Have you pruned your caryopteris yet?
Look down the stems and if you see some grey-green swelling buds cut above 3-4 pairs of them.
After pruning it will start growing and branching fairly fast.

I haven't seen much going on with my Perovskia. We did dig it out and repot it to be moved, and there are swelling buds and have already trimmed it as ego suggests, but not a lot more happening yet. Haven't any caryopteris.

I was wondering about Hardy Hibiscus too. I know they are usually late, but never know when is too late.

pm2

Hibiscus mosheutos is very late, PM2. Sometimes mine don't make a move until mid/late May. Really!

Caryopteris and Perovskia are later, too. I just pruned mine back (had a tough winter with lots of snow on it) and I know it's alive, but it's not showing much activity just yet. Give your's another 2 weeks.

Thanks Chelone...I am writing that down in the journal for next year. I bought a new Hibiscus last fall and it was already cut back and late to get in the ground so I had my doubts. That will be very exciting for me if it makes it. :-)

Russian sage is very late in the season to emerge...one of the latest in my garden. I've had it for about 7 years and I don't expect to really see much of anything until May. Then it takes off and is just a lovely thing until I cut down the old branches in March. (By the way, they don't love being moved once well established.)

I finally, finally saw balloon flower poking its head up yesterday, but that is always late. Like another poster, I'm missing all of my foxgloves this year, and I think they are done for...Also brunnera, but this will be my third year missing a variegated one, so I may give up! Some of my Japanese Painted Fern hasn't shown up yet, but in very shady spots, and for me they are always late. I'll worry in May...

good luck everyone

Good point. None of my ferns are out there! I just put them in last Spring. Gone? Or sleeping?

Also, question about Buddleia. I was waiting to see new growth to cut it back too (like Caryopteris). Now I see a few leaves -- but they are 5' up. How do I cut it back now? Very confusing....

Yep, as mentioned, Russian Sage and Caryopertis are late blooming therefore late to get going.We're behind this year too due to the long winter...probably by a week or two. Ferns are probably fine....they'll start in the next week or two if temps stay warm. Hibiscus sometimes doesn't make it if planted in the fall...it needs time to settle in before winter.

As far as the Brunnera? I lost all my 4 Jack Frosts 2 winters ago...it survived the first winter here fine but bit the dust the next. Seems there were a lot of people that lost them.

Regarding Buddleias? The only reason you might prune is to remove dead wood, control size and "ranginess". I'm amazed this year that there seems to be NO dead wood on my two large ones...it's leafing out now. I think they look better and bloom better with some pruning...keeps them more compact and full.

mayalena...my JPFerns were late last year too. I am not seeing mine yet.

I lost almost all of my brunnera (Jack Frost and Looking Glass) 2 years ago, but I love them, so I put in some more. As of yesterday, all have shown their faces. I still have many Jap painted ferns and Maidenhair ferns yet to show their faces-- the first just appeared on Monday. Maybe with the super-warm weather today more will show up...

I just cut back my Russian Sages this past weekend.They don't look like they;ve got a lot of life,but look the same as last year when I gave them a haircut and they came back just fine. I'm more concerned about my clematis panniculata--for two years now I've waited till about now and give it the ponytail style trim and it comes back great.Just pruned it back yesterday,but all looks grey on the 18 inches i've left. There was some green shoots when I pruned,but it doesn't look good.Any suggestions?thoughts? Thanks,Jardinista

The clematis panniculata will come back. It seems I am always late in pruning. Mine looked the same last year, almost dead, and still grew to over 20 feet long.

Jap.ferns just started sprouting this week.
All my Jack Frost brunneras disappeared two years ago, but today I noticed one tiny leave in their former place among heucheras planted there. Miracle?
How gauras doing in this respect? I see nothing in their former place (planted last year first time ever). Late or gone?
Out of 3 established clumps of salvia Caradonna only one sprouted and it also doesn't look too good. Puzzled.
From five clumps of lupines only one is alive.
Pulmonarias also gone. :-(

On a positive note, all geraniums Jolly Bee are up and running strong!

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed and Boneset), Asclepias (Milkweed) and Hibiscus (Rose Mallow) are always late - no sign of them here yet. I've learned not to panic :-)

Just saw one of our Japanese Ferns coming up.

:-)

Hi George.
My Gauras are up! It's the first time they've ever made it over winter -- in a very dry, hot, well-drained spot. I am so surprised to hear about your Salvia n Caradonna. I wonder if it needs division to keep thriving? I do tend to divide mine a lot -- to put in new places, share at swaps, etc. And Pulmonarias? Hmmmm. Very strange....
If you'd like some Salvia, let me know where we can cross paths!
Best,
ML

Ahha, gauras need a very dry, hot, well-drained spots...
Now I know why I don't see them :-(
OK, no more gauras for me then. I don't have such spots, neither hot nor dry and well drained.
Carolyn, thank you for offer, but I'll not take you upon it ;-) To my luck they arrived to HD today and I bought on a spot.

Re: caryopteris.
as of today, both yellow-leaved cultivars, Worcester Gold and Sunshine Blue have enough foliage already to be spotted from the distance, but silver-green foliaged cultivars have leaves visible only at the close proximity.

Hey George. On advice in this thread, I cut back my Caryopteris and am now doing my best to talk myself into seeing swollen buds. I really do see 1 tiny, tiny leaf, but I really don't see swollen buds. I see tiny grey shreds, but they look like leftovers from last fall.... Ditto with Perovskia. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Glad you found some SnC. It's a plant I wouldn't want to be without!
ML

Thanks Hosta--it is the perfect plant where I have it and don't want to lose it. jardinista

I leave my perovskia and caryopteris until I see the leaves emerging, then cut it back (only if needed - I love it to be tall, open and airy). The leaf buds are forming on the caryopteris for sure, but I haven't checked the perovskia yet. Too busy digging out an overgrown patch of siberian iris - I wish it would go peacefully like "normal" perennials, but it's really a beast.

My gaura just started leafing out at the bases this week, so I can finally cut those funny looking "wands" off now. Hurray for that! As someone pointed out on another thread, the whites and light pinks are far hardier than those lovely dark pink ones.

The blasted canada thistle is back with a vengeance. What a pest to dig out, with those incredible thorns.

Jardinista, if you want any more sweet autumn clematis, let me know - it's a royal pest here on the cape, and springs up everywhere. If it could be killed by early pruning, I'd be one happy camper.

Hardy Hibiscus is always the very last perennial to show up in my garden, bar none. I usually don't see it until the very beginning of June - one year, I assumed that it hadn't survived the winter and was thinking about digging it up when the first shoots appeared! Those huge flowers in September more than make up for the late appearance, though.

Other late ones for me - ferns (Japanese painted is just appearing, Ostrich plume hasn't come up yet), sage (just starting), some of the later blooming hostas are just starting to poke above ground.

still no sign of my Butterfly Weed.

My Cimicifuga racemosa is up about 6 inches. Ascepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) and A. incarnata 'Ice Ballet' started peeking up a few days ago. Oddly, the regular pink A. incarnata hasn't shown yet?

Here's a photo of emerging Butterfly weed:

{{gwi:470331}}

Thanks DTD--I know the panniculata can overgrow in areas,but where I have it its perfect--well behaved and the spot is shady until you get about 5 ft up the fence then there's sun.So that clematis is great. I'll contact you if mine doesn't come back. Jardinista