The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Perennials

Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)

Posted on by Posted in Perennials .

I have an unfinished garden bed on the side of my home that is rarely ever visited by anyone other than myself and maybe some hungry deer. I have vowed to finish it and have a ton of paper scraps of rough sketches to prove it.

For now though, it serves as the minor league stadium for the plants that are “stored” there until they prove themselves worthy of a promotion to the “big leagues”. This bed gets slammed with heavy winds, pounded by afternoon sun and visited frequently by the critters. Like my boy Frank Sinatra would sing “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.” or something like that. Throughout the spring and summer, I’ll move the survivors from this hidden bed to more prominent locations.

This past weekend, all of the Helenium autumnale (sneezeweed) were rewarded for their awesomeness and moved to the back bed surrounding my deck:

This was an easy decision as I officially gave up on all of my Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan). Their foliage looked awful by mid-summer, they re-seeded uncontrollably each year and truthfully, I was just bored with them.

So out with the old and in with the new … and more interesting:  

I’ve only had the sneezeweed plants for a little over a year, but they bloomed magically only after being in the ground for a few months:

The only problem I had was that they got too tall by August and began to flop. If you look closely in the photo below, you can see my poor attempt at trying to stake this plant:  

The flopping issue can be controlled by simply cutting the plants back now (mid June) so they reach a height closer to 3 feet rather than their maximum of 4 or 5 feet. I decided I would test this cutting back theory so I kept one as is when I transplanted it:  

And cut back another by about 12″:

I’ll be sure to monitor this situation as the season progresses and I’m crossing my fingers that the yellow leaves in the two photos above are simply transplant shock. Like a dope, I moved these in the middle of a hot and dry Summer day. 
Before I go, here are some quick facts about Helenium (sneezeweed):
  • Zone 3-8
  • Prefers full sun
  • Blooms late Summer into Fall
  • A US native found in moist soil along streams/ponds and in moist meadows
  • Reaches 3-5 feet tall with a spread of 2-3 feet
  • The origin of the name sneezeweed – dried leaves of this plant were used to make “snuff” which causes sneezing which in turn fights off evil spirits
  • The origin of the name Helenium – believed to refer to Helen of Troy and the fact that this plant would flower wherever her tears would hit the ground

Grats!

John            

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    My frustration with the daylilly

    Posted on by Posted in Comedy, Perennials .
    Most gardeners have a difficult time just throwing a plant away or heaving it onto the compost pile. We tend to move them around to different locations to see if that will change our mind or we shove it in a container and hide it where it can then languish in purgatory. But we will not destroy it.
    Which brings me to the ubiquitous daylily; ‘Happy Returns’ will be used as an example in today’s discussion. 
    In early spring, the daylily foliage will emerge and it looks fresh and clean at a time of year when we are desperate for anything “green”:

    When the first buds appear, there is a sense of excitement, but also a reminder that they will need some serious attention in the not so distant future:

    Yes, the blooms are nice and all:

    And when that initial flush of bloom hits it does make an impact:

    But then obsessive me, gets all worked up trying to stay on top of the deadheading not only for reblooming purposes, but to keep the plant looking neat. It can be difficult trying to determine which is a spent bloom (the blooms last only a day):

    And which is a soon to be bloom:

    The truth is, I never keep up with the deadheading like I think I will and in the blink of an eye, they start to look ratty:

    By the time August hits, I give up entirely and just cut them down heavily just to get some decent clean foliage regrowth. Of course then I figure, I’ll dispose of them next spring since they look OK into the Fall. And then Spring hits and the foliage looks great … well, you know that story already.

    I do like the less common varieties as they do come in such a huge variety of colors and sizes. And they do not look as ugly at the end of their blooming period. But the deer do love them so more often than not I don’t even get to see them blooming at their peak.
    You feelin my frustration too, dawg?     
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    Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris) ‘Snow Queen’

    Posted on by Posted in Perennials .

