Garden

[JustJazzmom]

MI might not be able to keep those ‘Conoy’ viburnums evergreen over the winter. I originally bought them from a grower in NE called Classic Viburnums. Very knowledgeable people and where he is (hardiness zone 5) they are deciduous. By me in hardiness zone 7, they are evergreen year round. 

To improve clay soils, add compost or composted manure which will make the soil less moisture retentive & clumpy. Another option which wouldn’t change the pH of the clay soil is to add gypsum to it. Go to a large nursery (not a big box store) for that and follow the directions on back of package as to how much to apply. I’m not sure if it’s granular or a dustlike product.

[tsavorite]

@JustJazzmomthank you for the soil tips!  I will put that on my list.

I have another question if you might know....what about a few Hibiscus plants?  I see another topic here in garden asking about the CF one's well I had seen him presenting some the other day and thought they looked really nice and he said they were grown in MI.  It is a new set of 2 he has out....would something like these work....I would want to put in the ground.  I know nothing much about them...but it would put some really stand out color which my home needs badly in front.  The row of knockouts were cherry red and well they were beautiful and blooming.  We just got them totally out today and I am glad...no more thorns for me.  

Thank you for any ideas and help...

[Lilysmom]

@mousiegirl, I am in zone 5b (may be closer to 6 if you look at the recent changes in zoning).  I have to cut down my sedums every year.  They die in winter and come back in Spring.  LM

[nana59]

had a large flower garden off to the side of my backyard....always needed maintenance...finally convinced my husband to remove everything and plant sod....he was reluctant at first...but now he tells me he's glad he has one less outdoor chore!

[jlkz]

@mousiegirl

The first year that I planted sedums, I left them in and enjoyed looking at the bare, blackened stalks that had the hardened flower heads on them.  They really stood out in the snow !

What I did not like come April was getting pricked by the thorns on these stalks....and right through the leather gloves !

Lesson learned here the hard way...cut them down to the ground.  They become larger in diameter each year....need to divide or give some away !

[JustJazzmom]

@tsavorite Hibiscus are either patio, perennial or shrub/tree types.

Patio types you see for summer only at say Hone Depot/Lowe’s/Walmart & they bloom in the summer & die once the weather cools into winter.

Perennial hibiscus comes back year after year — rose mallow is the common name (Hibiscus moschuetos is the Latin name). They may need staking or else they lean. 

Shrub/tree types are permanent (Hibiscus syriacus) — lose their leaves in late fall, one of the last trees to leaf out come spring. Lots of colors & are either a double or single trumpet shaped flower. 

Many are called Rose of Sharon — the original purple self seeds all over the place & in my opinion is messy. Newer cultivars are supposed to be sterile but some throw off seedlings but not as profusely as the original purple ones.

All hibiscus can get camellia scale or Japanese beetles. Just a warning...

Anecdote: I used to have years ago a purple rose of Sharon my Dad gave me. Every year DH sprayed Weed be Gon to kill the seedlings or we pulled by hand.

In another part of the garden I chose a newer cultivar called ‘Aphrodite’, a rose pink with a deeper color center. Nice plant trained as a tree, but this threw off seedlings. 

One time visited Longwood Gardens in the summer— saw the perennial hibiscus ‘Lord Baltimore’— huge almost dinner plate sized red blooms. No seedlings being thrown off and needed staking. 

Bought one from somewhere — local nursery or online. It is the star of that corner of our backyard every summer. It blooms until almost October, but it is the last perennial to emerge from the ground. 

Several year’s later I purchased it’s companion ‘Lady Baltimore’ to be in other corner of the yard. Similar habit. 

Lord Baltmore can reach heights of 6-7’ in height. Lady Baltimore is shorter for me due to less intense sun so that might be 5’ in height. 

HTH explain about hibiscus.