It is kind of neat that moss stays green all winter. It does stay green all winter doesn't it? It grows between the bricks on the patio and path along the house. All right, it also grows over the bricks too .
The Virginia Sweetspire is one of my favorite bushes. It keeps its leaves through the fall well into winter. When the sun is out (and that is always problematic in NE Ohio during winter), the leaves really stand out.
Pat and I used to deadhead the hostas. It wasn't a big deal when we only had a dozen or two. I swear I don't know how this happened. I mean, we only bought a couple of plants a year and a friend of mine only gave us six plants. We now have somewhere over 400. Pat says it's closer to 500. I lose count every time we try to count them. So now we just leave the flower stalks. The ones still standing in March get cleaned up. For all the seeds, we seldom ever get any baby hostas. I wonder why, because the ligularia are easy to grow from seed.
I have ligularia seeds for anyone who wants them. The blog header shows ligularis grown from seed. Spray a little soapy water on them to prvent slugs and you'll be good to go. Don't ask me the latin name of my ligularia. My son-in-law translated my blog title. My version of latin entails adding icus to the end of any word. None the less, ligularia looks cool even in the middle of winter.
There's a blue jay in there somewhere.
The Virginia Sweetspire is one of my favorite bushes. It keeps its leaves through the fall well into winter. When the sun is out (and that is always problematic in NE Ohio during winter), the leaves really stand out.
Pat and I used to deadhead the hostas. It wasn't a big deal when we only had a dozen or two. I swear I don't know how this happened. I mean, we only bought a couple of plants a year and a friend of mine only gave us six plants. We now have somewhere over 400. Pat says it's closer to 500. I lose count every time we try to count them. So now we just leave the flower stalks. The ones still standing in March get cleaned up. For all the seeds, we seldom ever get any baby hostas. I wonder why, because the ligularia are easy to grow from seed.
I have ligularia seeds for anyone who wants them. The blog header shows ligularis grown from seed. Spray a little soapy water on them to prvent slugs and you'll be good to go. Don't ask me the latin name of my ligularia. My son-in-law translated my blog title. My version of latin entails adding icus to the end of any word. None the less, ligularia looks cool even in the middle of winter.
There's a blue jay in there somewhere.
10 comments:
Amazing how prolific hostas are... here's one case where divide and conquer does not apply. Your header photo is lovely with all the texture of your shade loving plants. I love ligularia with its spears of yellow ... seeds cannot work for me however since I am plagued with bishops weed. I have some pretty established plants that more or less hold their own. Sweet offer... I am sure you will have many grateful takers Jim. ;>)
Hi Jim, the seed heads, moss (love all moss and it does seem to green up in the winter) and hostas are a joy to see, any season. We also wonder why the hostas do not self sow freely, with all those seed heads. I have found doing less clean up makes for a happy gardener, we just have to teach our eyes to not see a mess, but rather a natural state of things. :-)
Frances
I purchased some Blue Mammoth seeds last Spring and tried to grow some and could not get any started. I was so disappointed. I cannot believe this, I just ordered a Lingularia for this Spring from Bluestone Perennials. Wish I had know n you had seeds LOL! I have a lot of shade and partial shade so I thought I would try one of those to add some drama.
Seed heads add so much winter interest to a landscape.
Okay I give, what is the trick. There is no Blue Jay is there? You just want us staring at the picture. LOL!
Dear Jim, How I envy you your hostas - among my favourite foliage plants although here, in England, I do always seem to have a problem with slugs ravaging the leaves. The blue leafed H. 'Halcyon' is ideal for my small garden.
Soapy water keeps the slugs off hosta and ligularia. And gives your yard a nice fresh smell.
jim
I'm always pleased to find other hosta-growers who don't cut the flowerstalk off before it flowers (some fanciers do that which I think is DUMGB~). 400 hostas is IMPRESSIVE, Jim! I love that you have seedheads festooning your garden in winter, too.
Texture is so important in the garden expecially in the winter time - its something that many forget about but you have captured it well in your photos Jim.
I think I see your blue jay on the lower left part of the picture.
400 hostas? They breed like rabbits in your garden!
I only have a 3x camera so bird shots are always iffy. The blue jay is in the upper third of the picture just right of the pine on the left hand side of the pic.
jim
I found your blog through Persephone in Bloom. I would like to try growing ligularia if you have some seeds left. I don't know how well it will do here in hot Mississippi, but there's only one way to find out! Do you have any tips for growing it from seed?
Thanks! ginger_gibson @ comcast.net
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