Russian Sage

I am a little late on my drought tolerant plants post. So I will do my best to post 2times today.

Russian Sage seems to be rather popular at the nursery I work at. Most people really like it, and know about it. We have all scene it. Personally, it is not one of my favorite plants. I have seen this plant get a little out of control. And I kinda think it looks like a large sage brush. (hey, all I can say about this blog is you will get my honesty right?) I have watched it grow in some yards, and have truly thought that no other plant would fit better. It just looked great. But for me, at least at this moment. I have not planted a Russian Sage in my landscape.

The Boring information here-

Russian Sage or Perovskia atriplicifolia the fancy planty name, isn't a Sage and isn't Russian. No kidding. It is actually native from Afghanistan to Tibet. It was named after a Russian Military Officer. I have no idea why. (and that concludes your history lesson for today) This plant was actually selected as the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1995! Not bad...

Will you like it?

This perennial has an upright habit, and resembles a shrub. It is a little woody in texture. I think it almost has a "greyish" color, with Purple flowers. The leaves are small (the flowers two), but some say they are lacy and delicate looking. Russian Sage is fragrant, and that is a main stay for many who grow this plant. For me I would think its best feature would be that it attracts butterflies, and does not attract deer!!! Oh my, maybe I better re-think this. I NEED stuff that does not attract deer! hee hee

I see this plant in a lot of xeriscape plantings. My sister is a xeriscaper, and she loves this plant. They are EXTREMELY drought tolerant, and heat tolerant. I have heard it does not do as well in the humid hot. Some say it is "floppy" in humidity and shade.
This perennial is a great "late" season bloomer. It can and often will bloom all the way to September. Wow! That is a great feature. I think if you put this flower with ornamental grasses it looks pretty cool actually. Sort of walking through a path in the woods.

Choose your variety carefully, make sure to check the tag. You want to be careful to pick the size you want. There are smaller versions that I could really see myself trying in the future. The most popular version I see in landscapes about 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. That seems to be the "norm" or at least the most widely used variety.
Taking Care of-

When you purchase your Russian Sage make sure you DO water it until it is established. I would say for the first year. Then you shouldn't need to water it at all, or at least very little after that. Make sure to plant in FULL sun. This is NOT a shade plant. And I want to add, No Need to Fertilize.

In the spring I would cut your Russian Sage back, after you see a little new growth beginning. You could cut it all the way back to about a foot tall. That will encourage nice thick growth. Buggies don't seem to really even bother Russian Sage. DON'T divide Russian Sage if you want to propagate this plant. You can propagate by cuttings, but even that may be a little difficult. Cuttings don't take very easily, in my experience. You may have a different result than me. At the greenhouse the ratio of cuttings were 50/50. I have a good friend who has Russian Sage in her front yard in a rock wall. They look amazing. She has told me that they spread.

If you are looking for a dry hot plant, purple in color, that you don't have to water much... Run don't walk to your nearest garden center and pick up a Russian Sage! & as always, Happy Planting...

Spirea, you gotta have some.

Its been a week! Did you miss me? I'm not sure anyone is listening to me ramble on about gardening. (or reading as it were) Today I am blogging about Spirea. Over the last week I have designed 3 yards and at least one bed. I still have one to do! Overwhelmingly I have found that everyone is in love with Spirea. Here are some reason's why...

Most Spirea are easy to grow. Enough said? Well, there is more. Spireas are adaptable, fast-growing, and easy to maintain. Hold on, there is even more... Spireas even have a huge range of foliage and bloom colors. Read on-

Plant the spring-blooming bridal wreath type Spirea in partial shade. Summer-blooming spireas produce the most flowers and best color in full sun. But they do well in part shade as well. All spireas prefer moist, but well-drained soil.
The summer-blooming spireas bloom on new growth. I would prune them in late winter or early spring before the shrub gets leaves. If you deadhead spent flowers during the summer it will not only prevents the formation of seed, but will encourage repeat bloom later in the season. These summer spireas are drought tolerant after established.

