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Monday, May 24, 2010

MORE CHANGES AND MORE BLOOMS

This week I removed and cut back masses of trailing wine cups. They were taking over the sunken garden having had a self seeding bonanza this last year. You can still see several smaller ones along the edges.

It might also be called trailing wine cup as it has found its way up into the top of the yucca.

This is the 3 year old root that I removed from center spot. I took it along to Garden a Go Go Saturday. Someone took it home and it will be interesting to see if it survives. I decided I needed something taller in here so planted a Pennisetum setaceum "rubrum" In the past I had a miscanthus grass which looked very attractive in the fall and all through the winter, but it left its mark on many places in the garden. Seeders I can take but not this one. Impossible to get to the roots. The wine cup was very happy growing here so I hope the new plant will take to this highly alkaline spot. The rock below which it sits continually degrades and flakes producing pebble sized pieces of rock. I removed a bag full from the top.

As the poppies and larkspur fade the purple cone flowers, Echinacea purpurea, come out to play. They are just the common or garden variety. I have tried to grow some of the others but with little success.

Along the back wall of the pool, which I completely cleaned out this year, here they are again.

Among the cone flowers a day lily blooms. I finally had to do something about the slugs who were enjoying stripping the color layer off the surface. I sprinkling of Sluggo did the trick. Sluggo is non toxic and biodegradable.

Looking back to the house Coreopsis tinctoria fills in among the Salvia leucantha. What will be next to bloom I wonder?

10 comments:

  1. Wow - that'a a major root! I hope it performs for its new owner :-)

    Your coneflowers are glorious! I haven't had much success with them here, but I think I just haven't prepped the bed properly for them.

    The view across the coreopsis is lovely too. I'm getting some blooms in my garden, but it's still "here's a plant.. then a gap... then another plant" I can't wait until it starts filling in. In the meantime, I'll live vicariously through your blog ;-)

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  2. Oh, so sad that you moved the winecup! But I do understand about it taking over. I've been an indulgent parent and let it obliterate my path for a while.I'm about to prune mine a little. Dakota got a head start on it for me today - she pulled up a few bits by the roots and left them in the grass!

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  3. Do you leave the Larkspur and Poppies to go to seed, or do you cut them back? Mine look so bedraggled, as well as the Cornflowers, but I do want them to reseed.

    Your Coneflowers look marvelous, but that Lily is a stunner. Is it really that gorgous salmon color that my monitor shows it to be?

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  4. Wow Jenny, your coneflowers are looking amazing, I keep spreading the seeds on mine, but I always seem to end up with roughly the same amount of plants! :-(

    I am really looking forward to finally seeing your garden at the next GG...when is it by the way?

    ESP.

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  5. Jayne= I was staggered when I saw the size of the root too. I am really wishing I had more gaps. Everything is just too crowded.
    Diana- It took a lot of doing to finally move it but there are others. The thing I worry about is getting out the root as the others are under paving.
    I usually cut off the poppy heads before they throw. Larkspur too. They will come back no matter.
    ESP They just like it here-no soil, rocks crowded and someone who lets them do what they want. June 26th is the date. Expect a lot of rocks which will please Bob!

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  6. I, too, finally cut back the winecups that were trailing everywhere. That root is amazing! I'm sure it will do fine for its new family. Must try that pennisetum; sounds wonderful. And that daylily, luscious. Indeed, I'm thinking about bringing out the Sluggo. Too much chomping for me to keep up with at this point.

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  7. Linda- I think there is a more upright wine cup. I love the flowers but not when they start to take over. I hope this pennisetum does not seed.

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  8. I took that winecup root home from the Go-Go! It's massive. I planted it near my new Anacacho orchid tree, and the green sprigs on it still seem fine. I expect it will grow.

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  9. Beautiful plants, your photos are always so vivid, like you are right there. Can you tell me what Garden A Go Go Saturday is? Thanks.

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  10. Pam- i would think it should survive by virtue of all the food stored in the tuber. If it doesn't work I have loads more seedlings.
    Cynthia- Austin bloggers get together once a month, visit one home, and help with design/planting ideas. It is a fun social and benefits all. We also do a plant swap at the end of the meeting.

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