Phlox paniculata ‘Nora Leigh’
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Phlox paniculata ‘Nora Leigh’ Common name: garden phlox; summer phlox |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright, slightly spreading habit. Oblong green leaves are irregularly edged in a wide swath of creamy white. Panicles of very pale pink, almost white flowers with a darker pink eye appear in summer through into autumn.
Special Notes: Native to North America. Attracts bees and butterflies. Good cut flower. Few pests or diseases, but watch for powdery mildew and spider mites. Not deer or rabbit resistant. Propagate by cuttings in June; division in spring or autumn.
In our Zone 7a garden: This phlox is in my front garden and I much prefer the shade of pink flowers with this plant’s particular variegation over the bloom colour of Phlox paniculata ‘Becky Towe’. THe only bloom removal I do is cutting off the spent flowers. ‘Nora Leigh’ also scored higher than ‘Becky Towe’ in the 2001-2009 phlox trials at the Chicago Botanical Gardens, receiving a ‘3.5 Star’ rating from the judges…mainly because ‘Nora Leigh’ did not suffer from fusarium stem rot disease during the trial, as ‘Becky Towe’ did. Having said that, we find the variegation is not as strong in ‘Nora Leigh’ as it is in ‘Becky Towe’. Every season there are a few ‘Nora Leigh’ stems coming from the roots that have all green leaves. Nowhere in the 10-page Chicago Botanical Gardens phlox trial report was this fact mentioned which leads me to wonder whether I possibly have a “weaker plant”…even though its growth habit is rigorous enough. Hard to know. But I keep the reverting stems on my ‘Nora Leigh’ in check by removing them as they appear. This also helps me to keep the whole plant in check…overall. It does have a slowly creeping habit after all.
Posted on April 1, 2013
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Euphorbia polychroma
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Euphorbia polychroma Family: Euphorbiacaea |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with a mounding habit. Obovate, bright green leaves turn shades of red, orange and apricot in autumn. Showy, bright chartreuse-yellow bracts appear at the branch tips in early spring through mid-summer.
Special Notes: Native to central and southern Europe. Good cut flower but stem tips must be singed or dipped in boiling water to stop the milky sap from flowing. Self-sows. Drought tolerant. Deer and rabbit resistant. Watch for powdery mildew. Propagate by seed; division in early spring.
Caution: Milky sap can cause skin and eye irritation. Toxic if ingested.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on March 7, 2013
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Hosta undulata var. undulata
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Hosta undulata var. undulata Family: Hostaceae Common name: wavy-leaved plaintain lily |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with a mounding habit. Bright, medium-green leaves have a pronounced creamy-white centre, plus the lance-shaped leaves have a delightful twist to them. Panicles of funnel-shaped, mauve flowers appear on arching scapes in early summer through mid-summer.
Special Notes: Has fairly good tolerance to sun but would protect it from too much heat at the high point of the season. Watch for slugs and snails; they can be a pest. Good cut flower. Propagation by division in spring or autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on February 3, 2013
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Ligularia stenocephala
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Ligularia stenocephala Family: Asteraceae Common name: narrow spiked ligularia |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright habit. Large, dark green, heart-shaped leaves on deep purple-red stems are slightly incised. Narrow spikes of deep yellow flowers appear on tall stems in early to late summer.
Special Notes: Native to the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Good cut flower. Good leaf colour in autumn. Attracts bees and butterflies. Deer resistant. Slugs and snails are a problem. Propagate by fresh seed; division in spring or autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on February 3, 2013 |
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Ligularia przewalskii
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Ligularia przewalskii Family: Asteraceae Common name: Przewalski’s ligularia |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright habit. Large, dark green, arrowhead-shaped leaves on deep purple-red stems are deeply incised. Narrow spikes of deep yellow flowers appear on tall stems in early to late summer.
Special Notes: Native to the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Named for the 19th Century Russian explorer, Nikolai Przhevasky (aka. Przewalski, Prjevalsky, Shavalski) who is better known as the discoverer of the last known species of wild horse. Good cut flower. Attracts bees and butterflies. Deer resistant. Good resistance to slugs and snails. Propagate by fresh seed; division in spring or autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on February 1, 2013 |
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