Palmer's penstemons -- amazing!
JoJo (Nevada 9A)
2 years ago
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'Husker Red' Penstemon vs. 'Purple Emperor' Sedum
Comments (13)Between those two plants, I would choose the 'Purple Emperor' Sedum. It has a darker coloration than the Penstemon, which seems to 'green out' soon after it flowers. Penstemon 'Husker's Red': Is a good plant, not fussy. Adorable flowers. Good filler plant. It isn't lanky for me, nice and upright. -Do you guys find that it puts on new growth after cutting it? Mine never does, which means the cut stems are left exposed. Not very attractive. It also greens out, which I also don't care for. Sedum 'Purple Emperor': Good color that doesn't fade out. Is attractive for a long time since it blooms later in the year. Not fussy once established. I agree that it isn't the most vigorous of Sedums. But if it has an area with good drainage it should do well. Both are good plants in thier own way. But if I had to keep only one of them it would be the sedum. -echinaceamaniac, thanks for the tip about the Penstemon cuttings. I will have to try that. CMK...See MoreNormal for Penstemons to flop?
Comments (10)FWIW, I don't have penst but put in a new bed last year where I dug out daffodils that flopped. The newly-planted artemesia and sage? fell over with the first rain and never recovered for the season, sulked, one climbing rose did well anyway. There is a large flowering tree that sucks out nutrients. Last fall, I spread a bag of compost over that bed and tucked it in generously with leaves (have to conserve my purchased mulch). A little flopping of one plant this spring, but all the others have recovered, are standing erect, and art is multiplying, only a little morning sun which could be a factor. Now I started another bed with plenty of sun where I put some meadow sage. Fell right over. There is competition with another tree but not nearly so close. So I'll compost this fall and look for them to stand up straighter next year if they survive. Apart from what the other poster said about one variety seemed to be needing staking, I'd see if you are nutrient deficient there, don't know if you amended you soil or not, but what I did may help yours next season, if it survives growing a season. I wouldn't give up on it. A little fert might help, but I don't know what would be good and you don't want to overdo that. I've got pieces of bamboo stake, maybe I'll help my new sage along with that this year. If they flop next year, I will pull them out. Maybe some weaker new plants just do that when so young, transplant shock, and hard rains from the git go like we've had here....See MoreClutter Busting by Brooks Palmer. - review
Comments (7)dawnp & mommabird (sorry I misspelled your user name in the other post, mommabird), I totally agree 100% with you that his idea about giving gifts back to the giver was a little weird. Not something I would ever do either, and not sure I understand the point of doing it. It reminds me of a few years back when an outspoken BIL told us not to get a particular item for him as a gift after the fact- he didn't say this because we were continually getting this item for him, it was a one time thing. It felt so awkward that he did that and it did sort of offend. Why not just give the item to a thrift store and not mention it? I can see if it is a family heirloom that should stay in the family, but just regular junk, why bother making it an issue? Especially if you buy what the author says that it's just mass produced junk. About the photos being ghosts, I kind of get that because shortly before reading the book, I had taken down just about all the portrait type pictures in the house. Many of them were pictures put up because of a death in recent years and a desire to pay tribute to that person (or pet's) memory. After taking them down, I realized how sad they had been making me for so long. I also took down a bunch of kid pictures that were nice, but reminding me too often of a different time (in a maudlin way)- now we just have a current picture up. It's funny that it hadn't dawned on me what a drain they were until they were gone. It depends on how you feel about the pictures and if they bring you pleasure to see on a daily basis. For now, I am still enjoying the pictures of loved ones and bygone childhoods in albums, but it is no longer that constant reminder 75 times a day....See MoreSkybird: Update (I know EXACTLY what penstemon you gave me)
Comments (6)Zach, when I first collected the seed I was calling it P. utahensis! Well, duh, it made sense! I collected it near Boulder, UTAH! It was when Kelly came over and saw it and suggested P. eatonii that I changed my mind after comparing pics, and started calling it that! Looking at more eatonii pics, tho, I think the leaves are too "big" on that one to be the one I have. The P. rostriflorus (you have an extra "i" in it!) sure does look like what I saw along the road where I collected the seed! The range is right--but it is for the P. eatonii and the P. utahensis too! http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Pink%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/penstemon%20rostriflorus.htm I have a couple non-digital pics of it growing along the road somewhere, and if I ever find them I'll scan them into the computer and link them! But the P. r. pics on swcoloradowildflowers sure does look "wispy" kind of like they looked growing in the nasty, never watered, harsh conditions along the road! And the seed pods sure look right--tho most penstemons look pretty much like that! The really confusing thing is how tall it gets in my yard! I assume that's the lack of sun--and the overabundance of water! That's why I still hope to get one (of the right ones!) to you to grow in full sun without water so I can see what it'll do in conditions closer to those where I found it--tho your conditions are NEVER gonna equal the awful conditions it was in where I found it! There is another plant--second year I think--growing right in front of my original plant, and if we're both at the swap (I'll be trippin' again the end of August, so it depends on when the swap is!) I'll stick it in a pot and you can try another one to see what it turns out to be. The leaves on this one sure look like the original--but until it gets flowers there's no way to be sure! So I'll leave it in the ground for now, and let's see what might work out for the fall swap! If I'm right that it's a second year plant, it should bloom some this year, so I might know for sure what color it is before I ever dig it to put it in a pot! Just for the uniqueness of it, I bet you'd love the little P. davidsonii v. menziesii 'Microphyllus' I got (in the $1 each leftover sale plants!) at Laporte this spring. If you decide to order from them, or go up there to do a look-see next year, you might want to see if you can find one of them! Mine is still very small, but it's a cool little creepy (in the nicest way!) thing, that looks like it's gonna totally hug the ground. VERY different from "all the other" Penstemons! It's semi-woody, and my guess right now is that I'm not gonna wind up with any to "share!" http://www.laporteavenuenursery.com/html/penstemon_davidsonii_v__menzie1.html Skybird...See MoreJoJo (Nevada 9A)
2 years agoJeff Adams
2 years ago
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