Hey there, long time no post
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The ones I've seen in people's yards around here look like red Columbine, so I may have gotten a native plant. I have my eye on some other plants native to New York, since they fit into my current gardening scheme which is, "Hey! I'm in a new-to-me growing zone. Let's plant some things I've never been able to grow before!"
This house has a very small yard, but it seems that it has been inhabited for 140 years by people who weren't very interested in flowers. Most yards in this part of town have a lightly tended Victorian-cottage-garden-packed-with-flowers look that I just love. Ours had some untended foundation plantings, three huge trees, a couple of patches of hostas and a hydrangea bush. The church plant sale was held by people thinning out those gardens full of things that are easy to propagate and hard to kill, and I kinda love the continuity of that.
So I got some lilies-of-the-valley, even though I know they're thugs in the garden, so I planted them in a bed bounded with a wide sidewalk. (Most of this stuff is going there, actually.) I also got some hellebores, because I have a lot of shade, some foxgloves, and some iris. A friend gave me some daylilies, rose of sharon, and Montauk daisies, too. Quirt is correct when he says I need to take a break from planting before I put in more than I can take care of, but as I read that list I think I should go get some native plants to balance out the exotics. Gardening is an illness.
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Isn't it fun?
I just nuked our inherited three rose of Sharon shrubs last year as they are invasive here. Pretty in bloom, but I finally brought myself to cut them down. True to form, this year I have thousands of seedlings trying to reclaim the space.
Similarly, I've been fighting a losing battle with the lilies of the valley in the back yard. So far, they are winning. Again, so pretty in bloom, but invasive here. (I fondly remember the "white coral bells round from my childhood.)
I intentionally planted hostas. They are thriving, but I'm thinking of replacing them with Solomon's seal, which is native here and grows equally well in shade. Snapped this picture on a walk by an empty lot.
I've also had really good luck with our native wild ginger, which is going gangbusters under a mature but invasive Norway maple cultivar under which little else will grow.
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Oh and in case you think I'm a complete fanatic about native plants (I am), I have two rows of Lilylady's spectacular day-lilies, which are of course not native, but I'll never remove them.
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I think peonies don't love being moved, but maybe if it is a young volunteer it will be ok.
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I think peonies don't love being moved, but maybe if it is a young volunteer it will be ok.
@rustyfingers said in Hey there, long time no post:
I think peonies don't love being moved, but maybe if it is a young volunteer it will be ok.
Thatâs good to know, Iâll tell Mr. SK.
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We seem to have a spontaneous peony in the yard, under a tree, that wasnât there last year. Mr SK wants to move it to somewhere we could see and and enjoy it more readily, but it seems like other spots would toi much sun for itâŚ
@ShiroKuro said in Hey there, long time no post:
We seem to have a spontaneous peony in the yard, under a tree, that wasnât there last year. Mr SK wants to move it to somewhere we could see and and enjoy it more readily, but it seems like other spots would toi much sun for itâŚ
Is it certain that it's a peony? I mean, is the mother plant nearby? I always thought they spread out via their roots but I didn't think they cast seeds out that could sprout. One possibility is that there was a peony there before and the previous owner of your house dug it out but left some root bits behind and they've sprung back to life.
Is it possible it's a bleeding heart? Their leaves have similar shapes, but a peony leaf is sturdier and more leathery.
Peony:
Bleeding heart:
Bleeding hearts bloom earlier, but a very young plant might not have any blossoms at all. They do spread their seeds around...
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie AumĂ´nier
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@ShiroKuro said in Hey there, long time no post:
We seem to have a spontaneous peony in the yard, under a tree, that wasnât there last year. Mr SK wants to move it to somewhere we could see and and enjoy it more readily, but it seems like other spots would toi much sun for itâŚ
Is it certain that it's a peony? I mean, is the mother plant nearby? I always thought they spread out via their roots but I didn't think they cast seeds out that could sprout. One possibility is that there was a peony there before and the previous owner of your house dug it out but left some root bits behind and they've sprung back to life.
Is it possible it's a bleeding heart? Their leaves have similar shapes, but a peony leaf is sturdier and more leathery.
Peony:
Bleeding heart:
Bleeding hearts bloom earlier, but a very young plant might not have any blossoms at all. They do spread their seeds around...
@wtg said in Hey there, long time no post:
Is it certain that it's a peony?
No, nothing is certain when I am involved in plant identification
Iâll upload a photo in a few minutesâŚI mean, is the mother plant nearby?
N, but there are peonies all over our neighborhood, and all over town town right now, exploding in bloomsâŚ
One possibility is that there was a peony there before and the previous owner of your house dug it out but left some root bits behind and they've sprung back to life.
This seems very likely. Iâm trying to remember if there was a plant under that tree (where it is now) last yearâŚ.
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@ShiroKuro said in Hey there, long time no post:
We seem to have a spontaneous peony in the yard, under a tree, that wasnât there last year. Mr SK wants to move it to somewhere we could see and and enjoy it more readily, but it seems like other spots would toi much sun for itâŚ
Is it certain that it's a peony? I mean, is the mother plant nearby? I always thought they spread out via their roots but I didn't think they cast seeds out that could sprout. One possibility is that there was a peony there before and the previous owner of your house dug it out but left some root bits behind and they've sprung back to life.
Is it possible it's a bleeding heart? Their leaves have similar shapes, but a peony leaf is sturdier and more leathery.
