Tag Archives: Carlotta Lucas

Dahlias

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Plant name: Dahlia
Plant type: Tuberous flowers; biennial tubers are planted in the spring
Height: Large: 3-4 feet, Medium: 1-2 feet, Small: 10-20 inches
Spread: Varies with variety
Bloom Time:  Summer, fall
Flower Color:  Orange, Pick, Purple, Red, White, Yellow, and Multi-color
Exposure: Full Sun. (6-8 hours of morning sun is best)
Soil Requirements: Sandy Loam
Water Needs: Moist to Moderate
Attributes:   Large flamboyant flowers

Notes:  Will not tolerate frost. Not suited for hot/humid climates.
Tubers struggle in cold soil, plant after ground temperatures reach 60o F
Tubers typically dug in the fall, stored for winter, replanted in late spring. Uses: Display Gardens, Cut flowers, Late-season color, To “wow” your neighbors & friends!
Native to: South America Andes
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-10

Deer – Resistant Salvias

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Attract Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Moths and Bees. Waterwise easy care plants. Flowers colors vary:  white, red, pink , orange , purple, blue, cream  and a mixture of these  colors. Exposure: Full Sun,/Part Sun.

Salvia Microphylla

 Salvia Microphylla:  aka Baby sage.  Outstanding plants with stunning flowers.  Prolific bloomer from spring until fall.   Low water needs.  Height 24-36, depends on variety. USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-11.   Varieties to look for:  ‘Hot Lips’, ‘Red Velvet’, ‘Kew Red’,   ‘Killer Cranberry’, ‘Mesa Azure’

Salvia nemorosa:  aka- Woodland Sage or Balkan Clary. Easy to grow, drought tolerant,  but plant blooms better with average moisture.  Blooms spring, summer, and fall depending on variety.  Height 16-36 inches. USDA Hardiness Zone 3-8. Varieties to look for:  ‘Pink Profusion’, ‘Violet Profusion’, ’White Profusion’ , ‘Pink Dawn’, ‘Caradonna’ (purple) , ‘Blue by You’.  

Salvia elegans Scarlet

Salvia elegans: Pineapple Sage – Bright red exotic flowers attract hummingbirds! Leaves can be used as a culinary herb and have a slight pineapple or citrus taste.   USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10.

Fall Blooming Tall Varieties: Pineapple scented leaves. USD Hardiness Zones 9-10. Variety favorites:  ’Scarlet Pineapple’ 36”Tall,    and  ‘Rockin’® Golden Delicious’  (yellow leaves),  48” tall.

Spring Blooming/Shorter Varieties:  ‘Honey Melon’, 24” tall, blooms late spring, small leaves have a wonderful fruity scent similar to honeydew melon. USDA Hardiness Zones 9-10

’Tangerine Pineapple Sage’ 18” tall, small citrus-scent leaves, blooms mid-spring through fall.  USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10

Salvia greggii:  aka Autumn Sage.  Native to the SW Texas. Good for hot sunny locations and low water gardens, prolific bloomers.  Blooms summer through fall.  USDA Zone: 6-10.  (Hardiness varies by variety.) Best known variety Furman’s Red Texas Hardy to 150F.   Other varieties: Cold hardy Texas Pink, Wild Thing, Mirage™ Deep Purple.

Salvia officinalis – Common culinary sages – Evergreen Perennial Herb – Grayish leaves with blue to purplish flowers.

Salvia officinalis Berggarten

Popular Salvia officinalis Varieties:

‘Berggarten’ 16″ tall x 24″ wide. Robust plant with large silver and gray variegated leaves.  Purple spike flowers appear in early summer. USDA Hardiness Zones 5-11.

Golden Sage – 16″ tall x 24″ wide- Dark green leaves with chartreuse-yellow edges, a small compact plant. Good ornamental plan. Whorls of lavender-blue flowers spikes appear in late spring. USDA Hardiness Zones 6-10.

Purple Sage –16” tall x 12 wide- Gray-green leaves suffused with steely-gray purple producing a unique pungent flavor and aroma.  Showy violet-blue spikes.  Good ornamental and culinary plant. USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9.  Does not like wet roots!

Tricolor Sage – 18″ tall x 24″ wide – Ornamental herb with colorful grayish green leaves marbled with white, pink and purple. Lavender blue flower spikes appear in summer. Leaves produce strong aromatic scent. USDA Hardiness Zones 6-10.

Article and Photos by:  Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Horticulture Report: Fothergilla

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Plant Name:  Fothergilla (Dwarf)
Common name:  Witch-Alder
Cultivar: ‘Mount Airy’
Plant type: Deciduous Shrub
Height: 3-5 ft
Spread:   3-5 ft
Bloom Time:  April- May
Flower Color:  White
Exposure: Full Sun –part shade
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, perfers Humus
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes:   Showy bottlebrush-like tiny spikes (1-3” long),
Honey-scented fragrant flowers, Good summer foliage and Great fall color.
Uses:  Hedges, shrub borders, foundation plantings or native plantings.
Notes: Plants do well with rhododendrons, because they have the same soil requirements.
Native to: Southeastern United States
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4-8

Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

Propagation Tips: Rosemary Cuttings

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Cuttings are the most common way on how-to propagate rosemary.

Take a 2- to 3-inch cutting from a mature rosemary plant with a clean, sharp pair of shears.

Rosemary cuttings should be taken from the soft or new wood on the plant. The soft wood is most easily harvested in the spring when the plant is in its most active growth phase.

Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds of the cutting leaving at least five or six leaves.

Take the rosemary cuttings, dip bottoms in rooting hormone and place it in a well draining potting medium.

Cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic wrap to help the cuttings retain moisture. Place in indirect light.  When you see new growth, remove plastic. Then, transplant to your new location.

Photos & Article by Carlotta Lucas

Propagation Tips: Layering Rosemary

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Spring is a good time to propagate Rosemary.  Two methods used in propagating Rosemary, and they are by cuttings and by layering.

This article explains how-to layer Rosemary.

Choose a long stem that will bend over enough to reach the ground.

Measure to see if you can pin the stem to the ground easily.

Strip away 1/2 inch of bark and leaves on either side of where the pin goes.

Note: An metal coat hanger can be cut to size and use as a pin.

Leave at least 2-3 inches of Rosemary’s leaves at the tip.

Bury the pin and the bared bark with soil.

Repeat process on other stems to make several new starts.

Once new growth appears on the tips on the stems, cut the stem away from the mother plant. Make your cut behind he pinned area, which is where the new roots form.  Transplant rosemary starts into a pot, or into a new garden location. Protect from hot sun, and keep moist until established.

Pictures &  Article by: Carlotta Lucas