Horticulture Report: Threadleaf Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’

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Plant Name:  Coreopsis verticullata ‘Zagreb’
Common name: Threadleaf Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Height:  18 – 24 inches
Spread:  12 – 18 inches
Bloom Time: May – June
Flower Color:  Bright Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerates Dry, Shallow, Rocky Soil;
Water Needs: Dry to Medium

Attributes: Showy Flower; Deer Tolerant; Drought Tolerant; No Serious Disease or Insect Problems; Attracts Butterflies

Note:  Deadheading encourages additional bloom & prevents unwanted self-seeding. Plants may be sheared in mid to late summer to promote fall re-bloom & remove sprawling foliage. Can spread aggressively by rhizomes & self-seeding. Crown Rot may occur in poor draining soils.

Uses: Native Plant Gardens; Cottage Gardens; Borders; Containers; Cut Flowers; Naturalizing, Butterfly Gardens, 
Native to:  Eastern USA
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  3 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford

Globe Amaranth

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In Hawaii, Gomphrena globosa is commonly used in long-lasting leis since it retains its shape and color after drying. In Nepal, these flowers are in  garlands used for the last day of Tihar, a five-day-long Hindu festival when sisters adorn brothers with a garland. This day is called Bhai Tika – Worship of Brother.

Plant Name:  Gomphrena globosa
Common name: Globe Amaranth
Plant Type:  Annual
Plant Height:  1’ – 2’
Spread:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time: June to Frost
Flower Color:  Pink, Purple, White, Yellow, Magenta.
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Tolerates most soils.
Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes: Showy Flower; Good Dried or Long-Lasting Cut Flower; Attracts Butterflies; Drought Tolerant; Tolerates Clay Soil.
Note:  If sowing seeds, germination rate is low; pinch plants to promote bushiness.
Uses: Borders, Rock Gardens, Cutting Gardens, Containers.
Native to:  Central America & northern South America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2 – 11

Horticulture Report: Agastache hyssop

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Plant Name:  Agastache hyssop ‘Black Adder’
(A cross between A. foeniculum & A. rugosum
Common name: Black Adder Giant Anise Hyssop
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  2’ – 3’
Spread:  1.5’ – 2’
Bloom Time: June – Frost
Flower Color:  Smokey Red Violet Flowers Emerge from Nearly Black Buds.
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Tolerates Deer; Fragrant; Attracts Bees, Hummingbirds, & Butterflies.
Note:  Deadhead Spent Flowers to Promote Additional Bloom.  Leave Leaf & Flower Stems for Protection Over Winter.  Crown/Root Rot may occur in poor draining soils. 
Uses: Long-Blooming for Summer Border; Butterfly or Cottage Gardens; Good Cut Flower.
Native to:  North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  6 – 9

Submitted by: Viki Ashford

Wildflower: Phacelia campanularia (California Bluebell)

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Plant Name: Phacelia campanularia
Common names:  California-bluebell,
Desertbells, Desert bluebells,
Desert Scorpionweed, and Desert
Canterbury Bells
Plant type: Hardy Annual
Family: Member of the borage family
Height: 12 inches
Flower Color:  Blue
Exposure: Full sun
Blooms:  February – June
Soil: Sharply drained (sandy or granitic soil) , can tolerate other soils but needs good drainage
Water: Low – (arid climate plant)
Note: Grows in very arid environments; Adapts easily to gardens; not winter hardy but can reseed.
Attributes: Heart-shaped leaves, Vibrant Blue Color, Showy bell-shaped flowers, blooms in clusters
Uses: Wildflower gardens, Natural Gardens, Containers, Rock Gardens, Water-wise Gardens, Mass Plantings
Native to: Western USA
USDA Zone: 3-10

Report by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Random Gardening Tips

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Sweet Williams

To Attract Butterflies:  Plant these in your garden – Asters, Buddleja, Sweet William, Mexican Sunflower ((Tithonia rotundifolia), Milkweed, & Pipevine.

 

Tomato Tip: Help tomatoes pollinate by flicking each bloom with a fingernail during the driest part of the day, two or three times per week.  Shake big plants to spread their sticky pollen.

SALVIA guaranitica

Deer Problems: Are critters causing trouble in your garden?  Try deer-and rabbit-resistant perennial flowers including, agastache, artemisia, lavender, monarda, ornamental oregano, Russian sage, salvia, & yarrow.

 

 Iris Care: In the spring when tulips are blooming in your    neighborhood apply a light application of low-nitrogen fertilizers (6-10-10). Apply a second light application about a month after bloom; this will reward you with good growth and bloom. Avoid using anything high in nitrogen. After tall-bearded irises stop blooming, cut off spent flower stalks to promote new rhizome growth.

Rhododendrons: Immediately after bloom, prune rhododendrons to control size and shape.  Cut each stem back to just above a rosette of leaves.  Most varieties of garden-scale rhododendrons aren’t harmed by hard pruning.

Forget-me-not

Annual Flowers: If you like color & can embrace a little chaos, sow reseeding flowers including:  Blue Honeywort, Forget-me-not, Golden Feverfew, Love-in-a-mist, Sunflower & Sweet Alyssum.  These unfussy, drought-tolerant annuals will cheerily pop up for years to come.

Mulch: Maintaining a 3” layer of organic mulch throughout the garden prevents crusting & cracking of the soil surface, holds in moisture, encourages earthworms, moderates ground temperature, & prevents weeds from germinating.

Potted Plants: Feed potted specimens at least monthly with liquid fertilizer; They need it because increased summer watering washes nutrients out before plants can use them.

Pieris Japonica

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This is a Pieris Japonica I bought at the Jackson County Master Garden Fair in a one gallon container about 7 or 8 years ago. The new growth is always this stunning pink color. At first, when I saw it I thought it was a cross between a Pieris and an Azalea. ~ Jeanne Arago, AGC Member

Pieris Japonica

Horticulture Report: 
 
Plant Name: Pieris Japonica, Japanese Andromeda, Japanese Pieris 
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Height: 4 -8 feet
Spread: 3 to 6 feet
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Color: White
Exposure: Full sun (in northern climates)  Part to Full Shade (elsewhere)
Water: Medium
Attributes: Showy Flowers, Colorful Foliage, Evergreen, Winter Interest
Tolerates: Deer, Heavy Shade
USDA Zone: 5 to 8
 
Best grown in organically rich, slightly acidic, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun (see above) to part or full shade. Weakened plants due to hot summer stress may cause to to succumb to a harsh winter. It grows best in locations sheltered from wind with some afternoon shade. Remove spent flowers immediately after bloom.