Thanks to the consistent rain in the past 2 months, the 2 double-file viburnums are putting on quite the show! What a spirit lifter!
Two other viburnums (Chicago Lustre & Autumn Jazz) succumbed to deer and polar winter. I've also lost all 11 (ELEVEN!! - Honeycomb, Pink Delight, Black Knight, White Profusion and all the common/purpura) butterfly bushes. None of the agastaches made it (Anise, Golden Jubilee, Blue Fortune, White Knight, Cotton Candy). I think only 2 of the 12 mums survived the deer devastation of late Fall. And the lavenders. Oh my lovelies! All 16 English and 4 dwarf Munstead bit the dust. And bye-bye to my gorgeous spray of blue flax. Then, just this morning as I was consoling myself with a nice cup of tea, a d^mn deer appeared out of nowhere and started eating the phlox that managed to make it through to Spring.
&$#@!!!
Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Those double-files. Aren't they just grand?
You seem to have lost quite a bit this year. I know I'm still finding things that didn't make it. We are far behind you in warmth, so it's still a bit early for me to count my losses. But yeah-the lavenders and most of the mums and all my Agastache bit the dust. It's a shame--they were doing so well last year........
ReplyDeleteThere are more deaths and disappearances (like feverfew, dames rocket, for instance and the Russian sage is struggling). It's really taken the wind out of my sails. And watching deer eat what's left, well, it's disheartening to say the least. Sorry for your losses, too. I'm wondering if climate change will allow more and more polar winters from now on. No more chances on zone 6 plants here?
DeleteThe doublefiles are very beautiful but I know how you miss the others. Don't give up hope quite yet, my two butterfly bushes finally came up from the roots and are now about 8 inches tall and the vitex which is iffy here is doing the same.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching my b'fly roots intently, same with the agastaches, etc, but a lot of other nabes have tons of dead this year too. We're going to cut mom's holly back to the ground and hope it will regen from the roots. Still, there is hope, but still, lots of dead. Glad you're are showing signs of life and I've got my fingers crossed for the vitex!
DeleteFlax are very short lived. Mine made it about a year. All the butterfly bushes died here in VA, too. I lost my favorite agastache and have one on life support. The rosemary died as did many perennials. But that's life and it made room for me to choose hardier plants. But your viburnum is incredible!
ReplyDeleteMy flax had been great for 5 years. Between my health and the deer, all this die back is incentive to rescale the gardens and plant more trees and shrubs. I've lost an ungodly amount of $$ over the past 3 years in plants. The budget is about bust. I have to pick my fights these days....
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