    I am here today to sing the praises of the Siberian Iris, specifically, the cultivar ‘Snow Queen’:

    Oh, you want to know why? You can’t just simply trust my judgement? I thought we were all tighter than that. OK, fine, I’ll tell you why:

    • Deer resistance – this has become priority #1 for me of late
    • Ability to withstand wet soil – if you’ve read this blog before, you know my issue with wet feet
    • Multitude of blooms – a relatively short window of bloom, but it is a nice explosion for 2 weeks
    • Multi-seasonal interest – these look good almost all year, in and out of bloom
    • Solid design element – the upright, deep green and grassy foliage plays well with other contrasting foliage types

    Most often, I’ll purchase a plant if it fits even 2-3 of the criteria above, but when you find one that hits all five, you do a little dance and enjoy the crap out of it.

    Some other details on this great performer:
    • Survives in zones 3-9
    • Works well in full sun to partial shade (I’ve tried them in both and found they perform fine in both)
    • They get to be about 36′ high and only need to be about 18″ apart
    • They apparently work in almost any soil but I can only attest to clay
    • I’ve read online that they can rebloom but I’ve never experienced it
    • They divide rather easily, as do all siberian irises although I haven’t divided this cultivar yet

    Here are some photos of ‘Snow Queen’ that will take you through the life cycle, season by season:            

      First emerging in the early spring:

      In bud, near the middle of May:

      First bloom of the year (note the golden yellow color):

      In full bloom in late May:

      The last bloom hanging on for dear life yesterday:

      The strapping foliage still providing interesting vertical lines in Fall:

      Call me crazy, but I even like the dead foliage color in Winter:

      I am anxious to try other Siberian iris cultivars (I also have ‘Ruffled Velvet’ which hasn’t performed as well) as long as I can find room for them all.

      As always, I would love to get your thoughts on other Siberian or even non Siberian irises you have had success with or any tips that have been successful for you.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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      A peony, some iris and a near fatal encounter with a deer

      Posted on by Posted in Deer, Perennials .

      Yesterday, I posted a photo of a ‘Bowl of Beauty’ peony in bud and literally an hour later, it bloomed like an SOB. It is the only bloom so far out of three different plants and I dig it because it gives me a chance to ogle the one bloom for the next day or so:

      There was also just one Iris sibirica ‘Snow Queen’ bloom as of yesterday and overnight it turned into Bloomapalooza:

      Same goes for the Iris sibirica ‘Ruffled Velvet’:

      And just in case you didn’t know already, I sort of like my Catmint:

      Just to keep on my toes, the deer have appeared in droves the past two days. This young fellow was running around the yard like he was lost and while it was sweet and all, I calmly escorted him off the property and gave him by best intimidating sneer:  

      True story, I stepped outside at 5:45 to run this morning and saw a large heap of animal in the backyard with a bird perched atop. I assumed it was a deceased deer and was planning on how to dispose of said carcass but when I got within ten feet, the deer jumped up, I peed myself and the deer ran off. The deer must have been in serious REM sleep when I approached because it didn’t move. When I returned from my run, the deer had returned to it’s favorite place and is most likely, still there:      

      I’ve finally learned to keep my camera nearby and ready to go so I can hopefully capture some decent shots of the wildlife. This morning, I was the “bird hunter” and despite taking maybe one hundred photos, these are the only pics that came out OK. Bird photography is not a strong suit right now, but I’ll keep working on it:

      Finch in a River Birch tree 

      Cardinal on the weed filled playground

      Good times for all!
      John

      Sedum Red Carpet

      Posted on by Posted in Perennials .

      An evergreen mahogany/red plant? Um, yes please, I’ll take 10. I give you Sedum Red Carpet:

      I found this gem a few years ago at Lowe’s in the dead of summer. There were five of these on a clearance rack looking ratty and on their last breath. At $1 a piece, I couldn’t let them die a slow death so I took them all home.

