Re: Plants that don't do too well for me

Well, Chris, I, too, have failed time and again with Polemonium.  I
have finally (knock on wood) gotten one plant to seem fairly happy
and bloom - and return for two years running.  It's planted in a
raised bed filled with rotted woodchips on the east side of my deck
where it gets strong light all day and direct sun in morning, sort of
partly under an evergreen azalea.  The bed dries quickly with no
rain, so I water it as the azaleas don't like to be dry.

Begonia grandis is borderline in your zone.  Most texts seem to place
it in z. 6 or warmer, tho' I know it has survived in Scranton, PA. 
It is a very late riser - May for me - making it a good companion to
daffodils as it will help to hide their dying foliage.  It grows
everywhere for me, but most incredibly lushly in a woodland bed of
rotted woodchips, where it is trying to take over a large area...it's
fairly weedy for me - sprouting everywhere from the little bulbils on
the stems.  Given loose, organic soil and adequate water, it should
flourish.  I'd mulch it well where you are; it's a fairly shallow
growing plant.   Will grow in full shade to half day sun for me.  I
think your problem is one of zone...you will need to coddle this a
bit, whereas in my area and south it easily becomes weedy; very easy
to pull - would not be without it.

Eupatorium maculatum 'Chocolate' wants to be a weed for me.  I've had
it in open shade for only two years and this year it presented me
with dozens of seedlings in the driveway, some of whom I moved to an
adjacent bed and are about ready to bloom.  Unfortunately, they don't
all come true.  Mine is in well amended clay subsoil.   I'd say yours
needs more water...this genus generally likes moist sites.  Would not
say more shade unless it's getting broiling afternoon sun where you
have it.

Of the other three you mention, I only have - I think - Gentiana
septemfida, but mine bloomed a month or so ago.  It's not a large
plant; low and maybe 6" or so in width and fairly close to the
ground.  Mine is in a raised bed made of spent potting soil;  highly
organic and drains fast.  Gets maybe 4 hours of late mid-day to early
afternoon sun and gets regularly watered because of the other things
in that bed.  This is only its second year and I keep thinking I
ought to move it, but have not.  Did read on Alpine-L that this plant
prefers it on the dry side.  Last year was the first year I had it, I
think, and I only had one or two flowers - this year it flowered very
nicely.  Maybe you need to give yours some time?

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
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----------
> From: Christopher P. Lindsey <lindsey@mallorn.com>
> It's getting to be time for fall planting again, so I'm putting
together
> my wishlists and getting my orders in.
> 
> As I flip through the pages of catalogs, I keep seeing reminders of
my
> garden failures.  I've tried these on many different occassions, so

> I'm hoping that someone here can tell me what I'm doing wrong.  :)
> 
> I'm in zone 5b USDA, East Central Illinois.  We have hot, muggy
summers
> (heat indices around 105-110) and cool winters.
> 
>    Polemonium spp.
> 
>    I've tried the straight species and several cultivars with no
luck. 
>    Locations have ranged from partial shade to full shade,
well-drained
>    and dry to moist and watered.  No matter what I try, it doesn't
seem
>    to make a difference.  Am I just not meant to grow this plant? 
It
>    rarely lasts more than a year or two, and I've never seen
flowers.
> 
>    Begonia grandis
> 
>    I've only tried this plant in two locations, both of which were 
>    moderately dry with part-shade.  One plant died, but the other
>    came up late this spring and has one or two scrawny leaves. 
Does
>    it need something else (well, probably, but what?)
> 
>    Spigelia marilandica
> 
>    This plant went into a part-shade, somewhat dry location and
never
>    came up.
> 
>    Eupatorium maculatum 'Chocolate'
> 
>    Another runt.  Last year it did well in partial shade with
average
>    moisture, but this year it's about 12" tall with only a single 
>    stalk.  I suspect that it needs more water and shade.
> 
>    Gentiana septemfida
> 
>    I planted three plants in dry, well-drained beds ranging from
full
>    sun to full shade.  The one in full shade died, but the other 
>    two are tiny.  They're only about 6" long with a single
flowerbud
>    on the end.
> 
>    Anemone ranunculoides and Anemone nemerosa
> 
>    It seems that I'm just not destined to grow these.  :)  I've
tried
>    in moist clay, moist well-drained beds, and dry areas.  I rarely
>    get anything more than two or three leaves in spring, and then
they
>    promptly wither away with the heat.  I'm not sure if they'll
come 
>    back next year or not. 
> 
> I'm sure that there are many others, but these spring to mind
first.  Any
> suggestions?  Should I just give up?
> 
> What I don't understand is that other plants like my Cypripedium 
> (ladyslipper) are doing fine.  I seem to have more luck growing the
> difficult things.  :)
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Chris
> 
> http://www.hort.net/gallery/      1999 online plant photos and
growing!
> 
>
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