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shanysue

First house and things are GROWING!!!!

13 years ago

This is my first house and I'll admit, other than the Christmas cactus my grandmother gave me and the love of spider plants my mother passed to me.....I know pretty close to nothing about flowers, shrubs or plants. Especially those that grow outside. I'm a city girl and gardening has never been my thing.

Now, I was able to determine some obvious ones such as Hastas (2 varieties), Lily of the Valley, Bleeding Hearts, daffodils (yellow and yellow mixed with purple), Tulips, Iris and Peony.

The rest......not so sure on. I need to identify them so I can find out their sun/shade, moisture and space information to find out how I can redo my yard. Please help!!!!

#1 This is growing in a rather large blanket about a foot deep in the area that it is, so much so that it has spread out past the previous owner's garden wall (line of bricks) The flowers are just now opening up an I think that they are Geraniums. Can anyone verify for me?

Comments (32)

  • 13 years ago

    #2 Is in the same area as #1. It looks like a very fine fern type leaf with small white flowers now showing up on the top. Not very strong as it is laying low to the ground. (yes, there are some weeds showing in there too... sorry.

  • 13 years ago

    #3 is growing in another part of the yard the former owner used as a flower and veggie garden in an area that gets lots of sun. Not a clue on this one..

  • 13 years ago

    #1, Pelargonium, Cranesbill. #2, Yarrow

  • 13 years ago

    #4 is also growing in the flower and veggie garden area. Please help!

  • 13 years ago

    I am sure that Dzitmoidonc meant to say Geranium (cranesbill) ;o)

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you Dzitmoidonc!!!

  • 13 years ago

    Thanks deejaus! I feel better on that one! :o)

  • 13 years ago

    #5 is growing in the same area, and although I can see that it is some type of flower, the stalk is about 3 1/2 feet tall already. This picture shows only "yellow" but just behind it a little ways is another grouping that has what looks like will be one yellow and one purple. They have stayed closed for a while now...I think if they opened, I may be able to figure it out myself. But right now, I'm stumped. Anyone?

  • 13 years ago

    #6, Again in the same area. Looks like a tuft of tall grass, but the flowers showed up about a week ago. This is the only grouping of this type in the area.

  • 13 years ago

    I'm sure you will be able to figure out #5 yourself - I hesitate to say because they look like they will be beautiful!

    #6 look like chives.

  • 13 years ago

    #7 These are actually all over the border of the yard and on the side of the house. They started out small and round and are growing from there. I don't think it will flower, I think it is just a shrub, but any ideas?

  • 13 years ago

    Thanks edud!

  • 13 years ago

    #8, This little bugger just showed up about 2 weeks ago. It is in the same garden area, and I had to zoom to get some detail, but the height right now is actually only about 7 inches from the ground. Boy the former home owner was a busy lady!!!

  • 13 years ago

    #9 is also all over the border of the house and yard. The texture is very rough and kind of sticky...reminds me of milkweed plants from my childhood. Anyway....any ideas?

  • 13 years ago

    #10...a shrub of some kind? I have a few of these as well....

    Almost done everyone! Thanks for all of your help!

  • 13 years ago

    #11 is a rather HUGE leafed thing growing against the side of my house. When it was smaller I thought rhubarb (sp) but I am clearly mistaken. Anyone?

  • 13 years ago

    #12 is another shrub of some kind I think. It is growing on the side of the house as well. Some of these may flat out be weeds....just let me know. Thanks so much! (only 1 left)

  • 13 years ago

    FINALLY!!! #13 is growing in a sun/shade area partially under a tall pine. It looks like a rather sickly raspberry "bush" but not sure. Anyone? (I think I am going to LIVE on this site!!!)

    Thanks again everyone for all of your help!!!!

  • 13 years ago

    1 & 2 you already have correctly IDed.

    3 looks like Ninebark, a shrub
    4 penstemon
    5 bearded iris
    6 chives
    7 sedum, autumn joy
    8 milkweed
    10 hardy mum
    11 hollyhock

    9, 12, and 13 I am not sure about.

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you so much nhbabs!!!!!

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you so much nhbabs!!!!!

  • 13 years ago

    I can say for sure that 13 isn't raspberry. Very interesting flower/seedpods

    12 reminds me of evening primrose. Any signs of flower buds on them?

  • 13 years ago

    too may IDs in one post .. i had a dozen or so thoughts as i scrolled down.. and i am not going to scroll up and down 13 times ... so what i can remember ...

    its hosta.. if that wasnt a typo ...

    there are annual geraniums.. and perennial.. yours is the perennial ...

    the sedum will bloom in august ... treat it as a cactus.. it will flop if you water or feed it.. NEVER feed it.. and water only rarely ... it its a full blistering sun plant.. it may not be too happy so close to the house ... move one to more sun.. and compare for yourself ...

    there is a system for pinching back mums.. if you want them to bush out ... and bloom in fall ... take that question to the perennial forum .... if you wish ...

    it seems you got a pretty nice garden with your first new house.. i hope you come to enjoy.. putzing in the garden.. its therapeutic for most of us ...

    finally.. if you want to learn.. head off to the perennial forum.. but before you do.. go to your members page.. and change that NONE next to your name.. to zone and big city ... or every single time you post.. we will be asking you where you are.. it matter...

    congrats and good luck

    ken

  • 13 years ago
    1. Hydrophyllum virginianum, Virginia Waterleaf.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:268013}}

  • 13 years ago

    1. looks like Geranium macrorrhizum, specifically.

