Wild Foxglove
When we moved in here we had this wild foxglove that blooms along the edges of the woods. It’s truly lovely, I really love the greenish yellow color.
One of the things I really love about this plant is that it’s much hardier in our climate than most other foxgloves. I have grown foxglove from seed several times and they always live for a few years and then they die off during one of our really cold winters. This foxglove spreads every year no matter what kind of winter we have. It’s also much shorter than regular foxgloves, only growing about 24 inches tall.
I keep wanting to save some seeds from it and try to start more of them to plant around the shady woodland edges. The problem is that I always forget to mark the plant and then I can’t find it when it goes to seed. Perhaps this will be the year I will finally remember. If it get some I’ll be happy to share seeds with anyone that’s interested.
What kinds of native wildflowers do you like? Have you ever had success propagating wild plants?
Share this:
Here Come the Peonies
I’m so excited that my double peonies are starting to bloom. They’re such great plants, hardy and drought resistant, they bloom year after year and seem to thrive on neglect.
It seems like you wait and wait for those giant buds open, and then all at once they’re all in bloom. I’m not sure what kind of peony I have, I inherited them from the previous owners. Someday I’ll try to figure it out to label them properly.
This year I’m planting 5 new peonies that I bought and my mom is giving me a few of hers. In a few years they should all be blooming nicely. On Tuesday my mom and I are headed to Stan Hywet to see their peony collection in bloom.
So what about you, do you love peonies? Do you have any in your gardens?
Share this:
Mixing Edibles and Ornamentals
I’ve been trying to mix my edible plants in with my ornamental plants because I’ve been reading that it’s a good way to deter pests. Not to mention I don’t have much edible gardening space so it’s nice to tuck them in here and there in my flowerbeds where I have an empty spot.
As you can see in this photo, I have a pink peony blooming with some catmint blooming in front of it. In the background you can see a pea climbing up the small trellis.
These are the only peas in the garden that the deer didn’t find, so I guess my plan is working. In front of the catmint I have cabbages & broccoli planted. It’s the only cabbage & broccoli that doesn’t have cabbage loopers on it and that they wildlife hasn’t nibbled.
Not only have I had great success with mixing my edible in my flower beds, I really like the combination. I love the way cabbages look when tucked in among other things. I think I’m going to be doing more and more of this.
What about you, any edibles in your ornamental beds?
Share this:
A Great Combination
Sometimes when you plant things together they don’t look quite as good as you’d hoped so you have to move a few plants. Then there are those times when things to just look great together on accident.
I planted this peony 4 years ago and this is the first time it’s bloomed. I couldn’t even remember what color it was 2 years ago when I planted this sage, but what a great combo they are!
Most of the flowers in my gardens are purple and pink, I think they compliment each other well. I happen to really love white flowers as well and have a few of them sprinkled around the gardens. I like to keep things simple with just a few colors.
What’s your favorite color combo in the garden?
Share this:
Garden Dreams: Tree Peonies
I would love to get a tree peony. I’ve always thought they’re so pretty and so interesting, but oh so very expensive. My mom’s neighbor has one that blooming right now, and I went to a farm yesterday and the owner had this beauty in his flowerbed. I think this is a ‘Palace of the Purple Clouds’.
The bees loved it! He actually has sister bees to our bees, he happened to be picking up his bees at the same time we were getting ours.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get a tree peony, I think I’d have a hard time spending so much on one plant. But who knows, perhaps I’ll get one someday.
Anyone have a tree peony or want one?
