Things are really starting to bloom around here. I have been waiting to see the new Verbascum
‘Blue Lagoon’ (Ornamental mullein) and it was worth the wait. It is the first true-blue mullein and it is a stunner. Like all Verbascum, it loves the full sun, can tolerate poor, well-drained soil and is very easy to grow. This one gets 30” tall and blooms May to August. It is going to look amazing mixed with its sisters: ‘Southern Charm’,’ Pink Pixie’, ‘Raspberry Ripple’, ‘Temptress white’ and the new Verbascum ‘Violetta’. Zone 6-8
An unusual and wonderful new plant is the sun loving Echium amoenum (Red Feathers) from the Caucasus. It starts out as a 4” clump of lance shaped leaves and produces flower spikes up to 14”. These spires are uniquely shaped with feathery russet red and purple plumes which flower from May to Frost when deadheaded. It attracts bees and butterflies to your garden and is Deer resistant. Echium makes a good cut flower and is drought tolerant once established. Zone 3
Foxgloves are considered an old time favorite for the perennial border and this new variety is soon to become a
classic. Digitalis purpurea ‘Snowy Mountain’ has masses of beautiful upward facing white flowers with speckled burgundy throats. It will grow 36-48” tall and like most foxgloves is a biennial that reseeds itself. Foxgloves bloom early summer and grow best in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies, are deer resistant and make good cut flowers. The bees are interesting to watch as they pop in and out their flower heads. Zone 4-9
Iris ‘Orinoco Flow’ is a beautiful fragrant bearded Iris bearing up to 6 white flowers per stem. Both the
standards and the falls are edged in deep blue-violet. The beard is white tipped with orange. As with all Germanic irises, they need full sun and well-drained soil. This variety grows to 24-36” and is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. It achieved the Award of Merit and is one of the best irises from the UK. Another stunner is the Iris ‘Stairway to Heaven’ which produces perfectly arched near-white standards and round flaring medium blue falls with wide wave-like ruffles. This low maintenance plant of 36-48 “is a vigorous grower and sports tall strong stems bearing 8-10 buds.
Great in the cottage garden theme is the Campanula persicifolia ‘Takion Blue’ which has the classic cup shaped violet blue bell flowers but more of a showy outfacing habit. It makes a great cut flower, can be grown in full sun or partial shade, good for borders, containers and is also rabbit resistant. (16-20”)
A lovely romantic plant is the Incarvillea delavayi (Hardy Gloxinia). It has dark green deeply loped leaves with ruffled bright pink trumpet flowers. Keep the soil moist while in bloom but allow for good drainage. The Hardy Gloxinia has excellent texture and form and makes a lovely cut flower. It is only 18-21” and is hardy to Zone 5.
Rarely grown or known is the graceful Chiastophyllum oppositifolum with its beautiful arching panicles of golden flowers. It prefers cool sun to part shade in well-drained soil with regular water. It begins as a low
mound of thick succulent green leaves and then produces upright stems of cascading flowers in late spring and early summer. At 6-8”, it is ideal for edging in the shade border, rock wall or between flagstones. It also loves to grow in crevices or you can use it for containers. This well behaved plant is not invasive and may appear evergreen in mild winter regions. Zone6-9
To wow up the border, try Penstemon ‘Electric blue’ (bearded tongue). It is only 18” and blooms early to late Summer. Give it full sun to part shade and average soil and it will yield wonderful flowering spikes with trumpets of vivid blue. This carefree, drought resistant plant attracts hummingbirds and is supposedly deer resistant. It makes a good cut flowers and that true gentian blue is much sought after. Zone 6-9
A delightful annual that is blooming right now and will continue throughout the summer is Nemesia cheiranthus ‘Shooting Stars’. The exotic looking flowers are a dazzling yellow and white with a
purple throat. This South African native will surprize you with their sweet coconut fragrance. This plant is very different from your average Nemesia and is often given common names such as the long horned Nemesia or the Exploding Star. It is 6-12”and tolerates Sun or part shade. It is absolutely exquisite.
With the Spring ending, the Summer blooms are bursting all over. What an exciting
time of year! Come in and watch the show. Happy Gardening.
