Plant Name: Eremurus
Common Name: Foxtail Lily or Desert Candle
Plant type: Perennial bulb
Height: 3-7 ft
Spread: 1 ft
Bloom Time: May-June
Flower Colors: Dark Orange, Pink, Yellow, White, Apricot
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-drained fertile, sandy soil with compost
Water Needs: Average. Regularly, but do not over water
Attributes: Dramatic flower spikes, Gray-green foliage,
Note: Low Maintenance, but eaten by slugs. Plant in early spring on a mound of grit with the crown not far beneath the surface of the soil.
Uses: Cottage Garden, Informal Garden, Tall Borders, Specimen plantings, Prairie plantings
Native to: Afghanistan and Turkistan
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Category Archives: Horticulture Reports
Horticulture Report: Calycanthus ‘Venus’
Plant Name: Calycanthus ‘Venus’
Common Name: Sweetshrub
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Height: 8-10 ft
Spread: 5-7 ft
Bloom Time: May to July
Flower Color: White, with purple & yellow centers
Exposure: Full Sun or Part Shade (tolerates being almost in full shade)
Soil Requirements: Rich well-drained loam, but tolerates clay soil
Water Needs: Medium moist
Attributes:Showy Magnolia-like fragrant flowers, Glossy green leaves, Fall color
Note: Prune out root suckers to prevent spreading
Uses: Hedge, Accent or Specimen Plant, Foundation Plantings, Cut Flowers, Naturalizing
Native to: Hybridized patented plant by Dr. Tom Ranney, North Carolina State University
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
(Available at Forest Farms Nursery, Williams Oregon)
Hugelkultur: the ultimate raised garden beds!
A permaculture practice called Hugelkultur, ( which is German for “mound culture,”) is a “no dig” raised garden bed method that is said to hold moisture, build fertility, and maximizes surface volume. Hugelkultur is a good idea and can preform as boasted, but be smart about what you bury. Do not bury plants that are invasive, unwanted, or toxic. Some plants sprout quickly, then take over like branches from willows, privets, cottonwood, and bamboo. Others can be toxic, like Black Walnut which has juglone, a growth inhibitor that many plants can’t not tolerate. There are many aggressive and toxic plants to be aware of, so make sure you research the biomass you’re using before burying it. And remember, leave diseased logs and branches out of your beds!
Horticulture Report: Lisianthus
Plant Name: Eustoma grandiflorum
Common Name: Lisianthus , Prairie gentian, Prairie rose
Plant type: Annual
Height: 24 – 30-inches
Bloom Time: June – September
Flower Color: Rose, lilac, blue, pink, cream, white, and light yellow
Exposure: Bright indirect light
Soil Requirements: Rich well draining peat based soil.
Water Needs: Slightly moist – let plant dry out some between watering.
Attributes: Striking rose-like flowers, last up to 2 weeks in a vase with water.
Note: Difficult to grow from seed, it’s best to buy starts! Avoid root bound plants. Dead head for conditioned blooming into fall, Feed with weak liquid fertilizer.
Uses: Cut flowers, Floral arrangements
Native to: Southern States USA
USDA Hardiness Zone: 8-10
Horticulture Report: Verbascum
Today in the garden…
Plant Name: Verbascum
Common name: hybrid ‘Southern Charm’
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Height: 2-3 ft
Spread: 1-2 ft
Bloom Time: May- September (de-head to continue blooming time)
Flower Color: Pastel shades: lavender, buff, cream, soft rose
Exposure: Full sun
Soil Requirements: Well drained soil, grows on rocky slopes. Avoid highly fertile and wet soils!
Water Needs: Dry to medium
Attributes: Showy erect flowers, velvet leaves
Note: Drought tolerate, deer resistant ( maybe!), short lived perennial but it self-seeds
Uses: Perennial garden, cottage garden, vertical accent, cut flower
Native to: Europe to North Africa to Western and Central Asia.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Filling in the Spaces: Part 2
Creeping Phlox/ Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata): Vigorous mat-forming 6” high plant that rambles through rocks and drapes over rock walls. Dense ground cover excellent for controlling erosion on slopes. Note: Not for pathways, it does not tolerate foot traffic. Perennial, Full sun, Flowers can be white, rose, hot pink or magenta, Deer Resistant. USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.
Hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum)
Ground-hugging, cold hardy, sun loving, drought tolerant succulent. Leaves form in rosette shapes, propagate by offsets (chicks). With 3,000 cultivars available leaf colors range from shades of green, to silver-blues, to dark purple, and delicate pink. Use in rock gardens, containers or areas you want to “fill-in”. Perennial, Full sun to Part Sun, Likes Sandy/ Gritty Soil, Drought Tolerant, Deer proof. Groundcover. USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10.
Irish Moss/Corsican Pearl Wort (Sagina subulata)
Handsome lush low-growing green moss that forms a carpet-like foliage 1″ tall. Tiny translucent star-shaped white flowers. Irish Moss is prefect for rock gardens, between stone or paver pathways. Perennial, Evergreen, Full or Part Shade, Needs Water & Well-Draining Soil, White Flowers, Deer Proof, Groundcover. USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 10.
Article by Carlotta Lucas