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[j.w]

Also Colleen there are different types of Clematis. Some only bloom if you leave the old vines on and some you can cut all the way to the ground and they grow right back each Spring w/ new blooms. Check this out to see what varieties you need to prune etc. http://www.daytonnursery.com/tips/Care of Clematis.htm

I have a lovely dwarf variety my daughter gave me one year that I cut all the way down to 3" from the ground and it grows back faithfully each year. I like the ones you cut down each year to the ground in March the best as the others get lots of dead stuff eventually and if you want them to look nice you have to cut them down to start over once in awhile and sacrifice blooms till they grow back. I have one like that and it has all these dead brown vines intermingled w/ the new growing ones and hard to make it look decent.

Dwarf Patio type: Clematis Cezanne



Here is another one that I cut down each year

Clematis Hagley Hybrid



Here are the ones I don't cut and this is a better photo of when it didn't have a lot of dead brown vines..........now it is a mess and I didn't take a photo of it like that.

 

[Event Horizon]

Bugleweed in blossom.

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, thanks so much for the info on the clematis, JW!!! I'm learning more and more everyday! The lady at the nursery told me not to cut them back, so I must have the type you can't cut back. I'm like you, though, I would much prefer brand new growth each year. Now we know we better check before cutting it back.
EH, I have that plant, too, and this year it bloomed so beautifully, but not nearly as nice as yours. I call it Ajuga, and I've heard people talk about bugleweed, and now I realize they are the same plant!

 

[SE18]

well, spring has sprung to the aqueduct so thought I should post 3 photos I took today. Not many insects this year b/c in Virginia been cold spring. That's good that's bad. Good b/c fewer bugs; bad b/c fewer bugs for froggies so haven't seen them yet, just the tree frogs (not the green frog and bull frog). Hope they're OK. If you have excess frogs, I'll take em

shots of aqueduct and canal

 

[CountryEscape]

I have all sorts of frogs, but have no idea how to ship them to keep them alive. My local pet shop doesn't have oxygen tank, and pretty sure a large plastic bag tied shut would run out of oxygen before they arrived. Wish I could share with out! Love your aquaduct.

 

[j.w]

SE your pix remind me of somewhere in England or Ireland w/ all the green and the brick canals.................not that I've ever been there to see it all but yours look lovely!

I've got some more pix of bloomin blooms today:













Larkins Hibuscus he sent seeds of is coming back this year,yay!


Korean Lilac not quite in full bloom


Banana tree starting to come back and did not die to the ground this winter so is going to be really tall.

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh my, is that what is known as Yellow flag blooming in your pond? My pathetic "sweet flag" is so small, has not grown at all since I got it 2 years ago. Maybe this year it will grow .... your hibiscus is going to be large, by looking at what it was last year. I have "trunks" on the hibiscus I bought last summer, late season, and it is about like yours, just coming back, maybe 8" tall so far. Can't wait for the blooms! I have some "babies" I grew from seeds Sissy sent to me, need to put them in the ground, still "hardening" them off now on the back deck. So much to do, so little time ....

 

[j.w]

Yep CE that's Yellow Flag Iris. Sweet Flag gets tiny teensy weensy little flowers I believe and is a totally different plant as Colleen keeps trying to pound in my head :biggrin:
The Hibiscus that is just starting to come up is only up about 3" right now so its got a long way to go. I just hope our season of sun and warmth is long enough for it to mature and get flowers. It got none last year.

 

[DrCase]

jw I got a hibiscus this year that looks a lot like yours, it was a bare root it's around 15inchs now

 

[j.w]

Well yours is way ahead of mine and sure hope I get some blooms out of it this year. Larkin sent me seeds a few yrs ago and I started them all and they all grew. Then kept them in my garage in pots for the first winter. Planted them outside last Spring and they grew a few feet but just don't think they were mature enough yet so they didn't bloom. Think it is supposed to get red blooms and the leaves are supposed to look similar to MaryJane plants :cheerful:

 

[Event Horizon]

Some weekend photos, its nice to see everything growing.

 

[JenH]

I'm so jealous of how everyone's plants are so big and full! I guess my garden is still kind of an infant.... My clematis just opened 2 buds this morning but they haven't fully bloomed yet. When I went for my run last night the trail had tons of big gorgeous blooming honeysuckle vines all along the path, but mine is tiny and barely has little buds just starting to form. My yellow water iris has sent up a single bud, I wonder if I have it to deep. I think I'm going to move it up some this week. I had 3 plants die over the winter, my hollyhock, beebalm and hibiscus. I bought a new beebalm yesterday and planted it in a different spot. I also planted some hardy anemone bulbs and some lady Darlene dahlia bulbs yesterday as well. I've never planted bulbs so I hope they grow Anyway, here are some picks of my Iris that I transplanted from my mom's last year.

 

[callingcolleen1]

JenH I love new gardens! You have a fresh canvas and the room to do lots of different stuff. Love your blue iris too and the wood chips make everything neat and tidy! Sometimes old gardens are so much work cause they get so overgrown...

JW, my sweet flag is the large variety and looks similar to my yellow flag (iris) so lots of people get them confused, but there are differences, and they are two totally different plants, as you know, but others still get confused as the common names sound the same.

Here is the two plants, the one in the lower bottom pond to the left, is the sweet flag, and the larger taller one in the upper middle pond to the right, is the Yellow flag. The Sweet flag is not an iris, and my sweet flag is very fragrant when the long spear shaped leaves are crushed. Sweet flags are commonly used in perfumes and soaps.

 

[j.w]

Yep Colleen I have it down pat now on the differences. Took me awhile but I have arrived :cheerful:

 

[callingcolleen1]

I think it is so confusing also cause my sweet flag is such a different looking variety than yours. I love the small dwarf varigated type of sweet flag like yours JW, but is is not as hardy and never did good for my location. Well we can't have everything, and I think you should try some pitcher plants like Addy, cause they should love your weather and humity JW. I tried the Hardy zone 3 pitcher plants from Nova Scotia but they died with our hot dry winds here in sunny southern Alberta. I have killed off many carnivorous Pitcher plant's desperately trying all different locations around the pond, but sadly was never ment to be...