I planted what I think is Visions astilbe - bought two really big plants one fall, divided each of them in half, and planted a grouping of four. For whatever reason, only two of the divisions currently exist. They are flowering as I type, nothing spectacular. Not sure if the problem is the cultivar, the growing conditions, or the fact I divided them in the fall (re: establishment)...

Maybe the Visions plants are just mediocre. Anyone else have experience with this?

I grow a lot of astilbe and find the Visions series strong plants. I am particularily fond of 'Visions in Red.'
I would expect that you expected too much from your plant by dividing it in fall. That can make plants more susceptible to winter kill.
I would dig out the astilbe that is not flowering and discover whether there is an issue with the root growth. It could be sitting on a rock, attacked by ants or whatever. Dig and discover.
In general, astilbes like moisture more than shade. If they do not have adequate moisture, or adequate light, flowering will be minimal or non existent.

how big is the juniper ...

if large.. you could have pockets of drought ... impacting one plant.. and not the other ....

and it might not be surface moisture ... but how dry it is a few inches down ...

ken

You post title is extremely offensive....

Retard: To slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or development.

Retarded: Characterized by retardation

You're reading WAY too much into the title - retard/retarded/retardation are commonly used English words and are not necessarily meant to derogatorily refer to a mentally handicapped person.

GUPPY--From what planet do you hail, anyway? How on EARTH can you automatically knee-jerk my use of the word "retarded" into an attack on developmentally retarded folks? MXK, thank you for explaining the obvious--that "retarded" CAN (and was my complete intent!) mean "hindered" or "prevented". I MYSELF am deeply offended by Guppy's assumption that I was using the word "retarded" in a pejorative sense. I am a classroom teacher and would never characterize a slow kid by the description "retarded". Guppy, get a life!

Amen mxk3 and esther_b. I couldn't have said it better!

i have no problem with describing inanimate objects as retarded ...

but i am offended by the nazi-like thought police ... what country do you hail from.. where the right to free speech is abridged by the likes of you????

what a self-aggrandizing fool ...

ken

like ninamarie said, lots of moisture and the more sun the better... as long as the soil stays moist. moist... moist.... actually they are a great streamside plant, but being so colorful they are worth pampering a little.

and like Ken pointed out, junipers (dry) and astilbes (damp) might not be good bedfellows... and when I say bedfellows I mean flower bed, not some x-rated plant thing.... not to offend anyone.

"extremely offensive"? Even if it was intended that way I think I would only give it an "off color" rating.

Examining the 2 astilbes today, the one that's flowering and the one that's not growing or flowering, I see that the flowering one is maybe 3" farther away from the juniper shrubs than the non-performer. Perhaps I can dig up the non-performer and move it out from the juniper a bit. Good thing I just bought a new shovel!

Okay, waiting for all the Wall Street types to start jumping on me for using one of their terms.../s

I confess I winced when I saw the post title, but did read the post in its entirety before judging. As the parent of an adult developmentally disabled daughter I would not use, at least in a forum such as this, the word "retarded" in the way the OP did in the subject line.
Please, before you categorize me as a language nazi, hear me out:
Because of the careless widespread use of 'retard' and 'retarded' to describe things, people and phenomenon that are "stupid" there is a cringe factor, esp among us who have been exposed to, live, love and suffer with the mentally retarded. (I get to use the expression because I know what it really means. A bit of tongue in cheek here)

I could see immediately no offense was meant and on my part none taken.

There was a very similar situation a while ago, and perhaps even now. Somehow the expression "Jap Map" started showing up in the Trees Forum. It was an entirely innocent abbreviation, and its rhyming increased readablity. Finally, someone related, very kindly, that the word "Jap" has a history freighted with hatred and disparagement. One might consider twice before using it a public forum in an unclear context.

I would suggest the same about "Astilbes Retarded!" Unfortunately, there's contemporary double entendre that more than one of us picked up on. I just can't help wondering if a bit of shock factor was at play, even if entirely unintended.

So I reiterate my perspective that better words could have been chosen for the Topic, while the body of the question uses the word "retarded" perfectly appropriately.

Sorry to deliver such a missive in response to an innocent question. I just wanted to bring another perspective from someone who cares deeply about the subject of mental retardation but is most certainly not a language Nazi. And I hope very, very much it is clear I am not criticizing the OP. I just think language is very complicated and occasionally we stumble, even in our mother/father tongue.

Yours, Marie

esther b, wow!

" I am a classroom teacher and would never characterize a slow kid by the description "retarded". "

A "slow kid"??? Seriously...you're a classroom teacher???....I'm glad you're not in my child's classroom.

Guppy, there are so many real things to fight about. Racism, poverty, slavery, environmental degradation, to name just a few.
Surely someone's correct use of the word 'retarded' in a post about astilbe does not count.
I suggest you take this argument over to Hot Topics, where everyone can and will debate endlessly about the use of the word.

guppy, you seem to have a lot of pent-up frustration...as ninamarie says, it's time to take it some place else. And if you are this confrontational in real life, not just behind the anonymity of the internet, I can assure you that esther b and 1000s of other teachers are happy to not have your child(ren) in their classrooms. And that has nothing to do with your child!

Mentally retarded when referring to humans has always been an acceptable term to use when I was growing up, no degradation involved. Maybe things have changed, and they may have, in the last 30 years but I sure wonder why such offensiveness. Retard, I can see, that was designed to be derogatory, but mentally retarded was not. Maybe it has been used derogatorily and things have changed. Can happen with any term in our language. Use to be derogatory to call blacks anything but Negro where I came from. Now black is the only term that seems to be acceptable. Some of us have trouble keeping up with the ever changing evolution of our language.

mytime, I don't understand how my two posts have given any sign of "pent-up frustration" or me being confrontational.

I am sincerely glad to know you do not have a child with learning challenges, because if you did you would understand the hurt and damage done by being called a "slow kid", ESPECIALLY by a teacher...believe me it is a big deal.

And no, I'm not going to take it some place else...I'm going to go hug my kid.

I hope you have a great day.

I do have a child (although now an adult) with "learning challenges"...but trust me, whatever term is PC today will be outdated and incorrect before long. Changing the terminology does not change the challenge, whatever it may be.
I feel you're being confrontational because this is a garden and plant forum, and no disrespect was intended by anyone. Your posts would be quite appropriate in another forum, but not here.
Also please remember that we don't all live in the same country. As alike as we all are, we also use the English language differently...quite differently in some instances. I would assume that it's the same in Canada as here...with a country so vast, made up of so many cultures, terminology that is acceptable or common in one part, is not in another. If it varies so much within a country, I'm sure you can imagine what it is between countries.
In "plant speak", retarded is a fairly common and legitimate term. You chose to take it out of it's contextual meaning and be offended.