Phlomis russeliana
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Phlomis russeliana Family: Lamiaceae Common name: Jerusalem sage; sticky Jerusalem sage
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright, slightly spreading habit. Large, fuzzy, heart-shaped, sage green leaves with a pebbly surface are in pairs up strong, furry, semi-woody stems. Bright, butter yellow, distinctly hooded flowers appear in whorls along the stems in summer through autumn.
Special Notes: Native to Turkey and Syria. Leaves are slightly aromatic and a little sticky to the touch. Attracts bees and other pollinating insects. Few pests or diseases. Drought tolerant once established. Deer and rabbit resistant. Propagate by seed; division in spring or autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on January 12, 2013. Updated on February 1, 2013
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Phlox paniculata ‘Becky Towe’
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Phlox paniculata ‘Becky Towe’ Common name: garden phlox; summer phlox |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with an upright, slightly spreading habit. Oblong, variegated green leaves edged with a wide swath of deep straw yellow which fades slightly to buttery yellow when plant is in bloom. Panicles of salmon-rose-pink flowers with a deep rose-pink eye appear in summer through into autumn.
Special Notes: Native to North America. Newly emerging leaves are tipped with burgundy-red in spring. 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: ‘Becky Towe’ is a particular favourite when its new shoots start appearing in spring for their deep burgundy-red tips. Come summer, I am not so fond of the salmony-rose-pink flowers. To my eye, the colour unfortunately clashes with the particular shade of yellow on the leaf margins. But this is John’s plant…in his garden…so it is “hands off” for me. Personally, I would cut off the blooms and just have the plant for its lovely variegation. Also of note, ‘Becky Towe’ proved to suffer significantly from fusarium stem rot during the 2001-2009 phlox trial at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. This earned the plant a lowly ‘2 Star’ rating from the judges. We are very pleased to report that our ‘Becky Towe’ has never suffered from this debilitating disease in our garden…nor has it ever been hit with powdery mildew since introducing this plant into our landscape design. We speculate this may be due to the lack of humidity in our more northern climate that has kept our ‘Becky Towe’ so healthy. It could also be due, in part, to the prevailing SE winds that caress John’s garden on a regular basis.
Updated on April 1, 2013
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Geranium pratense ‘Purple Haze’
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Geranium pratense ‘Purple Haze’ Common name: meadow cranesbill |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with a broad, mounding habit. Unique, deeply-lobed, bronzy-purple leaves. Saucer-shaped, violet-mauve flowers with small white centres appear in mid-spring through early summer.
Special Notes: Will tolerate poor soil conditions but does not like wet conditions in winter. Foliage has deepest colour in spring when sited in shade. Colour gradually changes to deep green with purple edging. Flower colour may be variable with some paler lilac and/or white ones appearing. Does not always come true from seed. Cut back severely after flowering to tidy up; fresh new leaves will appear and perhaps a second flush of blooms. Very easy care. Relatively pest and disease free. Drought tolerant. Deer and rabbit resistant. Propagation by seed; division in spring or autumn.
Posted on December 17, 2012 |
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Geranium pratense ‘Midnight Reiter’
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Geranium pratense ‘Midnight Reiter’ Family: Geraniaceae Common name: meadow cranesbill |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with a broad, mounding habit. Deeply-lobed, plum-purple leaves. Small, lavender-blue, cup-shaped flowers on strong, tall stems appear in mid-spring through early summer.
Special Notes: Will tolerate poor soil conditions but does not like wet conditions in winter. Leaves emerge green with slight purple tinge; darken as season lengthens. The more sun you give this plant, the darker the purple in the leaves. They will tend towards green if planted in full shade. Flowers will also be fewer, the deeper the shade. Does not always come true from seed. Cut back severely after flowering to tidy up; fresh new leaves will appear and perhaps a second flush of blooms. Very easy care. Relatively pest and disease free. Drought tolerant. Deer and rabbit resistant. Propagation by seed; division in spring or autumn.
Posted on December 17, 2012
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Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’
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Geranium x oxonianum ‘Wargrave Pink’ Common name: cranesbill |
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Description: An herbaceous, bordering on evergreen perennial with a clump-forming habit. Mid-green leaves are divided into 5 lobes. Small, notched, funnel-shaped, pale salmon-pink flowers appear in spring through summer.
Special Notes: Cut back severely after flowering to promote fresh new leaves and a repeat bloom. Very easy care. Relatively pest and disease free. Drought tolerant. Deer and rabbit resistant. Propagation by division in spring or autumn.
Posted on December 16, 2012
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