Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum Crispum’
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Origanum vulgare ‘Aureum Crispum’ Common name: golden curly oregano, golden crinkled oregano |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with a slow, spreading habit. Small, fragrant, crinkled leaves are a bright golden-yellow colour. Tiny clusters of pink flowers appear above the foliage in early to late summer.
Special Notes: Culinary herb but with a milder flavour than the species. Best used fresh; not cooked. Golden colour holds best in cooler weather. Provide relief from hot mid-day sun to prevent scorching. Drought tolerant once established. Deer resistant. Propagate by division in early spring or autumn; basal cuttings in late spring.
Posted on May 10, 2013
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Rosa glauca
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Rosa glauca Family: Rosaceae |
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Description: A vigorous-growing species rose with an arching habit of red stems. Leaves are blue-grey to reddish-mauve in colour. Unscented, single-petalled, delightfully bright, almost hot-pink flowers with white centres and golden yellow stamens appear in late spring to early summer followed by deep brownish-purple hips that turn red in winter.
Special Notes: Introduced in 1789. Grows best in full sun. Drought tolerant once established. Prune out old growth periodically. Reliably pest and disease resistant although there may be the occasional rose gall which should be pruned out. Propagate by fresh seed; softwood cuttings in early spring; hardwood cuttings in late summer.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993; Great Plant Pick 2002
In our Zone 7a garden: For a bullet-tough, no fuss, no muss rose this is IT! The shape of this shrub rose combined with the colour of its foliage and the glorious hips it produces are its real charms. Did I happen to mention it is not susceptible to the standard rose problems? Just one year out of 15, our mother plant did get some black spot on its leaves but that was an exceptional growing year. The mother plant has also had a couple of rose galls in its later years which were quickly pruned out and bagged for the garbage. Not sure if it is weather or age related. Have not seen galls on any of our other Rosa glauca shrubs. John has taken the mother plant out now as he was changing that bed around to accommodate his increasing collection of tree peonies. But I still have the daughter of the original shrub in my garden. And when I say bullet-tough, this rose will thrive in poor and/or sandy soil, drought (once established) and compete against mature trees. Granted, given those conditions, the shrub will not perform to quite its full magnificent self but it is still capable of lending its delightful vase-like form and dark foliage colouring to a landscape design in an incredibly tough, hard-to-garden area such as my front border bed. Sadly, for a rose, the flowers are the one disappointing factor, even with their lovely splash of colour brightening up the garden. They are devoid of all scent and do not last long…just barely two weeks.
Posted on May 8, 2013
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A Rare Moment to Contemplate
by Leslie Cox; Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A sunny afternoon begged a few minutes spent sitting on the front deck sipping a cup of tea while contemplating the front garden.
A hummingbird dropped in, hovering just above the fountain in the island bed. It was clear he was interested in the spouting bubble of water but yet, uncertain. He needed time to think, so alit on the tip of a maple branch just near. For seconds only before he swooped to the water spout again…then flying to the other side of the fountain to assess from that angle. No, not yet. More time needed to think back on the branch.
Waiting for the hummer to make up his mind, my eye wandered over the rest of the bed. The plants were definitely starting to break free of winter and show their spring form.
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Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus
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Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus Common name: bloody dock; red-veined dock; bloody sorrel |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright habit and a long tap-root. Bright green, lanceolate leaves have a gentle ripple and are distinctively marked with deep red veining. Tiny, star-shaped flowers are borne on erect stems in June through July. Flowers start out green then turn reddish-brown before producing dark brown seeds. Seeds ripen late July through September.
Special Notes: Native to Europe, northern Africa and southwest regions of Asia. Flowers are hermaphrodite – have both male and female organs. Cut plant back hard after flowering to produce a fresh flush of leaves. Leaves are edible but contain oxalic acid which gives them an acid-lemon flavour. Safe to eat in moderate amounts. Oxalic acid concentration level is lower in young leaves; increases as leaves age. Limit amount of leaves in diet if you suffer from arthritis, rheumatism, kidney stones, gout or hyperacidity. Problems may include slugs, snails, rust, leaf spot and smuts – a plant disease caused by a particular fungus. Propagate by seed; division in spring or fall.
Posted on May 7, 2013 |
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Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’
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Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’ Family: Labiateae Common name: lilac sage; whorled clary sage |
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Description: A clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with a lax habit. Fragrant, soft, olive-green leaves are spade-shaped. Purple-blue flowers appear on tall spikes from July until frost, if dead-headed regularly.
Special Notes: A cultivar introduced in the 1990s. Will tolerate poor soils but needs good drainage in wet winter climates. Drought tolerant once established. Attracts bees and butterflies. Deer resistant. Propagate by seed; by division in early spring or autumn; cuttings in spring through autumn.
Great Plant Pick 2002
Posted on May 2, 2013
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