Peony:
Bleeding heart:
Bleeding hearts bloom earlier, but a very young plant might not have any blossoms at all. They do spread their seeds around...
@wtg thanks for the photos of the peony vs. bleeding heart. Definitely not the leaves of a bleeding heartâŚ
Here are two photos I took earlier this week.
My plant identification app says itâs either a âcottage peonyâ or a âcommon garden peonyâ
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Hello, RF. It's good to catch up with you and your family.
I've had my portion of tribulation with the knee replacement failure I've recounted here. Nonetheless, my wife and I are still in our home and keeping on with various activities.
Your saga of instruments prompts me to relate mine. My Yamaha Clavinova began losing notes. A technician determined that the keyboard sensors were failing. No replacement parts were available and no used parts became available on eBay or wherever else the tech looked.
I'm now looking at a replacement. The leading contender is the Yamaha NU1XA hybrid piano. It has the action of a Yamaha upright piano but with sensors that activate the electronic portions of the instrument. I've been very impressed with the feel of the keyboard and the sound is also very impressive.
I'm probably going to proceed with my purchase this month.
Please keep us apprised of events in your household.
Big Al
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I didn't know that rose of sharon was invasive. I put them in an area that would be mowed around. (Around which will be mown?) Will that contain them? They do grow in the South, but I've never had one. I don't remember them being invasive there, but I do know that they have a reputation for being unkillable, which is what I need in a plant.
I see Solomon seals in neighborhoods around here, so they seem like a good bet for a native that will do well and be pretty. I also see bleeding heart, which I've always loved and never lived in the right place to grow. My neighbors have the exotic variety, but I see on the New York native websites that there are native bleeding hearts, so I'll look for those. And maybe some of the exotics, too, since they don't seem to be invasive.
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@wtg thanks for the photos of the peony vs. bleeding heart. Definitely not the leaves of a bleeding heartâŚ
Here are two photos I took earlier this week.
My plant identification app says itâs either a âcottage peonyâ or a âcommon garden peonyâ
@ShiroKuro yeah, that's a peony. Pretty. Ours always bloom on Memorial Day weekend, but this year the weekend is early and the weather has been cold. We planted three bare root 7 years ago, and two are just starting to come into their own. One is still struggling--I think I put it too close to the sidewalk and the roots don't have enough soil.
I'm fond of them. We got a few as a housewarming gift at the old house and they were pretty spectacular by the time we moved out (22 years later). They are always covered in ants when in bloom so I never cut them and bring them inside.
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I didn't know that rose of sharon was invasive. I put them in an area that would be mowed around. (Around which will be mown?) Will that contain them? They do grow in the South, but I've never had one. I don't remember them being invasive there, but I do know that they have a reputation for being unkillable, which is what I need in a plant.
I see Solomon seals in neighborhoods around here, so they seem like a good bet for a native that will do well and be pretty. I also see bleeding heart, which I've always loved and never lived in the right place to grow. My neighbors have the exotic variety, but I see on the New York native websites that there are native bleeding hearts, so I'll look for those. And maybe some of the exotics, too, since they don't seem to be invasive.
@Mary-Anna ok , I lied. I just checked, and neither roses of Sharon nor lilies of the valley are on the invasive species lists in NY or in MA. My bad, and sorry I rained on your plant choices.
My experience with rose of Sharon was that I had to pull seedlings every day or so and during blooming I had to deadhead every day. Jeez they are pretty though.
My experience with lilies of the valley is that they formed a matted root mess that is impossible to eradicate even after 8 years of aggressively tackling it. But the flowers are darling and the foliage attractive. YMMV.
The big concern with actual invasive plants isn't so much what we see in our own yards but the effect of birds distributing the seeds in wild areas where they choke out beneficial and native species and reduce biodiversity. So I guess I'm a bit overzealous.
And of course plants are native or invasive depending on their locations.
Here's a better resource than me for checking for natives in North America :
https://www.wildflower.org/plants-mainAnd for invasive:
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/index.cfm -
@ShiroKuro said in Hey there, long time no post:
@wtg thanks for the photos of the peony vs. bleeding heart. Definitely not the leaves of a bleeding heartâŚ
Here are two photos I took earlier this week.
My plant identification app says itâs either a âcottage peonyâ or a âcommon garden peonyâ
I didn't realize it had bloomed. Definitely a peony!
guidelines for transplanting:
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-transplant-peonies-4579809
Ya learn something every day. I didn't know it preferred a late summer move, before it goes into dormancy.
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie AumĂ´nier
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Am with @rustyfingers on the rose of Sharon. Pretty flowers late summer, at a time when other plants are winding down. OTOH, seedlings galore. I enjoy them on other people's properties. Maximum beauty, minimum work.
I have lily of the valley, with mixed feelings. My mom's favorite flower, and that's the only reason I've kept a patch of it. I have to dig out a bunch of it that has crept into a path.
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Whatever anyone does, do not let this plant anywhere near your yard:
Bishop's weed. Nearly impossible to rid yourself of.
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@wtg Bishop's Weed (Ground Elder) is a nightmare. I have found that the variegated variety is not as bad here as the solid green variety, which I would not wish on anyone.
@Bernard The variegated one is awful here. A friend dug up some hostas for me to take to our vacation home in Door County. There was one little tiny bit of the dreaded weed in the clump, which I thought I removed. Every spring it would pop up and we'd dig it out. I was terrified that it would take hold up there and I'd never get rid of it. Took five years of watchful gardening before it was officially and permanently eradicated.
It is an evil, evil plant.
