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New Plants for the Garden

April 5th, 2011

Now that I have more doubled my garden area I need to start getting plants to fill the new part. I’ll propagate most of them myself from plants I already have or from mom’s plants which will save me a lot of money. It will take longer for these plants to grow and mature, but gardening isn’t about instant gratification. I’ll also start a lot of plants from seed and divide many of my exciting perennials. I will purchase a few new plants that I’ve been wanting to get, but haven’t had the garden space for.

If you remember, I have a fascination with hydrangeas and have amassed a collection of 10 different varieties so far. I just purchased 3 new varieties to add to my collection: ‘Teller’s Blue’ Hydrangea – a blue lace-cap hydrangea, ‘Princess Beatrix’ Hydrangea – produces beautiful crimson-pink blooms, and ‘Penny Mac’ Hydrangea – will flower in the coldest zones because of its ability to produce flowers on new growth.

I also bought a few tree peonies. Two different varieties ‘Ge Jin Zi’ or Purple Kudzu Scarf and ‘Wu Long Peng Sheng’ also known as Black Dragon Holds a Splendid Flower. I’m super excited for these as I’ve been wanting to get a tree peony for quite a while.

Have you purchased any new plants recently? Any that you’ve been wanting to purchase?

24 Comments to “New Plants for the Garden”
  1. Sheryl - Providence Acres Farm on April 5, 2011 at 7:15 am

    Those will be beautiful! I love peonies! Not many of those hydrangeas will survive the winter here, but a few others do.

    Reply to Sheryl – Providence Acres Farm's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 8:47 am

      Yes I have some hydrangeas that aren’t hardy in my zone so I have to wrap them and protect them heavily in the winter. Some still don’t flower if it was hard winter, but every now and then I get a beautiful blooming summer from them. A few of these are the kind that bloom on old & new wood, which are fab since they don’t need wrapped (although the deer around here love to nibble the buds off in the winter).

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. Kaytee on April 5, 2011 at 8:59 am

    The last plants I bought were blueberry bushes, but I’ll be buying some more this year. There are still lots of bare areas in my garden, plus I’m planning to dig a new bed this year. And I just so happen to want to put hydrangeas in that bed, so you seem to be the right person to ask! What variety (ies) do you like the best? Ones hardy to zone 5 would probably be best since the wrapping of bushes might get forgotten during the busy fall/hunting season around here.

    Reply to Kaytee's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 9:26 am

      I’d highly recommend ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas for their ease of care. If you don’t wrap they’ll still bloom on new wood so they’re beautiful. The blooms are purple or pink depending on your soil. I’d also highly recommend ‘Annabelle’ which has beautiful green blooms that turn white and then dry beautifully. They also bloom beautifully without being wrapped. If you want panicle hydrangeas (cone shaped blooms) try ‘Pinky Winky’ or and ‘Oakleaf’, both bloom beautifully without any wrapping and care. If you have a large space try ‘Limelight’ with it’s green blooms that turn to white.

      Endless Summer:
      Endless Summer Bloom
      Annabelle:
      Annabelle Hydrangea
      Pinky Winky:
      Hydrangea 'Pinky Winky'
      Limelight:
      'Limelight' Hydrangea
      Oakleaf:
      Oakleaf Hydrangea

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Kaytee on April 6, 2011 at 11:33 am

        Thanks so much! I’ve been a fan of Endless Summer for years, and I’m glad to hear it will make it in Zone 5. I’ll probably give another variety or two a try as well.

        to Kaytee's comment

  3. Brittany P. on April 5, 2011 at 10:56 am

    I have a Nikko Blue hydrangea that I planted when we moved here. I also have a love for this plant. What’s not to love?

    My husband recently brought me home 3 baby pecan trees he dug up on an old man’s property. The guy said he was going to just cut them down so he grabbed them for me. :) I have plans to start a rose garden for Savanna (my daughter) this year. She will love it, the girl has a thing for roses!

    Reply to Brittany P.'s comment

  4. goatpod2 on April 5, 2011 at 11:10 am

    The only new plants we’ve purchased recently were an orange and lemon tree while in Florida.

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  5. Lynda on April 5, 2011 at 11:18 am

    I would love to grow some hydrangea…I’ve planted several and they have not been successful. Maybe I’ll try again this year…I have some fantastic compost that may just help.

    I have purchased a whole fruit orchard this year: cherries, peaches, pears, plums, blueberries, apples, currants and an avacado!