‘Blue Lagoon’ (Ornamental mullein) and it was worth the wait. It is the first true-blue mullein and it is a stunner. Like all Verbascum, it loves the full sun, can tolerate poor, well-drained soil and is very easy to grow. This one gets 30” tall and blooms May to August. It is going to look amazing mixed with its sisters: ‘Southern Charm’,’ Pink Pixie’, ‘Raspberry Ripple’, ‘Temptress white’ and the new Verbascum ‘Violetta’. Zone 6-8
An unusual and wonderful new plant is the sun loving Echium amoenum (Red Feathers) from the Caucasus. It starts out as a 4” clump of lance shaped leaves and produces flower spikes up to 14”. These spires are uniquely shaped with feathery russet red and purple plumes which flower from May to Frost when deadheaded. It attracts bees and butterflies to your garden and is Deer resistant. Echium makes a good cut flower and is drought tolerant once established. Zone 3
Foxgloves are considered an old time favorite for the perennial border and this new variety is soon to become a
classic. Digitalis purpurea ‘Snowy Mountain’ has masses of beautiful upward facing white flowers with speckled burgundy throats. It will grow 36-48” tall and like most foxgloves is a biennial that reseeds itself. Foxgloves bloom early summer and grow best in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies, are deer resistant and make good cut flowers. The bees are interesting to watch as they pop in and out their flower heads. Zone 4-9
Iris ‘Orinoco Flow’ is a beautiful fragrant bearded Iris bearing up to 6 white flowers per stem. Both the
standards and the falls are edged in deep blue-violet. The beard is white tipped with orange. As with all Germanic irises, they need full sun and well-drained soil. This variety grows to 24-36” and is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. It achieved the Award of Merit and is one of the best irises from the UK. Another stunner is the Iris ‘Stairway to Heaven’ which produces perfectly arched near-white standards and round flaring medium blue falls with wide wave-like ruffles. This low maintenance plant of 36-48 “is a vigorous grower and sports tall strong stems bearing 8-10 buds.
Great in the cottage garden theme is the Campanula persicifolia ‘Takion Blue’ which has the classic cup shaped violet blue bell flowers but more of a showy outfacing habit. It makes a great cut flower, can be grown in full sun or partial shade, good for borders, containers and is also rabbit resistant. (16-20”)
A lovely romantic plant is the Incarvillea delavayi (Hardy Gloxinia). It has dark green deeply loped leaves with ruffled bright pink trumpet flowers. Keep the soil moist while in bloom but allow for good drainage. The Hardy Gloxinia has excellent texture and form and makes a lovely cut flower. It is only 18-21” and is hardy to Zone 5.
Rarely grown or known is the graceful Chiastophyllum oppositifolum with its beautiful arching panicles of golden flowers. It prefers cool sun to part shade in well-drained soil with regular water. It begins as a low
mound of thick succulent green leaves and then produces upright stems of cascading flowers in late spring and early summer. At 6-8”, it is ideal for edging in the shade border, rock wall or between flagstones. It also loves to grow in crevices or you can use it for containers. This well behaved plant is not invasive and may appear evergreen in mild winter regions. Zone6-9
To wow up the border, try Penstemon ‘Electric blue’ (bearded tongue). It is only 18” and blooms early to late Summer. Give it full sun to part shade and average soil and it will yield wonderful flowering spikes with trumpets of vivid blue. This carefree, drought resistant plant attracts hummingbirds and is supposedly deer resistant. It makes a good cut flowers and that true gentian blue is much sought after. Zone 6-9
A delightful annual that is blooming right now and will continue throughout the summer is Nemesia cheiranthus ‘Shooting Stars’. The exotic looking flowers are a dazzling yellow and white with a
purple throat. This South African native will surprize you with their sweet coconut fragrance. This plant is very different from your average Nemesia and is often given common names such as the long horned Nemesia or the Exploding Star. It is 6-12”and tolerates Sun or part shade. It is absolutely exquisite.
With the Spring ending, the Summer blooms are bursting all over. What an exciting
time of year! Come in and watch the show. Happy Gardening.
RSS Feed
