Today in the garden flowers are in AGC member Lynn McDonald’s October garden.
Nasturtiums, Hydrangeas, Salvia and chrysanthemums, Petunias blooming since March, Geraniums, Origanum, Asters, Tithonia, Sweet peas in October (planted in spring), Gaura, Poppies and Bachelor Buttons, Verbena and Autumn Leadwort, Orange Cosmos, Dahlias
Plant Name: Helianthemum nummularium
Common name: Sun Rose or Rock Rose
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: 8” – 10”
Plant Width: 12” – 16”
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color: Red, Pink, Yellow, Orange, Multicolored
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Dry, Alkaline, Rocky, Sandy Soil;
Water Needs: Dry; Low
Fire Resistant: YES – Zone 1: Plant 30+ feet from Structure
Attributes: Mounding Growth Habit; Drought Tolerant; Evergreen with Grey-Green Foliage; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Rock Gardens; Edging Plant; Ground cover; Border Front.
Note: Shear Plants after flowering to encourage additional growth; each flower opens for only one day.
Native to: Europe; Asia Minor
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 7
Plant Name
: Armeria maritima
Common name: Sea Thrift
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .5’ – 1’
Plant Width: .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color: Pink to White
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Infertile, Well-Drained Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 8 = Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Flowers; Drought Tolerant; Deer Tolerant; Attracts Bees; Butterflies.
Uses: Ground Cover; Edging/Border Fronts; Rock Gardens; Containers.
Note: Deadhead to Encourage More Blooms.
Native to: Northern Hemisphere
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Board Member
Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member
Plant Name: Allium schoenoprasum
Common name: Chives
Plant Type: Perennial Bulb
Plant Height: 1’ – 1.5’
Plant Width: 1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time: June – August
Flower Color: Pale Purple
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade.
Soil Requirements: Average, Medium, Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium
Fire Resistant: YES – Zone 1 – Plant 10’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Flower with Fragrant Leaves; Deer/Drought Tolerant; Attracts Butterflies, Bees, Pollinators; Consistent performer
Uses: Herb; Herb/Vegetable Gardens; Rock Gardens; Containers.
Note: Self seeds unless spent flowers are deadheaded; Harvest Leaves by clipping at base of plant; Root Rot may occur in poorly drained soil.
Native to: Temperate Northern Hemisphere
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Board Member
Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member
Plant Name: Ceanothus prostratus
Common name: Mahala Mat
Plant Type: Evergreen Groundcover/Subshrub
Plant Height: 6”
Plant Width: 8’
Bloom Time: May – July
Flower Color: Pale Purple to Pale Blue to White
Exposure: Sun
Soil Requirements: Average, Gritty Soil.
Water Need: Regular; Drought Tolerant; Dry in Summer.
Fire Resistant: YES; Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Attracts Bees; Fixes Nitrogen; Host Plant to Some Butterflies; Attracts Other Insects; Deer Resistant.
Uses: Erosion Control; Bee/Bird/Butterfly Gardens.
Note: Verticillium Wilt Resistant.
Native to: California into Nevada; Pacific Northwest
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9
Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener
Photo Credit: Adam Schneider, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahala_mat.jpg
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
