So the latest issue of my favorite gardening magazine arrived... I always look forward to that but occasionally there is an article that I find disturbing. It usually is of the ilk that goes something like "don't plant this... plant that instead"... this sort of article drives me nuts! First off what works for me one place in my gardens, may well be a total disaster 100 feet away... how can anyone suggest that a particular type a plant should be avoided anywhere within an area the size of two times Texas or whatever!! (yes... there are extenuating circumstances to this... I'll get there in a bit.)
Really??... Give me a break... what's with all this gardening advice stuff (including any advice I may have offered here in the past!! I should reread about 500 of my posts about now, but the thought of that gives me palpitations... can't imagine what may have come across as advice in the past, but in retrospect I hope that's not what it looked like.)
I actually really hope that I have relayed my experiences rather than ever having suggested that 'this is the way it is... so there'. The free interplay of ideas is fantastic but lets face it... there are a ton of variables and few rules are seldom perfect in every situation... sure succulents probably always like good drainage, but what does good drainage actually mean? There are many ways to achieve that... while not a succulent for example, I was just out checking for my Androsace primuloides-Yunnanensis in the rock garden yesterday. Don't know what that is? Actually I don't either except that it's related to primulas, is delicate, gorgeous, and definitely a plant for the alpine rock garden and I love the foliage even more than the blooms. Ok... here's the point... alpines may need good moisture running through scree possibly or at least perfect drainage in most cases... this one has come through two winters in heavy rich soil next to a large rock... go figure. Would I advise you to plant your Androsace primuloides-Yunnanensis is heavy rich soil... no but I might share my experience with you... then you can be the judge!
Ok back to the article previously mentioned... the second plant listed as "Problem Plant" is peony... every scenario mentioned can be a concern 'tis true... older cultivars can indeed flop without staking... they don't like shade... they can get disease. but why not list newer cultivars with stronger and shorter stems as alternatives... why not mention the fantastic intersectionals also... instead dahlias are the first choice alternative. You don't have to dig peonies every fall and store and replant in the spring. And talk about insect problems... mine draw big fat ugly aphids to the point where I gave away all most all my plants this past fall... now you may like dahlias, personally I love them, and they may do very well for you, but I have to use Sevin to the point that it looks like a summer snow landed on my plants... and bottom line... dahlias are not peonies and no way are they a substitution for peonies... no way and no how... then there's the "try these, too" addendum... I had to laugh out loud on this one... Prickly pear cactus... ever try to weed one? I have...I'll stick to staking peonies!!
Out of fairness, a few of the plants mentioned really do have major issues and I find no fault with that whatsoever... yes, Bartlet pears and certain barberries in certain places can escape cultivation and become invasive... it is very responsible journalism to point this out as this is a serious concern... I find no fault with recommended alternatives for plants with this propensity...
But let's get back to my concerns... next on their list..."Delphiniums"... please, please, please.... don't bad mouth my delphiniums!!!
You are a respected journal with what should be a knowledge of the latest and greatest... are you not familiar with the New Millenium delphiniums from New Zealand? Sure you see stakes in the photos below because I like delphiniums that reach for the sky and I don't want to risk them tipping... however, the series has many that grow to only three to four feet and don't require staking.... yes, in many climates the Pacific hybrids are short lived perennials... the New Millennium hybrids will last for years around here... I know of a clump in a friend's garden that is eight years old and still looks great every year with no crown rot.
How about the "try these too" list... Dictamnus (gas plant)... now I have maybe 25 plants of these in white and pink... they're gorgeous but I have to tell everyone not to touch and watch my little granchildren closely when in thegas plant's vicinity... I don't go near them from spring to late fall... ever get too close and get "THE RASH"? I have and I never want it again... volatile oils and sunshine for many folks spells a serious problem... blisters that stood a half inch high and skin that blackened and stayed that way for months... I actually had to tell my doctor what it was and where it came from (obviously not a gardener!)... why is this not mentioned in the article?
Okay.. I hope you get my points... lets review...
#1. Advice is dangerous; on the other hand, sharing of experiences is marvelous in terms of inspiration and food for thought...
#2 Journals have a responsibility not to generalize... what's good for the goose may NOT be good for the gander... sometimes even in the same farm yard...
Now for my final pet peeve... I have communicated with this particular journal in the past about another issue that really concerns me... it's magnolias. Every article I've seen from them is about 50 years behind the times when it comes to magnolias... yes "Elizabeth' is an outstanding cultivar... but she was hybridized somewhere around 1956! There's a whole new world out there... how about getting with the times! Magnolias are hardier, longer blooming, and more beautiful these days.
Really, that's what this post is about... yes, many peonies have problems, but the alternatives can be peonies, you don't need to resort to planting cacti (unless you want to!).... you don't need to cast all peonies in the same negative light... same thing for delphiniums.
Gardening is about the future just as much as it is about the past... it's all good! Some plants are stronger and better in their unimproved forms... in other cases breeding sometimes takes away some of the best attributes; for example, in some instances fragrance in roses or resistance to borers in bearded irises... now, that's important... "In some cases"... for the most part generalizations don't belong in gardening any more than they belong in other aspects of life... that's my two cents for today!
Larry
p.s. if it sounded like advice I gave you in past posts... it was really meant as food for thought... after all, what do I really know other than what my experiences have been? We each need to build our own repetoire of what works and what doesn't in whatever situations we may find ourselves in... if we can offer one another joy and inspiration, I think we have accomplished what should be our purpose...
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