School Mouse and Pandora’s Box questions

6 years ago

White stopping at a nursery that has more unusual bulbs for fall planting, I checked out the perennials at 50 % off. I came home with a School Mouse and a Pandora’s Box. Both are quarts but I prefer that anyway with a mini. Though with the later planting I will need to do something to keep the squirrels from digging and tossing them. Either caging the whole plant, or cutting a donut shape out of wire mesh.

So I have a couple of questions about these.

School Mouse looks ruffled within the leaf in the same way that Church Mouse is. (I know there’s a term for this but did not save it.) I know minis with “mouse” in the name are not necessary related.

With it having a lighter edge, how distinct is this from Mini Skirt? My 3 year old Mini Skirt is the fastest growing mini I have. My Church Mouse was only bought a year ago this past summer: too soon to judge speed; and is planted in front of and to one side of Mini Skirt. My “choice mini” area is already getting crowded. If School Mouse is going to look mostly like Mini Skirt I’d better find a spot further away for it.

I’ve wanted Pandora’s Box for a while but the white centered leaves give me pause. Thin leaves with white usually get chewed to bits planted in the ground.

Is Pandora’s Box best off in a pot? I have no mixed mini planter space left. I would have to pot it by itself and put it in the garage. Would clay or plastic be better? I can always use a plastic pot and put it INSIDE a glazed ceramic pot once I have dumped the annuals out if that would help it. In spring I can look for a nicer display pot.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)

6 years ago

I don't cut them down. They are pretty small already only 11" tall and 10" wide at the widest part. They also make great soil sifters.

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Comments (9)

popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
6 years ago
For cages, I use wire waste baskets from the dollar store over some of my minis. I use landscape staples to secure them to the ground.

I put some of my minis into my raised veggie bed for the winter. That is their temporary home.

I've wanted Pandora's Box for a while myself. So I have no personal experience with it.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
That's a great idea. I often cage newly planted lilies with tubular cages made from hardware cloth. Pop them over an emerging one to prevent bunny beheadings, too. But the wire waste baskets would be so easy to use. Do you keep them at original height or cut them down to be shorter?

I read in a different thread that hostas are not making new roots in the fall. The veggie bed is an option for me too.
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peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
6 years ago
What a great idea for a small soil sifter!!! That would have been really handy when I was digging a huge area of Lily of the Valley or now when I am encountering Raspberry roots.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
i hope you recall all the prior posts on PBox .... though cute as a button.. its not easy to grow ... or survive.. lol ...

ken
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
6 years ago
It was $ 4.50 or thereabouts...so worth a gamble. I'll review past threads. Something was flashing little lights in my head while I was looking at it.

As mythology taught me, Pandora's Box WAS a load of troubles....
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
6 years ago
I purchased School Mouse this year so I can't comment on growth rate. I do notice that on two sites: https://www.midwestgroundcovers.com/plant/Hosta-School-Mouse AND https://www.perennials.com/plants/hosta-school-mouse.html it is mentioned to be slow growing. When I see few pictures in the Hosta Library, I tend to think that the plant hasn't been available for that long and that hosta folk haven't had a chance to grow it to a larger size yet.

I do agree that Mini Skirt is a good grower. And very cute!
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
sherrygirl zone5 N il
6 years ago
I have Pandora’s Box growing in a pot, it gets overwintered in my unheated shed,I haven’t had any problems with it so far, three years.

Ive had trouble with Mini skirt growing in a pot. I’m on my second one, they have both shrunk over the winter, no experience in the ground. The first Mini Skirt I had sported, both MS and the sport died, the sport was really big.

Sherry
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked sherrygirl zone5 N il
lindalana 5b Chicago
6 years ago
Neither one is good grower for me.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked lindalana 5b Chicago