The Untended Garden in March!
Excuse the weeds, but the bumbles bees like them.
~Garden and Poster by Goly Ostovar, AGC Member
Garden Poster
Tag Archives: Attracts Bees
Today in the Garden
Pollinator at work!
photo by: Lynn McDonald
Horticulture Report: Polygala fruticosa
Plant Name: Polygala fruticosa
Common name: Dwarf Sweet-Pea Bush
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 3 feet
Spread: 3 feet
Bloom Time: Spring-Summer
Flower Color: Vibrant, purple-magenta, pea-like flowers
Sun Exposure:Full Sun to Part Sun (4-6 hours)
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, humus-rich soil
Water Needs: Moderate
Attributes: Green-Gray Foliage, Attracts Pollinators, Nectar-rich flowers
Firewise: Status unknown
Note: Only Hardy above 20 o, NOT a perennial in areas where temperatures drops below 20o, but in Zone 8A it will typically recover.
Uses: Flowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Repeat Flowering, Showy Flowers, Container Plant, Perennial Garden, Cottage Garden, Wildlife & Pollinator Gardens
Native to: South Africa
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10
Photo by: Joanie Kintscher, Past President AGC
Report by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member
Firewise Plant: Muscari armeniacum Grape Hyacinth
Plant Name: Muscari armeniacum
Common name: Grape Hyacinth
Plant Type: Bulbous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – .75’
Plant Width: .25’ – .50’
Bloom Time: April
Flower Color: Royal Blue with thin White Rim
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Drained; Sandy; Loam
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 10 – Plant 10’+ from structure.
Attributes: Showy Flower; Fragrant; Good Cut Flower; Deer Resistant; Tolerates Clay Soil; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Mass in Open Areas; Around Shrubs; Under Deciduous Trees; Rock Gardens; Front of the Border; Container Plant.
Note: Reduce Watering After Foliage Begins to Die Back.
Native to: Western Asia, Southeastern Europe
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photo by (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), GFDL 1.2 http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html, via Wikimedia Commons
Firewise Plant: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Point Reyes’
Plant Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Point Reyes’
Common name: Point Reyes Bearberry Manzanita
Plant type: Groundcover
Height: 12” – 18”
Spread: 1’ – 6’
Bloom Time: Winter – Spring
Flower Color: Pink
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Draining; Tolerant of Most Soil Types.
Water Needs: Low to Moderate
Attributes: Insects & Hummingbirds Attracted to Flowers; Fruit & Seed Eating Birds Attracted to Fruit ; Deer Resistant.
Firewise: YES; Zone 5 – Plant 60’+ from House.
Note: Prune in Early Spring as Needed to Contain Spread.
Uses: Slope Stabilizer; Bee, Bird, Hummingbird Gardens; Lawn Substitute.
Native to: Alaska to Canada to Western United States
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 10
Article by Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener
Photos by OSU https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-point-reyes
Firewise Plant: Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
Plant Name: Gaillardia varieties
Common name: Blanket Flower
Plant Type: Perennial
Plant Height: 8” – 36”
Plant Width: 12” – 24”
Bloom Time: June – September
Flower Color: Red, Gold, Burgundy
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1-8, Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes: Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Attracts Birds & Butterflies; Other Pollinators.
Uses: Good Cut Flower; Container Plant; Borders; Butterfly Gardens;
Note: Deadhead for Continuous Bloom; Keep Some Seed Heads for Birds; Cutting Back Clumps in Late Summer Increases Chance of Winter Survival; Divide Clumps Every 2 – 3 Years in Spring or Early Fall for Plant Vigor; Susceptible to Powdery Mildew, Leafspot, & Leafhoppers.
Native to: Western North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 10
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member/Master Gardener
Photo credit: Lazaregagnidze, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons