Your all time favourite Flower Plants and Why...

[Stubbornhillfarm]

I love daylillies. There are so many different kinds. They are not to picky, have nice foliage and put on such a show!

 

[ducks4you]

Hollyhock, the single blossom variety
wait
Iris
no
Day lily
um mostly all of them...

I'm kinda that way, too. I guess I really love it when whatever flowers I plant take off and scent the air. I looked at the corner where I had transplanted in 2010 both a mini-rose that I thought had died, and some purple iris from my "bed of too many irises that need to be moved". All flowers there are doing great. I saved a ton of scarlet runner beans--I had NEVER heard of them before I joined this forum--and their beans were "past it" when I found them in 2011's location, therefore the whole small pickle jar full of saved seeds. They are going to be planted along my ~75 ft. cattle fence along the street next month. I am REALLY hoping for a grand explosion of color from all of the flowers I have planted or will be planting there.
I also love purple malva, cosmos, and tuberous begonias but the begonias all died on me. Don't know if I have the time or the heart to try THEM, again.

 

[catjac1975]

Daylilies daylilies and more day lilies.zcx

 

[Ridgerunner]

I really like a lot of different flowers, but Ill repeat a story about why Ill have iris as long as I can grow them.

My wifes grandmother was bedridden for years and really loved irises. Her husband took to growing and breeding them. His iris beds were outside her window where she could see him working in them and she could enjoy the blooms. He developed a couple of different varieties and got them named.

Unfortunately, when they died a few months apart, the house was sold and the named irises and all the others were lost, so I cant get them for my wife. I can't even find out what he named them. My wifes not bedridden, but Ill always have iris growing for her.

 

[ducks4you]

Ridgerunner, are you SURE the iris don't grow there anymore? Have you been to the house and talked to the present owners? It would be GREAT if you could retrieve one or two.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That was over 40 years ago. Unfortunately they are gone.

 

[Carol Dee]

I really like a lot of different flowers, but Ill repeat a story about why Ill have iris as long as I can grow them.

My wifes grandmother was bedridden for years and really loved irises. Her husband took to growing and breeding them. His iris beds were outside her window where she could see him working in them and she could enjoy the blooms. He developed a couple of different varieties and got them named.

Unfortunately, when they died a few months apart, the house was sold and the named irises and all the others were lost, so I cant get them for my wife. I can't even find out what he named them. My wifes not bedridden, but Ill always have iris growing for her.

Ridgerunner, you are a sweetie . :happy_flower My Dad is like that. He always grew flowers so there was a vase of fresh flowers for Mom all summer long. Big Hugs...

 

[RustyDHart]

Rusty,
How do you over winter your tubers? I have not had alot of experience with dahlias and my problems start after I dig them up. What is the best way to store them?

Thanks,
Christie

Hi mothergoose, Your tuber problem could be one thing or a combination of things....... Some growers dig their tubers up too soon in the Fall.... I wait 'til the first VERY HARD frost when the whole plant is greasy, black Banana peel texture.....and the tubers have matured. If you dig the tubers too early...they have not matured and just a slight frost earlier in the season is not the time to dig them up. After the hard frost...I cut the stems down to about 6 inches above the ground level..... carefully dig the tuber clump up as to NOT break any of the tuber necks....... I then hose off the entire clump and let air dry for about a day. Sometimes I seperate the tubers in Fall....sometimes the next Spring. I store my tubers in Pine shavings in large fiber glass totes in the basement....I keep the temp. between 40-45 degrees....it works for me. The storage medium that you use could be a problem.....and/or where you store them.....(????) When dividing the tubers you must have part of the tuber crown with "eyes" or shoots or the whole tuber is obsolete and will produce nothing. I usually store anywhere from 1800-3000 lbs. of tubers each year using these techniques....they work for me. I hope this helps you....We do have several helpful tips on the "Dahlia" thread. Please keep me posted! Rusty

 

[mothergoose]

Rusty,
Thank you for the tips. I will follow your directions and try again.
Thanks,
Christie

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

Lilacs for their incredible scent.

Peonies for those amazing bomb-type blossoms.

Angel Face roses for their lavendar-lilac color an again, that amazing scent.

Dandelions, because there they are, with no effort at all.