What’s MIA in your garden?
Posted on May 28th, 2008 – 8:25 AMBy Connie Nelson
I’ve been patient, but now I’m starting to lose hope. It’s been a slow, cold spring, so I’ve been waiting and watching. “They’ll come up,” I kept telling myself. But they haven’t. And now I’m guessing they won’t.
I hate to admit it, but my shade garden took a hit. Could it be because we finally had a real Minnesota winter and I didn’t mulch well? Whatever the reason, I lost a surprising number of perennials. Some brunnera, a ligularia and a couple of coral bells.
I loved those darn plants. Especially the Jack Frost brunnera, with its variegated leaves and forget-me-not flowers. But after a couple trips to the garden centers, I’ve decided I’m not going to replace them. Hey, these are pricey perennials. And what’s to say the same thing won’t happen again?
Instead, I’m practicing survival-of-the-fittest gardening. I’m dividing shade perennials (sensitive ferns, European ginger, bloodroot) from other parts of my garden and moving them into the holes left by my MIA plants.
But I’m still bummed. So can you help me out here? By way of consolation, can you share of few of your garden losses? At least tell me I’m not the only one!
33 Responses to "What’s MIA in your garden?"
You are not the only one. I’m pretty sure I lost butterfly bush that was a zone 5 plant I thought would make it here. No such luck.
Bumnmer, Mary. I’ve never even tried to grow butterfly bush because I know it doesn’t always overwinter. I do still have a few zone 5 plants, but when they die, I replace them with zone 4 stuff. I’m going hardy all the way. . .
This entry worries me — I was so looking forward to putting in some Jack Frost and Looking Glass brunneras this year! Maybe I need to reconsider.
I am so ashamed, my peach and lime green coral bells totally bit the dust. Seriously, who can’t grow coral bells?
Sparklegirl, Jack Frost and Looking Glass are both supposed to be quite hardy. And they are great looking plants. I’m blaming my loss on the fact that I planted them in a raised bed and didn’t mulch as thickly as I should have.
But we also had a tough year. Tons of northern gardeners are talking about the stuff they lost over the winter. I guess it’s the price we pay for living and gardening here!
Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jaime. I’ve had coral bells for years and this spring they only look OK. I know at least a few gardeners who said they lost their coral bells this winter. I love the look of those plants — especially some of the cool new varieties like Lime Ricky. But I don’t think they’re all that easy to grow.
Who else out there has had trouble with heucheras???
My coral bells came through but they were buried under the snow from off the sidewalk. My tea roses and butterfly bushes however are a total loss, once again the victims of not enough mulch.
Oh, I’ve tried to grow coral bells, but they don’t like me. However, I am *really* tempted by some of the new varieties–they’re so pretty! This year, I lost lupines and a lilium regale. I find lupines hard to get through the first winter, but if they make it, they last for about 5-6 years. Does anyone have tips for lupines?
My coral bells came back HUGE this year… but my Shasta Daisies are nowhere to be seen - I thought they were impossible to kill?
Glad to hear someone has luck with coral bells, Danika. Do you have them in full or partial shade?
To tell you the truth, I don’t think anything is impossible to kill in this climate. I even wiped out a patch of yarrow one year. . .
Once again, I lost coreopsis. It performs like a biennial for me. Asparagus has been a bust. From 9 plants a couple years ago, I’m down to one.
I lost some boulevard plants (bigroot geranium) that are usually unfazed by winter.
Peter, what kind of coreopsis? I’ve had a lot of luck with Zagreb, tho not too much luck with Moonbeam. . . .
I have a cool variegate coreopsis I put in my boulevard and ignored and it came back. It doesn’t look too hot, but it came back . .
I too lost some coralbells. I had about 6 different varieties in similar conditions, and just one didn’t make it. (Dry shade with some light mulch on a south facing slope). Maybe it was the variety?
I was sad to lose Japanese Blood Grass (zone 5) despite decent mulch, several foamflowers, some chartreuse colored lamium, and a maidenhair fern.
My coral bells are in mostly-shade, they get a little sun in the morning. I was just reminded by these comments that I lost coreopsis too, I had completely forgotten about those.
