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shive_gw

Jewels of the late, late show

shive
9 years ago

Things are rapidly winding down here, with only 19 blooming today.

AUTUMN JEWELS with CHEROKEE STAR - Part of the AJ clump is performing better than it has in many years. I took a couple of plants out of the bed, thinned other clumps and added Cherokee Star. I like the way CS looks with AJ and El Desperado. The truer red really makes the bed pop.

CHEROKEE STAR is such a wonderful shade of red, and it had 16-17 buds per scape.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS with BEST FOR LAST - These keep the fence border colorful for a long time in July.

Closeup of a couple of BEST FOR LAST blooms

TRANCE is a fabulous clump in the late garden. It's looked like this for the past 10 days - nine blooms today.

WITCH'S STICK ffo was yesterday. It usually doesn't bloom so late, but the pot was buried under weeds and unnoticed for awhile. I finally discovered it and moved it to full sun.

Trimmer seedling reblooming

Last MISS DEMEANOR bloom

Last MUSICAL MEDLEY bloom

UNLOCK THE STARS reblooming - This was sold to me as Unlock the Stars but it has never looked lavender. I think it might really be the pink parent of UTS, NATURE'S CROWN. It looks very much like the photo of NC that Nat posted yesterday.

Debra

This post was edited by shive on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 13:29

Comments (20)

  • maximus7116
    9 years ago

    Beautiful group today! I'm wowed by that clump of Trance. Its scapes look thin in the photo, but it doesn't appear they're burdened by the weight of the blooms. Cherokee Star is a wonderful shade of red. I need more bright reds in the garden. Your Trimmer seedling looks just as good on its second go-round.

  • nat4b
    9 years ago

    Awww, only 19. Season seems to fly by so quickly. But on the positive side you don't have to choose what to post, just post all :)
    I have about 100 blooming with the lates slowly starting and earlies slowing down.

    Wow, the clump of Trance looks great! I also love Best For Last, Witch's Stick and Autumn Jewels today.
    When I saw the last pic I thought - oh, looks like Nature's Crown. Then read the title. Maybe it is the "lavender" Unlock the Stars because I can barely find pink in mostly yellow Nature's Crown ;)

    Also, how do you thin a clump?

  • jean_ar
    9 years ago

    well,, whats left to bloom is sure a pretty bunch. Love that
    CHEROKEE STAR, such a beautiful saturated red., gorgeous. and BEST FOR LAST is so so pretty.WITCH'S STICK is such a bright one, how could you miss it, even in a mound of weeds :)

    jean

  • shive
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Chris - Trance's scapes may be skinny, but they are strong!

    Nat - Maybe what I have is Unlock the Stars. I do think mine looks a lot like your Nature's Crown.

    Jean - The Witch's Stick pot was buried until I saw the scapes poke through the weeds. It's been in the sun since the end of June.

    Debra

    This post was edited by shive on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 19:49

  • KarenPA_6b
    9 years ago

    Wow, your Witch's Stick and Trance are just gorgeous! I just love their colors.

  • Julia WV (6b)
    9 years ago

    BEST FOR LAST is still my pic. How is it on cool mornings that is if you have had any cool mornings which means below 60F.

    TRANCE looks good with all the open blooms.

    Julia

  • jkayd_il5
    9 years ago

    I have Witch's Stick and just noticed today how pretty it was this year. I have a new appreciation for it.

  • Laura twixanddud - SE MI - 5b
    9 years ago

    Beautiful late show, thanks for sharing!

  • mantis__oh
    9 years ago

    Autumn Jewels never did anything here, but it is very showy for you. I too marvel at how those thin stems of Trance support so many flowers.

  • statmam
    9 years ago

    Interesting observation about mixing AJ with CS. When I lived in a condo, there was only a small planting area, so all my daylilies were mixed together and it looked kind of like an Impressionist painting. Then I moved to a house with more room to plant and divided the daylilies into a pastel bed, a hot bed, a red bed, and a tuxedo bed. Unfortunately, now things look too matchy-matchy and, while the individual clumps are as striking as ever, the beds as a whole just aren't popping. At the end of the season, I've resolved to break up the tuxedo bed and include near whites, darks, and near-whites-with-dark-eyes in all the other beds to provide more contrast.

    Wonderful pattern on the Trimmer seedling, but like several of the earlier posters, today I am en"Trance"d.

  • organic_kitten
    9 years ago

    They are truly lovely. I especially like Trance. Witch's Stick was very colorful and Cherokee Star is a beautiful red. Miss Demeanor is a beauty too.
    kay

  • shive
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks all for the comments!

    Julia - We had two mornings in the high 50s last week, and Best for Last opened just as well then as our normal mornings in the 70s.

    Nat - When I "thinned" out a clump, I just took divisions from three sides to share with friends.

    Debra

  • Nancy
    9 years ago

    So many nice late ones you have blooming. Love that clump of Trance, that can't be beat. Witchs stick is lovely, what a nice color.

  • lynxe
    9 years ago

    TRANCE is absolutely going on my list. I haven't allowed myself yellows, or some other colors, last year or this one, but I have to make an exception. What a display!

    How long did it take to look like that?

  • nat4b
    9 years ago

    EnTranced :)

    Debra, thanks for answering! From 3 sides - that's a good idea. Would you mind sharing how you divide: do you take it all out, or just dig from three sides and cut? I usually try to dig from one side and then have half circles left. Just read recently on ATP that the best way is to dig out all clump, wash, separate the fans etc. etc - I know it's better but sounds like a lot of hard work. Several of my clumps are huge.

  • shive
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Nat - On thinning, I usually just dig and cull from the clump. You can lose some fans that way. But digging the whole thing out of clay soil can be a pain

    Debra.

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    9 years ago

    That crowd of blooms of Trance almost steals the show, but Cherokee Star gives it a run for it's money in sheer bright cheeriness. I also like the Trimmer seedling and the colors on Miss Demeanor........Maryl

  • shive
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lynxe - I have had Trance for three seasons, and it looked almost that good last season. Woodhenge sent me a four-fan clump when I bought it. When I sent in my order, I asked them not to send a bonus plant, just extra fans if possible. Also, I sold a double fan division this spring of it. It seems to be a fast multiplier.

    Debra

  • opnjmprs
    9 years ago

    That clump of Trance makes a fantastic display. Love the colors of Witch"s Stick, very bold and vivid. Boy......that Trimmer seedling's color is just the best. I would love to see that one in a clump.....a real jaw dropper no doubt.

    Linda

  • lynxe
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the info. it is definitely on my list!

    I have AUTUMN JEWELS from you, Debra. It looks JUST like your picture - excellent bright color. Unfortunately, I didn't have the smarts to plant it with compatible colors. Visualize WEBSTER'S PINK WONDER behind, ON YOUR KNEES YOU WILL FIND HIM (muddy "rose red") behind and to the right, and OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING (peach pink) next to it. Not a felicitous combo, that's for sure. I persist in plopping things in wherever I find a spot, with the best of intentions to move them to better places next time. Next time never seems to arrive.