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Re: [SG] Gentians

Hello Cindy,
        You are on the right track with our lovely Bottle Gentian. Incidentally,
there is more than one species of the Bottle Gentian. My favorite performer
is the Soapwort Gentian. Blooms like andrewsii, but foliage is like the
soapwort genus. More blooms, larger more plentiful stems...for me anyhow.
        Andrewsii does enjoy a bit of moisture and they are somewhat slow to
settle in. I like fall planting best for that reason. They also have rather
long tap roots that are easily broken and rather small feeder roots easily
disturbed. To help them a soil with plenty of extra compost and leaf mold
dug in before planting with some organic mulch is additional insurance when
transplanting. Do not let them dry out the first year or two depending up
on their first performance and the local weather.
        I have seen these out in open fields, but with grasses. Normally they are
found just where you are planting yours. near moisture and some shade.
Good luck, they are worth settling in for fall and early winter color. I
have seen mine in bloom during the first part of November .
        I have the Pink Turtlehead in bloom in the garden now.
        Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
          around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com

----------
> From: Cindy Johnson <Cidjohnson@AOL.COM>
> To: shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SG] Gentians
> Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 5:59 PM
>
> In a message dated 8/26/98 3:30:13 PM Central Daylight Time,
> genebush@OTHERSIDE.COM writes:
>
> << The most beautiful blues found in the plant world, in my humble
opinion,
>  are on Gentiana. I can never figure out why everyone does not have them
in
>  their gardens >>
>
> Hi Gene,
>
> I fell in love with the Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) after seeing
it
> bloom in a friend's garden 2 or 3 yrs ago.  I since have planted 3 of
them,
> twice, in the same spot and it appears they aren't doing very well again.
> This spot is in my woodland garden in dappled shade with morning sun and
it is
> on the dry side, even though it is about 3 ft from a pond. The water
level is
> about 12" below the surface there and MAYBE I just need to keep it
watered
> good enough the 1st 2 years??  Will the roots reach down for the water if
it
> is able to survive the 1st couple years?
>
> I just got back from a canoe trip in northwestern Wisconsin on the
Namekagon
> River.  We saw alot of White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra, I believe)
blooming
> along the edges of the river along with Bottle Gentian ...such a
beautiful
> blue color.
>
> Do you have any advice for me?  I have heard that the Bottle Gentian is
the
> easiest to grow.
>
> Thanks,
> Cindy Johnson
> White Bear Lake, MN
> zone 4a
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