Help! My perennials didn't come back :(

[house]

So I need a plan B. We planted $200 worth of these plants




and NONE of them came back.   HALP!! What should we plant now? The area gets full sun till 1pm and partial sun after that. We are in Zone 6.

[treedimensional]

You need to figure out why they didn't come back. Did they get eaten by critters? If so, it could happen again.

[house]

May 24, 2015 22:00:28 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

You need to figure out why they didn't come back. Did they get eaten by critters? If so, it could happen again.

Nope, just froze to death this winter.

[treedimensional]

Okay, that's an easy fix. What zone are you in?

[auntie]

What a bummer.

I've learned the hard way not to invest vast sums and energy into a single new variety- I've had too many failures. If I was interested in something, I might by 1-3 and give it a trial run in my garden. If it does well, I'll add to it the next year. The learning curve is supposedly part of the fun of gardening. My success rate is about 50% overall. It's better now that I know more about what I'm doing and also I'm paying closer attention to what my neighbor- the crazy master gr=ardener- is using. Some things were on the late side to erupt.

There's a lot that can go wrong with perennials. The USDA 6a/7b line cuts right through my town. Given my elevation, I consider myself zone 6. Winter here was cold, but there was almost constant snow cover which is very protective- I didn't lose anything. In fact certain items are putting on their best showing ever. My peonies are to die for. And the sedums are already the size of basketballs.

That said, it you have poor drainage/clay soil, you may have had root rot from all that snow melt. My soil tends toward clay and rock. There are some plants that didn't come back because of drainage issues- coreopsis and daisies among them. My scabiosa never did particularly well either. I find I have better success if I plant what's already doing well vs buying the next sexy new thing the nursery just got. LOL, the last time I did that was in the late 1990's- the nursery school fundraiser was selling a new 3' perennial in qt containers for $3.00. Turned out the were butterfly bushes and I've been fighting their encroachment for almost 17 years.

Out front, I have stuck with very forgiving plants. Coneflower, rudbeckia, mums, and sedum out front. My goal this spring is to try some lavender near my roses. I double dug my back bed and amended the crap out of it find I have better outcomes there. It's also part shade out back, and I have more experience with shade gardening.

I also watch pH. With the clay, things tend to get acidic which some plants don't like. I add granulated lime to "sweeten" my beds in the spring. I find planting shrubs and perennials that like the same pH makes it easier to deal with this issue.

Critters can be an issue. Between moles gnawing roots and deer cutting stuff off at the soil line, I lose a lot of plants. Bulbs were a real challenge until we got adopted by some snakes.

[mrspez07]

Blanketflower?
Are you sure they aren't just late popping? I have a bunch of stuff just waiting to grow if it ever stops raining and we get sun for more than a few hours. They also seed like crazy if you don't deadhead, so those may come up too. They seem to be more finicky than I thought they would be.

[house]

May 25, 2015 6:00:39 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Okay, that's an easy fix. What zone are you in?

In zone 6. 

[house]

May 25, 2015 9:11:46 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

I was wondering too if they aren't just late. Someone gave me a few ferns last year and they were popping up all over at work about two weeks before they started at my home.
I thought for sure they just didn't make it as transplants and the cold winter.

Oh I have ferns behind the house and they are growing like weeds! LOL! With no care whatsoever! Sigh!

And as for being late.. I guess I could wait another month to see if they pop up. 

[house]

May 25, 2015 6:12:45 GMT -5 auntie said:

What a bummer.

I've learned the hard way not to invest vast sums and energy into a single new variety- I've had too many failures. If I was interested in something, I might by 1-3 and give it a trial run in my garden. If it does well, I'll add to it the next year. The learning curve is supposedly part of the fun of gardening. My success rate is about 50% overall. It's better now that I know more about what I'm doing and also I'm paying closer attention to what my neighbor- the crazy master gr=ardener- is using. Some things were on the late side to erupt.

There's a lot that can go wrong with perennials. The USDA 6a/7b line cuts right through my town. Given my elevation, I consider myself zone 6. Winter here was cold, but there was almost constant snow cover which is very protective- I didn't lose anything. In fact certain items are putting on their best showing ever. My peonies are to die for. And the sedums are already the size of basketballs.

That said, it you have poor drainage/clay soil, you may have had root rot from all that snow melt. My soil tends toward clay and rock. There are some plants that didn't come back because of drainage issues- coreopsis and daisies among them. My scabiosa never did particularly well either. I find I have better success if I plant what's already doing well vs buying the next sexy new thing the nursery just got. LOL, the last time I did that was in the late 1990's- the nursery school fundraiser was selling a new 3' perennial in qt containers for $3.00. Turned out the were butterfly bushes and I've been fighting their encroachment for almost 17 years.

Out front, I have stuck with very forgiving plants. Coneflower, rudbeckia, mums, and sedum out front. My goal this spring is to try some lavender near my roses. I double dug my back bed and amended the crap out of it find I have better outcomes there. It's also part shade out back, and I have more experience with shade gardening.

I also watch pH. With the clay, things tend to get acidic which some plants don't like. I add granulated lime to "sweeten" my beds in the spring. I find planting shrubs and perennials that like the same pH makes it easier to deal with this issue.

Critters can be an issue. Between moles gnawing roots and deer cutting stuff off at the soil line, I lose a lot of plants. Bulbs were a real challenge until we got adopted by some snakes.

I wish I had gotten only 5! LOL! They were doing so well after planting though! I might have drainage issue. Every time it rained the rain fell straight on top of the plants from the roof. DH is on assignment to fix the gutter. So will see how that plays out. I am not planting again till the gutter is flowing properly. 

I don't know the soil quality but DH added a good layer of gardening top soil before we planted the flowers. We also put mulch down after planting. 

[mrspez07]

If those are what I think they are, they prefer dry/xeric conditions. Too much water would kill them. That may be your problem.

[treedimensional]

Do you like these?
www.perennials.com/plants/penstemon-digitalis-husker-red.html

[treedimensional]

May 25, 2015 20:33:37 GMT -5 mrspez07 said:

If those are what I think they are, they prefer dry/xeric conditions. Too much water would kill them. That may be your problem.

Gaillardia.

[mrspez07]

Yup

[house]

May 25, 2015 22:08:37 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Do you like these?
www.perennials.com/plants/penstemon-digitalis-husker-red.html

Yes actually!  I will see if they are available in the local nurseries. Thank you!

[treedimensional]

May 26, 2015 7:44:34 GMT -5 house said:

May 25, 2015 22:08:37 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Do you like these?
www.perennials.com/plants/penstemon-digitalis-husker-red.html

Yes actually! ? I will see if they are available in the local nurseries. Thank you!

They do well in heavy, wet, clay soils, and they're very cold hardy. Good for pollinators too.

You might also consider planting a low-growing type of Spirea. The shoud also perform well in this location.