Horticulture Report: Sedges

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Ashland Garden Club

Plant Name: Carex species: There are more than 1,500 species of these perennials.

Common name: Sedges

Plant Type: Deciduous or Evergreen Perennials

Plant Height: 12” – 4’

Plant Width: 10” – 12”

Bloom Time: Varies

Flower Color: Stems & Panicles of flower heads in short spikes. Provides Interesting Foliage and Movement.

Exposure: Part Shade to Full Shade, some varieties will take Full Sun, (check specific plant’s preference)

Soil Requirements: Carex grow in soils ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 on the pH scale. Most average garden soils fall between a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0.

Water Needs: Some like Wetter Sites, Some Drier Conditions. Check variety for water needs.

Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 8; Plant 30’+ from house

Attributes: Deer Resistant, Provides 3- seasons of Interest, Easy to grow, Low maintenance; Wide Range of Colorful Grass-like Foliage; Adds Drama to a Landscape, Adds Texture, Host plants for butterflies and skippers. Beneficial to pollinators by providing cover in the winter. Excellent seed source for birds. Provides Texture and Movement in a landscape.

Uses: Carex species to suit just about any situation. Mass plantings, Ground Cover, Container Plantings, Rockery gardens, Lining Sidewalks, Edging Flowerbeds, and more.

Note: May be Susceptible to Rust, Smut, Leaf Spot, Aphids.

Native to: Found Worldwide

Oregon Native: NO

USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9, check variety for hardiness in your zone.

Report by: Viki Ashford, and Carlotta Lucas, both AGC Board Members

Photos by Monrovia Nursery: https://www.monrovia.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=carex

Horticulture Report: Rock Cress

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Ashland Garden Club

Plant Name: Aubrieta deltoidei
Common name: Rock Cress
Plant Type: Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – .75’
Plant Width: 1’ – 2’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Summer
Flower Color: Purple-Red
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained;
Water Need: Low
Fire Resistant: YES; 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Deer Resistant; Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds;
Uses: Rock Gardens; Front of Border; Containers.
Note: Cut Back After Flowering, Not in Fall; Short Lived; Divide Every 1 – 3 Years;
Native to: Eastern Europe
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 -8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Eli+, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Creeping Thyme

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Ashland Garden Club

Plant Name: Thymus praecox
Common name: Creeping Thyme
Plant Type: Groundcover
Plant Height: 1” – 4”
Plant Width: 6” – 18”
Bloom Time: May – August
Flower Color: Pink White, Purple
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Dry – Medium, Well-Drained; Tolerates Rocky or Poor Soil.
Water Need: Drought Tolerant Once Established
Fire Resistant: YES. Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Leaves in Shades of Light to Dark Green Yellow, or Variegated; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Rock Walls; Between Pavers; Rock Garden; Path Edging.
Note: Cut Back Stems to Maintain Plant Appearance; Susceptible to Root Rot in Poor Draining Soils.
Native to: SW & Central Europe; Greenland; Turkey
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Veronica Ground Covers

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Ashland Garden Club

Plant Name: Veronica species
Common name: Speedwell
Plant Type: Perennial Groundcover
Plant Height: 4” – 8”
Plant Width: 18” – 24”
Bloom Time: May/June
Flower Color: Blue, Pink, White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained
Water Needs: Drought Resistant; For Best Bloom Water Moderately About 1” a Week.
Fire Resistant: YES; Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Attracts Butterflies/Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant. NOTE: Veronica tends to be deer-resistant, though extreme conditions deer with graze on plants they otherwise wouldn’t eat.
Uses: Rock Gardens; Flower Bouquets; Perennial Border.
Note: Showy in Full Bloom; Cut Back for Overwintering; Deadhead to Extend Bloom.
Native to: Northern Europe; Asia
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Veronica species

Blue Woolly Speedwell (Veronica pectinata)
Turkish Veronica (Veronica liwanensis)
Thyme Leaf Speedwell (Veronica oltensis)
Snowmass® Blue-Eyed Speedwell (Veronica Snowmass P018S)
Veronica filiformis (Creeping Speedwell)
Veronica peduncularis or umbrosa ‘ George Blue’
Veronica Repens

Today in the Garden

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Ashland Garden Club

Madia elegans: Elegant tar weed. This is blooming right now. It is a sun-loving native annual that self-sows widely. Drought and deer tolerant. Blooms morning and evening, but closes up during the middle of the day. See the bumble bee getting pollen off the flowers. The plant is about 3′ high and 1 1/2′ high.

Epilobium canum, or California Fuchsia. It used to be called Zauschneria californica. It is a later blooming perennial. It is drought and deer resistant. This one is right near an alley and a driveway, and is fine with hot, dry soil. Hummingbirds love it. I plant it with dark blue Bachelors’ Buttons, annuals which seed around.

Gaillardia , or Blanket Flower. It is a long-blooming perennial with interesting round seed heads. If some of the seed heads are left on, it will self-sow. This particular plant is probably a hybrid, called Gaillardia x grandlora ‘Goblin’, which is a more compact cultivar. The native is Gaillardia aristata. It is drought tolerant and deer resistant.

Praying Mantis on Verbena, previously seen eating a bee from the head down. After crawling up on this bloom, she crawled down on the stem and basically disappeared, lurking until another insect came along.