      As you may know by now (through my incessant complaining) I have poor draining soil so you would think these would never work for me. Luckily, I had one spot open along my front sidewalk that actually drains real well because it is mostly sandy from the construction of the sidewalk. These would be the perfect fit … IF they could survive the harsh summer conditions.

      I’ll cut the drama nonsense and let you know now that they have thrived since that day. I’ll also give you some additional factoids on Sedum Red Carpet:

        • Size – 4″ high by about 18″ wide
        • Prefers full sun
        • Survives zone 3-9
        • Prefers sandy well draining soil
        • Mine bloomed for the first time last August – seems to be somewhat of a finicky bloomer
        • Typically used as a groundcover in hot dry spots. I have mine along my walkway and they help soften the lines of the stones
      • From what I’ve read online, it is not known to be an overly aggressive spreader like other sedum groundcovers. I must admit, I did just find one popping up pretty far away from the mother plant (did I use the right term there?)
        • As mentioned previously, Sedum Red Carpet is evergreen here in zone 6 and does look fantastic all winter
        • It is mat forming and forms roots at the nodes as you hopefully can see in the photo below
        • Would make a great “spiller” in containers – c’mon Lowe’s, take bad care of more of these and I’ll take them off your hands.
        • I love the way Sedum Red Carpet looks next to yellow or chartreuse foliage and have these in front of a few Spirea ‘Little Elf’

      ONG

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      Plant evaluation – Geranium ‘Brookside’

      Posted on by Posted in Perennials .

      This is “review” time of year for many of us at our place of employment and it can be a stressful time. All the work and effort from the past year is summed up in one nice standard form, chock full of all the key “buzz words”. In fact, many of us are required to write our own self evaluations and that can be quite the daunting task. We are reminded of projects we worked on and struggled with and it unearths memories we had hoped to leave behind.    

      In order to help alleviate this stress, I decided I would do something that would immediately make me feel better … I’ll take it out on someone/something else.

      And that’s right, I’m talking to you my weaker performing plants!

      You may think you are safe because you were left in the ground to overwinter, but I am warning you now, I am on to you. I’ve been carefully detailing your work in the spring, summer and fall and I cannot afford for some of you to bring our organization (I mean garden) down. You may think you are just one or two little plants of insignificance, but you are all part of the greater “whole”. I value your contribution as much as the larger shrubs and trees (wink wink) and if you work hard enough, you may just get featured as a specimen in one of the more prominent containers on my back deck. How’s that for a lofty 2011 objective?               

      I will be evaluating these lesser performing plants over the next few weeks as I prepare for the spring and there are some tough decisions to be made.

      For today’s evaluation, we are looking at Geranium ‘Brookside’.

      I’ve had these for about four years now and the phrase that continues to come to mind is “Does not meet expectations”. I had such high hopes for this super blooming perennial, based on my initial research and from viewing their images online, yet I find they continue to disappoint.       

      Here is a photo of one in full bloom in early June:        

      And a close-up of one of the individual flowers:

      To me, the individual flowers rock, but when taken as a whole, it doesn’t do too much for me. Maybe if I took the time to deadhead and remove the spent flowers it would be more impressive, but that is too much of an effort considering all that is going on in the late spring.

      Yes, I appreciate that they have proven to be deer resistant and can handle the clay and often wet conditions, but I need more. When in bloom, it looks completely chaotic but not in a good way. They easily outgrow their supposed size and creep where I don’t want them to creep (but that is an issue for HR).     

      In fact, I enjoy these more after the blooms have been completely sheared back and the new foliage has grown in. See the photo below:

      My design style leans more foliage based then flower based so I truly appreciate the more unique leave shape a geranium offers as it contrasts perfectly with other perennials. Maybe the foliage is all they have to offer and I should just accept that. After all, we can’t all be top performers right?      

      While it is fleeting, this geranium also offers some nice autumn color as it heads towards dormancy:

      In summary, I will give these an additional year to impress me as I blame myself for their mediocre performance since they have been moved three times in four years. As their manager, I have to accept my part in their performance.

      Ciao 

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