July 24, 2014

Garden Continuum

Copyright Bob Osborne

Once the peonies are past and the first flush of roses history, many gardens grow short on colour.  This can be, in large part, attributed to the fact that the rush to buy plants in the spring wanes as the weather turns warmer.  The gardener tends not to see what is blooming in the garden centers and nurseries. 

There certainly is no need for this shortage of colour, especially with the arrival of the daylilies.  These magnificent plants offer a perennial with few equals.  The modern array of colours and forms is spectacular enough, but the plant itself has a great form even when not in bloom.

These are not true lilies, which are also now in bloom, but plants that are somewhat grass-like in appearance but with wider leaves in a rich shade of green that arch gracefully.  The flowers are in form similar to lilies, but most of their petals recurve back and many modern hybrids have wide petals with ruffled edges.

Those familiar with only the older orange daylilies will be shocked to see the colours now available.  Hybridizers have gone the distance to provide shades of white, pink, red, purple, orange and yellow.

One thing to bear in mind is that, from a distance, many hybrids with a multitude of colours in the same flower can look awesome close up, but from afar they can have a muddled look.  Single colours are usually more effective visually, although some might not agree.

Daylilies make wonderful edges for beds.  There are many low growing varieties for the fronts of beds as well as taller ones for the middles and backs of the beds. 

They are not fussy about soils.  Most will tolerate either light or heavy soils as long as they are not too wet.  Of course a rich soil will always produce the best plant.  Daylilies can thrive in full sun or partial shade, but will produce fewer flowers in a heavier shade.

Daylilies are not the only stars of the season.  The potentillas, now somewhat maligned because they became so common in the past, are the most prolific flowerers among the shrubs.  Starting in mid-June, they will continue to blossom till frost.  They as well will tolerate various light levels and still perform well, but you should avoid deep shade and wet soils.

Potentillas come in several shades of yellow as well as white, pink and shades of orange.  After a few years it is a good idea to cut them back fairly hard in the early spring.  They will stay nice and tight if a pruning is done every other year.  If not, they have a tendency to fall outward into sections.  I gather the plants up tightly in my hands then shear off the top third.  When you let go they will form a nice rounded dome shape.

Another plant that is not as well known is the sea holly.  This is a perennial with a unique steel blue coloration on the stems and flowers.  It doesn’t quite look like it belongs in our world.  The flowers are thistle-like in shape but are definitely not weed-like.   Similar to the sea holly in colour is the globe thistle, which is a thistle but does not become a pest like its relatives.  The globe thistle flowers vary in size but most look like a blue golf ball gone bristly.  They will grow up waist high, so are perfect for the center of a bed. 

If you are a butterfly lover be sure to plant some of the milkweeds.  These attract many pollinators including butterflies, but are essential to the lives of the monarch butterfly.  There is the common milkweed, which is often found growing in waste areas with relatively poor soil.  Other milkweed relatives include the butterfly weed, which is lower growing and a deep rich orange.  A newer arrival is called Soulmate, a tall plant with pink flowers.

We would be remiss to leave out the clematis.  Vines can be so effective growing up the walls of a house or up fences or shrubs, which is what they do in nature.  This is when the larger flowered hybrids are becoming very showy.  The toughest and most dependable is still the Jackmanni clematis, an old variety with deep purple flowers that never fail to be stunning.  Give them moist soil with lots of compost and lime.

Having a successful garden for most involves seeking out plants for each season, so that the garden is always a joy to behold.  With the wealth of information available to us today, it is easy to find plants for spring, summer and fall.  We’re still waiting for winter blooming roses.

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July 23, 2015