Garden_girl
New member
Haha, yeah, I'm not about to put it to the test, either!
I didn't know that about Touch Me Nots, apparently they don't grow in zone 4.... dang! I would keep some around...just in case.
We have a plant around here called Stinging Nettle. I can't say for sure, cuz I've never stuck my fingers in a light socket, but I think grabbing one of these plants is akin to the pain of sticking your finger in a light socket. The pain and shock is enough to make your hair stand on end. I have grabbed them by mistake plenty of times. :icon_stupid:
The worst time was when I opened a fresh bag of potting soil and reached my hand in to grab some soil and instead grabbed a bunch of stinging nettle that was growing inside the bag. :shocker:
Lol, ok, now I'm jealous. I love White Flower Farm and you are so lucky to be living near there. They carry Blackmore and Langdon begonias (the exhibition kind) and I purchased a couple of them years ago, they were stunning and shamefully expensive-definitely a reward type purchase for whatever I did good that year. :blush: Actually, it's probably a good thing I don't live near WFF.
Here's the thing about invasives, they are so worthwhile if you love them. One plant I love is Monarda var. 'Gardenview Scarlet' (Beebalm). It attracts more hummingbirds than any plant I have ever owned. It is mildly invasive under the right conditions, but it was a MUST HAVE plant for me. I have no where to put it right now or I would have it.
Bee Balm The problem with this plant is that it has a tendency to get powdery mildew, so if it's allowed to become invasive, the less air circulation it has, the more likely you will see some mildew. There are some things you can do to keep invasive plants in check. You can plant in a 12 plastic pot with the bottom cut off and sink it into the ground, leaving a bit of the rim of the pot above ground. If you want a larger specimen of the plant, go to the hardware store and purchase 8, 10 or 12 " roof flashing. It comes in a roll and you'll have to cut it to the size you want. Sink the roof flashing into the ground to make a circle large enough for your mature plant. I always leave a bit above ground for those plants that like to propagate by stems. I hide the outside of the circle with mulch or you can plant something in front of it to hide it. These two solutions only work for root and stem invasives, not the seed type.
Thanks Charity, I neglected to mention all the mistakes I've made like... pulling out Asters that I thought were weeds and then searching frantically through the weed pile for them when I discovered what I'd done. Or over-fertilizing and killing some favorite plants, which is one of the reasons I don't use commercial chemicals anymore.
Angie, Daphne is difficult to propagate. I think it's one of the reasons it is so expensive. But you could certainly try rooting it in water. I would think you would have to 'air layer' it to be successful or try to tip layer it when you have your own plant. Would your neighbor let you try to tip layer one of their plants? To tip layer a plant, grab a low growing stem and bend it gently to the ground. The stem you choose should have new growth at the top of the stem. Bury the tip of the stem in the ground a few inches deep(yes, the new growth at the top). I fasten it firmly in the soil with wire from a coat hanger fashioned into a giant bobbie pin. Eventually the tip should turn and grow upward and the roots form where you inserted the tip. Of course, you would have to water it when it doesn't rain. I'd say if you don't see new growth emerge by the fall, it didn't work. Just because the tips are coming up out of the soil, it doesn't necessarily mean you have roots yet. Don't cut if from the mother until you are sure. It should be slightly difficult to lift it up when you give it a gentle tug, then you know you have roots.
Here is the easiest way to propagate a rose shrub and other woody shrubs. This is called a simple layer. Again, bend a pliable lower cane down to the ground right next to your rose. Bury a good portion of the end of the cane (8-10 inches long) leaving a portion (4-6 inches) of the tip (should have new growth on it) sticking out of the ground (different type of layering than the tip layer). Bury the cane at least 6 inches deep. Fasten the cane down in a couple of places with your giant bobbie pins, lol. In the fall you should have a new rose shrub beginning from the cane that you buried. You will see new growth coming from the exposed tip if it's successful. I always leave mine attached to the mother plant over winter. In the spring, I remove it (cut the part of the cane closest to the mother) and transplant it. You can use this method on Daphne, too.
There is another way to propagate roses and this time you can steal cuttings from anywhere. Take a tip cutting from a rose, it must be very new growth. A six inch cutting works well, but I've taken smaller ones. I like to plant my cuttings in pots for this method, but you can plant the cutting straight in the garden too. You just need to keep an eye on things. If you know you are going to grab a cutting from somewhere, try to keep the cutting moist until you can plant it. Either slap it in a cup of water, I have even taken wet paper towels in a plastic bag with me for cuttings. They built a new bank near my house, landscaped it beautifully with roses and I took a cutting from every type of rose they had there. Before you plant your rose cutting remove some of the lower leaves. It takes energy from the cutting to support the leaves and we want the cutting to put it's energy into root growth, not leaf support. I usually leave 4-6 leaves on top of the cutting, that's all. Plant your cuttings at least 3 inches deep (I use potting soil for this). Cover your cutting, I use glass jars for this..like jelly or mayo jars, the jar should never touch the cutting. Water well and set your pot in an eastern exposure-morning sun only for this method, otherwise you'll cook your cutting, that goes for planting it in the garden too. Water daily, giving it a good soak. Somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks ,you will see new growth begin, when you see several new leaves, remove the jar and let it grow on in the pot for awhile. Some people use clear plastic bags to cover their cuttings, instead of jars, they will insert pencils in the pots to keep the plastic from touching the plant, this method works too and can provide air circulation around the bottom of the plant because you can lift the plastic bag up around the plant at the bottom or you can poke holes in your bag for air circulation as the plant starts producing leaves. If this is your first time propagating a rose, I would use the plastic bag method. This method will work for softwood cuttings of some shrubs too. Angie that is a great site for buying roses, but I was curious about the price you pay in Canada and I couldn't find any prices. :shrug:
Edit: One more thing, if you have a willow tree in your area, grab some of the newer growth from the tree. Put the willow branches in a bucket of water or a large watering can and leave them there. Willow is said to have natural root hormone properties, I always use it on my cuttings.