is that by the time I get home from work its tiny blue flowers have already closed. Like in this picture taken Friday at 4:00 p.m.
When I sit on the back steps of the deck, my view is right here.
I decided I needed something with more color.
So I dug the spiderwort out, divided it into 5 plants, and put them elsewhere.
Then I went to the rockwall garden and removed this 'Petite Delight' bee balm that I planted last year.
It stays short (about 12 inches tall), which is perfect for this spot. It's also a nice bold color so when I perch upon the deck steps I can see it.
Last year I cut the blooms off to see if it would rebloom. It did not. This year I will let it seed and scatter them all over in hopes of getting more plants.
In case you are not familiar with spiderwort, it looks like this when the flowers are opened.
I'd heard of spiderwort but never actually seen it...it's a very different kind of plant isn't it!!
ReplyDeleteI have spiderwort too and it's a really funny plant. I've got it in almost full shade and find at that location it stays flowers-open all day (or maybe it's just glad to see me). I have to always mark the spot with stakes in the fall though because it withers right into the ground and I'm so prone to forgetting it's there....
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your garden pics and how you shuffle plants around. :-)
More power to you. I do that more with the pots of flowers in July. Looks good!
ReplyDeleteYes, Pea it is different. I actually do like it a lot. It's one of those that love my accommodations and so I have dozens of them. I just didn't like in that particular spot.
ReplyDeleteI certainly do shuffle, Melissa. LOL.
Hi Dianne. I heard on the weather that Philly is really getting hit hard with this heat. Hope you are inside and have air.
My 'Sweet Kate' spiderwort is one of my favourite plants (it's like yours only with chartreuse foliage and violet-purple flowers). I planted it in the shade under the camperdown elm. Now the elm is so big I can barely see the spiderwort anymore. I am going to have to start taking a page from your book and moving things around. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSpiderwort.
ReplyDeleteLittle flower show, big untidy mess of yellowing foliage in late summer, not my favorite plant.
Mark likes it, so I am in the process of moving it all to a back corner where he can enjoy it.
Karen, I've seen 'Sweet Kate' spiderwort, but I don't have it. I think I saw a post on your blog?
ReplyDeleteIf it's like mine, you really can't kill the stuff. Just grab a shovel and yank that lady out and move her to a new home. She probably won't even know she was moved if you make sure to fill the hole with water (twice) and let it drain down before shoving her in. Give her a couple of stomps with a good sturdy pair of shoveling shoes and your done. :)
Jenn, I cut mine right down to the ground when it starts looking awful. I don't worry about letting it all die down. As soon as it starts to go, it's gone.
I have never had mine come back and rebloom. They say it will, but I've had no luck. Have you ever cut it down and had a second bloom?
Second bloom, no. But I've been treating it like a daff and letting the foliage yellow out before I cut it back.
ReplyDeleteNot going to wait for that this year! Thanks for the tip!