Here are my favorite varieties-

Anthony Waterer- This Spireas leaves emerge as bronze/red and mature to deep blue-green as, pink flowers appear in early summer. It typically grows 3–4 feet tall and 4–6 feet wide. Blue Mist-This is a very fast growing shrub that has blue to purple flowers during the last half of the summer & in the early fall. Promote more flowering, by cutting the shrub almost to the ground in late February or early March. Blue Mist Spirea needs full sun and lots of heat. It gets 4' high & 4 feet wide. This is a great picture, but I think it over emphsizes the blue color. Dont base your purchase on that...Goldflame- I love this spirea for its distinctive gold leaves. The new leaves of this Spirea emerge a copper red before maturing to chartreuse, & it gets dark pink flowers. (bonus) In fall, the leaves become a warm bronze color. This spirea is a fun way to add color to your miserable hot sun garden, without having a flower... Little Princess- has pale pink flowers on 2- to 3-foot tall plants. Small but striking, I think Little Princess holds its shape very well.. Magic Carpet- A fairly low growing spirea. Has an intense lime green color to the foliage in the spring. Love the orange/red new growth, & very nice bright pink flowers during bloom. generally under 3 feet Snowmound- grows 3–5 feet tall Showy flowering shrub with dark blue/green leaves. Then it is contrasted by masses of white flowers in late May. This Spirea is one of the more prolific bloomers of all spireas. Vanhoutee or Bridal Wreath- This is probably my most favorite Spirea of the bunch. No picture can do it justice. If you have a shady spot, this Spirea is for you. The white flowers are almost overwhelming in the spring. I love the leaf & look of the shrub when it is not in bloom to. But this is also the biggest Spirea. It can get 6 to 10 feet tall, and just as wide! So you may want to plan for a big shrub, or pull out your nippers... Bridal wreath blooms on old wood (that really is cool I must say) only prune this shrub to keep a good shape and size. Prune soon after all the plants’ flowers fade. There are few maintenance requirements for spirea. Fertilizing in early November will help encourage growth and pruning dead and broken branches in early spring keeps the shrub neat. Lastly, Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

I am sure you can find a Spirea for your garden. Happy Planting!

Echinacea, Cone Flower

What plant will do well in Full Hot Sun is drought tolerant, is purple & comes back every year? That four-part question is a common one at the Greenhouse. The Purple Cone Flower can answer yes to all three. I like the Cone Flower for several reasons. It has been very hardy in my yard. But there is something cool in my mind about growing Echinacea! Makes me feel earthy. Cone Flower is in the Daisy Family. It is a wild flower in the central United States. Great for any sunny garden, it is highly adaptable. That means it can be moved and bounce right back. Echinos is a Greek word, meaning hedgehog. I guess they named it that because the base of the plant is a little prickly. I have learned that it is the big black root that is used to make the pills & tea's that boost the immune system and fight infections. I think they make excellent cutting flowers, and they do attract butterflies and humming birds. Division or seed can achieve propagation. Obviously seed would be much easier. But the Cone Flower would love to be divided every 3 years.

Growing Guide- Cone Flower loves Sun, full Sun. It will tolerate a little shade. But if it has too much shade it will stay very small, yellow up and probley not make it through the winter. You may have to stake this plant. Those blossoms get big and top heavy after the plant has grown a few years. I use those small green bamboo sticks. They hide well, and the plant stands up very nice. This plant would never do well in standing water. The soil must drain. But it can stand much less frequent watering after the first or second year. My Cone Flower was small the first year, and then I moved it. It was small that next year because of the move, I am sure. But this last year it was huge. I loved every second of it. I use a time-release fertilizer in the spring. And if you keep Cone Flower dead headed, you will have regular prolonged blooming. One of the greatest things about this plant is it is long lived. It blooms and blooms. If you consider yourself a real "black thumb" try Echinacea when it is already started at the nursery. The only problem's that this plant has is with the starting out process. At the Greenhouse they have already tackled this problem for you. When you pick it up it will grow and be beautiful for years to come. Cone Flower comes in a variety of colors. So it can’t just be called Purple Cone Flower any longer! A White Variety is called Echinacea Purpurea 'White Swan'. But there are so many choices with Echinacea. Tall, Medium & Short. Purple, White and Pink.

Hope this gives you a reason to plant Echinacea. If not for the look of the plant, for your own well being. Hee hee
Happy Planting