What's blooming in your yard?

[electric_viking]

Nicely done GoJays. Everything looks beautiful.
I really like that Rose of Sharon.

[GoJays]

thank you mr. viking, if you want seeds i can send you a truckload of them and then you can have your very own double white rose of sharon shrub i spend most of the spring and summer picking out the new shoots from the lawn and garden at least they come out without a fight

[marstec]

I thought I would post a few unusual flowers today (plus one lily).
First one is an Asiatic lily "Ladylike". Full sun, but I find lilies aren't too picky unless it is deep shade.
Next is Balloon Flower, can you guess why it got its name? aka Platycodon. I have this in full sun.
Then there's Liatris aka Blazing Star...grown in full sun. I have the white and purple varieties.
Last is the bloom from a hens and chicks. The flowers are kind of freaky, but interesting. Again, in full sun.

[GoJays]

Beautiful! I love the balloon flower, I have one in a very pale pink

[marstec]

Beautiful! I love the balloon flower, I have one in a very pale pink

This blue balloon flower has been the only one to be long-lived for me, GoJays. I had the pink one, called Fuji Pink, and it lived for a few years then died off.

[GoJays]

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into finding a blue one.. if not this year then next

[sweet sparrow]

Has anyone ever tried growing a clematis from a clipping?

[marstec]

Has anyone ever tried growing a clematis from a clipping?

I've heard you can start them from cuttings. Put a cutting into moist potting mix and cover with a bag, allow for some ventilation. Put it in a shady spot until it roots...watch that it doesn't dry out.

Personally, I would just bury a stem in the ground (still connected to the main plant), it should root that way more easily. Good luck!

[GoJays]

i have crabgrass i want to kill it.. i want to kill it bad.. i will not scoff at herbicides, in fact i welcome the idea.. anyone have any ideas or ever had to deal with crabgrass before? i researched online and found that people recommend this stuff called Dimension.. i googled where to purchase it.. someone on ebay is selling 2.5 gallons? litres? must be litres.. for $1000... now that's a wee bit steep for me.. just a tad, so if anyone has any ideas as to how to eradicate the stuff, i'd be most appreciative

[marstec]

GoJays, are you in Ontario? I think you might have trouble sourcing some herbicides, unless you want to make a trip to the States.

Do you notice the crabgrass is worse where the soil in compacted? I know that the only place that crabgrass grows in my yard is right by the steps to the garden and at the very front lawn beside the sidewalk. Predictably, these places get the most foot traffic. The best thing to do is to have a dense lush lawn, that means keeping it aerated, watered and fertilized. You can see about corn gluten meal, which is a pre-emergent. I've never used it, but have heard good things about it. It takes a while to work and it isn't cheap.

[AliceStewart21]

in my little garden

[BC Gal]

Saw this young guy yesterday morning in the neighbor's yard:



Not sure the name of these perennials; the flowers look like evening primrose, but the stalks are woody and shorter, and the leaves are fuzzy. They are great fill-ins for areas and have a shallow root system.

[marstec]

I'm not sure whether sundrops and evening primrose are the same plant; they are definitely related. That yellow would certainly brighten up any part of your garden!

It's been rainy and overcast the past few days...it's been a nice reprieve from the excessive heat that's for sure.

Here are a few recent blooms:
First is rudbeckia, it comes back every year - these plants have wild sex in my garden, which results in a lot of variations in flower patterns (either that, or it's reverting back to its parentage).
Next is a white Asiatic lily.
Last is a dahlia, can't remember which one and too lazy to check for a tag. This is grown in partial shade. I will dig it up after the first freeze, store them indoors, and start them again in the Spring.

[BC Gal]

Thanks marstec I've been wondering for years what they were called! A neighbor gave me many different perennials, but she didn't know the name of those. I have training as an herbalist so I know more of the wild and native plants' names.

[GoJays]

GoJays, are you in Ontario? I think you might have trouble sourcing some herbicides, unless you want to make a trip to the States.

Do you notice the crabgrass is worse where the soil in compacted? I know that the only place that crabgrass grows in my yard is right by the steps to the garden and at the very front lawn beside the sidewalk. Predictably, these places get the most foot traffic. The best thing to do is to have a dense lush lawn, that means keeping it aerated, watered and fertilized. You can see about corn gluten meal, which is a pre-emergent. I've never used it, but have heard good things about it. It takes a while to work and it isn't cheap.

Yes, I'm in Ontario. Our stupid liberal premier, whom incidentally, I did not vote for, but that's for a whole other thread, decided in his infinite wisdom to outlaw anything that actually helped our lawns. You should see the park my kids play at - dandelions, chickweed, clover and about 7 blades of grass. It's disgusting. But anyway..

My lawn soil is compacted everywhere.. When the builders laid the sod, which I swear they grew in heavy clay, they laid it on top of more heavy clay. So, yes.. it's compact.. lol.. It's also worse where the regular grass is dormant.. under the catalpa tree is still clear of the crabby stuff. Lordy my grammar is horrid, I'm tired..

I've heard of the corn gluten meal, if I can find it next year and it's not too expensive, I may give it a try. I hate how the crabgrass looks and feels, it's horrible, but I guess I'll have to suck it up until next spring. Perhaps a good serrated knife for the time being...

Thanks marstec