Garden Journal: July 12, 2009
Karen Lots of sun and heat this past week but little rain so we have had to turn on the irrigation and do a lot of hand watering. Most plants seem…
Plant Profile: Butterfly Weed (Ascelpias tuberosa)
This clump-forming, long-lived, herbaceous perennial is native to eastern North America where it tends to grow on dry soil in full sun . It is a member of the dogbane…
Plant Profile: Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis ‘Blue Danube’)
I always look forward to the flowering of Stokesia. It only blooms for 3-4 weeks in my garden but its flowers are very special. Their color is a fusion of…
Plant Profile: Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Native to meadows, woodland borders and streamsides of eastern and central US, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the bean family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupine, mimosa, and black…
Plant Profile: Star of Persia (Allium albopilosum syn. A. christophii)
Five large amethyst-violet spheres with silver highlights are emerging from the soil in my garden like space ships. Ah…it is Allium albopilosum time. These beautiful globes held on their 24”…
Plant Profile: Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lily of the valley is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and grows best where summers are warm but not hot. Each plant…
Plant Profile: Fothergill (Fothergill gardenii)
Native to moist areas of Southeast US, this compact deciduous shrub is a member of the witch hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, that also includes Persian ironwood, and loropetalum. Growing up to…
Plant Profile: Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
Candytuft is a woody-based herbaceous perennial native to southern Europe and a member of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae, that also includes mustard, broccoli, and Alyssum. The fine dark green leathery…