As the gardening season rolls on by, I find some plants irresistible for various reasons, and here are a few more I couldn't resist.
A Genus I seem to be collecting this year, Primula, yielded P. japonica, below. The attraction of Primula came when I realized some of them follow a pattern of rapid growth during the PNW rainy season, blooming, then eventually going dormant for part of the hot dry summer weather, which makes them just about perfect for the climate here. In fact, they proved so hard to resist I even bought seeds for 3 more, P. x elatior 'Victoriana Laced Mixed', P. florindae, and P. veris mixed colors, from the agreeable J.L. Hudson Seedsman, one of my favorite suppliers of unusual seeds, since they have cheap shipping charges and fast service. Behind the Primula is a Maidenhair fern.
I am also currently collecting Geums since they are tough and tend to repeat reliably. In fact, I have one Geum,
macrophyllum, which is a native "weed" in my garden. Geum coccinium 'Queen of Orange', below, has nice low clumping foliage like '
Cookie' in a former post, and seems to be more floriferous and more double. Cute. Geum 'Mrs. Bradshaw that I started from seed is sending up buds so it shouldn't be too long to be able to enjoy the bright red blooms. I'm also starting 'Lady Stratheden' and 'Blazing Sunset', I hope to get flowers this year but I'll have to wait and see.
I am not usually a fan of ferns, but I find myself intrigued by the Japanese Painted Ferns, and succumbed to Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum Applecourt'. These ferns are supposed to develope more colors after a year of two of growth. For once I am hoping these ferns will spread around.
Another plant I couldn't resist and am sowing seeds for is
Achillea sibirica camtschatica Love Parade. Hopefully it will be as tough as Achillea millefolium but has delightful pink flowers and unusual foliage, and flowers lower, at 2'.
I hope these and your latest acquistions will prove to be delightful.
Hannah
No comments:
Post a Comment