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Author Topic: Liatris  (Read 6122 times)

Offline Shawn

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Liatris
« on: March 31, 2009, 09:08:24 pm »
Well I found some Liatris bulbs and decided to get two packages, 50 bulbs. I want to off set them in the back row of a new flower garden and put Sea Holly in the front. The only problem is I cant find any Sea Holly. Well just saw the Sea Hooly also gets tall. Anyone know if the two would look ok together and Ill try to find a smaller plant in the front the bees would like. 

Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2009, 12:10:21 am »
I've never seen sea holly up close so I can't say how they will look together.  Liatris is one of my favorites though.  But you're right it doesn't get that tall.  Could you reverse the placement by putting the sea holly in back and the Liatris in front?
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Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2009, 08:12:24 pm »
Sea Holly is a bit more bushy. Liatris can be bigger if not the same size. Liatris is also a thin grassy plant before it blooms and it's easy to plant a few within a few inches of each other. It's hard to say if the two will look good with the other. After blooming Liatris will look like a bushy duster, and is also good Gold Finch Food.

The thing is though both of these plants look "Poky." One's a wildflower in prairies, the other is more like a shore plant. I want to say add a nice big textured rock/boulder or a snag (log) in the mix to help bring the two plants together. Feel free to add a third or fourth plant to the mix. Asters perhaps.

Offline Shawn

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2009, 02:26:35 pm »
Ok I took some pictures of some prospect areas. Whcih one do you think I should plant at or maybe split the flowers up into two different areas. These spots are the only spots that actually get "fulll sun."

The first photo I would tear down the chain link fence and plant on the right side of the cement. I planned on a two foot flower bed that runs the length of the cement like the one on the left. The plants on the left are Holly Hocks and at the end Russian Sage with a honey suckle in the middle. I would have to dig up the honey suckel and plant else where for support.





The third photo is next to the original bee garden. I am going to move the trampoline out of the way to plant a garden. I would border the other flower garden with the plants and then the garden next to it.



Offline Natalie

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2009, 02:07:21 am »
I would split them up, it won't look right if you have one type running the length of one bed and another type doing the same.
I would suggest that you mix them in and tie them together for a more unified look or your yard will look choppy.
I would also second the suggestion of adding in some other plants.
The two that you have picked are both a shade of purple (unless you got the white liatris) and you say you have russian sage which is also purple, so I would add some other plants of at least one other color, I like orange with my purple flowers, I planted orange yarrow with all of my anise, lavendar, russian sage, liatris etc.
I like the gracefulness of the agastache anise and it would go well with the colors you have and will soften the lines you have now.The bees also LOVE it!
The russian sage is the same way, tall and graceful but the agastache is a little more thicker, fuller plant.
 You also probably should find some plants that are lower growing and more of a round, mounding type.
Those will give it some weight and anchor the space.
If you want to fill up some space, sedums grow quickly and get big and roundish and change right up until fall.
One thing I like to do is to carry at least one type of flower throughout the whole yard, I planted agastache in all of the gardens I have to bring a uniform look, even though all of the gardens kind of have their own thing going on.
You have picked some nice flowers, I have all the ones you have mentioned, it seems the majority of plants I love turn out to also be purple.
Thats why I throw in a burst of orange (yarrow) or yellow (rudbeckias-black eyed susans) here and there.
I use others as well but can't think of them right now.
Just be careful of not using enough of anything to make a statement, get several of each plant you are going to use or else the gardens will look disorganized and lost.
Good luck with it and have fun!!
 

Offline Shawn

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2009, 09:33:17 pm »
So like I said I planted 50 bulbs and only 1 came up. Why? Can you buy liatris as a plant from a grenhouse?

Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2009, 09:49:14 pm »
yes, it'll be more expensive but the plants will all be in good shape.  I did the same thing and bought a bag from walmart this year and i think 3 or 4 of them came up.  Disappointing, but then a gardening friend of mine just out of the out of the blue gave me some.  What would we do without friends  :)
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Offline MrILoveTheAnts

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2009, 11:00:43 pm »
Liatris is a biannual. The first year of it's life I believe it's a ... semi dormant rhizome underground. Basically there's no green growth on the first year plants. A bag of them that I planted last year didn't come up at all... but I go out there now this year and they're all coming up. I'm also noticing ones coming up from seed two years prior.

So the ones that didn't come up this year will likely come up next year. The seedlings they produce won't come up and flower until two years after that. They do slowly spread but it's very easy to control.

It's not to late to plant another bag of them I don't think. If not then at least plant something where they are now, so you remember to keep them watered. It's a living root underground.

Offline Natalie

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2009, 10:23:44 am »
I have always bought them when they are good size plants and they do wonderful.
Of course you pay more for it, I bought some last year for around $7.99 and they were 2 feet tall and I felt it was worth it.
I never have a big percentage of bulbs produce for me and if its a plant I really want I get it already started.

Offline Shawn

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2009, 01:13:02 pm »
Thanks, I was wondering about how I set them in the ground. The instructions said to put teh pointed side up but they were all shriveled and I could not tell. My wife came back from the green house but they did not have any of the plants I wanted (Aster, Sea Holly, Purple Tansy)  :'( The guy siad it was still too cold here in Colorado to get them, which he is right its an unusual cold spring in SE Colorado. I have not even turned the ac on yet and usually its on by April. Ill keep watch for a plant to buy and hope that all the vegetables I planted will help the bees, 12 cucumber plants, melons, tomatoes, green beans, radish, a dn lots and lots of suflowers of all kinds. 

Offline Shawn

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Re: Liatris
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2009, 08:52:53 pm »
Well maybe I had spoken too soon. Today I noticed a few more coming up in different areas, not the areas I was hoping for. Im thnking due to the cold weather the ground is not yet warm enough for them to be sprouting. I think ill still buy a few plants if I can find them just as fill in for now. 

 

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