I liked the video thank you 🙏 Nice job with the replies too. I think all one can say with certainty is “this is my perspective and these are my feelings about that perspective.”
For the most part, yes, this applies to showy penstemon. However, because the tall flowering stems of showy penstemon can die back more significantly earlier in the season, I do tend to cut them back earlier in the season, either shortly after setting seed, or, sometimes even after flowers fade. In my experience, at least in the gardens I have worked, sometimes showy penstemon can be shorter lived if not cut back earlier in the season, and being a little quicker to do so may help keep plants a bit longer lived and more vigorous. That said, in many gardens showy penstemon is also pretty good at re-seeding itself, so allowing it to go though its full natural cycle, accepting that individual plants may be short lived, and being sure to allow seed to fall or scatter in the garden is also a valid approach.
Don't like the way you guys are talking about native plant dormancy. Its not a "bad" or "ugly thing". The only ugly thing here is trying to force native plants (from different habitats) into one shitty garden and expecting them to look attractive year round
Thanks for the thoughtful input. I do see what you are saying regarding me using the word "ugly" in the last example in the video! Usually I am VERY careful not to describe dormancy as a bad thing, since I don't see it that way at all (and have many plants in my personal garden I let go completely dormant). The background behind that word choice is that this species, and especially this cultivar, usually does not go this extremely dormant or die back this much in landscapes in our region. By "ugly" I was referring to the lack of "conventional horticultural attractiveness" as well as the lack of a "healthy" summer time look for this species in our area. However, those word choices are important, and I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I can't expect that viewers have seen the other dormancy related videos where I say that dormancy is not a bad thing. Your response totally makes sense and is a good reminder to be careful with my wording in every video! Just wanted to say thanks for holding us to a high standard and helping me be sure I choose my words carefully!
@ I think that native gardens should be as natural as possible. No irrigation after established. No trimming. No raking leaves, etc…… A native plant garden should not try to imitate a standard garden. A native plant garden should be looked at as a refuge for wildlife & insects. Trying to water your plants unnaturally to keep them looking “good” is completely delusional. This kind of destroys the whole point of having a native garden. Trying to alter plants (watering them to avoid summer dormancy) is completely backwards. Native plant gardens should be a part of the ECOSYSTEM. They should be left to naturally be how they are. Not a dystopian managed landscape. A lot of native plants don’t look “attractive” year round. I think humans trying to make plants look “attractive” year round tells more about US than about the plants. The plants are fine without summer water. Conclusion statement: Native plant gardens should be treated as a restoration project, not a managed landscape.
@@eastbayflora Thanks for the conversation. Your position certainly makes sense as a consistent and valid philosophy around landscaping, although it is a perspective I do not share. In urban areas in my region that do not have nearby functional habitat I find that some irrigation extends bloom seasons significantly and allows for a wider native plant palette which creates more resources for pollinators (especially), caterpillars, and on up the food chain, than would be possible with a completely unirrigated "local plant only" restoration-style garden. It looks like you probably saw my first response, which was longer, and probably a bit defensive sounding. I then went back and watched the last part of the video again, and revised the reply because I feel you are right about how I should have used different wording.
Absolutely amazing advice thank you!
I liked the video thank you 🙏
Nice job with the replies too.
I think all one can say with certainty is “this is my perspective and these are my feelings about that perspective.”
Is the plant at 5:30 just one plant or a group of plants?
I put a 1 gallon in the ground two years ago. I'm realizing it is not in the right location. Can these be dug up and transplanted?
would most of what you talked about in this video also apply to showy penstemon?
For the most part, yes, this applies to showy penstemon.
However, because the tall flowering stems of showy penstemon can die back more significantly earlier in the season, I do tend to cut them back earlier in the season, either shortly after setting seed, or, sometimes even after flowers fade. In my experience, at least in the gardens I have worked, sometimes showy penstemon can be shorter lived if not cut back earlier in the season, and being a little quicker to do so may help keep plants a bit longer lived and more vigorous. That said, in many gardens showy penstemon is also pretty good at re-seeding itself, so allowing it to go though its full natural cycle, accepting that individual plants may be short lived, and being sure to allow seed to fall or scatter in the garden is also a valid approach.
Don't like the way you guys are talking about native plant dormancy. Its not a "bad" or "ugly thing".
The only ugly thing here is trying to force native plants (from different habitats) into one shitty garden and expecting them to look attractive year round
Thanks for the thoughtful input.
I do see what you are saying regarding me using the word "ugly" in the last example in the video! Usually I am VERY careful not to describe dormancy as a bad thing, since I don't see it that way at all (and have many plants in my personal garden I let go completely dormant).
The background behind that word choice is that this species, and especially this cultivar, usually does not go this extremely dormant or die back this much in landscapes in our region. By "ugly" I was referring to the lack of "conventional horticultural attractiveness" as well as the lack of a "healthy" summer time look for this species in our area. However, those word choices are important, and I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I can't expect that viewers have seen the other dormancy related videos where I say that dormancy is not a bad thing.
Your response totally makes sense and is a good reminder to be careful with my wording in every video! Just wanted to say thanks for holding us to a high standard and helping me be sure I choose my words carefully!
@ I think that native gardens should be as natural as possible. No irrigation after established. No trimming. No raking leaves, etc……
A native plant garden should not try to imitate a standard garden. A native plant garden should be looked at as a refuge for wildlife & insects. Trying to water your plants unnaturally to keep them looking “good” is completely delusional. This kind of destroys the whole point of having a native garden. Trying to alter plants (watering them to avoid summer dormancy) is completely backwards.
Native plant gardens should be a part of the ECOSYSTEM. They should be left to naturally be how they are. Not a dystopian managed landscape. A lot of native plants don’t look “attractive” year round. I think humans trying to make plants look “attractive” year round tells more about US than about the plants. The plants are fine without summer water. Conclusion statement: Native plant gardens should be treated as a restoration project, not a managed landscape.
@@eastbayflora Thanks for the conversation. Your position certainly makes sense as a consistent and valid philosophy around landscaping, although it is a perspective I do not share. In urban areas in my region that do not have nearby functional habitat I find that some irrigation extends bloom seasons significantly and allows for a wider native plant palette which creates more resources for pollinators (especially), caterpillars, and on up the food chain, than would be possible with a completely unirrigated "local plant only" restoration-style garden.
It looks like you probably saw my first response, which was longer, and probably a bit defensive sounding. I then went back and watched the last part of the video again, and revised the reply because I feel you are right about how I should have used different wording.