    Reply to Lynda's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 11:23 am

      A whole orchard, we’ll be doing that next year I think. With all the hedge plants we have to plant this year I don’t think we’ll have time for fruit trees as well.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  6. Stephanie on April 5, 2011 at 11:39 am

    I’m getting ready to buy some seeds for the veggie garden. Planning to start with lettuce and peas and maybe some spinach. Only trouble is I need to get some dirt as I am doing raised boxes this year. It’s crazy how expensive dirt can be! But weeds are worse :p

    Reply to Stephanie's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 11:42 am

      Yes it is amazing how expensive it can be!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  7. Sincerely, Emily on April 5, 2011 at 11:41 am

    I really like hydrangeas and love peony’s – none of which I have growing here. I enjoy them when I visit my mom up north. This spring I have added blackberry bushes and may more herbs. I replaced a peach tree that didn’t make and added one more. I would like to add some more fruit trees this next winter along with some shade trees too. I need to trim a lot of cedar/juniper to prepare for that and even take some out completely to make room. Then when things are established and can cut more of the cedar/juniper out. Just takes time and patience….sometimes hard to come by. You are right, there is no instant gratification in the garden and I am fine with that. I enjoy watching things grown and change out there. Emily

    Reply to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  8. Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig on April 5, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous…I love hydrangeas, too. And we’re getting ready to do some planting in the backyard…it might be just the right occasion to plant a few hydrangeas!

    Reply to Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      A few years ago Mr Chiots got me 4 new hydrangeas for my birthday – who needs a dozen roses when you can have years of beauty in the garden!

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig on April 6, 2011 at 10:14 am

        Yes! I like the way you think…I am not a fan of cut flowers for any occasion. In my opinion, they’re already dead! I would much rather a living plant…and my birthday IS coming up…I may just ask for some hydrangeas!

        to Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig's comment

  9. farmgal on April 5, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Its funny, I was just talking to my hubby that I “might” add a hydrangeas to a new garden space, I am currently working on, I have spent the past six years putting in hard and soft fruits, including double rows of fruiting bushes as a hedging for a full acre, plus the gardens (as there was none when we moved here) and the only flowers I have grown were to eat, or make Jelly out of or to use as feed towards the chickens.

    I finally felt that I was caught up enough this year, that I could afford to give time to a flower bed with a cutting garden for the house. This plant is on the list I have made. They are just lovely.

    New plants so far, none, the garden centers are not open, and nothing is coming in yet by mail, but my mushroom kits have arrived, so now I just need to cut down a few tree’s, make logs and get busy on working on my mushroom logs that will then go out into the gardens later on, and hopefully will produce for a number of years afterwards.

    Reply to farmgal's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 2:52 pm

      I’m getting ready to grow my own mushrooms too, I have a bunch of logs that need the holes drilled, and the spawn is on it’s way. Can’t wait!

      Reply to Susy's comment

  10. MAYBELLINE on April 5, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    Beautiful.
    I look forward to following the transition of your property and learning more about propagating. I believe my attempt at grafting failed so I need some learning.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

    • Susy on April 5, 2011 at 2:52 pm

      I’ll make sure I do a photo or video how-to of propagating hydrangeas when I do it later this spring.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  11. Kathi on April 5, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    I have always wanted to get a tree peony. Might make a nice birthday present. Good luck with all your new plantings.

    Reply to Kathi's comment

  12. Terry on April 5, 2011 at 6:48 pm

    Haven’t bought new plants this year but I am very excited to see my peonies just starting to come up. I am so excited to see them, this will be their second year coming back.

    Reply to Terry's comment

  13. Seren Dippity on April 6, 2011 at 12:53 am

    I just bought a hydrangea to replace a boring non-blooming domed shaped bush that was in the middle of a rather shaded bed. I’ve been planting around the edge of that ugly thing for three years now and couldn’t tolerate it any more. Give me something that either blooms or produces fruit!! I can’t remember the variety but it is a blue one. I’m not sure how sensitive it is to ph for the color. I’d prefer it stay blue, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if it didn’t.
    I will need to learn more about how to care for it, pruning wise. I am fairly sure it should handle our erratic winters; If I have to do too much in the way of babying a plant it doesn’t belong in my garden. Plants that can’t handle our winter must stay small enough that I can bring them inside.
    I was surprised to see RED hydrangeas at the garden center and I wondered how consistent the color is on those. I was also fascinated by _climbing_ varieties. I don’t have nearly enough UP spaces for vining plants. I LOVE climbing vines whether they be roses, clematis, wisteria, jasmine or plain ole’ honeysuckle; add in the fruiting vines like kiwi or grapes and I would need to build one arbor after another. sigh.

    Reply to Seren Dippity's comment

    • Susy on April 6, 2011 at 7:15 am

      You don’t really need to worry about pruning. I have found that by early summer most of the dead branches are covered up by new growth and they help support the large flower heads. I have also noticed that the tiny native bees use the dead canes for their little homes, so I leave the dead canes in mine. I only remove them if they break loose when I’m cleaning the leaves out of the shrub in spring.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Seren Dippity on April 7, 2011 at 7:31 pm

        Good! I like an easy plant! I checked the plant tag now that it is daylight outside and I have an Endless Summer. I kinda wanted a “classic” hydrangea look.

        I ran across this cute and simple primer on Better Homes & Gardens today all about Hydrangeas and thought I’d share – http://www.bhg.com/gardening/trees-shrubs-vines/shrubs/hydrangea-guide/

        to Seren Dippity's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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