Connie, I can’t kill my Moonbeam coreopsis! I dig some up every other year because it spreads. This year, I had to dig it up because of ants raising it up. I plopped it back in and it’s growing away. Plants are so fickle! Remembering that makes me feel better when I lose things….it’s not me, it’s the plant–
I lost coral bells, six lungwort, butterfky bush, and even some hostas!
That’s a lot of money! I am going to attempt to get refunds where I am able!
I’m sorry for all your losses, but THANK YOU for sharing! I thought I was alone!
I may try moving my remaining coral bells into a site with a little more sun. Maybe that’ll help.
Now I also remember that I lost a lungwort, too. Damn, that was a nice plant . . .
I think I lost my wood poppy. I was so happy to find it last year - a sunny yellow poppy for shade? Heck yeah!
But, so far there is only a blank spot where its’ sunniness was last year - sigh.
Why does it seem that we lose the plants we love, not the plants we sorta like. I’ve got some astilbe. They’re OK. But do I lose them over the winter? Oh, no. I lose my beloved coral bells, my brunnera, my pulmonaria.
Gardening isn’t fair!
Lorika, I saw some of those yellow poppies for sale at the farmer’s market if you want to replace them!
I lost a 5 year old (at least) hydrangea of all things. And a pretty old & established rose. The coral bells made it (though I killed 2 last year when I first planted them). I’m worried about a couple of hibiscus I have yet to see. The variegated weigalias took a beating - they will be heavily pruned. I have no idea if the toad lilies made it, I cant remember what they look like but I see nothing lily-like where I think they were.
I mulched the heck out of the terraced front yard at my old house last year, (which I still have but now rent) and it appears that I STILL lost both coreopsis AND coral bells!
Argh.
BTW: Hibiscus? Seriously??? I didn’t know there was any variety that could overwinter in Minnesota…
I lost a superhardy “Winnipeg Parks” shrub rose. The other two are fine, so I’m hoping it was just a fluke. I love that variety.
I also lost a clematis. I kept hoping it would come to life, but I think it’s dead, dead, dead.
And there are lots of empty spots in my shade garden. Connie, I lost at least one pulmonaria, too! Sigh.
I’m still waiting on my asparagus. Does that come up mid-summer?
Also, does anyone have knowledge of Nasterniums? I read somewhere that these edible flowers help keep bunnies out of your garden (yeah, no icky pesticides!!). Is it true? Have any of your readers had luck with that? I planted the seeds a few weeks ago and I don’t think I have anything sprouting yet.
Ranty, there is a Minnesota-hardy hibiscus, but it tends to come up later. Don’t give up hope, Sabrina. Your hibiscus still may show . . .
Holly,
I can’t believe you lost a Winnipeg Parks shrub roses. Those roses are super hardy. I guess we just had a tough winter. I try to remember to keep my roses well watered into late fall. I think that helps them make it through the winter. I just got a couple of those Ole, Sven and Lena roses (a hardy shrub rose series developed by the University.) I can’t wait to see how they do.
For hardy hibiscus check out cultivars such as `Fantasia,’ `Sweet Caroline,’ `Fireball,’ and `Kopper King.’ (They do need to be mulched each winter.) Last time I checked, Ambergate Gardens in Chaska had some ‘Kopper King.’
Annie… When I started gardening three years ago, I fell in lover with nasturtiums. The blossoms and leaves are a fun and peppery addition to any salad. I can’t speak to their bunny-repelling powers, but they sure attracted beneficial insects!
Connie, let us know how Ole, Lena and Sven fare in your garden. I am thinking that the Winnipeg Parks shrub rose might have fallen prey to something other than the weather. I have had very good luck with sturdy little roses. (And in my yard, they’ve gotten far taller than the label would suggest.)
Well, Ole and Sven sure look goot in the pots, but I gotta get ‘em in da ground. Dat’s my chore for da weekend . . .
Glad to hear someone else lost hostas. I felt like a big-time failure losing those, as I thought those were indestructable.
I got my mystery (pink & white) online @ directgardening.com 6 for $3! They’ve been great for 4 years now, the originals are fine the transplants may not have made it. I finally got to try my asparagus this year, only 3 plants so it wont be a common occurrence - but it was good. Sven is BEAUTIFUL, I want him, just not at $20+… maybe next year.
oh yeah, I was talking about the hibiscus BTW. . .
Greengirls Connie Nelson, Robyn Dochterman and Jaime Chismar are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
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