Cosmos, indigenous to Mexico and South America, are one of the easiest-to-grow flowering annuals. They start blooming in early summer and are at their best in late summer and early autumn. Two most popular species are Cosmos sulphureus and C. bipinnatus. Flower heads are composed of disc and ray flowers. Cosmos is a member of the aster […]
Archive for the ‘deadheading’ Category
Fill Flower Gardens & Containers With Sweet Alyssums
Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) is one of the easiest annuals to grow. A member of the mustard family (Brassicaeae), it is native in the Mediterranean region and the Canary and Azores Islands (AHS heat zones 3-8). Modern day cultivars possess exceptional heat, humidity, and drought tolerance in summer months once fully established. Alyssums may be utilized in mixed […]
Bergenias (Pigsqueak) Gaining More Respect
Heart-leaved bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) is a clump-forming perennial indigenous to Russia (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). It has been coined the name “pig squeak” because of the noise produced by rubbing a leaf between your thumb and finger. Bergenias are planted most effectively enmasse as a ground cover. They spread slowly by rhizomes and tends to seed-in […]
Blazing Star– Electric Summer Flowering Perennial
Blazing star (Liatris spp.) is a popular summer flowering perennial. Also called gayfeather, it belongs in the aster family. This tall, upright, clump-forming perennial is found in moist meadows and at the edge of a marsh. (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Liatris makes an excellent addition to a rain garden. Its distinctively reddish-purple flower spikes win […]
Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ Is Spectacular Autumn Bloomer
Aster Raydon’s Favorite (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’) is one of our most reliable native perennial asters. This aromatic aster blooms in mid-autumn, covered with 1 ½ inch wide blue-purple daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. Butterflies and bumble bees are frequent visitors to this aster in my October garden. Night temps in the mid-twenties don’t injure […]
Chenille Plant Hot For The Summer Garden
Chenille plant (Acalypha hispida), aka firetails and redhot cattail, is a hot tropical plant which has jumped from house plant to garden plant use. Their pendulous vibrant red (other colors are available) tassel-like flowers mimic the furry tails of pets. Its lush dark green foliage is heart-shaped. Stems arch downward under the weight of the […]
Summer Flowering Heleniums Should Not Make You Sneeze
Helenium, named for Helen of Troy from Greek mythology, is U.S. prairie perennial. In times past powdered disk flowers and leaves of some heleniums were used as snuff, hence the common name. It’s difficult to sell ‘sneezeweed” and many garden catalogs now list it as “helenium”. A number of good hybrid selections have been introduced […]
Hardy or Not– Grow Agapanthus
Lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus praecox orientalis) is native to South Africa (USDA Zones 8–11), and is not reliably hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zone 6 and 7). However, many gardeners are successfully growing it as a “tender perennial”. Agapanthus grows in an outdoor flower bed or in a container. The ball shaped light blue or white […]
How To Re-Bloom a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
Perhaps this past year a friend gifted you a lovely moth orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.). Late summer and early fall is an excellent time to re-bloom it, if you live in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 8. The overall health of the plant should be good. Moth orchids require a fluctuation of between 15 – 20°F […]
Powdery Mildew: The Bane of Beebalm
Beebalm (Monarda spp.) is one of our great native perennials and herbs. Native Americans used beebalm as a tea, brewing it for colds, minor bronchial and digestive complaints, and also as a poultice to soothe insect stings. During the Boston Tea Party, rebellious colonists utilized beebalm as a tea substitute, calling it “Oswego tea”. […]