Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’
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Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ (jer-AY-nee-um san-GWIN-ee-um) Family: Geraniaceae Common name: bloody cranesbill; bloodred geranium |
| Description: An herbaceous perennial with a compact, clump-forming habit. Foliage consists of small, shallowly cut, dark green basal leaves and thinner, more deeply cut stem leaves. Round, 5-petalled, purple-pink, flowers to 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) in diameter and marked with darker veining, are formed singly on lax inflorescences. Prolific bloom period from mid-spring through summer and into autumn. Wonderful foliage colour changes to shades of red and orange in autumn given adequate sun.
Special Notes: Unknown origin other than it is a cultivar of the slightly taller species, Geranium sanguineum which is native to Europe and Asia. Excellent plant for front of borders. Very easy care but be sure to give it good drainage. Relatively pest and disease free. Rabbit resistant. Deer may nibble on hardy geraniums. Drought tolerant once established. Propagation by division in early spring or autumn.
In our Zone 7a garden: This is a beautiful workhorse in our landscape design. Truthfully, it is a fuss-free plant and looks good throughout the season with its long bloom period.
Posted on July 9, 2020 |
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Arisarum proboscideum
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Arisarum proboscideum Family: Araceae (ay-ri-SAR-um pro-bos-SID-ee-um) Common name: mouse plant; mouse tail plant |
 Description: An herbaceous, tuberous-rooted, ground-hugging woodland perennial with glossy green, arrowhead-shaped leaves. Flowers are maroon and white with a unique tail-like tip which can stretch to 6 inches (15 cm). The whole floral effect is of a the back end of a mouse diving underground with its tail waving in the air.
Special Notes: Native to Spain and Italy, this plant is related to Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit) which is native to eastern North America. It is winter hardy to USDA Zone 7…Zone 6 if given some protection. This is a spring ephemeral, appearing in early spring and disappearing below ground in the heat of summer. Flowers are complete… having both male and female sexual organs. Fertilization is accomplished when the flowers attract small fungus gnats which subsequently become trapped within the flower and, in their struggle to escape, they inadvertently spread pollen from the male organs to the female. Relatively drought tolerant once established. Pest and disease resistant.
I should mention…my one clump of mouse plant is situated in almost complete shade. Sun only reaches it in late winter and early spring and number of duration days only extends until the surrounding herbaceous perennials appear and leaf out and the chestnut tree leaves reach out to full canopy limit.
Great Plant Pick (GPP) 2008
Posted on April 2, 2020 |
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Cylcamen coum
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Cyclamen coum Family: Primulaceae (SIK-la-men KO-um) Common name: Persian violet, eastern sowbread |
| Description: Tuberous perennial with round or heart-shaped dark green leaves which may have some silver or grey markings. Flower colour ranges from white through shades of pink with darker staining at the base of the petals. This is a spring ephermeral…flowering from December through March, depending on region, and going dormant through the summer.
Special Notes: Native to the Mediterranean, this delightful winter-blooming perennial does well as an understory specimen in rhododendron, maple, birch, Douglas fir and western red cedar plantings. Self-seeding, this plant naturalizes nicely with the help of ants who are attracted to the sugary coating on the seeds. Tiny seedlings start to appear in late fall. Once the plants are established, they are drought tolerant. Generally, disease- and pest-resistant; deer resistant.
This bed in the garden landscape is a difficult one due to the maple roots sucking up all of the nutrients…leaving little for the other plants residing there. Because of this, I am always impressed by the plants who manage to survive such harsh treatment.
Awards: Named by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of the top 200 plants of the last 200 years.
Caution: Toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.
Posted on February 19, 2020
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Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Helhan’ (Loraine Sunshine)
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Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Helhan’ Family: Asteraceae Common name: false sunflower; ox-eye daisy |
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Description: An herbaceous, upright growing, perennial. Dynamic lanceolate leaves are white with strong green colouring in the veins. Leaf edges tend to naturally curl upwards slightly. Round, daisy-like flowers are 2 to 3 inches in diameter and a bright cheery yellow colour. Blooming period begins in mid-June and lasts through until frost. Good cut flowers. Drought tolerant once established. Powdery mildew can be a problem; allow for good air circulation. Watch for aphids. Special Notes: Heliopsis spp. are native to the eastern and central regions of Canada and the United States. This variegated hybrid was discovered in a Wisconsin garden in 1992. Blooms of Bressingham took on the propagation and eventually introduced it worldwide. Tolerant of a range of soil conditions with the exception of very fertile and very poor. The former produces lanky growth with a tendency to flop. Very poor soil conditions will produce a smaller clump with fewer stems.
Posted on July 25, 2018 |
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Dodecatheon meadia
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Dodecatheon meadia Family: Primulaceae (doe-duh-KAY-thee-un MEE-dee-uh) Common name: shooting star |
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Description: An herbaceous perennial with pale green, lance-shaped leaves which form an upright rosette. As many as four leafless flower stalks emerge from the centre of the rosette, arising to a height of up to 20 inches (50 cm). Each flower stalk has an umbel on top with as many as twenty nodding, lightly fragrant flowers dangling from their individual stems. Each 1 inch (2.5 cm) long flower has 5 reflexed petals. Colour can be variable, ranging from white to pink to lavender purple. A cluster of bright yellow stamens is noticeable below the petals for its pointed formation. The whole floral effect gives the appearance of a bunch of shooting stars plummeting to earth. Bloom time is mid- to late spring…April through May. A seed capsule containing small dark seeds forms on top of the stalk after flower petals die back.
Special Notes: Native to North America…more commonly on the east coast and into the central prairies, but also found in the Pacific Northwest. Typically, this plant is found growing naturally in glades, deciduous forests, treed rock slopes, ledges, and meadows. It is tolerant of most soil types…preferring rich, moist, well-draining soil, but also clay-type as long as drainage is decent. Does not like poorly drained, wet soils, especially in winter. Due to its early bloom time, it is an important foraging plant for queen bumblebees. The whole plant goes dormant in summer, reappearing the following spring. There are no serious pest or disease problems. Deer resistant. Slow and difficult to grow from seed. Needs vernalization…exposure to a prolonged period of winter cold…for germination. Easiest method is to allow the plant to self-seed. Alternatively, the seed can be collected in spring, sown in a tray filled with a sterile soil-less potting mix, and placed in a protected shady spot outdoors for the rest of the year. (Make sure the soil is kept slightly damp.) You can also collect the seeds and store them in an envelope or other suitable container, and place them in a cool, dry location. There are a few different methods of germinating collected seeds held indoors. One such method is to place some sterile soil-less potting mix in a ziplock bag, then add some seeds to the mix…making sure they are incorporated into the potting soil. Place the bag in the refrigerator for one day. Next day, place the bag of soil and seeds in the freezer for one day. Repeat this alternating schedule for one week. After stratifying the seeds in this manner, sow them about 0.1 inch (0.3 cm) deep in pots and place on a heating mat set to 20 °C (68 °F). Make sure the pots do not dry out. Or you can save some of this trouble and simply divide your plant when it is large enough.
In our Zone 7a garden: We have a delightful clump of Dodecatheon meadia under the magnolia tree. Always a pleasure to see it arrive on scene…a true indication spring is really getting underway. We have allowed this plant to self-seed in place to save the work of germinating seeds ourselves. The plant will be then be divided.
Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM) 1993
Posted on April 4, 2018 |
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