're restricted to once-a-week watering. Even sneaking around my back yard
with my hose isn't doing the job! You mentioned in your column today that hydrangeas
are not drought-tolerant. I have one that's in a bad spot that I think I'll just take
out after this year, so I know what you're talking about. My question is this: Would
it be possible for you to print a list of plants that are drought-tolerant in an upcoming
column? I've threatened to tear everything out and plant cacti next year or maybe
just rosemary and Black-eyed Susans, since that's all that's doing well in my garden
right now!
As mentioned above with the crape myrtles, even they are struggling with the heat!
Also, when planting even the most drought tolerant plants, the first growing season,
they will need water. I can’t imagine what my landscape would look like with once
a week watering—the soil is so incredibly rocky, and I am on a slope, so I feel for
you with water restrictions. Deep, excellent soil encourages deep roots, which makes
it easier to water less often. Some drought tolerant shrubs for sun include: abelia,
althea (rose of Sharon), forsythia, spirea, buddleia (butterfly bush), barberry, junipers,
beautyberry, nandina and ninebark. For shade, acuba, cleyera, and even camellias once
they are well established. Perennials include rosemary, thyme, lamb’s ear, butterfly
weed (milkweed), yarrow, gaura, rudbeckia (black eyed Susan), purple coneflower, liatris,
sedum and penstemon. Annuals include lantana, periwinkle, cleome (spider flower),
cockscomb, cosmos and portulaca. There are also a good number of succulents—plants
with thick fleshy leaves that are available from nurseries.
March 2012
In a recent column you talked about oleander, but you didn’t mention anything about
the known toxicity of this plant. I’m talking about Nerium oleander, as I suppose you are. It is indeed an attractive plant. However, what I read tells
me its greatest danger comes when the leaves are eaten, and it is more poisonous to
humans and dogs (and some grazing animals including horses) than to some other species.
I personally would forego it as a yard plant. But I recognize that someone else might
decide differently, and so I feel strongly that anyone who chooses oleander ought
to do so in full knowledge of its riskiness to children and pets.
You are correct that oleander is poisonous and I should have mentioned its toxicity.
There are quite a few plants in our landscapes that fit this bill. The popular brugmansia
and datura perennials are highly toxic, as is foxglove (Digitalis), hellebores (Lenten
rose) and all members of the milkweed family. Even our common boxwoods and daffodils
are toxic.
March 2012
I would like to transplant a big clump of decorative grass to a place in my yard that
is near a water pipe. Should I be concerned about roots growing into the pipe? I ask
because my neighbor has been told by a plumber that crape myrtle roots have caused
her extensive plumbing problems. Now I'm paranoid about planting anything near pipes!
Roots can’t grow into a pipe unless the pipe has a hole in it or is cracked. Roots
don’t break pipes, but if the pipe is damaged, they take advantage of the hole or
crack and invade. I don’t think there should be reason to worry about planting ornamental
grass.
January 2012
Winter Color 2012
Perennials are plants that come back for more than one year. While we surely hope
our trees and shrubs come back every year, the term perennial is used for non-woody,
or herbaceous plants in the garden. Here again, we have choices that bloom, spring,
summer, fall and yes, even winter. Right now there are several species of hellebores
that are blooming. Helleborus niger is the Christmas rose, and actually started blooming in my garden in early December.
Helleborus orientalis or the Lenten Rose, typically doesn’t start blooming until February. New hybrids
are now available at many nurseries with blooms starting in January, lasting through
April. These plants are evergreen, but do their growing and blooming in the cool season.
When hot weather arrives, they basically survive, but don’t do any new growing. In
addition to a long bloom period, when color is definitely needed, they also do well
in the shade. New cultivars also have upright flowers. A lot of plant breeding has
been going on in the hellebore world, and there are many new choices. Colors range
from reds, to pinks, whites and greens. Double flowers as well as singles are available.
Italian Arum, Arum italicum is an interesting perennial for the shade garden. The variegated leaves are abundant
now and quite showy. It will produce a spath-like blossom, and with the heat of summer,
the foliage disappears, often leaving just a stalk with bright orange berries. The
leaves are great in the winter garden. Don’t overlook rosemary as a shrub, groundcover
or perennial. This culinary herb is evergreen and actually blooms in the winter months
with a beautiful purple flower. Best planted in well drained, dry sites in full sun,
it is easy to grow, and edible to boot.
November 2011
We have 6 pampas grass plants hiding our electrical box. Our neighbor on the other
side put in maiden grass, which is doing great. Our pampas grass is 6 years old. After
this past winter it did not come back well at all. The grass is not growing in the
middle of these huge plants, but, on the sides. Also no plumes so far this year either.
We did use fertilizer, but to no avail. We also cut them back in March I think. What
should we do? Dig them up or hope for the best next year? Please let me know.
It sounds like the crown of your plants has decayed. This often happens if the old
foliage is not removed every year in February or March, or possible winter damage.
If you only have a ring of foliage, you won’t get great plumes either. Pampas grass
has a tenacious root system, so digging it up requires brute strength or a backhoe.
If you can dig it up, cut out the dead areas and set it back out and basically start
over. There are many other grass varieties to choose from, but all require annual
pruning.
October 2010
I was given a Mexican petunia plant that is bare root and I plant to plant soon. What
can you tell me about it? I have never heard of it before, am told it is very hardy
and blooms well. It has 2 purple blooms on it now.
Mexican petunia is Ruellia. It is an extremely heat and drought tolerant perennial.
There is a standard variety that grows about three feet tall and has purple flowers
and is very hardy. It can also get a little too happy in the garden and spread, so
pay attention to it. There is also a dwarf ruellia that gets no taller than 6 inches
and is marginally hardy in NW Arkansas. Plant yours in full sun and water and mulch
it and it should survive the winter.
August 2010
All this summer I have been trying to grow various heucheras. Every time I see an
article or suggestion about shade gardens, these plants are encouraged. Because I
have so many trees in my backyard, I bought at least seven or eight varieties and
decided to re-pot them to keep them from drying out until I'm sure of where I'd like
to plant them. But each time I bought some, the leaves dried up within days. The roots
on each looked healthy, and the soil in each pot is kept reasonably moist (not wet).
Do you have any idea as to what the problem could be?
There are hundreds of cultivars of heuchera on the market and some can take
the heat and humidity of the south, and others look at it and die. When you are choosing
heucheras look for Heuchera villosa in the parentage. H. villosa is much more heat and humidity tolerant than standard heucheras, and the plants should
be evergreen for us--provided they have ample moisture--but in very well drained soil.
Heavy soils and heucheras are not a good combination. Many recommend raised beds or
even containers for heuchera care. Some varieties to try include: 'Citronelle', 'Caramel',
'Crème Brulee' and 'Frosted Violet'. Heucheras typically start to play out after three
to four years, but there are so many plants to choose from you have lots of options.
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