Plant Profile: Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus ‘Sentimental blue’)
Karen The unusual buds of balloon flower would earn the plant a place in my garden even if ithad no other virtue. They are shaped like a hot air balloon and…
Plant Profile: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Goblin’)
Big, bold, bright flowers give a suggestion of what this plant is all about. Scarlet ray petals tipped with yellow surround the dark purple centers producing 3-4” flowers that are…
Plant Profile: Yellow Fumitory (Corydalis lutea)
Corydalis is not the most conspicuous plant in the garden but it is one of the most welcome. How many plants bloom from spring to fall and have attractive foliage?…
Plant Profile: Sundrops (Oenothera fructicosa)
Some plants just don’t take a hint and this is one of them. It is a cheerful, adventuresome member of my hot border and just won’t reign itself in no…
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: Red Valerian/Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber)
Karen Meyers Also known as spur valerian, kiss-me-quick, fox’s brush, and devil’s beard, this herbaceous perennial or subshrub is native to the Mediterranean area. It is a member of the honeysuckle family,…
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: Japanese Roof Iris (Iris tectorum)
As a plant collector rather than a garden designer I adore plants that are a bit out of the ordinary and if they come with a good history or story,…
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…