  • 13 years ago

    I've got several of the same in my garden. Beautiful. Yarrow will flower soon. Usually it's white, but it may be pastels or red also. It's known as "little feather" for the shape of the leaves. It was used by Native Americans to staunch the flow of blood. Easy to save seed. Easy to transplant if you want to put some somewhere.
    Your Penstemon is gorgeous. It takes years to get it that full. Should flower in the spring, lovely pink flowers that last several weeks. It looks to me like Husker Red, but I'm wrong more than I'm right. Husker Red gets it's name from the red in the leaves and blooms pink.
    Is #3 a Coral Bells?
    Hollyhocks start out small and shoot off into the air. They get up to 8' around here with flowers up and down the long stem. Known as a country flower, all the grandmas I know had hollyhocks at their farms. My mom would take a hollyhock flower and put it on her doll as a skirt.
    Garden mums are wonderful. When your annuals and summer flowers are fading, there is a burst of color with your mums that is long-lasting. The previous person was right...pinch them back and they'll get bushier. Nurseries sell them in spring and they are blooming, but they have been manipulated to bloom. If you transplant, do it in the spring to allow the roots to develop well so they will make it through the winter. Lots of colors-red, orange, yellow, purple, white.
    Milkweed is a butterfly host plant. They like to lay their eggson the milkweed plant. Most milkweeds have white sap if you break them open and that is poisonous so be careful. The blooms are wonderful and pull in bees and butterflies. Of course milkweed seed pods are beautiful. They break open in the fall and cotton-like substance floats on the breeze. Some people find it messy, but I love it. Much milkweed has disappeared in the flowerbeds and butterflies look for places to go. Has a deep, deep taproot and comes back yearly. It's one of those 'sit back and enjoy' plants.
    Heidi

  • 13 years ago

    11 and 12 are not shrubs. They are hardy perennials ie they die down in the winter and do not grow woody stems. 12 could possibly be Hesperis matronalis.

    And next to your irises you have some rhubarb.

    You mentioned daffodils and said you had yellow and yellow mixed with purple. I've never seen a daffodil with purple on it. Are you sure of the id? Do you have a picture?

  • 13 years ago

    #12 looks to be "purple Loosestrife" but it will have to bloom first. I have one in our front yard and it attracts a lot of bees and hummingbirds.

  • 13 years ago

    OK....first of all. THANK YOU!!!

    CaraRose - I just looked at #12 again, and there are no buds on it....yet. But a couple of other people gave info that I'll check into as well. Thanks!

    Ken_adrian - Thanks for the info! I guess I'm in zone 4 and I updated that on my profile. (and I did spell "hosta" wrong...newbie mistake)

    Carol23 - Thanks so much!

    Pej202 - Thanks so much!

    And Flora_uk - I appreciate the comments and info. Unfortunately in my area we have had nothing but wet wet wet. We got almost a foot and a half of snow on May 2nd and it melted in 2 days. Since then the news channels said we have had only 5 "moistureless" days. The daffodils were here and gone pretty darn quick. Just like my lilacs...dark, light and white. I was very upset, this is not a typical Minnesota spring!!! Anyway, I did a search and could only find 1 picture that is "close" to what mine looked like. The purple on mine was a little more dense, but the overall effect was the same. Sounds like I may have an interesting mix there. Or I am a complete idiot and they were not daffodils at all. But they looked like it and bloomed the same time as the yellow. That one will have to remain a mystery until next year I guess. Thanks!

    The only outstanding image.....NUMBER 9!! Anyone? Because they are everywhere!! Thanks! :o)

    {{!gwi}}

  • 13 years ago

    Picture did not upload.

  • 13 years ago

    Anyway, I did a search and could only find 1 picture that is "close" to what mine looked like. The purple on mine was a little more dense, but the overall effect was the same. Sounds like I may have an interesting mix there. Or I am a complete idiot and they were not daffodils at all. But they looked like it and bloomed the same time as the yellow.
    Well, if it looked like to photoshopped pic above, it wasn't a daffodil. Daffodils come in a wide range of colors, but purple, or intense purple isn't one of them. There are a few with a hint of lilac to them, like the one I grew this spring for the first time. Mine had more lilac color to them though.

    Sue...an admitted daffodil addict

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lilac Delight-click on the pics to make them bigger

  • 13 years ago

    Your purple and yellow blooming with the daffodils might be reticulated iris or crocus or tulips. As others have said, not daffs.

    9 might be a hydrangea such as Annabelle that was killed back to the ground. Repost in a month or so. It also might be a weed.

    12 might also be soapwort, Saponaria. Another one to repost in a month or if it flowers.