Re: some questions
- To:
- Subject: Re: some questions
- From: M* T*
- Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 02:58:09 -0400
Welcome to the list, Marjorie!
Tho' not in your zone, have some experience with a few of plants on
your list:
> 2. Persicaria filiformis (Polygonum). It has long thin stems
with tiny
> insignificant red "petals". Is this all there is to the "bloom".
How
> hardy is it?
Yes, that's all there is to the bloom. And it will seed around for
you eventually - perhaps more than you want, but seedlings are easy
to pull. It's bone hardy for me and from posts I've read, is hardy
in Iowa.
> 6. Caryopteris Clandonensis (Blue Mist Spirea Bluebeard). I added
2 of
> these recently. This spring I lost the one I planted last year
when a
> sudden frost just as it was leafing out did it in. It not only
killed the
> new tender leaves that were emerging...the entire plant died. Are
there any
> steps I can take to protect these 2 from a repeat of what happened
this
> year?
I have lost this in the past to exactly the same thing - late frost.
Also lost it once when I followed directions in books and cut it back
hard in early spring. Late frosts are a problem with many plants
because once they break into spring growth they have no anti-freeze
left in their systems and can't make more in time to protect their
cells from freezing.
It's often recommended that tender plants be grown on the north side
of buildings, where soil will be later in warming up, so they will be
later in breaking into new growth. The north side of a large
evergreen would offer the same kind of protection.
Smaller plants can be protected by covering them when late frost
threatens with a bushel basket, large pot, Remay, or even paper bags
or newspaper - I've even used old sheets - anything that will hold in
the heat from the soil and protect the new growth. This means paying
close attention to weather forecasts so you can get out and cover
plants during the day - before temps drop for the night. Uncover
them again as soon as temps are above freezing. This does not always
work, but it is worth trying. I have a huge azalea that is a very
early bloomer and 3 years out of 5 the buds get hit by late
frost....go through this rather comical dance trying to cover it with
Remay...it's usually nice and windy when it's about to dip to
freezing in April. Sometimes I can save some of the flowers and
others I can't...but I also can't cover this to the ground in a
continuous swath.
> 7. After 3 attempts & failures in getting autumn clematis going,
it looks
> as if I have success this year.
> The vine has grown nicely and is even blooming. This is Clematis
terniflora
> (Sweet Autumn Clematis). I was especially impressed with this in
someone
> else's yard because of the intense fragrance. However, I find my
blossoms
> have absolutely no fragrance. Does anyone know WHY and what I can
do about
> it?
I find that the fragrance is not one you notice when you put your
nose up to the flowers, but one of those elusive ones that scent the
garden, especially in evening and more especially when air is warm
and moist.
>
> 8. Is Althaea "Zebrina" perennial or a self-seeder?
> This is the little pink variety striped plum-colored stripes.
It's a short-lived perennial for me, but may not be for you. Will
self seed. I find that even those plants that overwinter rather
peter out after the second season...best to keep new ones coming on
as the old ones get woody and don't flower as well as the young
plants.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
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