Have You Ever failed With a Indestructible Perennial ?

[Nyboy]

Have you ever read about a perennial thats was so hardy it could live anywhere, anyone could grow it, and fail when you tried? Some of the most fail proof plants have died in my garden. Bee balm is one, gardeners warn it can be a bit invasive its grows so well. I have tried many times, once I had a small patch struggling, gave a small division to a friend . Mine gave up the fight, her division grew and flowered great.

 

[Carol Dee]

YES ! Bee Balm is one! Hardy Mums disappear regularly. Can't grow clematis for the life of me. Roses either.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chives have embarrassed me. They taught me to never tease another gardener about not being able to grow something. Thyme is another that gives me problems. Not sure why. Shasta daisies have thrived for years but almost died out this past winter. Sure hope they make a comeback. They are an important part of a certain landscape bed.

 

[digitS']

So, Northwest Arkansas at 400 feet has tougher winters than Mt. Shasta in California at 14,179 feet?

It's our varied environments ... Here I was saying that I liked chives and was happy with how they do and @lesa was trying to tell me how they are trying to invade her entire lawn!

How's this, work for years in a rose greenhouse and have trouble keeping them alive and healthy outdoors .

Steve

 

[Just-Moxie]

Comfrey for me. I can grow the other stuff...thyme, chives, roses, clematis. Figured out how to grow peonies and lilac, down here in the hot south.

 

[Smart Red]

Have I ever killed off indestructible perennials? It might be faster if I listed the ones I didn't kill.

Took three tries for Lily of the Valley. Now I can't get rid of them. Took three tries for LOV pink variety -- still none surviving.
Comfrey? Two tries and counting -- no comfrey yet.
Roses. DH built a formal rose garden for me/us. Roses didn't like it, I presume, since only one of 20 survives -- and that was a not ordered shrub rose.
Monarda. Killed it out of the turn-around. Killed all four varieties out of the sunny perennial bed. Most of the monarda in the semi-shade garden seem to be gone.
Mums. I have purchased mums so many time only to have them all fail to survive the winter.
Hardy Carnations? Nope! Not hardy here despite what should be great growing conditions for a zone 4 plant.
Gillardia, Daisys, black-eyed Susans, Scabiosa, Lamb's Ear, Heuchera, Cardinal Flower, Hardy Geraniums, (I should just go through my plant binder, but I haven't the time) and Phlox are among some of the easiest-to-grow perennials that I have managed to kill off over the years.

Then came my Epiphany! Red's Rules for Gardening. Rule one: a plant's chance for survival is directly related to its cost and the time invested by the gardener. The more expensive and the more attention the greater likelihood of plant failure. Rule two: Give a growing condition even close to what a plant needs and the plant will do what is required for its survival.

Once I started plopping the plants in unprepared ground and ignoring them a bit, everything I planted began to do well. Now I get the roots close to the soil, let the plant know it's "grow or survive", and expect the plant to do the rest. Seldom fails to produce thriving plants, seedlings, cuttings, grafts, whatever I try.

 

[Nyboy]

I agree with rule 1 !!

 

[Ridgerunner]

So, Northwest Arkansas at 400 feet has tougher winters than Mt. Shasta in California at 14,179 feet?

It's our varied environments ... Here I was saying that I liked chives and was happy with how they do and @lesa was trying to tell me how they are trying to invade her entire lawn!

How's this, work for years in a rose greenhouse and have trouble keeping them alive and healthy outdoors .

Steve

Actually 2400 feet here. One year, just after I mentioned to another gardener how easy chives were mine died. I think it was 115 degrees F and months without rain.

 

[Carol Dee]

Actually 2400 feet here. One year, just after I mentioned to another gardener how easy chives were mine died. I think it was 115 degrees F and months without rain.

That would do it!

 

[digitS']

Uh oh, @Ridgerunner !

I've gone completely astray and not just crashing 2,000 feet downhill from you ...

Quoting Wikipedia: "Leucanthemum × superbum (or Shasta daisy) ... originated as a hybrid produced in 1890 by the American horticulturist Luther Burbank from a number of daisies... It was named after Mount Shasta, because its petals were the color of the snow."

These daisies all appear to be non-natives ... and if they are growing on Mt. Shasta, have to be considered invasive (link to one example). I didn't know that! I have found them growing a mile or so up in the woods and thought they were natives.

Steve